DISCOVER
MAINE Maine’s History Magazine www.discovermainemagazine.com
Androscoggin/Oxford Sebago Region
Hiram Barns: Agricultural Cathedrals Evolution of an exhibition
Volume 7, Issue 5
Free 2010
A Classic Trout Fly And Maine Treasure The “Parmachenee Belle”
The Grover Brothers Of Grover Hill
Bethel’s famous sons made impressive marks in American history
2 4 9 12 14 16 20 24 26 30 35 37 41 48 53 60 63 69 74 79 83
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
~ Inside This Edition ~
Buster Keaton’s (Unwanted) Sister Louise Keaton was born in Lewiston by Charles Francis The United States Navy Comes To Auburn Author’s mother became wartime cook by !orman Houle Lewiston-Auburn’s First Bridges Recollections from past residents by Barbara Adams Curing Himself Of Consumption Hearty individual created his own sanitarium in Lisbon Falls by Barbara Adams The Confederate Hero From Leeds Danville Leadbetter fought for the South by Charles Francis The Postmaster From Paris Horatio King served in Washington as 22nd Postmaster General by Charles Francis The Genealogy Corner Writing your genealogical autobiography by Charles Francis The Trickster Of Lovell Kidnapped by Pequawket Indians, then released by Charles Francis Gold Panning At Coos Canyon Many try their luck, few have great success by Ian MacKinnon Settling In For A Good Read The early settlement of Windham by Denise R. Larson Filmy Webs Of Thread Bowdoinham farmer’s widow was a talented craftswoman by Barbara Adams Hiram Barns: Agricultural Cathedrals Evolution of an exhibition by Sally Williams Quaker Joe: Maine’s First Conscientious Objector Turner settler would rather develop the town than fight in the war by Charles Francis A Classic Trout Fly And Maine Treasure “The Parmachenee Belle” by Art Wheaton The Grover Brothers Of Grover Hill Bethel’s famous sons made impressive marks in American history by Charles Francis Remembering A Rumford Athlete Chester “Chet” Bulger by Charlotte Mayo The Livermore Falls Fire Of 1910 Resulting insurance claims were troublesome for the business district by Barbara Adams Gone But Not Forgotten: Rufus Ingalls Denmark native was at the forefront of America’s westward expansion by Charles Francis The Remarkable Libby Family Of Limerick Brothers prominent in many Maine business fronts by Charles Francis Camp Fire Girls Nationwide organization had roots in Casco area by Shirley Babb
Discover Maine Magazine
Androscoggin/Oxford Sebago Region
Published Annually by CreMark, Inc. 10 Exchange Street, Suite 208 Portland, Maine 04101 (207) 874-7720 info@discovermainemagazine.com
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Contributing Writers
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Front cover photo:
“The Rising Generation” East Dixfield
(File #100581 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org)
All photos in Discover Maine’s Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region edition show Maine as it used to be, and many are from local citizens who love this part of Maine. Photos are also provided from our collaboration with the Maine Historical Society and Penobscot Marine Museum
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
M
by Michele Farrar
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3
Notes From The Fayette Ridge
y friend up here on the ridge, Bob, is an avid fisherman. It’s trout season, and he’s shared several brookies in the frying pan with me. Bob is retired, so he can go fishing just about any time he wants. When I’m not working, I like to tag along. Every time I go with him, I learn something new. Last time he showed me how to keep the bug dope off the bait. Fish can smell bug dope a mile away, he told me. Since it’s plenty buggy, we were doused with the stuff. Before Bob touched the worm or the hook, he set down his pole and rubbed his hands in the dirt. Since we were sitting on the edge of the brook, this was easy enough. The dirt either rubs off the smell or disguises it enough to fool the fish. Either way, it worked. Bob also suggested that next time I skip the hot pink tee shirt because the fish are smart about bright colors — they know it “ain’t part of the natural shoreline.” Recently Bob took a trip to Rangeley. I had to work, so I missed the trip, but when he got home, he told me all about it. He had taken his canoe, an ancient green thing with a cushion on
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the seat and his cooler in the bow. He put in at the public boat landing and spent the day floating around with his line in the water. He wore his big straw hat instead of the usual baseball
Recently Bob took a trip to Rangeley. When he got home, we cooked up a sumptuous trout dinner. cap. (Bob has a collection of baseball caps that he keeps hanging on the wall of his garage. He could probably outfit every fisherman in Maine, including the “outta-staters,” as he calls them.) Bob’s hair is pretty sparse and he doesn’t like it when the bald spots get sunburned. He showed up on the ridge around dusk, just in time to get a fire going in the outdoor fireplace. He brought out his best cast iron frying pan and let it heat up on the rack he’s built. It tips up and down, much like the racks you see on the firepits at a campground. Then he tosses in a big slab of real butter. Bob only eats real butter with fresh fish. He says that other stuff — the stuff that’s good for your heart — just doesn’t do a fresh trout any justice. He thinks
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his arteries will be fine with the occasional real butter. Then he takes the trout, which he’s cleaned and rolled in cornmeal, and places it in the pan. It sizzles deliciously and curls up almost immediately. He watches it carefully, stirs it around a bit but makes sure the cornmeal doesn’t get inside the filet. He says there’s some rule about that, but he can’t really remember what it is, just that it’s important. Seconds later, he’s flipping the fish out of the pan and onto my plate. He cooks two at a time. We have a feast, because he’s brought back five of them — the daily limit. I’ve had baked potatoes in the oven since he called from the road, and now we’re slathering them with real butter as well. We pour a couple glasses of skim milk and I serve up some fiddleheads I’ve steamed. Bob goes fiddleheading as well, and he brought me a giant bag of them. He’s got a secret spot up here on the ridge that he hasn’t shared with anyone, so I’m glad just to have them. We have a great dinner by the fire, and he tells me he’s lost track of how many years he’s been doing this. He’s not worried, though. He knows there are many years to come, and many fish yet to catch.❧
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Buster Keaton’s (Unwanted) Sister
4
I
Louise Keaton was born in Lewiston by Charles Francis
n March of 1906 a Portland newspaper splashed headlines across its front page that child actor “Jingles” Keaton had been kidnapped on a busy city street. The paper reported that Jingles, barely a year and a half old, had practically been ripped out of his father’s arms. The kidnapper had then jumped into a cab with the toddler. The kidnapping had taken place at 11:30 in the morning. Jingles Keaton was the son of Joe and Myra Keaton. Joe and Myra were well-known vaudevillians. In 1906 they had two children. The other child — Jingles’s older brother, a child actor — was known as Buster. Sometime after the “kidnapping” of Jingles off a busy Portland street the youngest Keaton, already a staple of his parents’ act, was found in Union Station. Jingles was contentedly eating candy. Later it was discovered that the whole episode had been a publicity stunt.
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The “kidnapper” was a prop man with Joe Keaton’s vaudeville show. Buster Keaton was ten years old when his little brother was “kidnapped.” Various biographers have claimed that Buster would have been just as happy if Jingles’s kidnapping had been real and successful. According to them, Buster was jealous of the fact that Jingles was becoming part of the act that had been known as “The Three Keatons” for as long as he could remember. The Three Keatons was one of the principal acts of the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company. Joe Keaton was one of the owners, the other was Harry Houdini. Jingles Keaton’s real name was Harry. He was named for Houdini. Buster Keaton didn’t have all that long a time to fret over his brother Jingles usurping his place in the family act. Barely seven months after the
publicity stunt in Portland, Buster would acquire a second rival to his child stardom. That rival would first see the light of day in Lewiston’s Central Maine Hospital. Buster Keaton, “The Great Stone Face” of the silent movie era, universally regarded as one of the great comedic geniuses of all time as well as one of the greatest movie directors of the twentieth century, had two siblings born well after his own birth. The fact that Buster’s siblings were so much younger than he is usually credited to his parents being less than affectionate in their relationship. That relationship was defined as being based on business. Buster’s new Lewiston-born rival was a sister, Louise. The Mohawk Indian Medicine Company was playing central Maine when Myra Keaton’s time came due. Thanks to the birth of Louise and
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— of course because of Jingles — The Three Keatons would be no more. The name of the Keaton act became “The Man With a Wife, Table and Three Kids.” Buster never had to worry, however, that his younger brother and sister would upstage him. No one was ever able to do that! The Keatons stayed together as a family act until Buster was twenty-one. By that time Joe Keaton had acquired a reputation as a drinker — something that didn’t fit with the image of a family act. In 1916 Myra, Buster, Jingles and Louise set out to make a life without Joe. Buster Keaton’s career is a matter of record. But what of Harry “Jingles” Keaton and especially Lewiston-born Louise? Though their names are now largely forgotten except when Buster’s comes up, both Harry and Louise Keaton
(Continued on page 6)
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(Continued from page 5)
had film careers. Harry’s lasted well into the 1950s. In the latter decade he had minor roles in films like Gun Girl and Girl Gang. Some of his other movies have similar titles — Strip Tease College Girls and Love Nest on Wheels. Harry died in 1983. His famous brother died in 1966. It would seem — and sadly so — that Harry and Buster never had a good relationship. Both, however, shared at least one trait — something they inherited from their father — alcoholism. Bearing out the fact Buster and Harry had less than a brotherly relationship is the movie Palooka From Paducah. Palooka From Paducah. was a typical Buster Keaton vehicle made in 1935. Buster, of course, starred. Myra had a supporting role, as did Louise and father Joe. Ironically, they played a family. The name was Ditz. Joe was Pa, Myra was Ma and Louise was Sis. The Improving the Financial Lives of our Members since 1938. If you live, work, worship or attend school in Oxford County, join the thousands who receive quality service and great rates!
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only one missing from the old Keaton family act of The Man With a Wife, Table and Three Kids was Harry — “Jingles.” Louise Keaton’s film career can only be described as lackluster. Her most memorable film was the first Li’l Abner in 1940. However, she was a regular stand-in for Norma Talmadge. Norma was Buster’s sister-in-law. Louise had the same figure and was the same height as Talmadge. Louise Keaton would seem to have escaped the alcohol curse that bedeviled the male Keatons. At the height of Buster’s problems, Louise allegedly told a Hollywood gossip columnist that she attributed her straight and narrow ways to her mother having chosen Maine as her birthplace. While Louise Keaton may have begun life as just another unwanted sibling for Buster, it was Louise who stuck by her famous brother when his
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life was at its most chaotic and his alcoholism at its worst. Perhaps this, too, says something about the mischance that led her to have been born in Lewiston.❧
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File # 111053 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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File # 101041 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
J
by Norman Houle
The United States Navy Comes To Auburn
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Author’s mother became wartime cook
tachment, as I rememust a very few ber, consisted of about months after the Defive officers and six encember 7, 1941 disaster listed men (not a very at Pearl Harbor, the large war machine). German submarines The airplanes they were sinking ships just brought with them off the east coast of were two Vought-Sikothe United States at an rsky OS2U-3 Kingfishalarming rate. It was ers. They were a obvious to our military Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher, used to patrol the Maine two-place airplane with something had to be coast for German submarines. the pilot in the front done to curb this menU.S. Naval Air Station in Squantum, cockpit and an aircrewman in the rear ace. One thing the U.S. Navy did was Massachusetts to the Lewiston- with a 30 caliber machine gun and two send a detachment from Aviation Auburn Airport in Auburn in April or depth charges (one on each wing). Scouting Squadron VS1D1 from the May 1942, when I was 14. This de(Continued on page 10)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
(Continued from page 9)
The author’s mother, (left) Bibianne Houle, and Rubella Sweetser cooked for a Navy detachment in Auburn until the Navy came up with a cook of their own. (Photo courtesy of Norman Houle)
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These airplanes were used to patrol the Maine coast for German submarines. This detachment came to the Lewiston-Auburn Airport you could say COLD TURKEY. There were no facilities waiting for them (this was war time). They had to improvise, and improvise they did! The Navy took over half of the only hangar at the airport at that time. This hangar was located on the Old Hotel Road side of the airport. This hangar was built, I think, in 1938 by the W.P.A. and is still in use today some 71 years later. What about housing for the men? This was taken care of by taking over the local tavern known as “The Landing,” just across the road from the airport. This facility was owned by one Mr. Alsid David, who lived on the second floor and operated the tavern on the main floor. This was a small operation — a few booths for patrons, a small kitchen for making sandwiches, a small bar, small dance floor and of course a five-cent juke box (Saturday nights, this place was jumping). The second floor was used for Officer’s quarters, a communications room, etc. Enlisted men made do with cots in the back part of the tavern. Sometime later a small tem-
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
porary barracks was constructed in the rear of the main building. The heat source was a simple pot-belly stove. To operate the stove, you just opened the top and dropped in a 15lb. bag of coal (no central heating here). The Commanding Officer (C.O.) had a problem — feeding his command. He came up with an easy solution. Next door to his new Command Center was a store called The Airport Store. At that time, the store was operated by my parents, Charles and Bibiane Houle. It was a very small store containing some groceries, a small grill for making sandwiches, a very small soda fountain and two ESSO gas pumps out front. The C.O. saw my mother at the grill and told her there was a war and he did not have a cook to feed his crew. Could she help? My mother said “You want me to go over to your new Navy Base and cook for
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your crew of twelve or so men, three meals a day, seven days a week until you can find a cook, is that right?” “Yes,” he replied, “That’s about right.” “When do you want me to start?” she asked. “Right now would be a good time,” was his reply. My mother did just that with the help of Rubella
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Sweetser, a young Edward Little High School student whose father ran a garage just down the road. This lasted for about five months until the Navy came up with a cook. Did my mother do something for the war effort? I like to think so. Well done, Mom. ❧
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Lewiston-Auburn’s First Bridges
T
by Barbara Adams
Recollections from past residents
he first bridge across the Androscoggin River between Lewiston and Auburn was built in 1823. It was a toll bridge, and had no sidewalks or a roof, or covering of any kind. In 1902 Mr. T.D. Thorne, eighty-seven years of age, drew a sketch of the bridge which showed three stone piers such as may have been the foundation of later piers which were carried away by the March freshet of 1896, and a bridge built from pier to pier by means of old-fashioned overhead trusses. These trusses, according to Mr. Thorne’s drawing, were three in number, and must have given the bridge a skeleton-like appearance re-
sembling that of old-fashioned rail- Briggs also built the old Maine Central Railroad Bridge across the Anroad bridges. Mr. Thorne also said that Captain droscoggin. My father, Elder Ben Thorne, delivered the oration dedicating the first toll bridge, and that is A “parcel of cattle” broke through the first toll bridge and how I am able to fix the date. Concerning the toll-gatherers, I recall were carried off downstream to make their way ashore the best Zebina Hunt, Orin Addington, and Addison Cook.” they could. Daniel Webster, age 87 in 1903, and born and brought up in LewisJohn Smith of Danville Corner was ton, said that two bridges across the the master workman. “Howe Weeks,” Androscoggin had been carried off by Thorne said, “and Marshall Ford freshets, not including the one dehelped built the second, or covered, stroyed by the March 1896 freshet. He bridge across the Androscoggin. The recalled that the first bridge of 1823 man who was boss mechanic of that went out in 1837 or thereabout. David bridge was Alphonzo Briggs. Mr. Carvill, who lived out on the Sabattus
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232 Main Street, South Paris, Maine 207.743.9322 ext. 204 • 207-212-0550
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Road, remembered the old covered bridge (No. 2). A.P. Ridley of Lewiston recalled that a “parcel of cattle” broke through the first toll bridge and were carried off downstream to make their way ashore the best they could. Bradford Stephens, age 88, who lived in Lewiston in 1852, said “It was a covered bridge, and I recall it distinctly because I mortally hated to drive across there at night time. All they had to light it with was a tallow candle placed about halfway through, and I considered myself lucky if I found that. It was dark enough in the daytime. My recollection is that old covered bridge was carried out by water in 1855. I can’t say I was very sorry, and I know my horses weren’t. Getting across that bridge in the wintertime with my hack was like drawing a cat with its tail.” Alonzo Carvill said, “I can remember that old covered bridge as if it
were yesterday. The first time I went across it I was only nine years of age. It was in the wintertime, and I was driving some of our family on the other side to what was then known as Getting across that bridge in the wintertime with my hack was like drawing a cat with its tail. Goff ’s Corner. Covered? Guess you would have thought so if you could have heard those runners grit and scrape. I thought we would never get over, and I felt as though the toll gatherer should have paid me, instead of I him. “No, there were no sidewalks. Those were a very fashionable kidglove improvement with the little dark roofed sidewalks on the next toll bridge. The trusses ran from flooring to eaves, and the boards were nailed
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13
to the timbers of the trusses. It was covered as any barn might be, with ridge pole, roof and shingles. I remember of hearing of somebody who took a load of sawed lumber, which was so high that he had to take some of it off on the top of the pile to get through.” In 1901 a recollection from Dr. Alzonzo Garcelon, Lewiston’s Grand Old Man of his profession, at a banquet commemorating the opening of the Dewitt House, included details of another banquet many years previously. “It wasn’t as elaborate as this banquet,” he said, “but we had pork and beans and new rum, all of which was considered necessary for the dedication of the old covered bridge across the Androscoggin.” ❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
24 Hour Shirt Laundry Dry Cleaning
In By 12 Out By 3, Mon-Fri ~ Call For Delivery !
Valetone Cleaners
155 Center Street Auburn 784-9665
12 Frost Hill Ave. Lisbon Falls 353-8486 (Drop Station)
A F IRESIDE I %% & SUITES
• Suites & Traditional Rooms • Fireplace & Jacuzzi Rooms • Free in-room wireless & lobby computer • Free continental breakfast • Pets allowed, limited rooms
Danny Boy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Conference & Wedding Receptions Serving Dinner every night except Sunday Open daily at 4pm Pool table & Touch Tunes Jukebox available Happy Hour Specials 4-6pm
(207) 777-1777 • www.firesideinnauburn.com
Formerly The Auburn Inn • 1777 Washington Street • Auburn, Maine 04210
Directions: Maine Turnpike (I-95) take Exit 75. We are located on the right of the exit for easy on and off access.
D iscove r Ma ine
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Curing Himself Of Consumption
14
W
Hearty individual created his own sanitarium in Lisbon Falls
by Barbara Adams
hen Louis Kirshner of Lisbon Falls applied at a Massachusetts sanitarium in 1905 for treatment of consumption, he was rejected. His disease was so well-advanced that no sanitarium dared take him in. Mr. Kirshner, however, had no intention of dying. He returned to Lisbon Falls and built his own life-saving station, which was nothing more than a camp in the garden in back of his house. It was 11 x 14 feet, with a dirt floor and canvas roof. The sides were boarded up four feet, and the only protection from the weather from the remaining feet was common wire netting. Then, under the local physician’s ad-
SMITHWORKS, LLC Craig Smith
Artistic & Functional Handwrought Ironwork
Home • Fence • Gates • Hearth Garden • Hardware • Railing Hooks • Nails • Lighting • Kitchen Bath • Historic Renovation & more!
GENERAL CONTRACTOR Office: 207-777-5034 Cell: 207-576-9623 www.smithworksllc.com
B & M A u to Re p a i r
vice, Mr. Kirshner began sleeping there, and he did so every single night through the winter. Even during the fall, on the night a fierce storm swept over Maine, and caused such havoc on land and sea, he faced the bitter cold. At four o’clock in the morning the following day, the snow was piled so high on his bed and blew against his face with such force that it was necessary to go into the house. Yet, he resolutely took his regular morning bath with water fresh from the pump. He did not consider extreme discomfort in his zealous search for health. When an extremely cold night arrived, he did not yield to that feeling to seek a warm bed. Every morning
The best in Maine professional wrestling Specializing in non-profit and for-profit family friendly pro-wrestling events. • Appearances and Autograph sessions • Corporate events and birthday parties
Specializing in automatic transmissions, standard & transaxles
General Repairs Diagnostic All Makes, All Models
257 Washington St. • Auburn
207-784-9477
CALL NOW!
207-754-2950
after the night air, he felt better, and every night he felt stronger than when he awoke in the morning. As a result of this heroic and continual treatment, the doctor eventually pronounced him a well man. In those days there were many afflicted with the dreaded disease who could not afford the sanitarium treatment. Five or ten dollars a week was beyond their means. By working with their physicians, and under his direction, Kirshner felt it was possible to treat the disease at home. “The daily walks are most important,” Mr. Kirshner said. “I have walked until I imagined people thought I was a worthless loafer, and I
Rent It!
Contractors Industrial Homeowners
Excavators • Dozers Chippers • Cranes Rollers • Tow Behind Lifts Bucket Trucks & More ~ Delivery Available ~
784-5438
1097 Center Street Auburn
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
consider that was a very great help. My condition was so bad that I did not care what exercise I did. I would sit on the piazza all day, bundled in a fur coat, and at night undress in the house and start for my open-air bed. I wore my nightshirt and heavy bathrobe and bed socks. I retired between 6 and 7 o’clock, and arose at 9 in the morning. When I felt well enough, I would shovel the snow out of my camp, but there were always drifts on every side, and the snow would often be a foot deep on the camp floor. I am still sleeping in the camp, and will do so all summer, at least. When I was ill I weighed about 115, and now my weight exceeds 160 pounds. This cure has worked with me, and I believe it will work with anyone ill with this terrible disease, if taken in time.”❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
PAUL MASON JR. & SON LLC.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
“The Difference is in the Details” • Siding • Roofing • Windows & Doors NATIONAL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WINNER • Free Estimates • Fully Insured www.Paulmasonjr.com
Paul Mason Jr.
207-353-8943 207-576-8536
Excavating • Concrete Foundations Site Work • Aggregates • Loam • Sand • Gravel Underground Utilities Road Reconstruction Crane Service Commercial and Residential Free Estimates Fully Insured
15
Danvers Sanitarium in Danvers, Massachusetts. The sanitarium was established 1874, closed 1992.
Bill Stevens Auto Sales & Body Shop
Ed Bouchard Electric, Inc. Master Electrician
• Over 25 years experience • Residential
353-4496
577 Lisbon Road, Lisbon Falls
Longchamps & Sons Inc.
Pmasonjr@roadrunner.com
D iscove r Ma ine
Now offering Self Storage Units
FULL SERVICE GARAGE Diesel Mechanic On Duty Heavy Equipment & Fleet Service Available
207-353-2349
Maine State Inspections
• Light Commercial • Fully Insured
353-6213 • 837-3909 Bowdoinham, Maine
Railroad Restaurant & Pub Fresh Seafood Full Bar Open Tues-Sun 11am
Watch for our monthly Sunday Afternoon Blues Jam!
695 Lisbon Rd. Lisbon Falls, ME
(207) 353-6069 Take-out Available
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
D iscove r Ma ine
The Confederate Hero From Leeds 16
T
by Charles Francis
Danville Leadbetter fought for the South
he town of Leeds is famous as the birthplace of his adopted country and state in times of trial and upUnion Army general Oliver Otis Howard. Next to heaval. Leadbetter’s story, while not unique, is an intriguJoshua Chamberlain, Howard is the most noted ing one. The Leadbetter name has a long history in Maine. Civil War figure to have been born in Maine. After the Thomas Leadbetter, the father of Danville, was born war Howard went on to be one of the guiding lights on Vinalhaven. Danville’s mother, Eunice (Clark) of the Freedman’s Bureau — the agency that aided Leadbetter was born on the island, too. The famfreed slaves in acclimating to life as free men and ily has links to North Haven, Bristol, Bingham and women. He also founded the college which bears elsewhere in Maine. The Leadbetters immigrated his name — Howard University. Oliver Otis to America from County Antrim, Ireland, where Howard’s brother, Charles Henry Howard, was they had earlier immigrated from northern England. also a noted Union Army general. Leeds-born men gave much for the Union Danville Leadbetter The name is often identified as French in origin. Succeeding generations of Leadbetters made cause. Ironically, one Leeds man was a Confederate general. His name was Danville Leadbetter. A Leeds their home. Danville Leadbetter was born in Leeds in 1811. His faWest Point graduate, Leadbetter was living in Mobile, Alabama when the war broke out. He opted to identify with ther was involved in the timber trade and was an important the Confederate cause at that time. Today he is regarded by property holder. Thanks in part to Cornelius Holland of many in the South as a great American, one who stood by Canton, a family friend and member of the United States
Hoyt
Chiropractic Center
Dr. Michael A. Hoyt, Director Dr. Richard Knipping (Associate) “Our Goal is Healthier Families in a Healthier World.”
• Thorough & Personalized Care • Office Hours by Appointment
377-2151
1354 US Route 202 • Winthrop, Maine 04364
Fox Small Engines Replacement Parts and Engines Curtis Fox BRIGGS & STRATTON HONDA-TECUMSEH-ROBIN MTD-MURRAY-MANCO YARDMACHINE-AYP-EHP TROY-BUILT
207-933-4178
80 Academy Rd. • Monmouth, ME 04259
www.foxsmallengines.com
THE MEADOWS A Living Center for Seniors
Vito Courtney & Associates CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Rebecca Laliberte Proprietor
P.O. Box 629, 433 Route 202, Greene, ME 04236
207-946-3007
www.mainemeadows.com
Give someone a special gift that will be enjoyed all year long... A subscription to Discover Maine Magazine!
You’ll find our subscription form on page 27 of this issue.
377-2794
793 Main St. • Monmouth, ME Formerly Robert B. Jackson, CPA
GARDEN & GRILL
“Where great people meet for good food.”
The Freshest Seafood, Tastiest Steaks and Mexican Dishes in the Area
377-8877
357A Main Street • Winthrop
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
House of Representatives, Danville Leadbetter enrolled in West Point as a member of the Class of 1836. At West Point Leadbetter was an outstanding student, excelling in mathematics. Graduating third in a class of thirty-nine, Leadbetter received honors both in engineering and artillery. For this reason his first posting encompassed both specialties. That posting was to Mobile, Alabama. Leadbetter would subsequently receive permanent assignment to the Army Corps of Engineers. That assignment would introduce him to the beauty of the South and lead to his
settling in Alabama. What intrigued Danville Leadbetter about the South was the Gulf Coast. His Army Corps of Engineers assignment involved making a coastal survey for the purpose of choosing sites for defenses and gun emplacements. What most fascinated Leadbetter was the lush vegetation and myriad waterfowl and wide variety of animal life. In 1852 he resigned his Army commission to make Mobile his permanent home. He was a captain at the time. Danville Leadbetter’s civilian prewar occupation was that of Chief En-
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17
gineer for Alabama. He also joined an Alabama militia regiment, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. (There is some disagreement on the exact sequence of his army ranks both in the militia and in the regular Confederate army.) Then Fort Sumter was fired on. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Leadbetter’s militia regiment was called up to regular duty. Leadbetter was promoted to the rank of colonel. He was also transferred to the Confederate Army Bureau of Engineers and named its chief. (There is disagreement here, too, as to his exact
(Continued on page 18)
Main Street, Leeds Junction. File # 101447 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
D.B. I%DUSTRIES Specializing in Demolition & Steel Removal Dale Buteau Tel. 207-212-0189
• Vehicles • Equipment • Steel Structures • Loose Steel Licensed
148 Pond Road Wales, ME 04280
• Plant Cleanouts • Fork Lift Service • Ramp Truck Service • Shed Moving Fully Insured
Riverbend Campground Leeds, Maine
Fun Family Camping!! Excellent Fishing Boat Ramp Area, Large Waterfront Sites, Weekend Entertainment, Activities and MORE!!
www.riverbendcampgroundmaine.com
207-524-5711
Uncle Moe’s
Diner
Homemade Specials Every Day! Breakfast Served Until 3pm Every Day Fresh Seafood Every Weekend Take-Out Available
375-4055
61 Sabattus St. •Lewiston
Tues.-Sat. 6:30am-8pm Sun. 7am-3pm
18
D iscove r Ma ine
(Continued from page 17)
title and responsibilities.) Leadbetter’s first assignment was the construction of defenses for Mobile Bay. From there he moved to providing defenses for the entire Gulf Coast. Though he oversaw the construction of fortifications at Yorktown in Virginia, most of Leadbetter’s work was in the deep South. He oversaw the construction of fortifications for Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
at Missionary Ridge. Both locations are well known to Civil War historians and buffs. Late in 1862 Leadbetter was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Though not trained as a field officer, Leadbetter did garner field command. This led to the controversial Confederate attack on Fort Sanders. After surveying Union defenses at Fort Sanders outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, Leadbetter recommended attacking the redoubt. The attack was a failure. Leadbetter was blamed. Whether or not the blame was justified is still a point of contention to this day. Leadbetter spent the last portion of the war in Mobile. When the South surrendered, he joined those highranking Confederate officers that fled to Mexico. He subsequently moved to Canada, settling not far from Niagara Falls in Clifton, Ontario.
HILLTOP BOOKS Bruce Conant, Prop.
• Used & Collectible Books — All Kinds • Large Inventory of Maine Books ~ Bargain Prices ~ Readers, Collectors, Dealers Welcome Always Buying & Selling
(207) 966-2177 clydex@megalink.net
Open by Chance or Appointment
TD G The Daily Grind
130 Merrill Hill Road, Hebron
• Light Excavation • Drainage • Utilities • Gravel Driveway Rehab • Drainage Trenching • Shrubs & Small Stumps Pulled or Ground William Dyer • No Job Too Small (207) 212-6127 Cell
117 Lewiston St. • Mechanic Falls, ME 04256
Danville Leadbetter has never been the subject of a major study. The critiques that do exist of him concentrate for the most part on his efforts in the latter part of the fighting in Tennessee. The fighting there is usually considered as a lost cause right from the beginning for the Confederacy. His work early in the war in implementing fortifications on the Gulf Coast was up to the standard of a West Point engineer. Those fortifications fell because they were overrun by superior numbers. One wonders what he might have accomplished had he not become enamored of the Gulf Coast and remained in the U.S. Army. Danville Leadbetter died a man without a country in Canada in 1866. His remains eventually found their last resting place in Mobile. The Leeds, Maine man loved the scent of magnolias. The cemetery is Magnolia Cemetery. Today Southerners may purchase greeting cards honoring Confederate war heroes. There is a General Danville Leadbetter card. One can’t help but think Leadbetter is better honored by his adopted homeland than he would be if he had remained in Maine and in the U.S. Army.❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
Hodgdon Well Drilling, Inc.
Water Wells • Water Pumps Conditioners Sales, Installation & Service
207-782-4533
53 Mechanic Falls Road (Rt. 11) on the Minot/Poland line, Poland, ME
THREE GENERATIONS OF EXPERIENCE
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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File # 115705 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
WITHIN 5 MILES OF I-95 MAINE TURNPIKE AUBURN EXIT 75
Soteria
Electrical Services, Inc. Kevin R. Barton, Master Electrician Insured • Quality First
207-784-2623 Cell 576-1900
QUIET, FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE
132 Woodman Hill Rd. • Minot, ME 04258
Offering Tenting to Four-Way Hookups
Established 1982 Benjamin Clough, Owner
Adjacent to Range Pond State Park Fishing and Boating Nearby, also Four 18-Hole Golf Courses.
BRC Carpentry Inc.
Group Area • 60’ Pool • Pavilion Playground • Horseshoes • Volleyball • Basketball Hayrides • Scheduled Activities • Store Camper Rental • Laundry • Hot Showers • Propane
• Complete Home Building Services
Hosts Paul & Sheila Vaccaro & Family
• Construction Loans Available
Open April 15 – October 15
94 Plains Road • Poland, ME 04274
Tel. 207-998-2624
www.rangepondcamp.com
• Custom Building • Lots Available
966-3686
Larry & Pat Perron, Proprietors
Swimming & Fishing Hiking on Bold & Speckled Mountains Open April 1 to November 30 Available To Open December 1 to March 31 But ONLY For Large Reservations
(207) 388-2059 85 Morrill Farm Road • Sumner, Maine www.morrillfarmsBNB.com
Tilton’s Market U.S.D.A. I%SPECTED MEATS
Beef • Pork • Poultry Freezer Packages Available* Groceries - Frozen Food - Megabucks Fresh Baked Goods Daily • ATM machine on premises Holiday Specials • Friendly Service Great Prices • Most major credit cards accepted
336-2191
Rt 117, Buckfield, ME
M-TH 6-7 F&S 6-8 SU% 8-6
*Meat orders need 24-hour advance notice
20
I
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Postmaster From Paris
Horatio King served in Washington as 22nd Postmaster General
by Charles Francis
n the first months of the War Between the States Horatio King wrote a letter to the Boston Post decrying the current state of the nation’s affairs. In the letter King included the following lines: How strange to us, who feel in every pulse and nerve, in our very souls, that we are citizens, not merely of this or that state, but American citizens! State Sovereignty, as understood and proclaimed by Southern radicals, is a fallacy! The words are those of an impassioned man — a literate man with a sense of grammatical style. Horatio King was both of these. The descendant of a Revolutionary War Patriot, he dearly loved his country. A former newspaperman, King loved and had a
ROSE-BECK FARM CANADIAN GRAIN DEALER EARTH ENHANCER COMPOST ALL NATURAL BEEF & PORK HAY, SHAVINGS, FRESH EGGS
Sidney Record, Owner
207-743-2905 486 East Oxford Road South Paris, Maine 04281
Paris Appraisal Services Jonathan Beal
State Licensed & Certified Real Estate Appraisers Residential • Land • Condominium Serving all of Oxford, Androscoggin & Northern Cumberland counties.
Phone 207-743-9319
Email parisapp@megalink.net 8 High Street, PO Box 122, South Paris, ME 04281 www.parisappraisalsvcs.com
way with words. In February of 2002 Senator Susan Collins introduced a bill to have the Paris Hill Post Office designated the “Horatio King Post Office Building.” Senator Collins gave four important reasons for the naming. Horatio King had a long personal history of association with the postal service. King had served as First Assistant Postmaster General. He was twenty-second Postmaster General of the United States. In addition, he had been one of a committee whose charge was to see to the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation in Washington, D. C. Senator Collins also added the point that Horatio King’s birthplace was preserved as the King’s Hill Inn.
Two D Enterprises, Inc. Paris, ME
Excavating
• Stonewalls • Roads • Lot Clearing • Tree Removal • Wells • Septic Tanks • Leach Fields
Don Mason 207-890-8727
Todd Rice 207-890-9945
26 W. Dwinal St. Mechanic Falls 207-345-5691
Needless to say, Horatio King was born in Paris. Senator Collins could have added the points that Horatio King played an important role in the completion of the Washington Monument and that his son, Horatio Collins King, was a noted Union Army general. For all of the above mentioned facts, Horatio King’s true claim to historic significance rests with his very vocal support for the integrity of the Union and of President Lincoln’s struggle to maintain that integrity. King’s support came in the form of letters and articles in the press and periodicals. The press was a format King knew and understood, for he had first made his living as a printers’ devil in The Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce
“Head for the Hills...
the Hills of Western Maine!”
Tel: 207.743.2281 • Fax: 207.743.0687 Web: www.OxfordHillsMaine.com Email: info@OxfordHillsMaine.com
4 Western Avenue, South Paris, ME 04281
45 Main St. South Paris 207-743-8402
Business Office & Arrangement Center • 51 Main Street, South Paris 207-743-2561 fax 207-743-0497
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Paris with the local paper, the Jeffersonian, and later as the newspaper’s editor and owner. There is a good deal of biographical information on Horatio King from the age of twenty-eight on. This is to be expected, as King was twenty-eight when he went to Washington in 1839 to work in the post office department. From 1839 on, King’s rise through the postal system is documented by his promotions. Prior to 1839, King’s biography is sketchy to say the least. Most biographers pass over his adolescent years with the comment that he attended the common schools of Paris. Today one might think a common school education as being less than adequate. This is a misconception. The common school of the early 1800s was not the same as the grammar school. Grammar schools provided what today we think of as primary education. To have a common school education was to have prepared for a vocation. It was arduous and demanding, including algebra, geometry and even trigonometry as well as science, foreign languages — usually Latin and French — and grammar and rhetoric. Horatio King went to work for the Paris Jeffersonian as a printer with a solid educational foundation. The name Jeffersonian comes from the fact that the paper supported the policies and philosophy of Thomas Jefferson. Back (Continued on page 22)
Helping Central Maine with all its electrical needs Free estimates Fully insured 14 years experience
Chris Summers Owner
Call for great pricing! 577-8476 centralmaineelectrician.com
The Poland Corporation
Excavation Contractor Sand - Gravel Firewood - Hay
207-674-2771
cell 592-5559 • cell 462-6000 West Paris, Maine
thepolandcorporation.com
D iscove r Ma ine
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Horatio King, the 22nd U.S. Postmaster General, was born in Paris, Maine.
Books N Things Full Service Bookstore Magazines
Greeting Cards • Journals Quality Toys Including Melissa & Doug, Gund & More!
(207) 739-6200 bntnorway@yahoo.com
www.bntnorway.com
E-mail & Phone Orders at no extra charge!
430 Main Street, Norway
J.R. Hayes & Daughter
LANDSCAPE
“Beautifying Western Maine”
Maine Certified Landscape Professional ~ 20 Years Experience ~ Complete Design Lawncare Landscape Maintenance
Norway, ME • 381-3118 grdngodess@oxfordnetworks.net
Rob’s Odd Jobs
Custom Contracting
Specializing in Roofing and Siding Serving Oxford & Cumberland Counties
Robert - Contractor/Handyman
207-744-0339 Main Street, Norway
“No job too small”
Christian Science Reading Room BOOKS - CDs - EVENTS
Fuel for your Spiritual Journey 207-809-1911
440 Main Street • Norway, ME Open Tuesday - Saturday
Web Chats on www.spirituality.com
22
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
in the first decades of the nineteenth century Jeffersonians were Democrats. They favored small or limited central government. Horatio King was a Democrat. In 1833 King moved the Jeffersonian to Portland. Portland already had a Democrat news organ, the Eastern Argus. The Argus, which was also a Democrat paper, came out three times a week. There were other papers in Portland when King went there, too — a daily, the Courier —and temperance and religious publications. The Jeffersonian had stiff competition. This may explain why King opted for a new career line with the postal system. Horatio King was a professional employee of the postal department — the equivalent of today`s Civil Service worker. He rose through the ranks to become First Assistant Postmaster General in 1854. At that time the position of Postmaster General was a
Cabinet level office. The First Assistant was equal to an Under Secretary in other cabinet departments. Horatio King was named Postmaster General in the Buchanan administration on February 12, 1861. Lincoln was waiting in the wings to assume the presidency at that time. King served as Postmaster General until March 7, 1861. He replaced Joseph Holt, who had an equally short tenure as President Buchanan’s Secretary of War. While serving as Postmaster General Horatio King became the first ranking member of the Buchanan administration to deny that a state had the right to secede. He did this in the House of Representatives in response to the question of a South Carolina Representative. Horatio King was a Democrat. As such he did not stay on as Postmaster General when Lincoln took office. Though a Democrat, Horatio King was an ardent Unionist. He could not
ATV’s, Motorcycles, Snowmobiles & Much More!
Welding & Fabrication
(Continued from page 21)
Ken’s Yamaha
207-743-8256
Star Stratoliner Deluxe
78 Main Street, Norway, Maine 04268
Since 1968
• Weekly Pickup • Container Service • Containers 2-30 Yards • Rolloffs 12-30 Yards
743-5417
Waterford Road, Norway
T R & H Inc.
• Machine Design & Manufacturing • General Machine Work • Over 40 Years of Experience
1-800-499-8981
743-8981 • 186 Ashton Road, Norway
have been otherwise. His grandfather George King had fought in the Revolution. Three of his great-uncles had, too. One died in the conflict. After his brief term in the Buchanan Cabinet, Horatio King made his career as a practicing Washington attorney. Horatio King’s highly visible support of the war effort as it appeared in the press and elsewhere and in rallying vacillating northerners to supporting President Lincoln’s position led to his being named to the committee to implement the Emancipation Proclamation as it applied to the nation’s capitol. King is credited with personally expediting the settlement of a significant number of freed slaves in the capitol. In 1881 King was named to the Washington Monument committee. He served as Secretary of the Monument Society for much of his later life. He is one of those specifically credited with the monument’s final completion. The completion came after years of financial complications, construction misalignments and misunderstandings and alleged malfeasances. Horatio King, the postmaster from Paris, died in 1897. His final resting place is Washington’s Congressional Cemetery. ❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
TWO GREAT LOCATIONS - ONE GREAT BUSINESS JOHNSTON’S AUTO ALLEN’S AUTO SALES & RADIATOR, INC. • Full Automotive Service • Air Conditioning Service • Electronic Engine Controls
Give Jim, Robert, Floyd or Len a call...
207-743-6948
30 Main Street, Norway
47 Years of Service
207-743-8533
24 Main Street, Norway
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
D iscove r Ma ine
23
Beals Tavern, Norway. File # 101982 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
STETSON’S AUTO SERVICE Over 30 years experience
TWIN TOWN HOMES featuring
Work on all Makes & Models State Inspections
John Stetson, Owner
743-2886
Good Friends!
258 Fore Street, Oxford
Oxford Hills FUNERAL SERVICES
Chris Weston Director
207-743-0270 • Fax: 207-743-0279 1037 Main Street • Route 26 PO Box 205 • Oxford, ME 04270
www.oxfordhillsfuneralservices.com
Good Drink!
Good Food!
Largest selection of custom modular homes and mobile homes
Twin Town Homes, Inc.
207-539-8881
or toll free: 1-800-670-3808
www.twintownhomes.com 804 Main Street, Route 26 Oxford, ME 04270 • Est. 1955
• Full service dining and bar on Norway Lake • Gorgeous view for all seasons • Come by boat or sled
Prime Ribeye Steak • Haddock • Scallops Pasta • Salads • Burgers • Pizza • Subs • Happy hour 2-5 Weekdays • Open Mon. - Sat. 11-Close Sunday Noon - Close
Our Own Famous BBQ Pork
Family Owned & Operated since 1982 Norway Lake Road, Norway
743-8434
D iscove r Ma ine
24
by Charles Francis
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Genealogy Corner Writing your genealogical autobiography
Did you ever think of writing your autobiography from the standpoint of preserving it for family history, for future generations? More and more genealogists are doing just that. Recently there have been a number of books published on the subject of writing genealogical biography and autobiography — Producing a Family History by Patricia Hatcher is one of the best. The New England Historic Genealogical Society has a number of publications devoted to the subject. Television’s Biography Channel has devoted time to the subject. It even has a website on writing genealogical biography. In addition, high school adult education programs have begun offering how-to classes on writing genealogical biography. You can even find outlines of what to include in genealogical biography on the Internet. Suggestions for writing genealogical biography and autobiography follow fairly standard formats. They include the major influences and turning points of life like education, religion, occupation, marriage, divorce, birth of chilFarm Fresh Produce
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Smedberg’s Crystal Spring Farm “Everything in its Season”
207-743-6723
Route 26, Oxford, ME
All Natural Home-Grown Beef
Family Campground • Sandy Beach Great Canoeing • Planned Activities On-Site Restaurant & Store Seasonal Sites Available On Two Lakes and One River 1/2 Hour from Lewiston/Auburn One Hour from Portland on Route 26 Oxford, Maine
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dren, political leanings and historical events of the day. All emphasize including a paragraph or two on ancestry — identifying ancestors and saying something as to what they were like. Writing genealogical biography is not new. It was a common practice in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, and continued on into the early twentieth century before dying out. The same is true, although to a lesser extent, for genealogical autobiography. Not too surprisingly, the writing of genealogical biography and autobiography flourished in New England. Its popularity, in part, explains why the New England Historic Genealogical Society rose to prominence. It also explains why there were a number of publishing houses that did nothing but publish collections of genealogical biography and autobiography. The Biographical Review Publishing Company of Boston was one of the more prolific biographical publishing houses around 1900. In addition, many local newspapers had regular columns of genealogical biography. Anyone looking into that particular family history —
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
especially if they have roots in western Maine — would be well-advised to do a search for genealogical books relating to the town where their ancestors lived. Steep Falls Books specializes in such publications. They have a website. Do a search for Genealogy Books of Maine or Steep Falls Books. In addition, the Fryeburg Historical Society is an excellent resource of Maine genealogical biography. I have been doing a search for some of my Howe family relatives for some time now. They settled western Maine in the nineteenth century for some time now. What motivated me is the fact that I have run across a number of Howes named George and John. Individuals bearing those names were my great-grandfather and great-greatgrandfather, respectively. My ancestors of that name were born in Medford, Massachusetts. I have found a number of John Howes and George Howes in Maine with ties to Medford. While one Medford-born George Howe settled in Caribou, the rest found their way to western Maine, particularly in the area around Norway and Paris. Remarkably, I have been able to locate genealogical biographies and even autobiographical genealogies of several. And even more remarkably, all have common ancestry. George Robley Howe of Norway and John Howe, Sr. of Denmark serve as examples. George Robley Howe was some-
thing of a figure in Norway. He was a recognized expert of gems and minerals. The Lewiston Evening Journal did a biographical sketch of him in 1931. It is written as genealogical biography. George Robley Howe’s ancestry traces back to Abraham Howe of Marlborough, Massachusetts. My Medford ancestors are descended from Abraham. George Robley Howe went to Tufts University in Medford. That was in the late 1870s. His brief biographical sketch in the Evening Journal says nothing as to why he chose Tufts. From the standpoint of genealogical biography, this is a failing. Did Norway’s George Howe know his Medford relatives? Did he know my great-grandfather, a Howe who had the same first name that he did? John Howe, Sr. was one of the first settlers of Denmark, Maine. He came from the Medford area. His son John Howe, Jr. moved to Norway and then to Paris, where his son James was
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born. A compiled biography of these three generations of Howes is found in Biographical Review, Cumberland County, Maine. It was put out by the Biographical Review Publishing Company in 1896. One of the key points in writing genealogical biography and autobiography is dealing with family relationships. Did John Howe, Jr. know George Robley Howe? They both lived in Norway. Could the former have played a role in the latter going to a college in Medford, Massachusetts, a town where both had family? I will probably never be able to find out exactly what interactions the above-mentioned Howes had or may have had. These are the sorts of things that interest later family historians. The sorts of things to consider in writing one’s own genealogical autobiography. ❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
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by Charles Francis
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Trickster Of Lovell
Kidnapped by Pequawket Indians, then released
he tale of the Trickster of Lovell is one of the oldest folk tales in Maine, and may actually be the first folk tale of European origins to have a Maine setting. It takes place in the Kezar Lake area, and occurs at a time when the Pequawket Indians were still a menace to the settlers. As the Pequawket ceased to harass settlers after their defeat at Lovell Pond by Captain John Lovewell in 1725, the story may even come from the late seventeenth century. The tale of the Trickster of Lovell involves a farmer by the name of Lovel and how he succeeds in tricking a half-dozen Pequawkets who are bent on his destruction. As a trickster tale, its roots lie far back in the time before there were written records. It has parallels in the Jack tales — as in Jack and the Beanstalk — and in the story of Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. The key to it being a tale unique to Maine, besides the setting, lies in the quick-witted thinking of Lovel, which has a certain degree of Downeast or Yankee ingenuity to it. Trickster tales are common the
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world over, and date back at least 2500 years. In many cultures the trickster takes the form of an animal, as with the Brer Rabbit stories of Uncle Remus. Among North American Indians, the most notable trickster is Glooscap, a quasi-supernatural and mythical figure. The Jack tales, of course, have a real human being as the trickster. In Europe, Jack is often associated with magic — as with the Seven League Boots. He usually comes out on top by using something magical. There is nothing magical about the farmer who is the Trickster of Lovell, however. Farmer Lovel’s chief resource is his Open All Year
quick thinking. He is a self-reliant individualist who takes control of his own destiny not by seizing control of events, but rather by shaping them. And, although he is a trickster, you cannot see him playing a practical joke. His tricks are a means of survival. The story of Farmer Lovel does have one element that is parallel to European Trickster stories. He enters the tale in the woods. As the tale goes, Farmer Lovel was up a mountain one day, splitting rails for a fence when he found himself surrounded by Pequawkets. Now, since Lovel had lived in the area, there
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(Continued on page 28)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Main Street, Lovell. File # 101258 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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D iscove r Ma ine
(Continued from page 26)
were just two things that had bothered him — bears and Indians. Of the two, the bears were the easier to deal with, as they almost always appeared singly. The Indians, however, came in groups. It was far easier to scare off a lone bear or shoot him if necessary, than to deal with a group of Indians. The six Pequawket informed Lovel that he was their prisoner, and that he was to come with them. Thinking quickly, Lovel — who was quite obviously in their power — agreed. All he asked was that he be able to finish splitting the chestnut log he was working on. From a certain viewpoint, an individual going to his sure death wanting to finish splitting a log seems a bit odd. The Indians, however, agreed to Lovel’s request. Undoubtedly, one of the reasons they did so was that Farmer Lovel was a big, strong fellow,
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
and had an axe that was twice the size of any two of their tomahawks. Lovel would have been sure to injure several of the Indians if they tried to force the issue. What Farmer Lovel did was to tell the Indians that he would be ready to go with them all the sooner if they would give him a hand with the chestnut log. Taking a wedge, he drove it into a split and asked the Pequawkets to take hold and pull the log apart. Then, when they were pulling away, he knocked out the wedge with a single swing of the axe. The Indians were stuck. No matter how hard they pulled, they couldn’t free their hands. As the tale goes, Farmer Lovel took a few moments to enjoy the situation. Then he walked from one to the next, splitting the head of each wide open with his axe. When he was done, it was back to work splitting more chestnut trees.
The above is not the only story of the Trickster of Lovell. One of the more notable features of Farmer Lovel tales that sets them apart from Jack and other European Trickster tales is that they occur, for the most part, in isolation. Farmer Lovel never seems to have family or nearby neighbors. Almost always, he is working alone in the woods and seems to be cutting a place for himself in the wilderness. In this respect, he seems to be something of an early version of Paul Bunyan. In fact, one wonders if he might be a prototype for the giant woodsman. Anyone with other Farmer Lovel or Maine Trickster stories they are willing to share with Discover Maine Magazine readers is encouraged to email them to this writer at: Fundy67@yahoo.ca.❧
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Early view of Main Street, North Waterford. File # 108700 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Gold Panning At Coos Canyon
“
by Ian MacKinnon
Many try their luck, few have great success
There’s gold in them thar hills” in northeastern Oxford County, and perhaps, some day, a lucky prospector will discover the Mother Lode that parsimoniously dribbles gold flakes into the Swift River. Meanwhile, amateur gold panners continue driving north from Rumford and Mexico to try their luck at finding gold where the Swift courses through Coos (pronounced “Cooz”) Canyon in Byron. With gold surging past $900 an ounce in 2008, even more people will probably dip their gold pans into the Swift’s fast-flowing waters and attempt to spot a gold glint that promises, well, an adventure, if not minor wealth. The Swift River rises in the hilly
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country where Franklin County’s “elbow” juts into Oxford County near Height of Land. Steep slopes traversed by the Appalachian Trail separate the Swift’s watershed — originating at Swift River Pond and Little Swift River Pond — from streams draining into the nearby Sandy River. In eons past, both rivers carved striking geological formations in the western Maine rocks, including metamorphic formations created an estimated 400 million years ago. The Swift River gouged the 500yard Coos Canyon in a heavily forested valley bordered by Old Turk Mountain to the west, and Whaleback Mountain to the east. The Sandy River, which flows through Phillips
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and Strong and Farmington to ultimately merge with the Kennebec River between Madison and Norridgewock, eroded the bedrock west of Madrid to create Smalls Falls. An adjacent Maine Department of Transportation rest area on Route 4 provides access to this series of waterfalls popular with daredevil cliff divers on hot summer days. A similar MDOT rest area accesses Coos Canyon where the Dingle Hill Road intersects Route 17 in Byron, approximately 14 miles north of Mexico. With a population numbering some 120 people, Byron is a small town, dating to an 1833 incorporation. Route 17, also called the Swift River Road, bisects Byron south to north, and other roads radiate east and west into the adjacent forests and mountains. The state rest area has several picnic tables, and tourists often stop to walk along Coos Canyon, where upstream cliffs rise some 25 feet above the Swift River. As at Smalls Falls “up and over” the mountains, fearless (and perhaps foolhardy) individuals climb atop the cliffs to plummet into the Swift’s deep pools.
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Some tourists cross the Dingle Hill Road bridge to examine the Swift River’s far shore. The bridge’s relatively narrow width requires pedestrians to pay attention for vehicles emerging from the higher terrain immediately to the east. Under its various aliases, the Dingle Hill Road runs 5-6 miles east to Weld and passes south of Tumbledown Mountain, a popular hiking destination. After climbing Tumbledown, some hikers head to Coos Canyon to cool off in warm weather. Near the state rest area stands Coos Canyon Cabins and Campground, a privately-owned business catering to outdoor recreationists and amateur prospectors. Along with Coos Canyon Rock & Gift, a store located across Route 17 from the state rest area, the campground store rents gold-panning equipment. Panning for gold requires rudimentary equipment, the patience of Job, and lucks — lots and lots of luck. Wikipedia defines gold panning as “a mostly manual technique” for “sorting gold.” The emphasis lies on “manual,” as Coos Canyon prospectors quickly discover. Working in the Swift River’s bed (and hopefully never on its banks), an amateur Forty-Niner scoops Oxford County gravel and sand into a large shallow pan. After adding water, the prospector swirls the pan, a motion that causes water to
The Swift River at Coos Canyon
(Continued on page 32)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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sift heavier gold flakes from surrounding gravel and sand. The gold settles to the pan’s bottom and, if sunlight penetrates the foliage overhanging portions of Coos Canyon, glimmers brightly. A geologist would describe Coos Canyon gold as a “placer deposit,” carried downstream from a richer gold vein concealed in the deep forest. Such gold frequently appears as flakes, sometimes so small that an amateur prospect wonders if “all that glistens” might not be gold. Nuggets do appear in Coos Canyon — the gift shop has displayed a 41.5-gram nugget. The lure of gold panning lies not only in the adventure, but in the possibility that gold will suddenly shine amidst water-swirled gravel. A touch of the California Forty-Niner exists in every amateur prospector immersed in the Swift River, and a few people — a
The Swift River in Roxbury
very fortunate few — take away a little gold. No one knows exactly where the Coos Canyon-deposited gold initially reaches the Swift River. Contained in the canyon’s bedrock are quartzite and
schist — material found elsewhere in Maine — but few (if any) clues exist as to the exact spot in Franklin County or Oxford County where running water erodes gold-bearing gravel and sand into the Swift River. Perhaps
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
D iscove r Ma ine
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19th-century goldsix or seven similar mining technique and Maine streams carry 21st-century transgold in their waters, portation seems but the state has never ironic, because even experienced a gold the most determined strike similar to the prospector will never Klondike’s. find sufficient Coos Yet the Swift River Canyon gold to buy a mother lode beckons new vehicle, much less prospectors somea wreck that would where upstream, pass state inspection. somewhere among the But the belief that thick forest rolling “today could be the away toward the Rock formations at Coos Canyon day” persists among Rangeley Lakes. On a some Coos Canyon picture-perfect July afternoon when the birds are twittering among the Coos prospectors. A few rugged Mainers have spent their lifeCanyon trees and the Swift River flows unhindered toward times combing the canyon and the western Maine mounRumford, tourists could be excused for simply shaking out tains for gold, and some fingers-crossed day, someone may find the Swift River’s mother lode. a blanket above the canyon and catching some sun. In the meantime, enjoy the geological and natural beauty But gold lurks within the Swift River, and even on a humid summer afternoon, a relentless prospector will pan at Coos Canyon, a great place to add to a day trip to Rumawhile. Tourists drive past while en route to Height of ford.❧ Land and Oquossoc and Rangeley — the juxtaposition of
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Settling In For A Good Read
by Denise R. Larson
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The early settlement of Windham
Written in prose poetry, each chapter of Settling In: New Marblehead/Windham, Maine 1739-1806 by Robert M. Chute introduces a member of one of the founding families of New Marblehead, the village that we now call Windham. Meet the Chute family. Patriarch of the clan, Lionell Chute and his wife, Rose, leave “the press of Boston men” and go north to find a good stretch of land where the grandchildren can farm alongside their fathers and grandfather Chute. The clan makes it as far as Ipswich. Great-grandson Thomas Chute feels the same urges and moves farther north to New Marblehead in Maine. In 1744 Thomas and his wife, Mary, are active in their church community, which numbers all of seven members. The congregation is just establishing itself in New Marblehead, and has just brought in its first minister. Neighbors to the Chutes — the Mayberrys — come to New Marblehead a little later than Thomas and his family. William Mayberry has the same idea as great-grandfather Chute and purchases enough land so that his sons can farm nearby. Land in Marblehead has become too scarce and too expensive to fulfill the dream. The Farrows, the Manchesters, and the Hawkes come to New Marblehead. Ebenezer Hawkes brings with him the
WN SSUTRNUDCO TION,
Englishman’s gung-ho attitude and scolds the Indians for what he sees as unworked land and unharnessed hydropower. “Let them learn, profit, and see how God works through Christian hands, or find unpeopled streams to fish.” The Manchesters are in the thick of fighting the Indians, admitting that it isn’t like hunting game. The Indians shoot back. Young Thomas runs away at the first shot, but his father, Stephen, stays to fight Chief Polin. The battle among the beech trees puts an end to the “Indian trouble” in New Marblehead. The Proctors of Salem fame move to New Marblehead and marry into the Mayberry and Chute families. The Webbs come, too, though one is captured and carried off to Canada, where he stays for two years before being ransomed and returned.
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(Continued on page 36)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
D iscove r Ma ine
(Continued from page 35)
Along with the War of Independence comes the Rev. Thomas Smith, whose journal entries appear throughout Settling In. With his back turned to the flames rising from his house in Falmouth — now Portland — he removes his furniture and family to New Marblehead — newly renamed Windham — to wait it out and then returns to Falmouth in 1795. The families of New Marblehead debate practical things like the use of stump fences versus split rail; landlocked salmon, isolated from the sea just as the Indians were barred from their land; stowaway seeds that sprout from straw packing and create an English garden in a patch of sun; and how lightning strikes can result in sudden widowhood. With insight and honesty, Robert Chute shares his family’s history and the story of Windham so that others will know of them, for “how slender are the links that hold our history, how easily I might not have been.” Settling In: New Marblehead/Windham,
Dick’s Y A
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File # 105199 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
I
Filmy Webs Of Thread
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Bowdoinham farmer’s widow was a talented craftswoman
by Barbara Adams
n 1897 Mrs. Myra Lang of Bowdoinham decided to resume the craft she had learned so well as a child — tatting, then known as the “airiest of all laces.” When completed, this craft resembled a filmy web. She had learned this craft when she was very young, and then, busy for many years with the activities of daily life, had set it aside. When she resumed it as an adult, it was doubtful that anyone in Maine, or in any other state, had made as much tatting as Mrs. Lang, or had done it as quickly. After the death of her husband and daughter, Mrs. Lang decided
Example of antique tatting
to do something that would not only ease her grief and occupy her time, but would make her friends happy. She felt that by doing for others, perhaps for awhile she could forget her own troubles. She first designed it for gifts alone, but a friend suggested she could make a good livelihood by this kind of work. Nearly everyone who saw her work was thrilled with it. Mrs. Lang lived on a farm with her two sons, and the majority of the chores fell on her. She was able to perform her duties and still find time to enjoy her craft.
(Continued on page 38)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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(Continued from page 37)
She was never happier than when seated near her fireplace with her two sons, working her shuttle back and forth, back and forth, fashioning all sorts of dainty creations from a bit of lace for the top of a collar, to the yoke of a dress, a handkerchief, a centerpiece, or a doily. As she worked, she often read many of the newspapers or latest books. If you should have chanced to meet her on the train, you would have found her busy with her shuttle while she conversed with her friends, unconcerned about the work she was doing. Since she made her first handkerchief, by 1903 she had completed 156 creations in many different patterns. She had also made 280 little collars, and 15 long lace ties. She used one spool of thread to make two handkerchiefs —unless they were very large — and could make one in about
five days. She could make two little collars in a day, in addition to her farm work. Her work was exhibited at fairs in Lewiston, Bangor, and Topsham, and at one of the fairs she had 12 handkerchiefs of different patterns on display. The word soon spread about her talent. In an interview with a local newspaper she said, “Frequently I get so interested in my work that I forget the time is flying, and I work late into the night. You know I was working one Saturday night when I happened to look up at the clock, and there it was, two o’clock Sunday morning! I hustled myself off to bed pretty quick!” In line with the fashion of the day, she started making chatelaine bags. She made them of the usual tatting, but strung them with beads, the same way the popular crocheted bags of the day were made. She said, “A great many take the
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beads off the thread on which they are strung when purchased at the store, and they put them on one by one to the silk used for crocheting. Perhaps I can show them a little easier and more convenient way. Take the end of the thread and scrape down fine; taking off all fuzz, and then do the same to the silk used in crocheting. Put some wax on the ends of each, and then roll carefully between the fingers. This makes the end of the thread and silk adhere, and you then very easily can slip the beads off on to the silk.” Mrs. Lang often showed the shuttle she used in her work to others with considerable pride. It was a silver one, and bore the date August 4, 1863, when it was patented. It was a gift to her from an elderly aunt upon her death. Pieces of Mrs. Lang’s work went to nearly all parts of Maine, to the South, and even as far west as California.❧
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Hiram Barns: Agricultural Cathedrals
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Evolution of an exhibition
T
by Sally Williams
his is the story of how one barn restoration created a passion to document a town’s
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
(Continued from page 41)
didn’t even know how old it was. After many trips to Registries of Deeds in Fryeburg, Alfred and Portland, consultations with historical societies, libraries in Maine and Massachusetts, and online searches, rich tales emerged of “Brookside Farm,” the town of Hiram, and the state of Massachusetts. The first owner was John Curtis. A letter written by Lieutenant Benjamin Ingalls on August 5, 1774 describing his surveying expedition to Great Ossipee, as Hiram was first known, indicated they laid out lots for himself, Ebenezer Herrick, Daniel Foster and John Curtis. The earliest deeds are dated 1782 and are important because they establish that a barn existed on the property. In April of that year John Ayer of Pearsontown (now Standish) purchased one hundred acres with a house and barn from John
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Curtis. Earlier in February Ayer had purchased one hundred acres with a house and barn from Eliphalet Danforth. Later in July he bought one hundred acres of land from John Lane. The lots were adjacent. This was evidence that the barns were probably built between 1775 and 1781. But a new problem arose. Not one, but two barns built before 1782 were confirmed. Which one was on our property? The link to the location was found in the booklet Centennial, Hiram, Maine, written by Town Historian Llewellyn Wadsworth, for Hiram’s centennial celebrations in 1914. “John Curtis had a similar lot, extending from the place where Samuel L. Clemons now lives, by Red Mill brook to a point opposite of Hancock brook.” Hiram Historical Society members were able to confirm that Clemons had lived adjacent to Brookside Farm, so now we knew that
it was John Curtis who had built the barn that was sold to John Ayer. Although John Ayer held deeds to the property, in November 1787 the Massachusetts Court awarded a grant to Timothy Cutler that included his property. Cutler was awarded land in Hiram in “compensation for 500 acres of land in Cumberland purchased of John Wiswall which was since granted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to others.” He was permitted to lay out two tracts of land containing 6,000 acres, excepting and reserving one hundred acres of land to each settler who settled thereon, prior to January 1, 1784 “to be laid out as will best include his improvements …” The Upper Grant in Porter/Brownfield was 3,800 acres, and the Lower Grant in Hiram was 2,200 acres. In Cutler’s petition to the Massachusetts Legislature setting out his grievance relevant to the Cumberland
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property, he explained that he had lost all his property when “the Britains” burned Falmouth (now Portland) on October 17, 1775, and that he had made improvements to the land with the intention of living there. By law he was not eligible as a settler because he was not living on his land, but he appears to have been amply compensated. The matter with the settlers was settled in 1791 when a deed gave title to two hundred acres in Cutler’s Lower Grant to Ayer. Ayer paid a small fee. Who were these people? Early owners were interesting characters and influential in the town We don’t know any more about the first owner, John Curtis. There were too many men with the name John Curtis to be sure it was the same one. John Ayer was the son of Lieutenant Ebenezer Ayer of Saco, who
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fought with Lovewell at Pequawket (Fryeburg) — the disastrous Indian fight in 1725. He married Elizabeth Pike, who bore him 12 children. From the deeds we learned that he was a “joiner,” similar to a carpenter. History books claim he held the first Christian religious services in Hiram in his house (one historian called him an “exhorter”), that about 1785 he built the first mill in Hiram, a grist mill on Thirteen Mile Brook, so named because it was thirteen miles from Fryeburg (it is now called Red Mill Brook), and with Captain Charles Wadsworth built the first bridge over the Saco River in Hiram in 1805. He was also described as industrious. He sold the property to his second son Humphrey in 1797. Two years later Humphrey sold to Thomas Barker, for whom Barker Pond is named. Timothy Cutler was born in Boston
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
in 1735. From deeds we know he was a “Baker” when he bought land with his wife Mary Norton in 1765 in Falmouth (now Portland). In 1772 his occupation was “Trader,” but when he moved to Scarborough and bought land there in 1783 he was again “Baker.” However, when he received his grant of land in 1788 his occupation became “Gentleman.” Cutler’s grant included Mt. Cutler, which is named for him. He is considered a founding father of Hiram, influential in naming the town. According to legend, he and fellow Freemason General Peleg Wadsworth (grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) tossed a coin to decide that Hiram was to be named for Hiram, King of Tyre. He was the first U.S. postmaster in Hiram and lived on 14 acres he purchased from John Ayer in 1791. This was part of the Danforth lot that Ayer purchased in 1782,
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which became part of the Cutler grant that Ayer was granted title to as a settler. Very confusing. Could our barn have been built before 1781? The earliest barns were built to the scribe rule and are most readily identified by “marriage marks” on the layout faces of timbers to be joined together. The scribe rule died out in use around 1820. We found the scribes — typical Roman numerals — where they were supposed to be, as well as wrought nails and pit saw marks. Experts took a look. Bill Johnson of Durgintown Post & Beam, South Hiram, and J. Scott Campbell of Maine Mountain Post & Beam, Brownfield, inspected the barn with us. They concluded the barn was most likely built before 1820, the cupola added in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and that it was well worth saving.
(Continued on page 46)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Hiram Barns: Agricultural Cathedrals, a Our barn was stabilized in 2008 and photographic exhibition, will be open I turned my attention to discovering to the public on Saturday August 14, the other barns and interesting stories 2010, at the Hiram Historical Society on Historical Ridge, Hiram, Maine, in Hiram. (Continued from page 44)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Quaker Joe: Maine’s First Conscientious Objector
J
Turner settler would rather develop the town than fight in the war
by Charles Francis
oseph Leavitt built the first house in Turner. He was the community’s first settler — or at least one of the very first. Leavitt settled in what would become Turner when the struggle for American independence was undergoing some of its greatest setbacks. When Leavitt hied his way to the Maine frontier he was just shy of twenty. He was of fighting age. Why wasn’t he in the Continental Army doing everything in his power to further the Patriot cause? Joe Leavitt did fight the British. He spent three months in a militia company at the very beginning of the Revolution. Three months was one of the standard periods of enlistment. Initially, most men who signed up to fight the Redcoats did so for a short period of time. As most
volunteers were farmers, they had to get home to tend crops. After farm chores were taken care of for the season they volunteered for service again. Joe Leavitt didn’t do this. Anyway, he didn’t have a farm to care for or a family to support. Joe Leavitt felt that his talents would be better used in the war effort should he devote his energies to some form of alternative service. Though he didn’t have a farm of his own — his father did — Leavitt is reported as saying, “Some must stay home and raise bread.” There are variations as to what Leavitt said. One paraphrase is to the effect that “While others fight, I will raise bread for them.” It doesn’t matter what Joe Leavitt’s exact words were. His views and feelings on fighting seem clear. Joe opposed fight-
ing. Was he a pacifist — a conscientious objector? Those terms seem applicable. The concept of conscientious objector was not unknown back in those days. Joe Leavitt has gone down in history with the nickname “Quaker Joe.” He acquired the name while he was helping lay out lots in the general area of what would become the town of Turner. The surveyors he was working for gave it to him. The alternative service Joe Leavitt found after his three-month stint as a minuteman was assisting surveyors in the Androscoggin Valley. The surveyors were laying out metes and bounds for townships that Massachusetts would later use to make grants to war veterans. While Quaker Joe is probably the first Maine conscientious objector of record,
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
pacifism was not all that unique an occurrence in colonial America. In fact, there were protections on the books for pacifists as early as the seventeenth century. In 1661 Massachusetts passed a law for the protection of “non-resisters.” Pennsylvania and Rhode Island followed suit soon after that. Even given his nickname it is doubtful Joe Leavitt was a Quaker. Records indicate he was a member of the established church of Massachusetts. That meant he would have been a Congregationalist. The nickname would have been a product of the popular association of the time that all Quakers were pacifists. Regardless of Joe’s association with pacifism, he still serves as a source for membership in such organizations as the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) and Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.). His war service is duly noted on his marker in the Upper Street Cemetery in Turner. Quaker Joe’s war service took place
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during the Siege of Boston. The siege began directly following the fighting at Lexington and Concord —the same day, April 19 — to be exact. The purpose of the siege was to keep the British bottled up inside Boston. This was the period of the Battle of Bunker Hill. There were skirmishes all around Boston. Joe would have seen fighting. The Leavitt family of which Joe is a member has its origins in the old Plymouth Colony. Joe was born in the village of Pembroke in 1757. His father Jacob farmed there. Eventually Jacob would follow his son to live out his days in Turner. Turner was incorporated in 1786. Shortly after being surveyed out as a township back when Joe Leavitt first saw it, it had been named after Joseph Sylvester. Sylvester and his associates had been awarded lots there for services in the fighting in Quebec in 1690. Not all the lots went to veterans of that war, though. One went to Joe Leavitt. The story is that because Leavitt was such a devoted man,
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he was given the lot beside the one set aside for the town’s meeting house. Joe Leavitt’s first project in the new township was building a house for himself. As the township was situated in raw wilderness, he chose to build a small blockhouse. This was even though he had excellent relations with neighboring Indians. His blockhouse completed and some land cleared for crops, Joe returned to Pembroke, probably to find a wife. Though Joe did not marry for two years, Anna Stevens of Pembroke became his wife. One wonders what the young bride thought as the single horse she and Joe rode brought them closer to her new home following a blazed trail through untrammeled forest. Joe and Anna had eight children. When Anna died and Joe married again, his second wife was Hannah Chandler. They had two children. When Hannah died, Joe married a third time. As a fair number of the early settlers of
(Continued on page 50)
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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(Continued from page 49)
what would become Turner came from Pembroke, besides Joe’s father Jacob, Quaker Joe must have been something of an influence in his hometown. He was definitely an influence in Turner, where a good number of the town’s residents bear his name today. There is also a famous story of Joe introducing apple trees to Turner. He carried the saplings that started Turner’s orchards over his shoulder and on foot from New Gloucester. The term conscientious objector is used to describe someone who lives by the dictates of his conscience — someone who lives according to moral principle. Individuals are not born with moral principles — they are acquired over time, through experience and with reflection. Joseph Leavitt’s moral principles grew from his experiences during the Siege of Boston. They were further honed as he built a life for himself and his family on the Maine frontier. Quaker Joe was a man of substance.❧
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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File # 104705 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Gathering of people in front of the Franklin Grange #124 of Bryant Pond. Three people are sitting on the roof. The Franklin Grange formed on March 11, 1875. The building was built in 1892. Detail of item #1190 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com
%ORTH COU%TRY SCE%IC RIDES ~ Float Plane Rides on the Causeway in !aples ~
• 15 and 30 minute flights • 2 person minimum, weather permitting
Luiggi’s Pizzeria “Home of the Fergy”
Since 1953: Your Home... Our only competitor
FAMILY SPECIAL!
Bucket of Spaghetti, 4 meatballs, loaf of Italian bread Add a quart of salad $
9.99
for only $3.00
63 Sabattus Street • Lewiston
782-0701
OPE! 7 DAYS
www.luiggispizzeria.com
T.R.H. & Sons Excavation
• Trucking
207-356-9924 • 207-356-9923 northcountryscenicrides.com
• Site Work
• Septic Systems
• Complete House Lots
~ Quality Work • Af fordable ~
225-5337 • Cell 754-6543 Route 4 • Turner
Loon Lodge — Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Inn & Restaurant
Rangeley Lake, Rangeley, Maine
(207) 864-Loon (5666) www.loonlodgeme.com
FALL ROOM RATE MID-WEEK SPECIAL
Book a stay with us any mid-week day Sunday - Thursday and receive a 25% discount on your room rate. Please call for reservation
(207) 864-Loon (5666)
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Sweet Dreams
Bakery & Delicatessen
Barbara Gallant, Owner
Fresh Baked Breads & Pastries Full Breakfast & Lunch We bake our own bread Featuring Shains of Maine Ice Cream Wicked Joe Coffee • Drive-up Window
2755 Main St. • Rangeley, ME 04970
207-864-5678
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Rangeley Lake, a fisherman’s paradise.
Coming Soon!
Rangeley’s First Wine Bar
Your hosts: John & Brigitta Parker
For an exclusive retreat, nestled among the pines on the shores of Rangeley Lake, in Oquossoc, Maine, visit Tukumtu... a beautiful lakefront B&B. Phone: 207-864-5461 332 Rumford Road, Oquossoc, ME 04964
www.tukumtu.com
Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Espresso No Reservations Phone for our June opening
864-2883 2485 Main St. • Rangeley, Maine
Mountain View Cottages Waterfront Cottages on Rangeley Lake
• Spectacular views of Saddleback Mountain and Rangeley Lake • Hunting, Fishing • Registered Maine Guide services available • Boat rentals • Fishing licenses
P.O. Box 571 • 2717 Main St. Rangeley, ME 04970 Jack McCormack, Owner
Relax at one of Maine’s most private settings (207) 864-3416 • Oquossoc, Maine
www.mountainviewcottages.com
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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A Classic Trout Fly And Maine Treasure
T
“The Parmachenee Belle”
by Art Wheaton
he rich tradition of fly fishing storied guide, John S. Danforth, who nee Club, which Wells organized in in Maine often provokes re- built “Camp Caribou” in the 1870s on 1890 to buy out Danforth. The “clubminders of great streamer flies Parmachenee Lake, Maine — the house” was Camp Caribou, on Treat’s Island, on Parmachenee “invented here,” like Carrie Lake. The Magalloway Steven’s “Grey Ghost,” Ben PARMACHENEE BELLE River flowing in and out Treadwell’s “Grand Lake of Parmachenee Lake Streamer,” and J. Hubert was part of the waters Sanborn’s “Nine Three.” The producing giant brook list goes on. But one fly that trout of that rich historirings loudly with every trout cal past of the great fisherman is the timeless Rangeley region. “Parmachenee Belle.” Originally, the “Belle” In all her blazing glory, had a body of lemon-yellow when dressed in her original garb, it likely site of its creation. mohair, wrapped in white was a trout fly extraordinaire. Made to Circa 1876 — some say tinsel. Its tail was two to four look like live bait, rather than an in- 1890 — this fly was named strands of white and scarlet, sect, it imitated the belly fin of a for the lake on which it was brook trout. certainly born and for the Parmache(Continued on page 58) “Square tail” fisherman soon learn the scavenger-like nature of the great trout, whose diets in those little feeder brooks rely heavily on insect life, but when they grow older toward “lunkerville,” add to their diet live bait of many varieties — some known for eating their own. The “Belle,” with her striking red and white, have taken many a fine trout in Maine waters. Credited with her invention was • ATVing • Downhill Skiing – (Alpine) • Biking • Cross Country Skiing – (Nordic) Henry Parkhurst Wells of Providence, • Birding • Snowmobiling Rhode Island, with the help of the • Boating
EVERGREEN GOLF CLUB
❖ Championship Golf Course ❖ Reasonable Rates ❖ Five Individual Tees On Each Hole ❖ Driving Range ❖ Full Service Pro Shop
864-9055
GOLF SCHOOL
George Buck, Pro Doug Cook, Assistant
On Dallas Hill Road • Rangeley, Maine
• • • • • • •
Camping Canoeing and Kayaking Fly Fishing and Trolling Golfing Hiking and Nature Trails Hunting Leaf Peeping
• • • • • • • •
Scenic Drives Skating Skeet Shooting Sliding Snowshoeing Indoor Pool Tennis Wildlife Viewing
RANGELEY SADDLEBACK INN 2303 Main Street • Rangeley, Maine USA 04970
207-864-3434
www.rangeleysaddlebackinn.com
56
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Parmachenee Club, Parmachenee Lake, ca. 1940. File # 19385 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com
TOWN & LAKE
MOTEL & LAKEFRONT COTTAGES
~Country Elegance~
Walk to stores, park and lake Private Baths ~ Internet Access ~ Satellite TV
~Afternoon Tea Time~
Proprietors: Rob & Jan Welch
Deluxe Housekeeping Cottages Offering 2 Bedrooms and Fireplaces Rooms with Kitchenettes Available
PRIVATE BEACH FOR ALL GUESTS
• Open Year Round • Docking Available • Cable Color TV • Pets Allowed
Joey and Sheryl Morton, owners
MAIN STREET • RANGELEY, MAINE
207-864-3755
rangeleytownandlake.com
(207) 864-5916
104 Pleasant St., Rangeley, ME
www.pleasantstreetinnbb.com GENERAL CONTRACTOR
• New Construction • Remodeling • Garages • Crane Services • Turnkey Homes as soon as 16 Weeks
207-864-2535 • Cell 207-670-5305 Owner: Tim Allen • PO Box 1205, Rangeley, ME 04970 tac.thetoolman@hotmail.com
Lakeside Rentals Vacation Rental Agency
(207) 864-0935
OVER 50 FIRST CLASS RENTALS Connie Russell, Owner/Manager 2893 Main Street P.O. Box 1288 Rangeley, ME 04970
www.RLRentals.com
Is your family part of Maine history?
If your family goes back in Maine history 5 or more generations and you’d like to have a story done about your family history, give us a call.
Discover Maine Magazine
(207) 874-7720
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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File # 102138 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
“Your Rangeley Region Boating Center”
SALES • SERVICE • STORAGE
• Glaston Boats • Honda Motors • Tahoe Pontoon Boats • Lund Boats
Boat Slips, Boat Rentals and Gas available at Haines Landing Marina on pristine Mooselookmeguntic Lake
Rte. 4, Oquossoc, Maine • 207-864-5477 email: sales@oquossocmarine.com
www.oquossocmarine.com If you’re spending the summer... or just a day... we’ve all kinds of items... from Maine and away.
So when you’re in Rangeley... won’t you stop by?
In the center of downtown... if just to say hi!
Main Street • Rangeley • 207-864-3741
Lakewood Camps at MIDDLEDAM
• Lakeside cabins for summer vacations and fabulous lake & river fishing • Sumptuous, homecooked meals • Public welcome, reservations please
(207) 243-2959
www.LakewoodCamps.com
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
(Continued from page 55)
and the hackle was white and scarlet as well, while the wings were white, striped with scarlet, but white was the predominant color. The marrying of the white and scarlet on the wings made for dramatic contrast, and identifying the “Belle” is easy to the uninitiated. Later variations included dressing it as a bucktail for steelhead, with mixed and red and white bucktail for the tail, body and throat, using a small bunch of white bucktail over which a very small bunch of red bucktail, very long, extended over the end of the tail. Then came other variations and versions, including the Delaware steamer — used for bass in the upper Delaware — the Parmachenee Beau and Parmachenee Belle Streamers that sometimes included local interpretations. Whether you are a trout fisherman, salmon fisherman, or popping bug aficionado, you probably have the “Parmachenee Belle” in your repertoire of never-forgotten flies. Whether you remember it tied on a card with a piece of “gut” — tied in many sizes in those little cups at the local fly shop — or maybe you remember some of those first trout you caught with it, this is a Maine classic of all time. ❧ Morton & Furbish
Real Estate & Rental Agency “The Region’s Oldest & Largest Agency” Serving the Rangeley Area Since 1899
Waterfront, Mountain View, & Village Homes Also Commercial Properties For Sale & Rent
Real Estate: 207-864-5777 www.morton-furbish.com
Rentals: 1-888-218-4882 www.rangeleyrentals.com
2487 Main Street, Rangeley, Maine 04970
KIMBALL POND BOAT BARN
STERLING OVERHEAD DOOR Free Estimates • Fully Insured Sales • Installation Lift-Master Garage Door Openers Residential • Commercial
Quality & Service Garage Doors
George Rensky, Rangeley, ME Rangeley 864-2567 www.sterlingoverheaddoor.com
Marco
Over 40 Years Experience
Grimaldi
CONCRETE FLOORS Specializing in Wood-Canvas Canoe Restoration
207-578-0876
Bob Bassett • 21 Day Rd. • Vienna, ME
Boatbarn.wcha.org
• Basement Floors • Garage Slabs • Modular Home Slabs • Concrete Counter Tops
(207) 897-2479 191 Warren Hill Rd. • Jay, ME 04239
Sam-O-Set 4 Seasons Housekeeping Cottages and Dockside Sports Center Marshall & Jackie Swain
Sandy Swimming Area
Fishing Boating Boat Rentals
Southshore Drive • Rangeley
864-2424 • 864-5137
The Wilhelm Reich Museum at Orgonon The Wilhelm Reich Museum is an historic site and science museum devoted to the work and life of renowned physician/scientist Wilhelm Reich Free Natural Science Programs Every Sunday 2-4PM in July and August Nature Trail Activities for Children Inside and Out
July & August Wed-Sun 1-5PM
September Sun Only 1-5PM
Off Route 4 Dodge Pond Road Rangeley Groups by Appt. • 864-3443
Orgonon, Box 687, Rangeley, ME 04970
www.wilhelmreichmuseum.org
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Early view of the Landing at Pickford Camps in Rangeley. File # 102152 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
864-3779
2541 Main Street P.O. Box 429
Rangeley, Maine 04970
(207) 864-2440 • (800) 295-4968 ~ Susanne & Tom Lillis: Owners ~
www.northcountrybb.com
River to Ridge GUIDE SERVICE
Fly fishing for brook trout and landlocked salmon
Magalloway, Rapid & Kennebago Rivers Also: Bird Hunting, Moose Watching, Hiking Brett Damm
207-864-2895 rivertoridge@aol.com
Brackett’s Pumping & Portable Toilet Service
• Septic Pumping • Portable Toilet Rentals • Leach Field Lines Cleaned • Drain Lines Cleaned • Pipes Thawed • State of Maine Certified Septic System Inspector
PO Box 602 • Rangeley, ME 04970 (207) 864-5364 for information
1-800-MT-LAKES for reservations for your any-season Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce VACATION 6 Park Road, PO Box 317 Rangeley, ME 04970-0317
www.rangeleymaine.com email: info@rangeleymaine.com
In The Western Maine Mountains
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Grover Brothers Of Grover Hill
60
S
Bethel’s famous sons made impressive marks in American history
by Charles Francis
ometimes all we know is: “Went West.” The notation may grace the end note of a family Bible. It may appear in a listing of close relatives of a long-gone family member as part of a yellowed obituary cut from a local newspaper and pasted into a scrapbook. Or, it may appear on a cemetery marker naming the children of those who rest forever at peace. Sons of John and Fanny Grover of Grover Hill in Bethel “Went West.” Or at least three of them did — LaFayette, Cuvier and Abernathy. LaFayette and Cuvier are two of Bethel’s famous sons. LaFayette became Governor of Oregon and Cuvier was a decorated war hero and frontier cavalry officer. Abernathy was the Grover brother who “Went West,” never to be heard of again. A fourth Grover brother, Talleyrand, was a professor of the classics: literature, languages and history. Talleyrand breathed his last breath in faraway Upsala, Sweden. The Grovers of Grover Hill in Bethel trace their line
B.C. HEATING • • • •
~ B ARRY COLLETTE ~ S ALES S ERVICE I NSTALLATION F ULLY I NSURED
back to Malden and adjacent communities in Massachusetts, and before that to Buckinghamshire in England. The Grovers were, to use a well-worn term, “movers.” Before the ones that made Grover Hill their home came to Bethel, members of the line settled York, Westbrook, Albany and Gilead. That’s just a listing of some of the Maine towns where Grovers left their mark. The first Grover in Bethel — the one who gave his name to Grover Hill — was named John. This John Grover entered the world in Norton, Massachusetts. He served in the Revolution, serving at Dorchester Heights and Trenton, to name but a few of the sites of his wartime experiences. He made the famous crossing of the Delaware with Washington. This John Grover had a son name John. John Grover Jr. joined a War of 1812 militia company as a private. Then it became known that Private Grover had been studying medicine at Harvard before he enlisted. Private Grover was transferred to the staff of Portsmouth Across from Rite Aid
Route 2, Bethel 824-3637 Take-Out or Dine In
6 Page Menu Homemade Lasagna • Salads, Subs, and More!
Make your summer cleaning appointment now!
207-674-2628 WEST PARIS, MAINE
& Dinners
A Full Service Family Restaurant Serving Wine, Beer & Spirits
Now Offering Gluten-Free Dough & Beer
Hungry Hollow Country Store Someplace Special ~ Someplace Different
Full Bakery ~ Heat & Eat Entrees Our Specialty is Chicken Pie! Stop In & Browse Around!
Unique Maine Gifts ~ Wheel Cheese ~ Jams ~ Maple Syrup Green Mountain Coffee ~ Gourmet Tea ~ Gift Baskets Natural & Organic Foods ~ Wheat & Gluten-Free Foods
Route 26 • West Paris, Maine • 207-674-3012
MC/Visa/Discover/Amex Open daily 7-5, Friday Until 6pm, Sunday 10-5pm
A fun adventure for all ages! Tour the farm and shop for Maine alpaca products and more in the on-site farm store. Call to set up a tour today!
(207) 890-3148 •471 Flat Road • Bethel, ME 04217
www.sundayriveralpacas.com
ROOSTER’S ROADHOUSE Open for Lunch and Dinner Daily at 11:30! Open for Breakfast at 8AM on Weekends
Lobsters * Seafood * Steaks * Pasta * Pizza Pub Fare * Full Bar * TV’s Cold Draft Beers * 1/2 lb. Burgers
FUN, CASUAL, AFFORDABLE... ONLY AT ROOSTER’S!!
159 Mayville Road (Route 2) • 824-0309
www.roostersroadhouse.com
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Hospital. After the war, John Grover Jr. completed his medical studies and returned to Grover Hill to live and practice medicine in his home town. In 1819 Dr. John Grover married a home-town girl, Fanny Lary. They had six children in rapid order. Abernathy came first in 1821. The last was a girl, Philophrene. Philophrene was born in 1835. She was named for a sister who had died at age eight in 1833. Talleyrand was born in 1822, LaFayette in 1823, and Cuvier in 1828. The first Philophrene was born in 1825.
LaFayette and Cuvier Grover are two of Bethel’s famous sons. LaFeyette became Governor of Oregon and Cuvier was a decorated war hero and frontier cavalry officer. Abernathy was the stay-at-home, at least for much of his life. In 1848 he married Mary Chapman of Bethel. When war came, Abernathy enlisted. It was a family tradition. Abernathy served uneventfully outside of Washington. Mary died in 1871. Family records say Abernathy then married Isabelle Shehan. The last family record for Abernathy is “Went West.” Talleyrand Grover was the family scholar. He was drawn to the classics. His father had a library that included Homer and Virgil. Like his brothers, Talleyrand atOutdoor Power Equipment tended Gould’s Academy — the SALES & SERVICE name would be changed to Genuine Parts For: Gould Academy. Like his brother LaFayette, Talleyrand Ariens • B&S • Echo Kohler • Toro went to Bowdoin. There was Poulan • M.T.D. additional study at Harvard. Murray • Tecumseh LaFayette Grover left Maine for Philadelphia in the late 824-2403
Governor LaFayette Grover
BAILEY’S
530 Walkers Mill Road
Bethel
RICHARD L. MOODY
(Continued on page 62)
Brigadier General Cuvier Grover
Plumbing Contractor
Commercial Residential Licensed Insured
Service • Sales • Installation
(207) 824-3010
559 Hunts Corner Rd. Albany TWP, ME 04217
Your Hosts: Arthur & Lisa Park
www.littlefieldbeaches.com
61
62
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(Continued from page 61)
1840s. He studied law there and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1850. That same year he sailed around Cape Horn for the Oregon Territory. Cuvier Grover went to West Point. He graduated the same year that brother LaFayette headed for Oregon. Cuvier Grover’s first assignment was as a lieutenant of artillery. However, the mid 1850s found him a cavalry officer in Utah. That was where he was at the beginning of the war when he was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Cuvier’s rise in rank during the war was almost meteoric. On April 14, 1861 he was made a brigade commander with the rank of brigadier general. Following the Peninsula Campaign he was given a division. It was part of the Louisiana campaign, and took part in the capture of Baton
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Rouge. By August of 1864 Grover was fighting in Virginia again. As a result of injuries at the Battle of Cedar Creek, he lost an arm. In Oregon, LaFayette Grover settled in Salem, establishing a law practice there. His partner was Benjamin Harding, a future U.S. District Attorney and U.S. Senator. In 1853 LaFayette was elected to the territorial legislature. That same year he raised a militia company to deal with Indian problems on the Rogue River. In 1857 LaFayette served as chair of a committee to draw up a bill of rights at the Oregon Constitutional Convention. When Oregon became a state, LaFayette was elected its first representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. After serving a single term, he left politics for a ten-year span to devote himself to business. His interests included control of a major por-
tion of Salem’s woolen and flour mill industry. Starting in 1866 LaFayette Grover served as Chair of the Oregon Democratic Party. In 1870 he was elected Governor of Oregon. He served in that position until 1877 when the legislature elected him to the U.S. Senate. With the close of the Civil War, Cuvier Grover returned to duty in the West with the Cavalry. He was a career army officer, who — even though missing an arm — is recognized as one of the great U.S. Cavalry officers. As to Abernathy Grover, his years in the West are a mystery. Author’s note: I wish to thank the late Miss Sally Grover for sharing some of her insights on Grover family history. ❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
Maine Mineral Adventures Your Complete Bookstore
~ new & used books ~ ~ greeting cards ~ ~ music ~ ~ calendars ~
Special Orders Welcome
(207) 824-0275 LOCATED AT POK SUN EMPORIUM 130 Main Street, Bethel
Field trips to closed mines Come sift mineral tailings on site
Come find your own gem stones!
MAINE MINERAL ADVENTURES 1148 S. Main St. • Paris, ME 04271
207-674-3440 • digmainegems.com
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Remembering A Rumford Athlete
C
by Charlotte Mayo
het was born in Rumford on September 18, 1917. He passed away in February 2009 in Fairfax, Virginia, where he resided after retiring. “So what?” one might ask, but those who knew Chet and his life’s accomplishments were greatly saddened by the news. Chet was a big man, with a big heart and a surprise career that just happened. Chester “Chet” Noyes Bulger was a member of the Arizona Cardinals football team. Before his death he was the oldest one of the five remaining team members. (Portland Press Herald 2009)
Chester “Chet” Bulger
Fishing Bait & Gear
~ Gasoline ~ Groceries • Meats • Cold Beer Wine & Soda • Pizza Breakfast Served Daily Lobster Subs • Hot & Cold Sandwiches ATV Trails to the Store ~ Open 7 Days ~
545-2713
Ken Briggette & Son, Owners
ATV Parts & Accessories Automotive Parts • Accessories Oils • Lubricants
364-4563
202 Prospect Ave. • Rumford, ME (Bottom of Falls Hill)
FREE Wiper Blade Installation With Purchase of Wiper Blades
Route 120 West
Roxbury
Coulthard’s
63
His daughter Wendy Mathieu of Western Springs, Illinois gave me a glimpse into the life of this six-foot-five-inch, 275-pound man whom she called Dad. “Dad loved growing up in a small town; he knew everyone and they knew him. He was very close to his family. My aunt Frances Miller of Rumford is his only surviving sibling.” “He once told me a story of fishing as a kid during the Depression. He said the warden had seen him but didn’t come to the house until after dinner and the evidence had been eaten.”
Chester “Chet” Bulger
Ellis Pond Variety & Cabins
FROST MOTOR SUPPLY, I%C.
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(Continued on page 64)
MEXICO TRADING POST US Route 2 • 240 Main Street Mexico, Maine 04257 Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am-noon
207-364-3129
Large Selection of New & Used Firearms in Stock
Maine View Optic Scopes
Quality and Value are our Maine Focus
POOLS & SPAS
Rebecca Coulthard: Owner Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence Pools and Spas • Sales and Service Openings and Closings
454 River Road • Mexico, Maine • 364-7665
www.coulthardspools.con
64
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
fitter in the mill.” Chet went to school at “When he was young, his Stephens High in Rumford, parents had a farm and he and was a member of the would tell us how they would track team. He participated in collect the newspapers and discus, shot put, and javelin. shove them down the walls When he graduated, he refrom the attic to keep the ceived a track scholarship for house a little warmer in the college. winter months. They couldn’t He went to Auburn Univerkeep the house during the sity in Alabama, started as a Depression and moved into track team member, but town.” ended up playing on the prac“Dad loved to swim in the tice football squad. pond and he would ski in the “Dad was working in the winter. He did all the usual Portland Shipyards when he things men like to do in got a call from the Cardinals Maine — hunting and fishto come play football.” ing.” Chet became a member of “When dad was sixteen he Autographed picture of Chet Bulger the Cardinals football team in lied about his age and joined 1942 as a blocker. He played the Maine National Guard, and was discharged shortly before he went off to college. with them until 1950 when he went to play for the Detroit He was the oldest son, and it was expected that he would Lions. Many interviews published about Chet have one go into the Rumford paper mill. My grandfather was a pipe fact in common. Even though Chet played with the De(Continued from page 63)
Naples Packing Co., Inc. Family Owned & Operated Since 1946
Beef • Pork • Provisions Frozen Foods • Produce ~ Fresh cut deli meats ~
Visit Enrico’s Deli 3 6 4- 37 25
Kubota BX2660
Imagine a sub-compact tractor that combines power, comfort and versatility into a single all-purpose work machine. Kubota’s BX2660 is the tractor to help you create the place you’ve always dreamed of. From headlights to hitch, the BX2660 delivers the kind of quality you expect from Kubota. Nothing less than extraordinary. CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
R.S. Osgood & Sons 1101 US Route 2 West, East Dixfield, ME 04227 (207) 645-4934
800-287-4934 www.rsosgood.com
654 River Road • Mexico
b A Jo
Whirlpool Kitchenaid Maytag • Amana
e Don Well
Sales & Service
Refrigerators • Ranges • Washers • Dryers Freezers • Dishwashers • Microwaves Mon-Fri 8AM - 5PM Sat 9AM - Noon, or by appointment
ELECTRIC
364-7062
Family Owned & Operated for over 50 Years
13 Main Street, Mexico
Experience Small Town Maine Gateway to the Western Mountains Town of Mexico
Web: www.mexicomaine.net
134 Main Street, Mexico, Maine 04257
(207) 364-7971
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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65
troit Lions, he was a Cardinal at heart. (The New York Times) The highlight of Chet’s football career came in 1947 when he helped the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game by a score of 28-21. Wendy added, “After a successful college career, he joined the Marines and entered officers’ training. Just short of graduation he got ill and lost the function of one kidney. He was honorably discharged, much to his dismay. Later he found out that his condition was genetic and it never stopped him physically again.” He married Harriet Cutter from Westbrook, Maine during this time. They had five children: Dana, Gordon, Cathy, Wendy and Kevin. “When Dad played for the Cardinals they played at the old Comiskey field (where the White Sox played). During this time he had seen some high school kids playing at De La Salle High School, a few blocks away. He helped out, and this led to his association with the Christian Brothers. After his career, Chet kept his passion for the game alive as a football, field and track coach. He also took on the title of athletic director, and taught history and biology at De La Salle University. Wendy explained, “Dad decided to stay because of the job opportunities, but he was never far from Maine in his heart. Many of his former students have told me that he always started a geography lesson on Maine and where the best fishing holes were. He had led many graduates to vacation in Maine. He made many, many trips back to Maine.”
(Continued on page 66)
“Serving Contractors & Homeowners For 16 Years” Before his football career, Chet served in the Maine National Guard.
Mrs. B’s Village Store
Offering a healthy variety of home cookin’, soups and sandwiches with daily specials Western Maine’s widest selection of imported beer
120 Main Street Peru, Maine
207-562-7800 Open 7 Days
207-562-7176 207-562-7185
Route 2, PO Box 585 Dixfield, Maine 04224 AUTHORIZED SALES A%D SERVICE FOR
The People Pleasing Agency Serving all of your Real Estate Needs
Radio Shack
Commercial: business, building and land: includes 2 apartment units and electronics business. Complete turn key operation on busy Rte. 2 intersection in Mexico, Maine. MLS #626099 #468 ...REDUCED $250,000
Service on most makes of Saws, Lawn & Garden Equipment
Waterfront Camp
Mike Hase, Owner
562-4930
Business Location: 244 Tower Road 2 miles off Worthley Pond in East Peru Hours: Mon. Tue. Wed. & Fri. 7am-5pm Sat. 6:30am-noon • Closed Thurs. & Sun.
Quaint 6-rm. cottage w/120 ft. of water frontage, private septic and water is from pond. Last camp on road. Open concept w/loft.MLS #933039 #1182 REDUCED $165,000
152 River Road (Rte. 2) • Mexico
369-0100
www.RiversideRealty.org
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
(Continued from page 65)
“He was a big man with a big, booming voice and he loved to sing with his brothers and sisters. My cousin always thought when he came into the room he blocked out the light. He absolutely loved his grand-children and great-grandchildren, and his many nieces and nephews. He stayed in close contact with them right up until his death. He never forgot a birthday or a graduation.” “He loved to fish and would go on fishing trips a few times each year. He was a man’s man, and enjoyed many enduring friendships. He seemed to know everybody and could tell you who all his teachers were clear through college. He still got the Rumford Falls Times newspaper, and he and his companion Charlotte Harms (also from Rumford) would read it together, cover to cover.” In a New York Times interview in
ELLIS VARIETY
COLDEST BEVERAGES I% TOW% Groceries • Sandwiches • Pizza Self-Service Gas Station Convenient to ITS trail Inside Dining Area • Tagging Station 4:00 - 9:00 Mon - Thurs 4:00 - 10:00 Fri & Sat • 5:00 - 9:00 Sun
562-8284
During his high school years, Chet was a member of the State Champion Track Team from Rumford’s Stephens High School.
January 2009, Chet was very proud and excited for Arizona to make the Super Bowl, stating, “I’m still a Cardinal — always a Cardinal. I can’t see too well anymore but I’m going to get up real close to the set to watch the game. Maybe we’ll win that Super Bowl — wouldn’t that be something?” (Chet’s dream almost came true as the score was Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23.) Chet wasn’t an athlete without his accolades. In 1982 after retiring from De La Salle Institute, they named a
126 Weld Road • Dixfield
Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
E & L Logging & Excavation
Serving you for over 20 years
562-9024
field after him. In 1981 Chet was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. An article in the Lewiston Sun Journal stated that there is a Chet Bulger Award given each year to a promising lineman from a Maine high school by the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009 the Hosmer Field Complex in Rumford dedicated the football field in Chet’s name and placed a sign along the bottom of the scoreboard in his honor. ❧
Lance White, owner 198 Luc Morin Road • Dixfield, Maine 04224
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Early view of the Bass Shoe Shop in Wilton. File # 102934 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com of Maine
“From Our Forest to Final Form”
Residential • Land • Commercial
AUTHORIZED SALES CE%TER
Fax: (207) 778-2222
Ross Clair, Manager/Sawyer
(207) 778-9999
Janne A. Haines, Associate Broker www.VillageRealtyMaine.com PO Box 237, 915 U.S. Route 2E East Wilton, ME 04234
J&J Haines Excavation, INC.
Excavation • Wells • Sand • Gravel • Loam
Septic Sytems • Roads Snow Plowing • Logging
Tel: 639-3011 • Cell: 778-1292 29 Mt. Blue Pond Road • Avon, Maine
%ew Equipment Sales & Service (207) 645-2072 Fax: (207) 645-3786
DUTCH TREAT 541 Borough Rd., Chesterville, ME 04938
Seafood • Burgers • Chicken • Ice Cream
CRUISE NIGHTS Every Wednesday from 6-8pm
645-2145
Routes 2 & 4 • Wilton, Maine Large back yard with picnic tables & swings Celebrating over 45 years of service!
TJ’s Corner Store ~ Open 7 Days ~
• Pizza • Chicken • Hot & Cold Sandwiches • Breakfast Sandwiches • Cold Beer & Wines • And Much More!
645-5142
740 Main Street • Wilton
Corner of Weld Road & Main Street
Wilton Printed Products
wiltonprintedproducts@myfairpoint.net
Printed Stationery • Business Cards Annual Reports • Books Carbonless Forms • Calendars Postcards • Newsletters • Brochures
207-645-2798
Digital Printing
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Schoolhouse, North Jay
G.A.P.S.
GROUP ADAMS PROPANE SERVICES
Serving Businesses and Homeowners since 1997
Serving Residential, Commercial, Camps & Remote Areas
154 Geo. Thomas Rd., Farmington Falls
Locally owned and operated independent propane sales and service
Plumbing, Heating and Industrial Supplies
16 Depot St. • Livermore Falls
~ Contact Tony St. Pierre ~
897-5367 • 888-834-5367
Shop locally for all your plumbing & heating supply needs!
(207) 897-4100 Fax 897-4141
102 Main Street • Jay, Maine
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
The Livermore Falls Fire Of 1910
T
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Resulting insurance claims were troublesome for the business district
by Barbara Adams
he building erected in 1900 by the Sharaf Brothers at Livermore Falls was one of the finest built in Maine that year. It measured 126 x 92 feet, and was 100 feet tall from the sidewalk to the top of the tower. The building contained stores, offices, a public hall, the Livermore Falls Trust Bank, and an opera house which could hold 1200 people. The cost of the building was estimated at between $70,000 and $75,000. The architects were Coombs, Gibbs, and Wilkinson of Lewiston. Town maps had rejected the presence of a town library as far back as 1850. In 1899 the Livermore Fails Library Association had been formed, and in January 1901 the library moved
into the second floor of the Sharaf building. The first librarian was Mrs. Willis Sewall, who received 16 cents an hour for her efforts. The library contained 539 books. In May of 1910 a disastrous fire destroyed a great portion of the Livermore Falls business district, as well as the Sharaf building, including the library. On May 25, 1917 the Livermore Public Library Association was incorporated, and in 1928 the library was moved to the Ham Block. In 1954 a new building was erected which was given to the town by Elsie Treat in memory of her late husband, and named the George Winfield Treat Memorial Library. A fire insurance claim filed as a result of the disastrous business district
My Dad’’s Place Pizza • Sandwiches • Burgers Snacks • Cold Beverages ~ Full Breakfast Menu ~
OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR
I NG NE W DI N ROOM!!
458 Old Jay Hill Road Jay, ME 04239
(207) 645-9800 Open 7 Days, 7am - 9pm
Dine In or Take Out
fire was by an A.M. Bumpus against the American Central Insurance Company. The defendant issued to the plaintiff an insurance policy on “his one story frame, steel roof building situated on the north side of Bridge Street and known on the map as ‘Thurston’s Planing and Saw Mill.’” The map referred to was the “Sanborn Map,” made for the use of fire insurance companies and their agents. The plaintiff had two “one story frame steel roof buildings” listed. In one, logs were sawed, and boards and dimension lumber were planed, and it was known at one time as “Thurston’s Planing and Saw Mill.” The other building was used more as a fitting
(Continued on page 70)
Jean Castonguay Excavating • Sand • Loam • Gravel • Septic Systems • Brush Chipping • Lots Cleared
897-4283
or call Adam 897-2206
Livermore Falls, Maine
Powers Auto Works Chris Powers • Owner
3 Generations of Professional Expertise
25 Hour Towing & Recovery Auto Repair Collision Repair
1928 Model A Roadster
645-3088 Rt. 2, Wilton
• Major and minor repairs for all vehicles • Farm tractors • Heavy equipment
STATE AND COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION STATION
34 Chesterville Road • Jay, Maine
645-4277
70
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
(Continued from page 69)
and job shop, and contained a planer, band saw, and other machinery. The latter building was delineated on the map, referred to with the legend “C.H. Thurston Planing and Saw Mill.” The former building was not on the map at all. The decision was “The parties having stipulated that if the policy applied to the job shop (which was on the map) and not to the other, the damages should be $75.” The defendant moved for a new trial. By a stipulation before the trial, the parties agreed that “if the building destroyed was the one which the plaintiff claims was insured, the damages should be $500, the amount of the policy, but if the policy applied to the building which the defendant claims was insured, the damages should be $75, without costs.” Accordingly, the certificate read: “If the plaintiff, within 30 days after the
J.M. Roy Excavation & Logging Jamie Roy, owner
897-9945 27 River Road Livermore, Maine
Complete Site Work Septic Systems Driveways • Foundations Water Lines Logging • Firewood
Depot Street, Livermore Falls
certificate is received by the clerk, shall remit all of the verdict in excess of $75, a motion for a new trial is overruled, otherwise motion sustained.”❧
We’ll be good to you!
897-2230
41 Main Street Livermore Falls
Open Mon thru Sat, 7am until 5pm
One Great Company ~ Two Great Locations!
Kitchen Solutions Sales & Design Center Bruce Landry: Owner
~Over 15 Years of Experience~
Granite Countertops
1766 Federal Road (Livermore Plaza, Route 4) Livermore, ME 04253 Phone 207.897.3400 Toll Free 888.767.6977
1822 Lisbon Rd. Lewiston, ME
Phone 207-784-3100 Toll Free 888.767.6977
www.kitchensolutionsmaine.com
Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
ROCKY LAKE Plumbing, Heating & Water Systems
Over 25 Years Successful Experience
• Residential Specialists • HS Tarm Wood Fired Gasification Boilers
Specializing In:
SYSTEM 2000 - the most advanced combined heat and hot water system on the market.
897-6779 Livermore
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Livermore Falls town center with cars lining the street. A railroad crossing is in the distance and two pedestrians are on the corner. Image #198 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com
Fo ur W i n d s To o
Lobster Co. & Redemption Center John & Patrick Elsman
• Large barbecues • Family functions • Company Parties 68 Main Street - Livermore Falls, ME 04254 Open Daily 9-6
897-6648
We Do Large Orders
Webster’s Mini Excavation Barry Webster
I’ll play in the dirt so you don’t have to • Ditching • Driveway & Lawn Repair • Stump Removal • Septic Systems
~ Fully Insured ~
577-8978 • 897-6938
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Temple Street in East Wilton. File # 105651 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
HOWIE’S WELDING & FABRICATION, INC. Structural Steel Fabricators
• Stairs • Railings • Industrial Supplies
645-2581
1148 Main Street • Jay, Maine
“Our customers are our family”
Delivery Service Available • Drive-up Window Steve Maki, RPH 3 Tweedie Street • Jay, ME 04239
(207) 897-9080
WOOD PELLET WAREHOUSE Fax: (207) 897-9082
Highest Quality Premium Softwood and Hardwood Pellets at the lowest prices!
All indoor storage at our North Jay (formerly G.H. Bass) warehouse Authorized dealer for Corinth (Me.) Wood Pellets Also carrying softwood pellets from British Columbia, Canada
Please call about our FREE DELIVERY
• Contact Steve Barker, Proprietor, for more info • Visit our new website at www.sibwoodpellets.com • Call (207) 645-3064 / Cell: (207) 491-1472
67 East Dixfield Road (Rt. 17) • North Jay, ME 04262
170 Main Street Jay ME Established in 1954
Serving Franklin County and the local communities
897-0900 • 800-848-3688 www.otisfcu.coop
JD’s Home Improvements Camps • Additions
Decks • Painting • Finish Carpentry Custom Built-Ins
Camp Winterizations
320-0446 Jesse
Jay, Maine
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Bridgton, Maine hosted the Bridgton News and this photograph was taken either in the 1940s or 1950s. Detail of item # 5975 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com
Moose Pond Harbor Marina & Garage
Service & Sales Are Our No. 1 Priority Mercury Outboards Small Engines
207-452-2404 222 Bushrow Rd. • Denmark
Squeaky Clean Jeff Bartlett, Owner
Over 20,000 different titles, plus books on tape for rent or sale, cards, magazines, used books, bargain books, music and more.
Bridgton Books 140 Main Street Bridgton, ME 04009
207-647-2112
Laundromat • • • •
Over 25 washers Drop off dry cleaning Wash, dry, fold service Camp & Institution Laundry
Regular Hours: Mon. Wed., Fri., Sat. & Sun.: 8am-5pm Tues. & Thurs.: 8am-7pm We Have Extended Summer Hours
4 Maple Street, Bridgton, ME 647-9372
Hoover CONSTRUCTION WAYNE P. HOOVER, Owner
Fr e e E s t i ma t e s (207) 647-9564
3 3 4 N o r t h B r i d g to n R d . • B r i d g t o n , M E 0 4 0 0 9
Little Mountain
Country Store Conveniently located between Fryeburg & Bridgton on Rt. 302
Serving the towns of: Bridgton, Brownfield, Casco, Denmark, Fryeburg, Harrison, Lovell, Naples, Raymond, Sebago, Stow, Sweden & Waterford
(207) 647-3472hFax (207) 647-8372 www.mainelakeschamber.com E-mail info@mainelakeschamber.com P.O. Box 236, Bridgton, Maine 04009
Great food at great prices!
Pizza, Subs & More Gas & Grocery
647-2442 Bridgton, Maine
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Gone But Not Forgotten: Rufus Ingalls
W
Denmark native was at the forefront of America’s westward expansion
by Charles Francis
General Rufus Ingalls
hen Rufus Ingalls died in January of 1893, there were but a few who knew that the old man who lived quietly in New York’s Grand Hotel had known more of the American West than almost anyone alive. In fact, few knew the quiet, unassuming old man should be addressed as General Ingalls. This state of affairs would change, however, when the New York Times made Ingalls’s passing a major news story. Rufus Ingalls was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. His pallbearers were all actively serving U.S. Army generals. The generals were honoring a brother-in-arms — a major general and former Quartermaster General of the Army. Rufus Ingalls numbered among his close friends men whose names resound with all the flavor of larger-than-life figures — men who are the stuff not only of America’s years of Manifest Destiny, but of folk tale and folklore. That Ingalls is not famed as one of their numbers speaks to his particular character — character formed in his hometown of Denmark, Maine.
The First and Last Motel We’re FIRST heading west, and the LAST going east • 14 Units
• 3-Bedroom units available for boat owners, canoers, vacationers and extended stays. Jacuzzi suite available.
• Golf & fall foliage packages
• Conveniently located to the White Mountains and Sebago Lake • Convenient to the Historic Bridgton Drive-In Theater
• Ample parking for boats
Tel (207) 647-2200 • 1-800-647-2256 461 Portland Road, Route 302, Bridgton, Maine, 04009
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Rufus Ingalls counted as personal friends such figures as Ulysses S. Grant, Stephen W. Kearny and Ben Holladay, the Stagecoach King. Ingalls also served with the likes of Kit Carson and John C. Fremont. The history-making events of America’s westward expansion that Rufus Ingalls had intimate knowledge of — because he was a part of them — include the ouster of Mexico from California and New Mexico. He served in the Oregon Territory when the United States solidified its claim there. Probably the best explanation as to why Rufus Ingalls’s name is relatively unknown is that he chose to avoid the spotlight. One of the very few cases of his name being memorialized is found in San Francisco. There is a street named in his honor there. There is only one obvious instance
Snow’s Excavation, Inc.
D iscove r Ma ine
of Rufus Ingalls’s name having been tracting $300 a month living expenses bandied about in less than favorable from the estate. Ingalls was fulfilling his obligations in Oregon. When the case came to trial it even made papers in the east. Even though newspapers reported that Ingalls was completely exonerated, one can’t help but think the reclusive General would have been happier if nothing had been printed at all. Rufus Ingalls is known in certain circles today. Not long ago a re-enactor portrayed the General in a stage program presented in his hometown of Denmark. Civil War buffs, of course, know Ingalls. One reason for this is that he is largely credited for what success the Army of the Potomac had under General General George McClellan George McClellan. It was Ingalls — circumstances. It occurred when In- as aide-de-camp to McClellan — who galls was acting in his capacity as es- took the initiative to see that supply tate executor of his late friend Ben depots were established to service the (Continued on page 76) Holladay. Ingalls was accused of ex-
HENRY’S CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
Commercial & Residential
QUALITY WORK AT COMPETITIVE PRICES Complete Site Work Septic Systems • Foundations Septic Tank Pumping Gravel Driveways & Paving Sand • Loam • Gravel Lot Clearing • Landscaping
Parts & Supplies For: Cars • Trucks • Motorcycles Marine • Tractors • Hydraulic Hoses
Denmark Road, Rte. 117, Bridgton, ME FULLY INSURED • FREE ESTIMATES
Route 302 • Bridgton, Maine Open 7 Days a Week
647-2697
® Auto Par ts
647-8737
Insulated Concrete Foundations
Henry Hudson
Foundations, Slabs, Floors & Sidewalks 207-583-4896/4833 207-583-4630
24 Poverty Corner Lane • Harrison, ME 04040-3301
566 Portland Road • Route 302 Bridgton, Maine
FRED PACKARD
ME certified #232 • NH certified #475
(800) 640-8507 (207) 647-2172
Fax: (207) 647-3692
fpackard@roadrunner.com
75
ine n, Ma idgto 7, Br 77 6 3 Rt. 11 7 4 6
Free Estimates and Delivery
Rt. 117 Bridgton, Maine
647-3776
76
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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(Continued from page 75)
massive force. Ingalls subsequently became chief quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac. One of the more interesting groups that have recently taken up the life and career of General Ingalls as a subject for investigation is devoted to Laura Ingalls Wilder. It seems that the author best known as the creator of Little House on the Prairie and the General were distant cousins. Tracing the genealogy of both shows they had common ancestry. That commonality stretches all the way back to England. The question involving the General and Laura Ingalls Wilder is whether or not they ever made contact. Wilder investigated her
“Meet Me At The Highlands”
General Rufus Ingalls and officers
genealogy at length and never mentioned the General. The fact that both lived in the West and Midwest does make their meeting a possibility. Plus, there is Wilder’s own family history investigations. Is there correspondence between the two, cached in some hith-
Warren’s Florist
Bridgton Highlands Country Club • 18 Hole Championship Golf Course • Scenic Views of Mt. Washington and the Lakes Region • Newly Renovated Tennis Courts • Full Snack Bar and Sandwich Menu • Pro Shop • Membership and Instruction Available • Call for Special Rates
Wayne Hill Golf Pro/Manager
207-647-3491 Highland Ridge Road Bridgton, Maine
Fresh Flowers For All Occasions Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-4
We Serve Bridgton • Harrison Denmark • Naples • Casco Sebago • The Waterfords
647-8441
Toll Free 1-800-834-8407
39 DEPOT ST, BRIDGTON
F H C C
erto unfound repository? Rufus Ingalls was born in Denmark in 1818. His father, Cyrus, moved there from nearby Bridgton. Cyrus was a well-todo businessman with political connections and ambitions. The elder Ingalls was a delegate to the Maine Constitutional Convention. Rufus Ingalls was a graduate of West Point. He was a member of the famous class of 1843 that included Ulysses S. Grant. The two were lifelong friends. They served together in the Mexican War and in Oregon. During the Mexican War Ingalls served under Stephen Kearny. He did so again in California and in New Mexico. Kearny was the ranking Army
Jockey Cap Country Store & Motel Your local stop for coffee, gas, home style cooking, groceries, lottery tickets, and much more! www.quinnsjockeycap.com 116 Bridgton Rd/Rte 302 Fryeburg, ME Bob & Allyson Quinn
207-935-2306
AGENCY LIQUOR STORE
Fryeburg Health Care Center
Fryeburg Health Care Center is licensed by the State of Maine as a multi-level facility. We have 30 dual certified skilled nursing home beds and 44 assisted living level beds.
Services Offered: Payment Accepted From 70 Fairview Drive • Skilled/Rehab Level • Medicare Fryeburg, ME 04037 • Long Term Care Level • Medicaid (MaineCare) 207.935.3351 • Assisted Living Level • Private Insurance fhcc@roadrunner.com • Respite Care • Private Funds • Long-term Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff • Close to Town in Rural Neighborhood • Maine Traditional Dietary We are part of the Hicks Family Services whose facilities • Group & Individual Activities have provided the finest in long-term and assisted living • Local Transportation services to their neighbors and friends throughout • Private & Semi-Private Rooms Southwestern Maine for three generations.
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
officer when Mexico was deposed in when Ingalls became acquainted with California. John C. Fremont, although Army Scout Kit Carson. From 1849 to 1852 Ingalls was stanot a part of Kearny’s force, was nominally under Kearny’s command. tioned along with Ulysses S. Grant in Kearny and his men, including Ingalls, Oregon. This is when he and Ben made one of the great forced marches Holladay became fast friends. Hollaof military history from New Mexico day is famous for opening the Overland Trail. He to California ran a stage across desert. route over it. Fremont, an He would sell Army officer, that route to was on deWells Fargo for tached duty a million and a with a naval half dollars. He force under also took over Robert Stockthe Pony Exton. The Mexipress. When cans chose to Holladay died, surrender to Ingalls became Fremont. General Rufus Ingalls ready for duty guardian of his Kearny took control from Fremont by arresting children. He moved them to New him. Kearny had earlier added New York, where he saw to their education. The New York Times obituary of Mexico to the United States. This was
Quickstream Construction 207-935-1665
We can satisfy your roofing needs Shingles Rubber Metal Repairs
ASK ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF STANDING SEAM METAL
Your Project may qualify for a $1500 Tax rebate
R.H. Wales & Son, Inc.
SACO VALLEY SPORTS CENTER
On a rainy day, or any day, stop in for a great time this summer! ~ Smoke Free • Air Conditioned ~ 22 Championship Golf Courses Bowling • Pool Tables • Arcade Special Rates for Seniors!
(207) 935-3777
Route 302, Fryeburg, Maine
925-1363
PO Box 116 Lovell, ME 04051
SNOW PLOWING • SITE WORK • SEPTIC SYSTEMS SAND • LOAM • GRAVEL
77
Rufus Ingalls is sadly lacking in details of the General’s life. It mentions his adopted son Blair and that he had family in Maine. Ingalls visited that family regularly whenever he could while in the Army. When he retired as the 16th Quartermaster General of the Army in 1883, Ingalls made visits to his hometown on a regular basis. Denmark is where his roots were. ❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
Robert W. Libby & Sons, Inc. RESPONSIBLE TIMBER HARVESTING 483 Old Meetinghouse Road Porter, Maine 04068
Phone (207) 625-8285 www.libbylogging.com
Logging & Chipping Land and Timber Management Selective Cutting and Harvesting Plans Land Purchaser and Timber Buyer
ROBERT LIBBY PRESIDENT CELL 207-284-3668
RUSSELL HUGHES LICENSED FORESTER CELL 207-229-7073
jFuneral atson, Neal & York Home JOSEPH L. WATSON, OWNER/DIRECTOR
Funerals ~ Cremations ~ Green Burials
jatson, Neal
FUNERA & York L HOME
71 MAPLE ST. PO BOX 536 CORNISH, ME 04020
207-625-3221 • Fax: 207-625-8289 -Quilt Fabric -Woolens -Notions -Antique Quilts -Old Sewing Stuff -Quilt & Penny -Rug Books
“HELP CO!SERVE OUR FORESTS WITH WISE MA!AGEME!T”
TIMBER HARVESTI%G LA%D CLEARI%G
D iscove r Ma ine
QUILT BARN 3 Old School Street (off High St.) Cornish, ME • 625=8856
78
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
Main Street, Cornish. File # 100437 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
Sacopee Valley
EYE CARE
• Eye Exams for Children • Treatment of Eye Infections and Minor Eye Injuries • Accepting Medicare, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, John A. DuBois, O.D. & Harvard Pilgrim
95 MAPLE STREET, CORNISH 625-3700
Hours: Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 9am-1pm Go to: www.sveyecare.com for more info.
625-8616
Cornish Inn THE
Catering ~ on & off site no gathering too small
Lodging, Dining, Catering Full Restaurant & Bar
public dining weekly music events 16 rooms private baths, A/C Next to Thompson Park in Cornish Village • Rte. 25
(207) 625-8501
www.cornishinn.com
Devan E. Libby
FIREWOOD
Cut to preferred length Split & Delivered • Chipping • Tree Removal • Brush Clearing • Bush Hogging • York Raking • Mowing • Post Holes
625-8285
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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The Remarkable Libby Family Of Limerick
A
by Charles Francis
79
Brothers prominent in many Maine business fronts
number of years ago a gun collector named Steve Helsely purchased an antique pinfire shotgun in what he described as “pristine” condition at a gun show in Reno, Nevada. The Belgian-design shotgun was made sometime in the 1850s. It would have cost somewhere around $100 to have purchased one new, a substantial sum for the day and period. It was inscribed “Presented to James B. Libby Portland, Maine.” It is rare to find a pinfire gun in the United States. Almost all were made in Europe for the European market. Their manufacture encompasses a
brief ten-year period that ended about the time of the Civil War. James B. Libby was born in Limerick. In fact, he spent much of his life there before moving to Portland to work as a partner in the Portland branch of the business founded by his brother Harrison — H. J. Libby & Company. H. J. Libby & Company manufactured woolens. It was founded in Limerick in the early nineteenth century. Eventually it would expand to include offices not only in Portland, but in New York City. The fact that James B. Libby would have been presented an expensive Belgian-
Shadowed Birch Kennels
Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day
Dog & Cat Boarding Obedience Training Pet Foods & Supplies
and Country Store
ED’S GROVE
DISCOUNT WAREHOUSE Stop by and pick up your garden supplies!
Great Gift Ideas
Tools • Toys • Housewares Rods & Reels • Fishing Tackle Open 7 Days, 9-6
247-6686
Jct. Rts. 202 & 5, Lyman, ME.
Breeders of of Breeders AKC/OFA AKC/OFA Rottweilers Rottweilers
Professional Dog Grooming
207-637-2671
David & Jeannette Andersen 593 Ossipee Trail Limington, ME 04049
Hours: 8-6pm M-S 8-10am/4-6pm Sun
made sporting gun seldom seen in the United States speaks to his particular sensitivities. Unfortunately, it is not known who gave it to him. One can assume, though, that it was someone or some group that held him in high esteem. The fact that James B. Libby would have been held in high regard comes as no surprise. The Libby family of Limerick produced a number of highly respected individuals who made a name for themselves in a number of fields. The Reverend Elias Libby, the
Paul’s
(Continued on page 80)
MOBILE TRANSPORT • Mobile Home Transportation • Buy & Sell Used Mobile Homes • Fully Insured • Reasonable Rates
207-793-8471
Paul Cundiff • pcundiff@roadrunner.com
Norman Hutchins Custom Construction • Total Remodeling Services • Replacement Windows • Roofing, Siding, Decks/Porches • Breezeways & Garages • Custom Kitchens • Bathroom & Closet Remodeling • Ceiling Replacements • Fully Insured
247-6810 • 1-800-884-3176 • 91 Jellison Road, Lyman, Maine
80
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
D iscove r Ma ine
(Continued from page 79)
father of Harrison and James B. Libby, was one of the early settlers of Limerick. He operated a general store there on Main Street, which carried all the merchandise one would expect to find in a general store of the day, as well as goods imported from the West Indies. Harrison J. Libby and his brother James B. Libby were two of Maine’s most successful businessmen. Without doubt, however, the most accomplished of the Limerick-born Libbys was James Freeman Libby, one of James B. Libby’s sons. Among other things, James F. Libby was the prime mover in the founding of the Maine Bar Association. He was also a president of the American Bar Association. His estate in Cape Elizabeth — Ridgewood Farm — was famous for its Jersey cows. James F. Libby was born in Limerick in 1844. He spent his formative
Doles
at W
“We’ll never go anywhere else!”
Pick your own fruit!
~Strawberries ~Blueberries ~Cherries and more!
207-793-4409
Orchard Earl, Nancy & Emily Bunting 187 Doles Ridge Road Limington, ME
www.dolesorchard.com
Year Round Grounds Maintenance
• Commercial/Residential Sweeping • Cleanups • Treework • Stone Walls, Walkways, Granite Work • Tree, Flower, Shrub, Mulch and more! • Lawns Installed, Sod Installations Lawn Mowing • Very Reasonable Rates • References Available • Fully Insured
Tel. (207) 247-5111
K%IGHT
PROPERTY MA%AGEME%T
years growing up there while his father alternated between Limerick and Portland, managing affairs of H. J. Libby & Company. The James B. Libby family moved to Portland in time for James F. and his brother Augustus to attend Portland High School. The brothers went on to enroll in Bowdoin College. James F. Libby would eventually become a Bowdoin trustee and President of the Bowdoin Board of Trustees. After graduating from Bowdoin, both brothers prepared for the Bar with prestigious Portland law firms. That the two Libby brothers had advantages beyond those of most Mainers goes without saying, given the home and family they were brought up in. Besides having almost automatic entry into the most respected law firms of the day, they were afforded the best education of the time. Before entering into a law practice
P.O. Box 266, E. Waterboro, ME 04030
ro bo r e
Check Out Items On Sale
New Things Every Day!
COME IN AND BROWSE!
Brookfield Place- Route 202 (Next to the Family Dollar Store)
Open Wed.-Mon. 10 - 6 (Sundays 10 - 5)
which would make him one of Portland’s and Maine’s foremost attorneys, James F. Libby spent two years abroad studying law and philosophy in Paris, Heidlelberg and Rome. James F. Libby’s career includes terms as Portland City Attorney, Cumberland County Attorney, managing director of the Eastern Steamship and Maine Steamship lines, and mayor of Portland. He also served in the Maine Senate, where he was elected President. His greatest impact in Maine, however, was with his involvement in founding the Maine Bar Association. He is identified as the chief driving force behind its organization. By the mid-1880s it was apparent that Maine was behind much of the rest of the country in regard to establishing a statewide legal organization. The American Bar Association, which established a national code of ethics for the legal profession, had been
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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founded in 1878. The Maine Bar Association was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in March of 1891 to promote “the interests of the legal profession and the instituting of legal reforms.” James F. Libby was serving as Senate President at the time. The list of founders of the Maine Bar Association reads like a list of almost all of Maine’s most prominent attorneys. It includes past and future governors. Libby was the Association’s first president. James F. Libby died in 1915. After serving as President of the Maine Bar Association, he had become active in the American Bar Association, drafting some of the organizations bylaws, The Post Office and Shade of the Elm Inn in Limerick. which are still in extent to this day. In Detail of item # 26143 from the collections of the Maine Historical 1909 he became the organization’s Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com chief executive officer. The accomplishments of the Libby family of James Freeman Libby, are indeed Other businesses from this area Limerick, most notably those of remarkable.❧ are featured in the color section.
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Route 202 • Lebanon, ME 04027
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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File # 1121727 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.com
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80 Fort Hill Rd. • Standish, ME 04084
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
B
by Shirley Babb
Camp Fire Girls
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Nationwide organization had roots in Casco area
efore there were Girl Scouts, there were Camp Fire Girls. Nobody in Maine can lay sole claim to the beginning of this organization. During the summer of 1910 over in Thetford, Vermont, William
Chancy Langdon was organizing a 150th anniversary celebration. He included the Boy Scouts in a pageant commemorating the event. Not wanting to be left out, the town girls must have said, “Wait a minute.
How about including us in the pageant?” To accommodate them, Langdon organized a group called “Camp Fire Girls.” The girls, under the leadership of a
(Continued on page 84)
Catering
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207-583-6074 or 207-655-8656
Charlotte Vetter Gulik. from the 1915 book Sebago-Wohelo Camp Fire Girls by Ethel Rogers
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627-7479
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Guardian of the Fire, were divided into three levels of achievement: Wood Gatherers, Fire Makers, and Torch Bearers. Apparently, the girls liked the idea and kept the fire going after the event. Meanwhile, Dr. Luther and Charlotte Gulick over in South Casco on Sebago take were running a girls’ camp. They had moved from Connecticut, where Mrs. Gulick had run a
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
summer camp for many years for their daughters and their friends. Because of this success, they decided to start a regular summer camp for girls. Called “Camp WoHeLo” (Work, Health, Love), its roots were in Native American traditions. “In a beautiful ceremony, the girls wore simple brown cotton dresses and selected an Indian name which had meaning for them and which symbolized their personal commitment to family, friends, and community. They committed to continue to meet, work, and talk around a “council fire.” (History.. Camp Fire USA - Internet source) At the end of that summer the Gulicks, Langdon, and several others compared notes and found that their ideas followed similar paths. They came to the conclusion that there was both need and interest in continuing the camp fire idea. Two years later in 1912, Camp Fire became official when
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Mrs. Gulick signed the necessary papers to incorporate the organization. The Camp Fire Girls Handbook, which can be reviewed online, gives credence to the amount of thought and work that went into planning the Camp Fire experience. Following are excerpts from the handbook: The guardian explains the Law, phrase by phrase. The applicant is then placed on probation as a member of the Camp Fire, until she has fulfilled the six requirements necessary to attain the rank of Wood Gatherer. To Become a Wood Gatherer: To complete her membership and receive the silver ring she must fulfill the following six requirements: 1. Be a member of a Camp Fire for at least two months. 2. Attend at least six weekly meetings and two ceremonial meetings. 3. Select a name and symbol. 4. Make a headband. 5. Have the ceremonial dress. 6. Win, in addition, at least ten elective honors. Upon meeting these requirements, a girl becomes a Wood Gatherer and receives the Wood Gatherer‘s ring as a token of her membership in the Camp Fire Girls. When she receives her ring at a Council Fire, she must repeat the Wood Gatherer‘s desire. As soon as a girl has completed the
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— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
requirements of a Wood Gatherer, record of her membership is filed in the National Office. Except under unusual conditions, if a girl does not complete her membership and so become a Wood Gatherer in four months, she should be dropped from the Camp Fire. The handbook goes on to describe the importance of the ceremonial dress and headband which are required before a girl becomes a Wood Gatherer. Made of materials “carefully selected because of beauty of color, durability, and inexpensiveness,” the dress, at first, was decorated to “look pretty.” But, it was decided that decorations should have meaning — “a symbolic or pictographic record of the attainments, relationships, ideals and hopes of the owner.” To become a Fire Maker, a girl had to be at least thirteen, and approved by the Guardian and could take up to
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a year to meet the requirements. Older girls, because of maturity, could earn this level of achievement from as little as six weeks to three months, as approved by the Guardian. To become a Torch Bearer, a girl had to be at least fifteen and “ready to bear the torch of life and light to guide others.” This could take from at least six months to two years as this level means that the girl is ready to become an assistant to the Guardian. All three levels require meeting “Elective Honors” — 10 for Wood Gatherers; 20 for Fire Makers; and an additional 15 for Torch Bearers. Examples of these requirements are: 1. Help, prepare, and serve with other candidates at least two meals; 2. Mend socks or repair an article of clothing; 3. Keep track of money spent or received for a month; 4. Tie a square knot five times in secession without
85
(Continued on page 86)
“Hiteni” - Charlotte Vetter Gulik in Camp Fire ceremonial gown, from the 1915 book SebagoWohelo Camp Fire Girls by Ethel Rogers
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D iscove r Ma ine
ARKIE ROGERS “Serving The Lakes Region”
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hesitation; 5. Sleep with open windows or outdoors for at least one month; 6. Take an average of at least 1/2 daily outdoor exercise for no less than a month; 7. Refrain from chewing gum, candy, sundaes, sodas and other commercial beverages between meals for one month. In all, there are 14 of these electives. There were also other levels of achievement depending on a girl’s place in the system. The girls received colored beads as they completed the various activities. It’s interesting to note that the Gulicks provided a good mix of experiences for the girls. However, that’s not surprising because Dr. Gulick had degrees in both physical education and medicine. Very much involved in the YMCA, he was also one of the founders of the Boy Scouts. Dr. Gulick was certainly a man with a mis-
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
sion dedicated to the many needs of young people. What prompted all this digging around for information was finding my mother’s head band and remembering seeing her Wood Gatherers ring and a picture of her and some friends in their Camp Fire dress. I don’t remember if she ever told me anything about her experiences as a Camp Fire Girl, but if anyone is interested, there is a book in the Maine State Library — Sebago Wohelo Camp Fire Girls, written by Ethel Rogers in 1915. It tells of her experiences at camp. Because of its rarity and age, it cannot be taken from the library or copied. It’s a fairly long book with a number of good pictures and illustrations, and well worth a trip to the library. Over the years the Camp Fire organization has undergone many changes. In 1976 boys became part of Complete AutoCare Center
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Camp Fire U.S.A. with their designations of Star Flight, Adventure, Discovery, and Horizon. The camp on Sebago was renamed “Luther Gulick Camp,” and I understand is still run by members of the family. The original rules have been updated “to keep pace with modern developments in education, recreation, and the changing needs of youth, family, and communities.” Here in Maine not much has been said publicly about Camp Fire U.S.A. lately, but one source indicates that today across the country there are over 600,000 participants in the program. However, in its early days, it helped to mark the end of girls and women being considered “the weaker sex,” and relegated to the role of spinster or housewife.❧ Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
PRIDE’S CORNER FLEA MARKET
33 Elmwood Ave, Westbrook Right off Rt. 302 at Pride’s Corner
pridescornerfleamarket.com
Antiques ❖ Collectibles Fine Art ❖ Books ❖ Gold & Silver Jewelry Furniture ❖ Records ❖ Video Games Sports Cards ❖ Hot Wheels ❖ Coins Tools ❖ CD’s ❖ DVD’s
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35 Foden Rd. S. Portland, ME 253-1808
THATCHERSPUB.COM
Open Mon.-Thu. 11am-11pm Fri. 11am-12am Sat. 11am-11pm Sun. 10am-8pm
— Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region —
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Students and teacher at the Bridgton Road School in Casco, (circa 1925) who were visited by the Cumberland County Public Health Association. Item #7680 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.vintagemaineimages.com
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Androscoggin/Oxford/Sebago Region