Page 6 - North Haven Magazine Issue 12 Winter 2020

by Sally Brockett
As time marches on, fewer and the farm, he found that it was a small air-
fewer people have the opportunity craft with two passengers that had crashed.
to experience the ups and downs Fortunately, they were not injured, but the
of living on a true farm. Due to the plane had made an emergency landing on
variety of things that occur on a farm, a plowed field and flipped over. The plane
life can be exciting, scary, funny, and was temporarily stored in a farm building
while the FAA investigated the accident.
traumatic. But these experiences
build character and qualities that The farm fields were the site of another type
enhances one’s future. Let’s take a of landing early one summer morning. It is
look at some true life adventures that always exciting to see a colorful, huge, hot
occurred over generations of family air balloon gliding silently through the sky.
life on Arrowdale Farm. However, on this morning, the balloon was
coming down, out of the sky despite loud
he farm was settled by Eli Brockett in course was to remove the damaged hand. jets of hot air being shot up into the balloon
T1799 and much of the land has remained The surgery was performed in the kitchen to keep it aloft. I rushed out with our two
in the Brockett family since that time. The of the family’s “old red house”. sons to the area where it was hovering just
farm had dairy cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, over the calf pasture, surrounded by barbed
orchards for fruit, and of course, oxen and Over time, the injury healed, and Bethuel wire fencing. The calves were rather star-
work horses to pull the farming equipment, was determined to find a way to continue tled as they had never seen any such thing
wagons, and carriages for transportation. being a contributing member of the fami- come out of the sky! Some of the farm crew
ly, rather than an invalid who needed care. came rushing to assist, and with the bal-
Being a resourceful man, he designed his loon pilot’s guidance, the vehicle was safely
own artificial prosthesis, using leather and brought down, narrowly missing the calves
metal. He created a device on the end for and fencing. All passengers were safe, and
attaching utensils for eating and tools for had an exciting adventure to share with
working. He was then able to care for him- family and friends!
self and went back to driving the horses and
working at various tasks on the farm. This
antique prosthesis was saved and is in the
family museum of antiques.

The open spaces of a farm are occasional-
ly used for emergency landings of various
flying vehicles. Imagine the scene at the
North Haven Police Department when a
call came in that a plane had just crashed
Hay fields must be mowed, and the hay on the corn field at the farm! In 1964, the
dried to feed the cows. One day in Au- police department was fairly small, and the
gust, 1876, when Bethuel Brockett was closest officer, Hayes Gibson, was imme-
mowing, his horse was spooked and bolted diately dispatched to the scene, while the
when part of the mower broke. Bethuel was volunteer firemen were called and other
thrown in front of the sharp mower blades patrol cars were contacted. As Officer Gib- Barn fires are terribly frightening and de-
and his hand was nearly severed. Although son rushed out to the farm area with visions structive. In 1961 the neighboring Neubig
he was 74 years old, he was strong and of a commercial airliner crash, a multitude barn was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the
determined to get home for help. Family of scenarios and procedures raced through fire was discovered and the cows were driv-
members rushed to his aid, while one set his mind. He had no details on passengers en out of the barn in time, so they survived.
off by horseback to fetch the doctor from and injuries, so he had to consider various However, all the milking equipment was
Fair Haven. At that time, there were no contingencies. lost and the cows needed a home. Dairy
first responders and ambulances to care for cows cannot be put on vacation from milk-
victims during that first golden hour after Upon reaching the Montowese area, Gib- ing. They continue to produce milk even
injury. Hours later when the doctor final- son kept scanning the horizon for smoke without a barn and milking equipment! Be-
ly arrived, he determined that the only re- but did not see any. When he finally reached ing good farming neighbors, the Brockett’s

6 North Haven Magazine - Winter 2020