eBay Report: Beef-A-Geddon And Major Carol Danvers

Below is a look at some items recently spotted on eBay that have a connection (sometimes a very, very loose one) to Danvers.

Beef-A-Geddon: Back in 1959, Danvers was the scene of one of the most horrific alien livestock massacres in U.S. history. Even the topsoil around this scene was carried away in unmarked helicopters while what remained of the local cow population was permanently re-settled to parts unknown. Just kidding, seriously. Actually, the photo shows Mr. S.C. Adams of the former Adamshurst Restaurant standing among what appears to be hundreds of pounds of steaks. A 2010 Danvers Herald article said that Mr. Sortir Adams owned the Adamshurst, as well as the Allenhurst, which he sold in 1972 to Jimmy Demakes. The article focused more on the Allenhurst restaurant, but also noted that the Adamshurst was located at the spot now occupied by the Hardcover restaurant on Route 1 North.

Carol Danvers: In the world of comic books, Air Force Major Carol Danvers is a superhero who may or may not be some sort of swimsuit model on the side. Over the years, she has apparently gone by the names of "Binary," "Ms. Marvel," and possibly others. Her resume includes stints with the Avengers and X-Men, for what it's worth. She's been around in various comic book forms since the 1960s, but I never saw any reference to her until doing this column. Speaking of Danvers in pop culture, there was also a creepy character named "Mrs. Danvers" in the 1938 novel "Rebecca," which went on to become an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I know that in one of my favorite classic movies, possibly Harvey, one of the characters also makes a passing reference to a servant or something named Mrs. Danvers.

The Berry Tavern: Anyone who drives through downtown is likely to spot Berry Street, across from St. Mary's Church. That street was named for this long-ago famous local tavern, which stood a little bit down the street – a historical marker near the old Danvers Savings Bank headquarters identifies that immediate area as the spot where the tavern once stood. Looking at this picture, it seems hard to place this building, particularly one of that size, in that precise location in Danvers Square.

The Former Yoken’s:  Many years ago, I vaguely remember going to the Danvers Yoken’s with my family. Years later, we would occasionally go to the Yoken’s that survived up until around 2000 or so in Portsmouth, NH. The food was pretty good actually, straightforward New Englandish comfort food with some pretty good but somewhat old school desserts and with one of those attached gift shops. I can't remember for sure, but I bet it served that awesome old-fashioned red kidney bean relish dip type appetizer with crackers (for lack of a more concise term). It's too bad that stuff is harder and harder to find pretty much anywhere these days.  Of course, the true symbol of Yoken’s will always be that white whale, which in this picture somehow manages to look as groovy as a pair of mutton chop sideburns with bell bottoms.

Oak Knoll: I lived in Danvers for most of my life and never knew that at one point, the home of famed poet John Greenleaf Whittier stood in town at one point. As noted in , Whittier’s home, Oak Knoll, was razed to make way for new homes on Summer Street, just a few doors down from the Cedar Glen Care and Rehab Center, not far from St. John’s Prep. Behind Greenleaf Drive, there appears to be a town conservation area known as the Greenleaf Open Space, which is not a very poetic name in its own right - unless of course you're into haiku writing. Then it's actually got some potential.

Note: