Remembering Walt Munroe:

With the passing of Walter (Walt) Munroe on Aug. 23, Rehoboth lost not only an important link to its historic farming past but also a native Rehoboth resident who contributed greatly to the civic life of the town. As a farmer, Walt continued a family tradition that goes back to the 1760’s. The Munroe farm on Fairview Avenue has stayed in family hands ever since then.

Walt was not only a hard-working farmer; he was also one of those dedicated people who have been so active in various town committees over the years that he leaves a long list of his accomplishments. He played a vital role as a member of a number of Rehoboth commissions and committees, starting with the Finance Committee in 1977.

At the time of his death he was still serving on the Housing Authority and the Water Commission. He was also still serving on the town’s Agricultural Commission and the Agricultural and Natural Resources Preservation Council, after years of service to all of these organizations. Walt was instrumental in getting the “Right to Farm” town bylaw passed in 2005.

Speaking of Walt’s many contributions to the town of Rehoboth, Werner Horlbeck recalled Walt’s expertise in agriculture and related areas. “There’s no one who knew more about groundwater in this area than Walt, and he especially loved his work on the Agricultural Commission, and of course, he loved the town of Rehoboth.”

Oral History on YouTube

Walt was also a long-time member of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society and was one of the local farmers interviewed as part of the Carpenter Museum’s “Unearthing Rehoboth’s Farming Past” oral history program. The video of this interview from 2011 may be viewed on YouTube.

RAS President Rebecca Smith said, “Walter had been a long-time member of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society and a good friend to us. Although he avoided the spotlight -- getting him to agree to the oral history interview was a triumph -- we have always been able to call on him for help behind the scenes. He had a strong interest in and connection to the town of Rehoboth and to the land that his family has farmed for centuries. This is a great loss to all of us.”

We’ve gathered here a few of the observations Walt shared on farming in Rehoboth during his interview at the museum. Walt said that he always enjoyed farming. “I like the livestock, I like being outdoors and I like the diversity of the work. It’s not all the same thing, day after day… In the summer you’re growing crops and harvesting them and in the winter you’re in the woods cutting wood.” Asked if he disliked anything about farming, Walt said with a chuckle, “You can’t make money at it.”

Family Farm Memories

Looking back on his youth, Walt said that farm kids in Rehoboth did their chores before and after school. He recalled that his favorite chore was milking the cow and the most hated chore was “cleaning under the turkey pens.” But it was not all work and no play. Walt remembered how he used to play baseball, football, and go sledding and ice skating in the winter, and how he would ride his horse Duke on the family farm.

One thing the Munroe farm was famous for in years gone by was its turkey business. “I think Dad [Ralph Munroe] said he started raising turkeys in 1934. At its height, I think we were putting out about 5,000 birds. By the time he went out of business we were down to around 2,000. Most people picked up their turkeys around Thanksgiving and Christmas but we sold them all year round except for July and August ... The last year I had it from my father we just about broke even, so I figured it was a good time to quit. I think in this day and age, people value locally grown and fresh much more than they did back then. I think you could actually get into it today and probably do better, but back then we were competing with the stores and to break even was lot tighter.”

Many local people have fond memories of the Monroe family’s Cricket Hill Gift Shop on Fairview Avenue. “My mother [Jane] started that shop with a neighbor in 1955, I think, and then she bought out the neighbor and ran it for years. People would stop in the shop when they came to pick up their turkeys so the two complemented each other,” Walt recalled. Walt’s wife Sharon ran the gift shop for many years but Walt said that “times changed” and business wasn’t as good as it had been in previous years. After Sharon closed Cricket Hill, their son Ben took over the shop and opened Monroe Feed & Supply there a few years ago.

At the conclusion of the oral history interview, Walt was asked how he felt about his farm and how he envisioned it 50 years into the future. He said, “It’s very important to me. My only hope is that the land is still in one piece. I hope someone is still farming it. If I had anything to say about it, it would stay a farm forever.”