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Maine’s History Magazine Volume 27 | Issue 4 | 2018
15,000 Circulation
Western Maine
History Of Maine President Eisenhower Visits Rangeley Maple Syrup First discovered by Native Americans
He was a fly fishing pro
Paris, Maine’s Parris Family
They gave freedom to a young East African slave
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Western Maine
Inside This Edition
2 3
I t Makes No Never Mind James Nalley
5
The Legend Of Boobytown From Lewiston to Lower Dallas Plantation BJ Bangs
10 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home Preserving history in Raymond David M. Carew 15 Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum Mechanic Falls honors Maine’s top country musicians Brian Swartz 20 The V-12 Navy Program At Bates College Steering a course for future success James Nalley 28 Opium, The Miracle Drug Widely prescribed in the 1830s Charles Francis
Maine’s History Magazine
Western Maine Publisher & Editor Jim Burch
Layout & Design Liana Merdan
Advertising & Sales Manager Tim Maxfield
Advertising & Sales Dennis Burch Ryan Halliburton Tim Maxfield
34 Paris, Maine’s Parris Family They gave freedom to a young East African slave Brian Swartz
Field Representatives
40 Purple Panthers And Black Raiders Memories Waterville and Winslow sported some great teams Sandy Rose Thomas
Office Manager
44 Farmington’s Gun House Researching old militia records Nancy Porter
BJ Bangs David M. Carew Charles Francis Jonathan Mather Charlotte Mayo David Miller
48 Face-To-Face With A Maine Black Bear A memorable day of hunting Jonathan Mather 51 History Of Maine Maple Syrup First discovered by Native Americans John Murray 60 E ast Wilton’s Simon Parlin He wrote the book on horse breeding Charles Francis 63 Mexico Celebrates Its 200th Birthday Remember the Pintos Charlotte Mayo 66 President Eisenhower Visits Rangeley He was a fly fishing pro John Murray 70 The Past Is Found In The New A community’s dedication to its past and heritage David Miller 73 Naming The Carrabasset River A history of the beautiful river Steve Pinkham
Jim Caron Dale Hanington Liana Merdan
Contributing Writers
John Murray James Nalley Steve Pinkham Nancy Porter Brian Swartz Sandy Rose Thomas
Published Annually by CreMark, Inc. 10 Exchange Street, Suite 208 Portland, Maine 04101 Ph (207) 874-7720 info@discovermainemagazine.com www.discovermainemagazine.com Discover Maine Magazine is distributed to town offices, chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations, barber shops, beauty salons, newsstands, grocery and convenience stores, hardware stores, lumber companies, motels, restaurants and other locations throughout this part of Maine. NO PART of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from CreMark, Inc. | Copyright © 2018, CreMark, Inc.
SUBSCRIPTION FORMS ON PAGE 57 & 74
Front Cover Photo: Hillcrest Tearoom & Filling Station in Waterville Item # LB2007.1.102875 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org All photos in Discover Maine’s Western Maine 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 the Penobscot Marine Museum.
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It Makes No Never Mind by James Nalley
I
t is well known that, for both visitors and residents, Maine can be a great place to explore, due to its mild summers, picturesque winters, and crisp autumns. However, it takes a different type of person to explore the state during the “mud season,” which runs from mid-March to early May. According to Ivan Fernandez, a soil scientist at the University of Maine (Orono), it is when the “snow has melted…and the trees and plants haven’t started to grow. So, they haven’t started to take up water from the soil.” Meanwhile, marine soils, the type most prone to becoming muddy, “make mud even faster.” Despite the muck and knee-deep sludge, it does provide a type of recreation for the “creative.” Thus, each season, Maine’s forest rangers have to warn drivers of fourwheel and all-terrain vehicles to not get carried away with their sliding and spinning, since such actions not only damage roads and private property, but they can cause uncontrolled runoff that can ultimately harm fish habitats in the nearby lakes and streams. Away from these possible dangers and
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the possibility of getting arrested, David Lovewell, a so-called mudding enthusiast and co-owner of Barnyard All Terrain in Livermore (Maine), has created a legal way for people to enjoy mudding. On select weekends, the park hosts mud bogs, drag races, and a place for adults to “go wild” in their four-by-fours. For those that just can’t get enough mud, there is the Dynamic Dirt Challenge at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester (a five-mile course that alternates between slip-and-slides and mud, hay bales and mud, etc.) and the Tough Mudder in Westbrook (a grueling 10-mile course that includes climbing through a muck-coated tube, swinging on a rope over muddy water, and slogging through mud under dangling live wires). For those that cannot stand the sight of mud and dream of a time when the winter simply transitions into spring- and summer-like conditions, the forecast is poor. According to Fernandez, over the last century, the snow-free period in the early spring has actually increased by approximately two weeks. In fact, “We’re going to get another two weeks by the mid-21st
century. So, it looks like there will be more mud season in the future.” On the bright side, there will be more days to enjoy off-season deals, make easy reservations, and stock up on bug spray for the summer. Well, inspired by this subject, let me close with the following mud-inspired jest: An elderly man goes to his doctor for an annual physical. After the check-up, the doctor leaves the room for 10 minutes and returns. He says, “Howard, I am sorry, but we have discovered that you have a life-threatening condition that will only allow you to live for 8 more weeks.” Puzzled, Howard replies, “I am sorry doctor, but I feel great. Actually, I haven’t felt better in years. This just can’t be true! Isn’t there something that I can do?” After a moment, the doctor says, “Well, I have one thing that you can do. You can start by going across town to that new health spa that just opened. I highly suggest that you go there and take a mud bath once a day.” Then, Howard asks nervously, “Will…will doing that cure me?” “No,” replies the doctor, “but it will get you used to being in the dirt.”
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The Legend Of Boobytown From Lewiston to Lower Dallas Plantation by BJ Bangs
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oobytown is not a story about ghosts or goblins, but of poverty and desperation, so much so that it caused the family to be so ashamed of their Bubier ancestry that it is reported that three of the Bubiers of Lower Dallas Plantation changed their names to Withey, Flagg, and Thomas after the Civil War. Some reports say it was 1827 or thereabouts. Others say it was later, around 1850. Still other reports say it was after the Civil War when the city of Lewiston fell into an economic Depression and physically rounded up its poorer population, including a family of Bubiers, and moved them to the
Rangeley area, giving them some seed potatoes and an annual allowance for the colony. The city’s poor farm was overcrowded, and while the city wanted to extend Christian charity, money was tight and jobs were hard to come by. There are reports of many foreign-born residents in Lewiston, and the Bubiers fit into this mold as they were apparently among the city’s growing French-Canadian population. According to a February 24, 1877 Review of the Week in The (Lewiston) Evening Journal, 50 years earlier (that would have been 1827), “these undesirables were moved a distance of untold miles into the wilderness of Northern Maine.”
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That untold wilderness was Lower Dallas Plantation, which later took on the name of Boobytown, named after the Bubier family. The city reportedly contributed to their support. According to that February 24, 1877 Evening Journal article, it is reported that some years the city gave $100 to help support the Bubier Colony, other times $300, and still others $500, for a total of up to $15,000 to $20,000 over the last half century. Despite the help, the living conditions at Boobytown were deplorable. They lived in underground caves and mounds, with a few above-ground shanties. One such report talked about (cont. on page 6)
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(cont. from page 5) Andrew Bubier’s family of eight sitting on a three-legged stool in his two-room hovel, one room for the family, the other for the cow. There weren’t any chairs or beds. They slept on a dirt floor. And the only food in the hovel was a peck of potatoes. They were dressed in rags sewn together. No one could read or write. The legend and tales of poverty and hunger in those early days persist. Another recount, told in a 1964 story by L.F.Willard on Boobytown published in Yankee Magazine, tells of a family living in the side of a hill with their pig and chickens. That article also alludes to Riley Bubier, who at 220 pounds and six-feet-two, never had shoes even in winter. That article states that when he could not borrow a pair of shoes, he would heat up a few shingles and stand on them while chopping wood, and in Spring he was so hungry that he’d eat raw dandelions directly from the field.
The 1877 article in The Evening Journal recounts some history about the formation of Boobytown. It talks about Captain Holland, (no first name given) who could recall about 50 years ago when he was a boy that a family of Bubiers was removed from the city of Lewiston, and the city was soon after called upon to assist them. Since Dallas Plantation was unincorporated, the adjacent town of Rangeley assisted the Bubiers, and Lewiston had to pick up the bills. According to local Dallas Hill/ Rangeley genealogical researcher Shirley Adams, her research found that in 1875 overseers from Lewiston traveled to the Bubier Colony, and returned to the city giving a ‘very melancholy report.” It caused such an outcry that some tried to force the colony to be returned to Lewiston, or at least a part of it. Residents of Boobytown did not want to return to Lewiston, and they
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said if they were left alone they would ask for no more financial aid. That Evening Journal article recounts two Lewiston city overseers of the poor, Holman and Cook (no first names mentioned) obtained Ellis, “a half-famished, uncivilized creature who has as his wife one of the Bubiers, as a guide.” This article says Ellis has a “generous appetite, for he ate nearly all the provisions which the overseers of the poor carried into the woods with them. He thought nothing of consuming a basket of biscuits, two mince pies and a pound of cheese, and a brief time after it was supposed every creature had already had a large breakfast….the Lewiston officials found the Bubiers resided near Saddleback Mountain. … They reportedly found that “the families had planted a few potatoes, some cabbages and a little wheat.” The only means of support was from fish caught in the nearby Dead River and from
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hunting…. “They made shingles, and would then hitch a pair of steers to a sled in summer and winter and drag a half thousand shingles for about eight miles to a nearest village (probably Rangeley) selling at $1.50.” Reportedly, they exchanged the shingles for ‘a good deal of tobacco’ and other things. There was no doctor within 20 miles of the Bubier colony and this article says no doctor ever visited the colony. Despite the availability of work, Adams’ research found that Andrew reportedly would not work until every penny was gone. If Andrew had a half dollar, he would buy tobacco for his pipe and eat. He and most families would live on the land, hunting, fishing, and growing crops. When everything was gone, Andrew would reportedly look for work. This doesn’t mean the people of Boobytown were not hard workers. Legend has it they worked very hard. They were just very poor.
As the years progressed, Boobytown grew, and at one time it is believed the settlement had over 200 residents. After the narrow-gauge railroad came into Rangeley, Boobytown residents began lumbering. At one time there was a sawmill and a schoolhouse. Some reports indicate a number of different families were relocated to Boobytown. But according to Adams, that may not be the case. She started researching the early families of Rangeley, and her genealogical research found that many of these early families were indeed Bubiers. She finds that Mark Bubier, son of Andrew, one of the original settlers, had ten children. Two of his sons, Horace and Sewall and their cousins, Alpha and Isaac, served in the Civil War. She says there were more descendants of the Bubier colony who served in the Civil War than any other family in the region. She found that three Bubiers who changed their names after
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the Civil War were buried with markers reflecting their service names (Bubier). She maintains that Alpha took his mother’s name of Withey. Adams says his mother was a full or half Indian, and having died at 29 is said to be buried with her father Isaac in Chesterville. Withey descendants live in Farmington, Strong and New Vineyard. Sewall Merrill Bubier changed his name to Flagg, she finds, and Benjamin Bubier changed his name to Thomas, and his descendants also live in the Western Mountains. While all that remains are some gravestones and remnants of the sawmill, a few shanties, caves and the old narrow-gauge railroad, the legend of Boobytown lives on. (BJ Bangs is a freelance writer. Her business Preserving Memories focuses on preserving old photographs and keeping history alive through creating story books about important events in people’s lives. She can be contacted at bjbangs@preservingandcreatingmemories.com)
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Early view of Main Street in Lisbon. Item # LB2007.1.101235 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home Preserving history in Raymond by David M. Carew
T
oday the quietly dignified home stands just a few feet from a deserted general store that once bore the excited voices of children buying Nutty-Buddies and Coca-Colas on a hot summer day. The quietude of the house’s dooryard bears silent witness to the boy who once lived there — the boy who, arguably, grew up to be “America’s first great novelist and short-story writer.” Nathaniel Hawthorne moved from Salem, Massachusetts to the clapboard house on present-day Hawthorne Road in Raymond in 1813, when he was approximately nine years old. His father, a sea captain, had died in 1808 from illness at sea, and Nathaniel’s uncle,
Richard Manning, urged his sister, Elizabeth, to move her family to the house Manning recently had built in what was then known as Raymondtown, just a stone’s throw from Dingley Brook and the South Casco town line. While much of Hawthorne’s boyhood years are shrouded in mystery, some facts are known by virtue of later entries in the famous author’s diary. Thanks to those, we know that Nathaniel loved living at the house in Raymond. In fact, as noted in a 1962 Down East Magazine article by the historian Herbert Edwards, “Nathaniel Hawthorne said later that the many years he spent at Raymond, near the shores of Sebago Lake, were the happiest of his
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life.” The dates of Hawthorne’s residency at the house are commonly given as 1813 to 1825, although it’s not altogether clear whether he was, in fact, a full-time resident of the house during that entire period. What is certain is that, with the help of his Uncle Richard Manning and others, Hawthorne went off to Bowdoin College in Brunswick in 1821, where his friends and classmates included poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the future fourteenth president of the United States, New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce. Hawthorne, who returned to Salem, Massachusetts after graduating from Bowdoin in 1825, went on to pen some
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com of the greatest works of 19th century American literature, including the novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables, along with classic short stories such as Young Goodman Brown. After its initial construction, circa 1812, the house formally known today as “Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home” was temporarily maligned as “Manning’s Folly” because of its extravagant wallpaper, grand fireplaces, and expensive Belgian glass windows. To people of the time, those things seemed silly extravagances. When people enter the Hawthorne House today, they are often surprised by its unique layout. Rather than being divided into standard rooms, the house consists of one large, open area. This is because of the house’s unique history, and because, after Nathaniel Hawthorne’s family lived there, the house never again was used as a family dwelling. After many years of being unoccu(cont. on page 12)
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s boyhood home in Raymond. Photo courtesy of Stephen M. Warren
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when the house is open to the public, and speak on a variety of topics.” As Discover Maine prepared to say goodbye to Mr. Manoush, we asked him one final question: What does he feel is the ultimate value of what the Hawthorne Community Association does today? “We feel it’s very important that people in the area be aware that a young man who went on to become a world-famous author once lived in their midst,” Mr. Manoush responded. “In Raymond we have a real sense of pride about that.” For more information, please visit: www.hawthorneassoc.com David M. Carew is the author of the novel “Everything Means Nothing to Me: A Novel of Underground Nashville,” which “The Tennessean” called “beautiful, powerful, haunting.” * Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.
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hood Home and the HCA’s activities. “It’s important to let folks know the home is not a museum,” Mr. Manoush said. “Our primary concern is preservation of an historic home. Through the latter part of the 1800s — through periods of use and disuse — people living in Raymond, and elsewhere near the home, became aware of its former occupant’s fame, and began seeking to preserve the house. “So our mission,” Mr. Manoush continued, “is maintaining and preserving the home. That’s actually Mission 1, Mission 2, and Mission 3. We also use the home to provide for fun, enriching community engagement in Raymond.” Asked whether that community engagement ever includes speakers on the literature of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Manoush responded, “Sometimes … but it could just as likely be on topics such as gardening. The speakers are featured during the three times per year
W
(cont. from page 11) pied, it was converted to a church in 1839 (hence the large, one-room layout).) Later, in 1852, it became a tavern and, still later, a meeting and boarding house. It thereafter suffered many decades of neglect and virtual abandonment. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home today serves as an occasional community-events space for the Hawthorne Community Association, which was founded in 1921. The association typically opens the house for three events each year — the late-June Strawberry Festival, the mid-August Chicken BBQ, and the beloved community Christmas Party. Recently, Discover Maine sat down with John Manoush, former two-time president of the Hawthorne Community Association (HCA) and its current secretary. John offered us a quick update on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boy-
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Early view of Main Street in Cornish. Item # LB2007.1.100436 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Western Maine
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Scene from Proctor House tennis courts in Naples. Item # LB2007.1.101714 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Maine Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum Mechanic Falls honors Maine’s top country musicians by Brian Swartz
H
istory comes alive in sight and sound at the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, located at the Silver Spur at 272 Lewiston Road in Mechanic Falls. Nowhere else can country music fans not only learn about Maine’s best country musicians, but also hear some of their music, too. Involved in country music since 1952, Slim Andrews of Auburn enjoys providing tours of the Hall of Fame and museum. Now in his mid-80s, he serves on the Hall of Fame’s board of directors and as chairman of the Award Induction Committee and enthusias-
tically introduces visitors to Maine’s country music legends. After the Maine Country Music Association formed in 1977, members decided to establish a Hall of Fame and a museum dedicated to showcasing Maine’s top country music talent. Andrews, Gini Huntington, and Barry Deane (aka Gary Mix, nephew of actor Tom Mix) founded the Hall of Fame in April 1978 after the MCMA held a fund raiser at Country Crossroads in Standish that February. The Hall of Fame inducted its first three members in 1978 during a ceremony held at the Italian Heritage
Record Building Supply, Inc.
Center in Portland. First honors went to Richard “Dick” Curless, the eye patch-wearing musician whose lifesize cut-out greets visitors entering the museum. His epic A Tombstone Every Mile captured the harrowing accounts of truckers forced to travel Route 2A through the Haynesville woods before I-95 reached Aroostook County. “Dick will always be the top entertainer in Maine” in terms of country music, said Andrews, noting that Curless and Rudy Vallee should receive equal billing as Maine’s best-known musicians. But this is country music, so “we (cont. on page 16) Tim Murdough Owner
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(cont. from page 15) reserve the biggest jewelry (or display) case for Dick,” Andrews chuckled. Joining Curless in that first Hall of Fame class were Ken MacKenzie and Harold Breau, who initially performed as the “Lone Pine Mountaineer.” When he started recording on 78s, Breau was told his Mountaineer name was too long to print on the record label, so he became “Hal Lone Pine.” The Hall of Fame has inducted new members every year since 1978. The first women members, Betty Gribbin and “Betty Cody” Binnette (the wife of “Hal Lone Pine”) joined in 1979, as did Curly O’Brien, a Milo native who, like so many other country performers, successfully transitioned from radio to TV in that era when both media broadcast live. Today the Hall of Fame has 126 members, and 45-46 are still alive, according to Andrews. The one honorary member is Fred Goldrup.
Andrews knows every member very well and often speaks about specific musicians as if they had just left the building. All contributed immensely to Maine’s country-music scene; “every single one of them is a Hall of Famer in their own right,” said Andrews, himself a Hall member. Betty Gribbin received the State of Maine Country Music Award on October 30, 1977. Hailing from Norway, Mellie Dunham fiddled for Henry Ford at his Dearborn, Michigan home. Allan “Mac” McHale listened to Hal Lone Pine, Gene Hooper, and other musicians while growing up in Bangor and formed the Old Time Radio Gang (well-known from fair appearances) in 1987. Singing and picking a guitar at age 8, Clarendon Crosby realized that his school friends stumbled over his first name, so “Bing” Crosby he became. Today a member of the Hall of Fame’s
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board, he organized several talented Japanese men into a country-music band while stationed with the Army in Japan in 1953. The Japanese band was “very good,” Crosby said. Ken Brooks, chairman of the Hall of Fame’s board, grew up playing country music in Washington County. He has performed with different Maine bluegrass groups and, since 2004, has appeared in a duet with his talented wife, Jane, and with the Katahdin Valley Boys. Inducted in 2012, Canadian Bonita “Bonnie” Rairdon lived in Houlton for a while; she’s a member of both the Maine County Music Hall of Fame and its New Brunswick counterpart. Inducted in 2016, Joe Smyth of Portland was a Sawyer Brown Band founder. The Hall of Fame was located from 1978 to 2008 in a trailer taken to state fairs and other events. In 2008 the Hall
~ Located at Old So. Paris Train Station ~
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280 Park St. (Rt. 26) • South Paris, ME
207-890-9342
Open 7 Days at 11am
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MARTIN’S AUTO REPAIR
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Ebay Trading Assistant Packing • Shipping Mailbox Rental • Fax Service Copies • Office Supplies • Much More!
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Go to the Ebay Store at Goin’ Postal
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Norway & Paris, Maine
17
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com of Fame moved into a permanent home in the lower level of the Silver Spur, then owned by Elton Record. “Elton did all the renovating, all the building we’ve done,” and his daughter, Deedee Allen, did the painting, Andrews said. Deedee now owns the Silver Spur, described by Andrews as “the capital of country music in the state.” Deedee’s husband, Peter Allen, sings in two bands. The Hall of Fame and museum expanded five years ago to accommodate the growing displays and add a theater in which visitors can listen to some Hall of Famers’ songs on records, videocassettes, and DVDs. Among other artists, the new section features Betty Gribbin (including the bloomers she wore when performing on Ken MacKenzie’s show) and “Yodelin’ Slim” Clark, who Andrews said “was probably more responsible for getting people started in country music than anyone else” in (cont. on page 18)
Proud to be affiliated with the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum are (from left) Peter Allen, Slim Andrews, Bing Crosby and Ken Brooks. Andrews, Brooks, and Crosby are all Hall of Fame members; Andrews and Crosby serve on its board, and Brooks is the board chairman. (Photo courtesy of Brian Swartz)
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Western Maine
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(cont. from page 17) Maine. Then there are the “Yodeling Wall,” highlighting such legendary yodelers as Georgie Mae, Ginger Mae Dyer, and Rusty Rogers, and a separate display featuring 1990 Hall of Fame inductee Norman Decoteau, who, although blind, mastered the keyboard, guitar, mandolin, and other aspects of country music. The Hall of Fame and museum capture the who’s-who and history of traditional country music as performed in Maine. Artifacts include instruments, awards, and clothing. For more information, check out the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum page on Facebook. The Hall of Fame and museum are open by scheduling tours with Slim Andrews (207-795-1119) or Ken Brooks (207654-2227). Tours cost $20 for a group of one to four people and $5 per person beyond that.
A life-size cut-out of the legendary Richard “Dick” Curless welcomes visitors at the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, located at the Silver Spur in Mechanic Falls. (photo courtesy of Brian Swartz)
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Own a piece of history! Visit our museum online www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org 80,000 historic photographs A photograph is a perfect gift!
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19
Western Maine
20
The V-12 Navy Program At Bates College Steering a course for future success by James Nalley
A
fter President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially declared war against Japan in December 1941, the United States suddenly faced conflicts on both the European and Pacific fronts. As is well known, the manufacturing industry hired thousands of skilled laborers to produce the weapons, ships, and aircraft required for the war effort, while hundreds of thousands of men at prime draft age enlisted into the various branches of the armed forces in order to “fight against tyranny and evil.” Meanwhile, colleges and universities suffered from the significant decline in enrollment, with some institutions
worrying that they would be forced to temporarily (or in the worst case, permanently) close their doors beginning in the 1943-1944 academic year. In response, the U.S. government supported the V-12 Navy College Training Program (or the V-12 Program), beginning in July 1943. The purpose of the program was two-fold: 1) to supplement the force of commissioned officers for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps; and 2) to provide participating colleges and universities with the necessary funds for their survival, in exchange for teaching the qualified candidates. Naturally, many higher
institutions willingly participated in the program. In fact, between the program’s introduction in July 1943 and its conclusion in June 1946, approximately 125,000 students were enrolled in 131 colleges throughout the country, including Bates College in Lewiston. According to the article, July 1943: The Navy Arrives, published by Bates College, “From a pre-war high of 740 students in 1940, the enrollment was in freefall, tumbling to 594 by spring 1943. But then the Navy arrived. By the winter of 1944, enrollment was back to 679, with 283 ‘apprentice seamen’ and 396 civilians (84 men and 312 women)
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21
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com rounding out the student body.” In most cases, the U.S. Navy did not aim to interrupt the so-called normal college life, but its objective was for the participants to earn a degree, after which they would complete the steps to become an officer. As stated in the book, Navy V-12, by Henry Herge, “The colleges and universities were expected to keep academic standards high. This included all details of the programs such as the length of the college day, scheduling of exercises, meals, recreation, textbooks, and class time.” Overall, the qualified candidates consisted of naval enlisted personnel who were recommended by their commanding officers, Navy and Marine Corps ROTC members, and high school seniors who simply passed a qualifying examination. As for the Bates students, the article above stated, “The V-12 trainees included enlisted men who’d already seen action in the Pacific.” In addition, “Other trainees had tasted college (cont. on page 22)
Photo including Robert Kennedy, from the Bates College Muskie archives.
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(cont. from page 21) life at large colleges, like Syracuse… while others came from rival colleges like Colby, Bowdoin or UMaine.” According to Lou Scolnik, a V-12 graduate, “Reveille was at 5:50, then a halfhour of calisthenics, then breakfast.” ‘I’ll always remember walking into JB for breakfast. Mmmmm, the wonderful smell!’ After room inspection and performing morning colors in front of Hathorn, the trainees attended classes with civilians…until late afternoon.” As stated by another V-12 graduate, Dana Smith, “We all followed the exact same restricted routine, week in and week out…It forced us to look to each other within the dorms for some kind of social interaction. Even dangling ropes provided some kind of bond.” Depending on the enrollees’ previous college experience (if any), they were enrolled in three school terms, which lasted roughly four months each. The students were paid $50 a month,
IN E-
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required to wear service uniforms, and expected to complete “rigorous physical training.” In general, once the enrollees completed the V-12 subsidized bachelor’s degree program, their next step was to enroll in the eight-month V-7 U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School Program. This program included a one-month boot camp with Marine drill instructors, four months of seamanship, navigation, and ordnance, and three months of academics. Graduates were then commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Naval Reserve, the majority of which were sent directly into active duty in the U.S. fleet. As for the Marine Corps candidates, they reported directly to boot camp and enrolled in a three-month Officer Candidate Course, after which they were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps. In total, the V-12 Program at Bates produced 782 men for duty by the time
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the program concluded in October 1945. As stated in the article above, “Many of the V-12ers had a disrupted college course (Smith went from Bates to Yale then to UMaine after the war), while Scolnik, a Lewiston man, attended Bates before, during, and after his wartime service.” It is important to note that the U.S. Navy was not the only branch conducting this type of program. For instance, the U.S. Army had their U.S. Specialized Training Program (ASTP), which produced more than 200,000 technically trained personnel in various fields, including engineering and medicine. Unlike the V-12 Program, the ASTP graduates were expected (but not required) to become officers. Overall, the program effectively met the objectives of the U.S. Navy, while single-handedly saving many colleges and universities from permanently closing their doors. As Vice Admiral
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23
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com
Randall Jacobs stated in May 1943, “We are about to embark on an education program that will have important effects on American colleges, on the Navy, and, most important of all, on the lives of thousands of this nation’s finest young men.” Interestingly, the V-12 Programs throughout the country included many notable graduates, including: Robert Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator (Bates College and Harvard University); Scott Carpenter, Mercury astronaut (Colorado College); Johnny Carson, television personality (Millsaps College); Jack Lemmon, actor (Harvard University); and Paul Newman, actor, who entered the program at Ohio University, but was forced to drop out due to color blindness. Discover Maine
Young men studying at Bates College. Photo courtesy of the Bates College Muskie Archives.
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550 College St. Lewiston, ME 207-786-7149 www.montelloheights.org
For 150 years, The YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston has nurtured the potential of kids, promoted healthy living, and fostered a sense of social responsibility, ensuring that every individual in our community has access to the essentials needed to learn, grow, and thrive.
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207.782.2801 2514 Turner Rd., Auburn, ME
RoysGolf.com
Western Maine
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Bird’s eye view of Lewiston and Auburn ca. 1875. Item #100353 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
ROY BROTHERS EXCAVATION Municipal, Residential & Commercial
Excavation Foundations Septic System Installations Water & Sewer Installations Snow Removal ~ Serving you locally for over 35 years ~
207-212-4692 │ 207-576-7667 Auburn, ME Specialty Pizzas • Gourmet Toppings Full Bar • Full Dinner Menu
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~ Come Enjoy our Deck Overlooking the River ~
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FIRESIDE STOVE SHOP AND FIREPLACE CENTER
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25
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1765 map of Cobbosseecontee Stream. Item #12125 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
L.R. NADEAU Inc. Excavation
Contractor In Pit Materials • Septic Systems • Winter Sand • Lawn Installations • Sand • Site Work • Loam • Roads & Driveways • Gravel - State Spec. Material Available -
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LAW OFFICE OF
BRIAN D. CONDON, JR, ESQ. Elder Law • Wills • Trusts • Divorce Estate Planning • Tax Planning
Office: 377-3005 Cell: 485-4513 winthroplaw@yahoo.com FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
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LYN’S SPRING SERVICE, INC. Route 100 Upper Gloucester • 1007 Lewiston Road
New Gloucester, Maine 04260
207-926-3464 1-800-499-5967
Western Maine
26
Group outside of the Empire Miller Boarding House in Poland, ca. 1910. Item #17018 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
YOU’LL LOVE HOW LOW OUR LENS PACKAGES GO
Collect Minerals in Maine! We have access to private & closed locations like: Mount Mica, Mount Apatite and more!
While here visit Oma’s Attic for mineral specimens, beads, naturalstone & jewelry.
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Poland Mining Camps
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Masonic Hall and Union Church in North Windham. Item # LB2007.1.101935 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Full Service Steel Center Walk-ins Welcome!
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Western Maine
28
Opium, The Miracle Drug Widely prescribed in the 1830s by Charles Francis
I
f you had a doctor for a father and grew up in the first part of the nineteenth century it meant growing up in a home where opium was a household staple. This was the way it was for the children of Dr. Ebenezer Howe of Standish. Dr. Howe and his wife Catherine raised six children of their own, three boys and three girls, plus a grandchild. Albion, Marshall and Greenleaf were Ebenezer’s and Catherine’s sons. Their daughters were Elizabeth, Sarah and Mary Ann. Lucien was the grandson. At various times, each of the seven were liberally dosed with opium for whatever happened to ail them, the girls more than the boys.
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The six children of Ebenezer and Catherine were born in the first two decades of the nineteenth century. (Lucien, Marshall’s son, was born in 1848.)
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Elizabeth, the oldest, was born in 1802. Albion, the youngest, was born in 1818. This means all came of age in the 1820s and 1830s. The latter decade is important here. By the 1830s opium was the most widely prescribed drug in America. While opium addiction was known and to a limited degree understood, it was considered rare by those of the medical profession. For the most part, doctors viewed opium addiction as a result of taking the drug for pleasure rather than as a means of alleviating pain. By and large opium was the miracle drug of the age. It was the great pain reliever. It was used for every sort of discomfort, from headaches to the agony of a
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com broken limb. Patients whose features were distorted with strain calmed, acquiring a peaceful euphoria after taking the drug. That is the calm and euphoria came if one used the drug steadily. That there were long-term effects to the use of opium as a medical cure-all, that there were notable side effects had yet to be investigated and appreciated. That all the Howe children were given varying amounts of opium as children would indeed seem the case. Sarah Howe died in 1900. She lived her latter years in Easy Conway, New Hampshire. Her cousin Ruth Blood of Laconia was a genealogist and a family historian. In a note on Sarah, Blood says her cousin recalled having taken the drug “in my girlhood to deal with headaches.” One suspects headaches to be a euphemism for monthly complaints associated with menstruation. Then again, the headaches could have been quite real given what is known of opium today.
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Opium was readily available in the 1800s down to the Civil War years and even later. It could be obtained at the local apothecary without prescription. It came in pill form, as a powder, and as an alcohol-based elixir. The latter, in the form of the ruby-colored laudanum, was a favorite for the ladies of polite society. Opium as dispensed in these early forms was not as addictive as the drug’s later incarnation as pure morphine, an extract injected by hypodermic. Nevertheless, it was habituating. Any reasonably knowledgeable observer knew when the effects of a friend’s laudanum was fading — the aura of customary good cheer was replaced by a weary and care-worn expression. Albion Howe fell out of a tree as a boy, injuring his back. He would suffer from back pains all his life. Young Albion’s doctor father naturally dosed him with opium for his pain. He probably did the same with Marshall. Both Albion and Marshall Howe
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went on to military careers. Albion Howe was a West Point graduate. He rose to the rank of general during the War Between the States and is wellknown to Civil War buffs. Marshall Howe was a cavalry officer, a colonel. While at West Point Albion was treated twice for back pain and “once each for fever, bile, cold and an inflamed eye.” West Point physicians routinely prescribed opium as a relief for pain. The drug was a staple of military hospitals. The brothers fought in the Mexican War as well as the Civil War. Both suffered injuries because of their combat experiences. Both would have been administered opium as a matter of course. Both also complained of headaches. But this is getting ahead of the time under discussion. One of the problems associated with early opium dosing had to do with the fact that it was difficult to determine which symptoms were brought on by the dose itself and which emerged as (cont. on page 30)
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(cont. from page 29) the dose wore off. Nevertheless, doctors of the period should have known that opium was not all that wonderful a panacea. 1821 was the year Thomas De Quincey’s sensational book Confessions of an English Opium Eater appeared. The work described the pleasures and pains of opium addiction in detail. De Quincey’s pains included excruciating stomach cramps, fevers and sleeplessness. Though De Quincey did not use the term, he was describing the classic manifestations associated with withdrawal from any addictive drug. Perhaps it was the practices that had preceded the use of opium that made prescribing the drug attractive. even given De Quincey. These former practices had included bloodletting, deliberate blistering, and the extensive use of emetics. In short, the supposed cure was even more debilitating than the problem.
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Two of the Howe daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Ann, married. Sarah did not. Ironically, Sarah, the daughter who complained of headaches while growing up, outlived her sisters, one by decades. Elizabeth died in 1849. She had two children. Mary Ann died in 1887. Ebenezer and Catherine Howe had a fourth son. This was Leander who died the year he was born, 1815. Ebenezer Howe was a liberal Unitarian. Even as early as the second decade of the 1800s, Unitarians adhered to a forgiving theology. Catherine Howe had been brought up Calvinist. As such she had been taught that a child’s death was punishment for the sins of the parents. Sarah Howe would seem to have been a sickly child, even as an infant. It is not at all farfetched to imagine Catherine Howe thinking “If God were punishing me with the loss of a child, why would He stop after taking just the
one?” For Catherine, Sarah would have been the most likely next candidate. Sarah Howe was close to her mother until the latter died. One of the reasons Sarah moved to East Conway was to be close to her mother’s relatives. East Conway was Catherine’s home town. One can imagine Catherine Howe as maintaining a scrutiny of her sickly daughter’s health. Sarah learned to give her ailments the same scrutiny her mother did. Ruth Blood described Sarah Howe with the adjectives “pale and dim.” These adjectives or words and phrases of similar nature are typical of those applied to regular laudanum users of the nineteenth century. They may just stand as an epitaph to a period in history when opium and laudanum were staples of the household medicine cabinet. Discover Maine
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Early view of Main Street in Harrison. Item #LB2007.1.100998 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Western Maine
Henry Dunham of Bridgton, a violin player with various bands, with his dogs outside his home in Bridgton, ca. 1913. Item #17731 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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Students and their teacher from the Shadigee school in Casco, ca. 1925. Item #7690 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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Western Maine
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Paris, Maine’s Parris Family They gave freedom to a young East African Slave by Brian Swartz
W
hen he first stepped into a Portland courtroom sometime in 1845 or 1846, Pedro Tovookan Parris encountered a world he could not imagine. But within that world was a kindly man who would take the frightened former slave into his household in Oxford County. Born circa 1833 on Africa’s east coast (possibly in modern Mozambique), Tovookan belonged to a tribe that raised crops, raised hens for eggs, and probably pursued some food in the bush. He and his family lived in a village located not far from a river (the young Tovookan was familiar with hippopotamuses) and “near the sea,” recalled Percival J. Parris, writing about
his friend’s life decades later. Tovookan was around 10 when warriors from another tribe attacked his village at night. Killing his father, the slave-hunting warriors captured Tovookan, his three brothers, and some neighbors and promptly marched them to the coast. Although most European nations had outlawed slavery and slave-trading, business was brisk at the Zanzibar slave pens to which Tovookan and the other captives were transported. Examining the available “merchandise” — slaves were considered commodities like livestock, lumber, and food staples — a Portuguese slave dealer named Sebastian purchased some youngsters,
including Tovookan. Facing reduced markets for slaves in Europe and in most European colonies, Sebastian decided to ship his slaves to Brazil. Spanish-held Cuba was another outlet for slave traders. Sebastian repeatedly beat Tovookan to hasten his learning to speak Portuguese, a useful skill that could fetch a higher price for the lad in Brazil. To make Tovookan even more attractive to a prospective buyer, Sebastian named him “Pedro,” the Portuguese derivative of “Peter.” Captain Paulo Rodrigues bought Tovookan and other slaves, enough to fill the holds of a Prospect-built slave ship named the Kentucky. The Bruns-
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com wick-based brig Porpoise kept company with the Kentucky as the slaver cruised from port to port in East Africa. Skippered by Captain Cyrus Libby of Scarborough and owned until his recent death by George F. Richardson of Limington, the Porpoise had recently taken a cargo to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The amoral Libby struck a deal with slaver Manoel Pinto da Fonseca, who chartered Libby and his ship to assist in the East African slave trade. As Fonseca’s agent, Rodrigues visited various slave markets in Mozambique, Zanzibar, and elsewhere. Libby sometimes went ashore with him and watched as Rodrigues bid on certain slaves, usually healthy adults who brought the highest prices in Brazil. Rodrigues ultimately put 500 slaves into the fetid holds of the Kentucky, which set sail for Rio de Janeiro in late 1844 with Libby and the Porpoise hanging not far astern. Crewmen aboard the Porpoise
balked at transporting slaves, because if caught by an American warship, they could be tried as pirates — and hung if convicted. Threatening to strand the sailors in Zanzibar if they did not cooperate, Libby headed for South America. Aboard the brig traveled Rodrigues, who had named Tovookan and another young boy (given the “Christian” name Guilherme) as his servants, a decision that spared them the hellish below-deck conditions endured by the slaves chained on the Kentucky. According to Percival Parris, Rodrigues treated the boys well, and Tovookan remembered him favorably. The presence of two young slaves aboard the Porpoise had not gone well with Libby’s crewmen, however. After the Porpoise anchored at Rio de Janeiro in January 1845, American consul George William Gordon came out to the brig — and a crewman immediately dropped into Gordon’s small boat a note claiming that slaves were
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onboard. A New Hampshire native and a Boston merchant, Gordon had served at Rio de Janeiro at the behest of President John Tyler since 1843. Gordon had declared war on illegal American slavers, and Cyrus Libby certainly fit the bill. An angry Gordon contacted Commodore Daniel Turner, then moored at Rio aboard his flagship, the frigate USS Raritan. Could Turner send Marines to seize the Porpoise? Gordon asked. Turner could. The move precipitated an international crisis, as Brazilian authorities protested the seizure of the ship and Brazilian nationals, including Rodrigues. Well-couched in diplomatic language, letters figuratively flew between Rio and Washington, D.C. Ultimately Rodrigues and the Porpoise crewmen went free; crewed by American sailors, the brig sailed for the United States under the watchful guns of the USS Raritan, aboard which traveled Libby and the two young slaves (cont. on page 36)
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Western Maine
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(cont. from page 35) (one source claims there were three). Both vessels soon dropped anchor in Boston Harbor. Federal authorities hauled Libby into court in Portland in summer 1845 and charged him with being a slaver. A federal judge continued the trial until summer 1846; claiming he knew nothing about the human cargo aboard the Kentucky or the slave status of Tovookan and Guilherme, the despicable Libby went free on July 22, 1846. Tovookan and Guilherme acknowledged their slave status while on the witness stand, but their words spoken in accented, broken English carried no weight in helping to convict Libby, who soon fled to Australia. The federal marshal for Maine, Virgil D. Parris of Paris, took pity on the two African youths (one source claims there were three), confined to a Portland jail as Libby’s trial ground ever
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so slowly toward its conclusion. Guilherme later became a barber in Massachusetts, “and Pedro was taken by Mr. Parris and called himself Pedro Tovookan Parris,” Percival Parris wrote in the 20th century. Born to Virgil and Columbia Parris on January 5, 1849, Percival grew up in the same household as the older Tovookan, who learned English and attended school, an unusual accomplishment for a black youth in stodgily white Maine during the mid-19th century. Percival and Tovookan were close chums, often playing together and teaching each other snippets of their respective childhood songs. When Massachusetts Whigs nominated George Gordon for governor in 1856, Tovookan went to Boston to campaign for him. The effort was to naught; Gordon lost the election, and Tovookan returned to Paris.
MON-FRI 8am-4pm • SAT 8am-1pm
Some time during his years spent with the Parris family, he created a biographical artwork that captured his transition from slavery to freedom. Drawing on cotton linen with ink, pencil, and watercolors, Tovookan depicted solders marching at Rio de Janeiro, the USS Raritan sailing north to America, the city of Boston rising on its hill, and the Parris farm in Paris. The art now belongs to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Stricken with pneumonia, Tovookan died at the Parris House (the family’s homestead) on Tuesday, April 10, 1860. “His funeral was attended Wednesday afternoon, by a large number of our citizens,” a Paris newspaper reported three days later. He was buried in the Parris family lot at Knoll Cemetery.
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Early view of the post office in West Bethel. Item # LB2007.1.102918 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Western Maine
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The R.G. House store in North Turner. Item #LB2007.1.101919 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
Ricker hill orchards SPENCER ~ 10 Generations - Since 1803 ~
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Visit out website: www.papermuseumofmaine.org for more information and a listing of special events through the summer. 22 Church Street, Livermore Falls
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Early view of the Androscoggin River in Livermore Falls. Item #LB2007.1.101243 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Purple Panthers And Black Raiders Memories Waterville and Winslow sported some great teams by Sandy Rose Thomas
O
ccasionally an incident occurs that makes you wonder if some ethereal force is guiding you to help you discover real treasure. One such incident occurred while my husband and I were attending a basketball game to watch my grandson, Nicholas Elias, play in a basketball game at Waterville High School, which incidentally, is my alma mater. We were passing one of the many trophy cases when my husband stopped to point out to me something he had discovered earlier when he dropped Nicholas off for practice. Nicholas’ maternal grandfa-
ther was in a picture in the display case which featured the basketball and football teams of 1929-30. As a young man attending Junior High and High School, Rickey Thomas participated in basketball and football. The Waterville High School 1929-30 Football Team consisted of the following players: William Dusty, James Coyne, Charles Stubbert, Ronald Brown, Coach Harry Newell, Louis Rancourt, Captain Frank Gaul, Rickey Thomas, Manager Keith Thomas, Roland Legendre, Paul Landry, Fred Lunt, Ralph MacDonald, Bernard Marsh,
Dick Johnson, Bob Larry, John Alden and additional players not present in the photo, Carroll Abbott, Adrian Violette, Joe Gurski, Louis Casey, Ed Mccarthy, Al Paganucci, Ralph Verzoni, and Foahd Salem. “This team was undefeated and did not allow any points to be scored by their opponents. They were the Maine State High School Football champions with a record of 7 wins and 0 losses while scoring 241 points to their opponents 0. It is considered by many to be Waterville High School’s all-time best football team with several players
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41
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com going on to play college football. The team captain, Frank ‘Touchy’ Gaul, played for Notre Dame and received all-star honors.” Needless to say, I was surprised and decided to get copies of these pictures. I had never been aware of their existence nor did I know about the extraordinary success of this team. My dad was not one to boast of his accomplishments. His name was Maroon Richard, but they called him Rickey. He was the son of immigrant parents who came to America from Lebanon. He was very skilled at cooking and became a chef. He worked at various hotels in the State and eventually worked at Parks Diner, a noted landmark in the area. After a few years, he opened his own business, “Rickey’s Hot Dog Stand” on Front Street in Waterville. “Rickey’s” soon became a popular eating place for people from all areas of the state. Many people would say, “we come to Rickey’s for the best
~ Rickey Thomas ~ hot dogs around, and we especially love his crisp fried pork bits.” He operated the landmark eating place located next to City Hall for generations, until he suffered a massive heart attack at age 63, at his place of business. He was a commissioned reserve po-
lice officer for the City of Waterville, and an active member of the Arnold Trail Sportsman’s Association. Gene Letourneau, a columnist for the Waterville Sentinel, wrote several articles highlighting Rickey’s first of the season trout catches. One article stated that (cont. on page 42) Rehabilitation and Nursing Care
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Lizotte Construction Residential & Commercial
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(cont. from page 41) “Maroon ‘Rickie’ Thomas dethrones Harry E. Green, getting first catch of brook trout of the Maine fishing season.” Truly, fishing was in his blood, as he loved the excitement of catching a fish, the beauty of nature, and the tranquility of rejuvenating mind and body. He also loved and embraced the challenge. According to an article written by Gene, “Rickie Thomas of Waterville has finally been repaid in full for his patience, perseverance and extensive study. Rickie took 11 trout, one of them large, but all well over the sixinch limit. And he lifted them out of one pool, his favorite. They were the first fish of the season, and it seemed as though they were the prettiest trout that ever responded to his call.” Gene went on to add: “undoubtedly the trout caught by Rickie had been in the brook several weeks, probably during the entire winter. At any rate, they were trout
and he caught them, earlier than anyone else did.” He was a team player as shown by his athletic accomplishments, and many people recall his fine sense of humor and the twinkle in his eye. I will always lovingly remember this very special man I called Dad and be proud to be his daughter. There have been many other outstanding teams and outstanding individual players at Waterville High School since then, to name a few; Ted Shiro who earned 12 varsity letters in
3 sports and earned all New England honors 2 years in a row. He also was noted for setting scoring records at Colby College. John “Swisher” Mitchell who played basketball at Waterville High School and the University of Rhode Island, was Captain of Maine’s first New England Championship basketball team in the mid-1940s. He was a three-sport athlete in high school. Mitchell began a lengthy coaching career in 1954 at John Bapst High School with the football, basketball and baseball teams. He also coached at Salpointe High School, in Tucson, Arizona, for two years before returning to Maine to coach at Waterville High from 1959 to 1964. He then coached Colby College freshman teams in three sports and served as Assistant Varsity Coach as well. Another outstanding athlete, Harold “Tank” Violette, who was the youngest of 17 children, was active in athlet-
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ics at Waterville High School and the University of Maine, where he ranked among the top 100 Yankee Conference Football Players of the decade. After receiving his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine, he began a 39-year career as a teacher, coach and athletic administrator. He coached football, ice hockey, wrestling, golf and baseball. His Winslow High School football teams posted a record of 152 wins, 52 losses and 2 ties, winning 5 state championships. His hockey teams won 6 state championships. He was named coach of the year 3 times in football, and Hockey Coach of the year 4 times. And, he was a fellow classmate. So, the treasures I found the day we went to see my grandson’s basketball game are absolutely priceless to me. A history lesson at its best.
Early view of the post office in Fairfield Center. Item #LB2007.1.100730 from theEastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Farmington’s Gun House by Nancy Porter
Researching old militia records
Tucked away in the history of Farmington lies a little-known fact. Farmington had a Gun House. Old Militia records held at the Farmington Historical Society have frequent mentions of “meeting at the Gun House” for militia activities. These meetings pre-date the Civil War by many years. Most towns continued to have a militia throughout their very early days after the Revolution. The idea, no doubt, was to be prepared for any threat to the area. Col. Russell lead the militia in Farmington as early as 1799. And his orders frequently came out of Augusta/Hallowell signed by William Howard. We knew there was a “Powder House” because there’s
evidence of it still on Box Shop Hill – once known as Powder House Hill. But the Gun House was in a different location. Several times I ran across mentions of “The Gun House Lot.” It appeared to be located near the Center Meeting House in the middle of Farmington. The Center Meeting House sat on the site of the present-day Franklin County Courthouse, which is surrounded by short granite walls dating back to the original Meeting House days. The deeds at the Courthouse date back to 1838, when Franklin became a County. Earlier deeds can be found in Kennebec County. Both places are accurate resources for research. In fact,
the deed to the courthouse itself dates back to when John Church deeded a 2-acre parcel to the Center Meeting House Proprietors. Mr. Church owned much of the land which would become the downtown area of Farmington. Researching the lot of Jacob Church, on which a house was located, later to be torn down for an intown parking lot, I found reference to several small pieces of land Church either acquired or sold. One such parcel, a small lot acquired by Jacob Church from V. Lizzie Elliott (book 98 page 595) references a parcel conveyed to Lizzie (Church) Elliott from Frederic Stewart; Stewart bought the lot from Davis Tillson, acting Quartermaster General in behalf of
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the State of Maine; that deed was dated January 1861. (B.53 p309) That deed references the lot “which formerly was occupied by a gun house.” The Commonwealth of Massachusetts bought it from Timothy Johnson, also a large land owner in the downtown area of Farmington; Timothy Johnson conveyed it with the statement “lot lying near the center of town and being the same which is covered by a gun house lately erected by Capt. Abram Johnson for the said commonwealth.” Deed was dated February 17, 1813. What happened to the Gun House lot? It appears that it became part of Jacob Church’s holdings which was on the corner of (now) Cony and Church Streets. Jacob Church sold a small piece to Charles Pierce on February 17th, 1886; this transaction mentions “land and buildings.” Charles Pierce sells to Delia Holley in November
1886 “and a small building used as a shop on the Northwest Corner” of the lot. This building, I suspect, may have been the Gun House; people often kept old buildings and repurposed them. Delia Holley owned it until November 1894 when she sold it to Gilbert Small. Gilbert Small sold to Byron Small in 1895; Byron Small to Ernest Voter in 1949; Voter sold to Maine Skewer and Dowel who then sold to Chester C & Margaret Dyke. The final sale was to Munroe and Juanita Hawkens in 1953. Their daughter Pam and husband David now live in the house presumably built by Jacob Church prior to 1886.
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The Bass Shoe Shop in Wilton. Item #LB2007.1.102934 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Early view of Bridge Street in Mexico. Item # LB2007.1.109749 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Face-To-Face With A Maine Black Bear A memorable day of hunting by Jonathan Mather
O
docoileus virginianus, more commonly known as whitetailed deer, are game animal #1 in the great state of Maine. Every autumn those of us who fancy ourselves hunters are drawn to the woods, like lemmings to the sea, with hopes of outsmarting the big wood’s goat. And so, it was many seasons ago, in 1991, when my dad and I returned to our homeaway-from-home east of Rangeley, north of Gull Pond, to once again test ourselves. Dad had been hunting several decades; this was my first season. Dad had not been himself lately, and told me, as we got to the outskirts of
the woods, he did not want to hunt that day. “I’ll go back to camp and putter around. I’ll have supper waiting for you
when you get back. Oh, and one more thing,” he said. “Don’t forget — bear season is open, too.” It was the last thing Dad said to me before I entered the woods that morning. Although I did not know it at the time, Dad had less than a year to live. It was a strange day. It had snowed the night before, but now the temps were pushing 60 and I had been torn about what to wear. Deer hunting in Maine is usually a frosty, cold event, and layers of thermal-base and wool layers are the normal order. That day, though, I was dressed more for bird hunting, with only a canvas barn coat
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com and a light sweater. My gun that day was a Remington 870 named Maureen. She was a 12-gauge, versatile death-dealing machine, mainly my coyote killer, but she could also end a deer with ease. Life for her had begun as a Wing Master, one of Remington’s better ideas. For a pump-action I don’t believe a better action has ever been made. I normally replace her factory barrel with a Hasting custom, but that day she wore her Carlson 18 ½” barrel with a light, modified choke-tube installed. I was expecting close action, but was hedging my bets. I had stoked Maureen with 00 buckshot, but had a slug in my pocket, ready for an instant change if a long shot presented itself. I walked down a long-forgotten logging road. Within 100 yards of the main road, the new-growth trees had reduced the logging road to barely a path in the woods. Thanks to the new-fallen snow from the previous night, I discovered
deer tracks, and got to work following them. The tracks meandered through the undergrowth, and I followed them through thin branches, devoid of leaves, which gave the impression of a giant spider’s web. That’s when it happened. As I burst through a thicket into a small clearing — thinking I’d soon encounter the deer — I found myself, instead, face-to-face with an honestto-God Maine black bear. I’m not sure who was more surprised — me or the bear — but somehow, I suddenly found myself looking over Maureen’s barrel at nothing but black fur. Gun up, finger taking up slack, the safety off, I found myself staring into pig-like eyes. I figured Maureen would gladly drink this bear’s blood like a lukewarm draft of malice, but I was not as confident regarding her quickkill ability when pumping out a load of buckshot. Since having the beast thrash
me to death before it died was also not what I was looking for, I held my fire and stood my ground. We held that position, eyes trained on each other, for what seemed an eternity. Then Smokey suddenly moved. I flinched, but luckily the bear evidently had decided it didn’t want to die that day, so it slowly turned and walked back into the brush. I was amazed at how silent three hundred pounds of enormous animal could be, and in moments I could neither see nor hear the bear. But my heart continued to pump wildly, and I didn’t rest any easier. Because now I felt like an insect in a spider’s web. I could not bring myself to lower Maureen, fearing a sudden charge from the trees. And my fears were not unfounded. Suddenly — without warning — the bear reentered the clearing from behind me! This time, he was snapping his (cont. on page 50)
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(cont. from page 49) jaws at me, but was otherwise silent and not advancing. Now, for the first time, I fired at the ground directly in front of the bear. The forest’s duff and debris sprayed the bear’s face, and he recoiled back in apparent shock. He turned and bolted into the thicket, this time making a total racket as he crashed away. I beat a hasty retreat as well. “Bear season is open,” Dad had told me, but I was much more interested in getting back to camp in one still-functioning piece than I was in bear meat or bearskin rugs. That day I had hunted solo, and, as fate would have it, I have hunted solo every season since. When I returned to camp from my face-to-face with that Maine black bear, Dad, true to his word, had supper ready for me. I remember that meal especially fondly, in part because I was safe again, but mostly because it was fixed for me by my dad, the man who taught me about hunting and the Great Maine Woods.
Western Maine
Public Library in Rangeley. Item #LB2007.1.102142 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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History Of Maine Maple Syrup First discovered by Native Americans by John Murray
C
ollecting and processing sap from maple trees has taken place in Maine for hundreds of years, and is the oldest agricultural enterprise in the state. An abundance of sugar maple trees in the Moosehead Lake region has made this prime territory for harvesting sap. The township of Jackman, which encompasses land due west of Moosehead Lake, has a long history of maple syrup production. Like a fine wine, the flavor of maple syrup will vary from different areas due to climate, soil type, and moisture content. It is the good fortune for the Jackman region that the conditions are per-
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fect to produce an exceptionally high quality product. Maine maple syrup is considered the finest tasting maple syrup in the world. Large corporations have made many attempts to modify the flavor of their artificial maple syrup, but the devoted Maine maple syrup connoisseurs will only use an authentic Maine syrup on their wild blueberry pancakes. The history of maple syrup began with the Native Americans who inhabited the forested lands of Maine. According to Native American lore, there once was a great Native American chief who was respected for both his warrior and
hunting skills. This chief was extremely proficient at throwing his tomahawk, and would practice regularly with the sharp axe by using the trees of the forest as targets. One late winter day when the warmth of the sun gave hope that spring would be arriving soon, the chief took careful aim at a maple tree, and buried the sharp point of the tomahawk deep into the bark. When the chief went to remove the tomahawk from the tree, he was surprised to find a sweet liquid that was dripping from the wound in the bark of the tree. In retrospect, perhaps the wife of the chief is due most of the credit for what (cont. on page 52)
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(cont. from page 51) transpired afterwards. After mentioning this occurrence to his wife about the liquid dripping from the tree, the chief’s wife placed a container underneath the wound to collect some of the sweet liquid. It was then that the wife of the chief decided to cook a piece of venison in the sweet-flavored liquid, and when the chief tasted the delicious cooked venison, he was delighted. The liquid was maple sap, and the Native American tribes throughout the area harvested the seasonable maple sap. Maine Algonquians of the Wabanaki tribes called maple sugar “Sinsibuckwud,” which means drawn from the wood. As the frigid winter begins to lose its icy grip on the forest when spring is approaching, the hardy maple tree will send nourishing sap upwards to the ends of the branches, where the buds will ultimately appear. This sap will travel through the maple tree when the
air temperature fluctuates below freezing at night, to above freezing temperatures during the day. A temperature change effectively creates a pressure change inside the tree, which will force the sap to travel upward to the branches during the duration of the warming. When the air temperature drops below freezing at night, a natural suction will develop that water from deep within the ground, and thus replenishing the sap within the tree. This sap will continue to migrate upwards into the tree until the night temperatures eventually rise above the freezing mark. For a sap collector, this migration of the sap is commonly known as the “running” of the sap. When it was learned that the maple tree would produce sap during the warming days of late winter and early spring, the Native Americans began to regularly harvest the sweet liquid. They discovered that boiling and con-
densing the sap produced a thicker, and distinctively sweeter liquid. This boiling of the sap was accomplished by heating rocks to an extreme heat, then placing the heated rocks inside a section of hollowed out tree log that held the collected sap. Maple trees were not indigenous to Europe, so the early settlers that arrived from Europe had no previous knowledge of the sweet liquid sap that was present in the trees. Fortunately, this knowledge of collecting sap was passed from the Native Americans to the arriving settlers, who would ultimately modify and adjust how the sap was collected and boiled. The boiling process was greatly simplified because the European settlers arrived with durable metal cooking vats and containers, so the concept of heating rocks to place in the sap was no longer necessary. Maple sap would now be boiled with wood-fueled fires.
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The Native Americans educated the settlers about the maple trees, and how the liquid sap was only found in what is called the sapwood, which is the outer portion of the trunk of the tree directly underneath the bark. To effectively harvest this sap, a tap was inserted into the sapwood. The change in temperature creates a pressure change in the maple tree which forces the sap out of the tree where the tap was located. Native American taps were originally sharpened hardwood spikes, or narrow pieces of stone that were pounded into the sapwood to form a v-shape incision. After the cut was created, concave pieces of bark or reeds were pushed into the incision. A hand crafted container was hung underneath the tap to collect the dripping sap. As time went by, the European settlers, who were now becoming resourceful residents of the forested land, would begin to fashion metal taps. Understandably, the settlers that
migrated to the forests of northeastern America would soon develop a taste for the delicious sweet maple syrup. This maple syrup was collected and processed for their own use, and later as word spread about the sweet liquid substance from the northeast forests, the resourceful maple syrup harvesters were marketing this sweet substance to others outside the region. Maple syrup rapidly gained popularity for its use on pancakes, and would be infused into many different cooking recipes. Longer durations of boiling the sap would remove most of the moisture content, and produce a crystalized sugar sweetener product. Maple sugar became so popular that it would become the most used form of sweetener in the United States until the sugar cane industry started in the Caribbean Islands in the 1800s. The onset of the Civil War would create a surge in maple sugar use, because residents of
northern states ceased purchasing sugar cane from the south. Even after the Civil War ended, renewed access to the cheap Caribbean Island sugar would not have much of a long term impact on the sale of maple sweetener. A loyal fan base had now been established for maple sweetener, and Mainers would continue to produce the product. Collecting and boiling the maple sap isn’t an easy process. It was hard physical work in the north woods of Maine where the deep snowpack would often linger well into the spring. A lot of sap had to be collected to process into maple syrup. Approximately 40 gallons of boiled sap will yield 1 gallon of maple syrup, and many pails of collected sap had to be lugged back to the shed. To make the process easier, horses were often put into use to help haul the sap out of the forest. Later, trucks would be utilized to transport the sap out of the forest. The sapping season is short, (cont. on page 54)
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(cont. from page 53) usually about a month in duration, so there is a frenzied level of activity to collect the maple sap. A considerable amount of sap was collected and processed for personal use, and some enterprising residents would establish functional maple syrup business operations. By the late 1800s sugar shacks were common throughout much of the forested areas of Maine, and resourceful maple syrup producers would begin using large evaporators to simplify the sap boiling process. The first evaporator used for the purpose of processing maple sap was patented in 1858. Improved versions that allowed for quicker evaporation would be used in the early 1900s, and that technology has been updated for continued use today. Production of maple syrup in Maine continues to this date throughout the state, with the Jackman area being a
Give someone a special gift that will be enjoyed all year long... bustling hub for collection and processing sap. Maine Maple Products Association has five established maple syrup producers in the Jackman area. In alphabetical listing, these maple producers are Arnold Farm Sugar House, Carrier Sugar House, Dole Pond Maple Products, Nadeau Sugar Camp, and Sawyers Maple Farm. Recently joining those maple syrup producers is the Native American Passamaquoddy tribe, who are returning to their original heritage of harvesting sap. Maine is the third largest commercial producer of maple syrup in the United States, with approximately 450,000 gallons produced for sale every year.
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Early view of Water Street in Skowhegan. Item #LB2007.1.103172 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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BOYNTON’S GREENHOUSE Family owned Florist, Greenhouse & Garden Center 144 Madison Ave., Skowhegan (207)474-2892 www.boyntonsgreenhouses.com ______________________________________________ Knowledgeable staff to help your garden grow! Garden Center open May through September 5 Greenhouses with annuals, perennials, vegetables & more
Western Maine
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Danforth’s Greenhouses in Skowhegan. Item #LB2007.1.102461 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
Redington-Fairview General Hospital Caring for the Community since 1952!
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The Willows in Skowhegan. Item #LB2007.1111856 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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58
Early view of the stone yard in Jay. Item # LB2007.1.101843 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
Four Winds Too Lobster Co. & Redemption Center
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Whitcomb Antique Dealer in Waterville. Item #LB2007.1.102877 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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60
East Wilton’s Simon Parlin He wrote the book on horse breeding by Charles Francis
S
imon Parlin didn’t quite write ‘the’ definitive book on horse breeding. He knew as much or more about the subject as anyone in New England, though... at least for the period of his later years. As far as books on horses are concerned, Parlin did author one: The American Trotter: A Treatise On His Origin, History and Development. The American Trotter was published in 1905 by American Horse Breeding Publishing Co. If the publishing date makes you think the work is nothing more than an obscure, moth-eaten old text representative of a time long-gone, think again. It’s still in print. Paperback copies cost $19.99. In hardcover the
book is at the least a pricey $135.00. The price reflects brilliant color illustrations. The name of the above publishing house, American Horse Breeding Publishing Co., should tell you the publishing house was specialized, extremely so. Besides books on the general subject of horse breeding, the company published the definitive periodical on the subject of horse breeding in New England and the Middle Atlantic States, American Horse Breeder. American Horse Breeder was a Boston-based weekly. It was published from 1891 to 1935. Simon Parlin was the weekly’s editor.
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Don’t think race track sheet in connection with American Horse Breeder just because it was a weekly. It was a classy magazine. You can find bound copies by year in major libraries. Single issues are desirable collectibles. The magazine put out attractive full-color 20 x 30 posters for Christmas and other occasions. So who was Simon Parlin and just what is his connection to Maine? What is it that makes his story interesting beyond the fact he was the knowledgeable editor of a once-prestigious but highly specialized magazine? Well, to begin with, Simon Parlin was a largely self-educated man.
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com He grew up in Phillips attending the one room and common schools here. There’s a good deal more to him than this, though. Some of it relates to the time he was as yet unborn, still in the womb. Simon Parlin was what’s known as a posthumous child. Simon Parlin, the father, died three months before our subject was born. Simon Parlin, our subject, spent the first year of his life at the head of the class... so to speak. This is a comment as to the future editor’s education. After the death of her husband, Simon Parlin’s mother, Dorcas, made her living teaching school. Infant Simon went right into the classroom with his mother. In short, one might say, Simon Parlin’s formal education began in the cradle and in a way more literal than figurative. Simon Parlin was born in East Wilton on April 17, 1837. His father was just twenty-seven at the time of his
death. When Simon was born his mother was twenty-five. Dorcas (Drury) Parlin was the daughter of John and Anna (Mitchell) Drury. She was born March 28, 1812, in Temple. She married Simon Parlin April 7, 1836. Simon died in Wilton on January 27, 1837. Simon our subject was the couple’s first and only child. With the death of her husband Dorcas Parlin had to find a way to support herself and her child. A reasonably well-for the times-educated woman, Dorcas found employment teaching in Phillips thanks to Ebenezer Whitney. Ebenezer Whitney was one of Phillips’ most respected citizens. He was a veteran of the War of 1812. At fifty-one he owned a prosperous farm as well as a sawmill. Whitney was also something of a civil engineer. He laid out many of the early roads of Phillips. The first road to Rangeley was his. Never having married, he lived with two unmarried sisters.
Ebenezer Whitney was the school agent for his district school. It was Whitney who hired Dorcas Parlin to teach in Phillips. Clearly, he made a good choice. Dorcas went on to teach seventy-two terms. She retired when she was seventy. Dorcas Parlin had a stipulation to her being hired. At least that’s how the story goes. Dorcas agreed to teach if Ebenezer Whitney would make a cradle for her baby. Ebenezer made the cradle. Dorcas then took her baby into the schoolroom with her. The girl who was the school’s best speller had the privilege of rocking the cradle. There is a bit of an aside to the little tale above. Ebenezer Whitney married Dorcas Parlin. The wedding took place December 26, 1842. The couple went on to have three children, John, Charles and Myra. This was the home where Simon Parlin was brought up. Simon Parlin went on to become a teacher himself, and in Phillips. In (cont. on page 62)
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62
(cont. from page 61) 1862 he enlisted in the Union Army for a nine-month term. His unit was Co. D, 28th Maine Infantry. He enlisted as a private and was mustered out a sergeant. He saw action at Port Hudson and other battles. He then reenlisted in Company F, 2nd Maine Cavalry. His rank was lieutenant. He took part in the capture of Fort Blakely and was a part of the occupation force of Mobile, Alabama. The Union cavalry provided Parlin with his first in-depth exposure to horses. Following the war Simon returned to Phillips and married Sarah Hoyt, living with Sarah’s parents. The couple had the first of their children in Phillips: a son, Edmund, and a daughter, Phoebe. Simon again taught school. He also took over operation of the Hoyt family farm. 1870 finds the couple and their children living in Malden, Massachusetts. Somerville would eventually become their permanent home.
Prior to becoming editor of American Horse Breeder, Parlin worked as a bookkeeper for several newspapers and/or news agencies. It was with the magazine he found his true vocation and great love, an in-depth involvement with the breeding of quality horses, primarily trotters. The magazine’s masthead has the description that best sums up its thrust and purpose. It reads: “Illustrated journal for horse lovers.” Simon Parlin died at Soldier’s Home in Chelsea, Massachusetts on June 1, 1925. He died leaving an indelible mark on the world of horse breeding in the northeast and beyond. Ebenezer Whitney died in Freeman, Maine, at the home of his son, John on November18, 1874. Dorcas (Drury)(Parlin) Whitney also died in her son John’s home. She died on April 1, 1894. John had moved to Franklin, Massachusetts.
Discover Maine Magazine has been brought to you free through the generous support of Maine businesses for the past 26 years, and we extend a special thanks to them. Please tell our advertisers how much you love Discover Maine Magazine by doing business with them whenever possible. Thanks for supporting those businesses that help us bring Maine’s history to you!
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Mexico Celebrates Its 200th Birthday Remember the Pintos by Charlotte Mayo
I
n 1789 at Sutton, Massachusetts, Colonel Jonathan Holman and Associates purchased 30,020 acres of land, and later named it Holmanstown. That land is what is now Mexico and Dixfield. In 1803 the towns separated; Dixfield was incorporated, and Holmanstown kept its name and continued to be governed as a plantation until February 13, 1818 when it was incorporated into a town named Mexico. One reason given for naming the town Mexico is that the inspiration was derived from the valiant Mexican spirit in gaining independence from Spain.
On February 13, 2018 there was a celebration held at the Mexico Middle School which was put on by the Bicentennial Committee, with a program that included the Town Manager Jack Gaudet, Mexico Board of Selectmen, Senator Lisa Keim, Tim Gallant on behalf of U.S. Congressman Bruce
Poliquin’s office, Ben Tucker for Senator Angus King’s office, and Ryan Angelo for Senator Susan Collin’s office, all of which gave speeches in recognition of the town’s 200th Birthday. Board of Selectmen member Richie Philbrick spoke, giving the history of how the town of Mexico came to be. Congratulating the town on its Birthday Celebration, he also stated that there are five states with a town of Mexico in them. They are: New York, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Indiana and Maine. Ben Tucker for Senator Angus King’s office gave his congratulations first, then these fun facts of the year (cont. on page 64)
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(cont. from page 63) 1818. On April 4,Congress decided on the the U.S. flag to have 13 red and white stripes with 20 stars April 14 the U.S. Medical Corps was formed May 28th the first steam vessel to sail the Great Lakes was launched December 3, Illinois became the 21st State. December 25, the first Christmas Carol “Silent Night, Holy Night” was sung in Austria. Tucker ended with a phrase by Paul Revere “Small towns are the best of America for we believe in one another.” Speaking on behalf of U. S. Congressman Bruce Poliquin’s office, Tim Gallant stated, “Congratulations to the town of Mexico. From the start there have been special people from this town that have had an impact. Chum-
b We
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April 16 Revolutionary War Reenactment May 1-31 “May Mexican Maineac Manhunt” May 28 Participation in the Memorial Day Parade June 23 Woodsman’s Day & Mustache Contest July 7 Parade followed by activities, food & more August 18 Outdoor Movie September 22 Craft Show & Demonstration Raffle of Town Quilt (s) October 20 Chili, Chowder & Pie Contests November 17 Thanksgiving Thank You Dinner (invitation only) December 1 Christmas Caroling & Hot Chocolate All dates & activities are subject to change
my Broomhall was one of them. He was not only a great asset to different businesses and community organizations but to the state of Maine and the United States as an Olympic skier, President of the Chisholm Ski Club of Black Mountain, and a veteran serving his country as a member of the 10th Mountain Division. Another citizen to always remember was Charles Walton, and a WWII veteran, a lawyer in the town of Mexico and a Maine Congressman. Moving forward, the town of Mexico should remember its traditions and act upon them for years to come. With speeches over, a Congressional sentiment from each office was given to Town Manager Jack Gaudet. The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Mexico did a reenactment of the “Signing of the Document” with a quill pen. The Bicentennial Committee has events planned for the whole year.
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Early street view of the post office in Kingfield. Item #LB2007.1.101162 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Mark Your Calendar!
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Western Maine
66
President Eisenhower Visits Rangeley
J
He was a fly fishing pro
by John Murray
une of 1955 would be forever etched in the memory of Maine residents when a distinguished visitor arrived that summer. Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States and former five-star general, would arrive in western Maine on June 25, 1955. The visit to Maine was a nonpolitical event, and a much needed reprieve from the rigors of the oval office. Three days before, the Soviets shot down a United States Navy plane that had ventured into Soviet air space over the Bering Strait. Tensions had been high following that event, and a grim reminder that the United States was firmly en-
trenched in a cold war with the Soviet Union. President Eisenhower required a change of pace, and the fresh air of Maine would serve the purpose. Dwight Eisenhower had been instilled with a love of the outdoors since childhood, and he especially loved fly fishing. He was a skilled angler very adept at casting a bamboo fly rod. With fly rod in his hand, Eisenhower was proficient at delivering a hand-tied fishing fly to the wary trout that hid in the water. The tranquility of the water provided a peace that Eisenhower required on a reoccurring basis to decompress an overworked mind. During his eight
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years as commander in chief, the president would venture to fly fish more than forty times. Eisenhower had caught many trout during his lifetime, but this was his first trip to the fabled brook trout fishing waters of Maine. Since the end of the 1800s, these brook trout were sought after by many anglers, as this fish was capable of achieving record sizes in the pure waters of Maine. Another species of fish that Eisenhower had never caught on a fly rod before was the legendary landlocked salmon. Considered the king of the gamefish, it was not an easy task to capture this fish
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com with a fly rod. Landlocked salmon are cunning, fast and powerful. Many of them are never brought to net because of their uncanny ability to escape after being hooked. These landlocked salmon intrigued Eisenhower, and the president was determined to catch one. To accomplish a successful fishing trip for the President of the United States, a capable veteran Maine guide was needed who was up to the task. Maine guide Don Cameron would accompany Eisenhower on his fly fishing trips. A longtime resident of Maine, Cameron possessed the skills that would link a trout and salmon to Eisenhower’s fishing line. For what must have been like two glorious days for the president, Eisenhower would stay at a cabin owned by the Parmachenee Club on the shoreline of Lake Parmachenee. Eisenhower would spend hours fishing with Maine guide Don Cameron, and he would skillfully introduce the president to the (cont. on page 68)
Eisenhower fishing with Maine guide Don Cameron
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(cont. from page 67) brook trout and landlocked salmon of Maine. Among the locations fished was the Magalloway River. The deep dark water of this well-known fishing pool would provide success for the president, and his trophy fish for the trip was a 3 pound, 18 inch landlocked salmon. Eisenhower bonded with Maine fishing guide Don Cameron on a level of companionship that was linked by their passion of fishing. On the edge of the water, the two men with very different lifestyles were linked as fly fishermen brothers. The friendship stayed intact long after Eisenhower departed Maine. He would correspond through many letters with Cameron, and the topic would always be about fishing. President Eisenhower possessed many skills, and among these was the fact that he was a gifted artist. The president would ultimately paint a beautiful portrait of Don Cameron, which was
a true testament to the high regard he held for him. Thirty members of the press were traveling with the president on that fishing trip, and at the end of the day, a cookout was arranged. In typical Maine fashion, a traditional Maine guide shore diner was prepared with grilled brook trout and baked beans. President Eisenhower cringed when he saw how some of the first brook trout, were being prepared a bit too overcooked for the table. Taking matters into his own hands, Eisenhower seasoned the fresh brook trout with bacon, and wrapped the fish in foil. After a few minutes of expertly cooking the brook trout, he gleefully shared the delicious fish with those around him. Fishing trips always end, but the memories of that successful fly fishing trip in western Maine would stay with Eisenhower forever. On June 27, the President of the United States
journeyed to the town of Rangeley to attend a whitetail fawn ceremony. This visit was incredible for the residents of Rangeley. Never in their dreams did they imagine that the President of the United States would set foot in their town. Every resident stopped their daily routine, and went to the presidential ceremony. Eisenhower was welcomed to Rangeley with much admiration from everyone. A month-old whitetail deer fawn was to be given to the president by 12year old Candy Tibbetts, who was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Verde Tibbetts of Rangeley, Maine. The young fawn was orphaned following the death of her mother, and the fawn had been cared for and raised by Candy’s parents. The girl had memorized a prepared speech for the event, but when the president stepped out of the presidential car, the little girl froze with stage fright. Imagine what was going
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through her mind at the time. The President of the United States is standing before me. Her memorized speech evaporated into the air, and she stood there with her mouth agape. The kindly President Eisenhower walked up to the girl, bent down and gently whispered the words of her memorized speech into her ear. Somehow, to the girl’s utter surprise, the president knew exactly what the girl was supposed to say. Softly, she repeated the words out loud, and presented the fawn as a gift from the children of Rangeley, Maine to the Washington, D.C. National Zoological Park. President Eisenhower’s acceptance speech after receiving the whitetail fawn was documented by the press attending the event. The president’s remarks were the following – “Well, Candy, I thank you very much, and I’m sure the children of Washington D.C. will enjoy the whitetail deer very much.
Now I hope the deer likes its new home too. But it may be like a lot of other folks that go to Washington. They find out they have left a lot behind. I am sure if I was going away from these woods, along these lovely lakes and rivers, and had to go live in Washington, I would think twice, wouldn’t you? But I will take it down. Good luck to you, and thank you very much.” Later that day, President Eisenhower would travel to Skowhegan. He would be the guest of honor at a lobster, steak, and clambake diner, which was being held on the lawn of Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith. Himself a talented cook, the president would cook his own steak over the grill. Those three days during June of 1955 are still remembered by older Mainers, and many wished he had never left. * Other businesses in this area are featured in the color section.
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414 Rd,Rd. Rt •201 | Madison 126Lakewood Lakewood Madison, MEME
Western Maine
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The Past Is Found In The New A community’s dedication to its past and heritage by David Miller
T
his is about a group of rural Maine folks recovering the past so that it may be preserved and made available to future generations. Recovering the settlement and development of their valley has been a monumental task for this group of individuals living in one of the unorganized townships in Maine. They are doing this so that others may know and preserve the history of rural Maine. It all started over two hundred years ago in what is known today as Lexington Township, located in Somerset County. The few outsiders that know of this community are those who travel up a long dead end paved road leading
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to the eastern end of Flagstaff Lake and nearby Pierce Pond, The Carrying Place Ponds, and a section of the Dead River. These folks are mostly sportsmen coming to recreate, have camps in the area, or are seeking to use a portion of the Maine Hut & Trail system. The area of this community was once the place of Native Americans. These were most likely the Kennebecs and Abnakis along with other subgroups of the four major groups associated with Maine, the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac. Prior to 1800, surrounding areas along the Kennebec River were being settled. In 1807 it is known that Da-
vid Quint journeyed up a branch of the Kennebec called the Carrabasset River. This led him into what is now known as Gilman Pond, where he traveled up its inlet along what is today known as Sandy Stream. Here he found a flat valley nestled into the surrounding hills and mountains. The area had sufficient sources of water, the main one being Sandy Stream. The land surrounding the fertile soil of the valley floor held good timber and abundant wildlife, making it an excellent place to settle. Over the next few years, several others also settled into the valley. This area was originally called Gilman Pond Plantation.
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com The area’s development after the American Revolution was brought about and influenced by men such as William King, a successful merchant, ship builder, army officer, and statesman (he became Maine’s first Governor) and others like William Bingham (of the Bingham Purchase). During this period, Maine was a part of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts government decided to dispose of large unsettled lands by lottery. William Bingham, a successful Philadelphia banker, acquired around one million acres of land in the eastern side of Somerset County. General Henry Knox had signed on to purchase another million acres in the western area, but his duties as Secretary of State prevented him from developing the area. William Bingham took over that section as well. Due to his contributions of financial aid during the American Revolution, he was considered deserving of such a transaction. Colonel Black became his agent to manage the lands. Because unsettled lands had less value to the owner, William King was appointed agent for the settlement of the eastern portion of Bingham Purchase. There is little written record of the Gilman Pond Plantation during the period leading up to 1820. The 1820 census indicated that families were building homes, clearing land, and becoming established. During the next decade, it appears that 18 families set-
tled here. William King himself built a farm and called it “Pond Farm.” The area produced wheat, oats, rye, flax and hay along with vegetables. The surrounding forest produced lumber, and it appears wood shingles were one of the first products to be marketed in the area. During this period, the area grew to over 100 residents. During the next decade of 1830 to 1840, the population had risen to 335, and businesses included sawmills, lumber operations, blacksmithing, and brick making. In 1833 the Maine Legislature incorporated the Gilman Pond Plantation as Lexington. Other names had been proposed, but Lexington came about because of its proximity to Concord Township. The association of “Lexington and Concord” is a reflection of our War of Independence, thus it became Lexington. As in other towns, taxes were levied to pay for schools, roads, a militia, and other positions and jobs associated with a community. During the period of 1840 to 1860, the population continued to grow. Lumbering remained a major industry, while livestock and farming provided the important foods needed. Fish and the game found in the surrounding area supplemented this. During 1860 to 1870, the community continued to grow. The schools were full of children, social halls provided entertainment, and the Civil War became a part of everyday life. It is recorded that thirty-eight
men went off to war, many as members of Company A, 16th Maine Regiment. After 1870, the population started to decrease. The Gold Rush caused some to go west, the lack of jobs other than those related to the forest pushed some away, and prolonged bad weather affected the output of farms. During this period, records reflect that many paupers drained the town budget. The Federal Census for the decade of 1880 shows a population drop for Lexington to just 322. Due to resulting financial issues, Lexington changed from a town to a Plantation in April 1885. By 1900 the population was down to 231, in 1920 it was 172, in 1930 it was 166 and by1950 it was 150. Lexington became an Unorganized Township in March of 1940. The population of Lexington today still hovers around 150. Less than one third of the homes here in 1938 exist today. Many other rural towns experienced similar fates. In 1992 the Lexington Historical Association was founded; in 2011, it became The Lexington/Highland Historical Society. This incorporated Highland Plantation into the organization as the two communities sit side by side and the settling of land and the families are intertwined. As in the past, in 2010 members of these communities cut down trees, sawed their own lumber, and built a “History House” to display various home furnishings, including items such as kitchen and food pro(cont. on page 72)
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(cont. from page 71) cessing equipment, typical period furniture, children’s toys and school furnishings. This building is a model of an earlier home called the “Lydia Boynton Home” that once stood across the road and burned down over fifty years ago. Many other period items are displayed throughout the first and second floors. An area is set aside for genealogy research. The Society is currently building a barn in which to display horsedrawn farming and logging equipment. It will include a working blacksmith shop. It is hoped that the barn complex will be finished and open to the public by 2019. All work and construction has, and is, being done by volunteers. This complex will preserve the history and heritage of the two communities and the families that preceded them. The History House is open every Tuesday from Memorial Day to mid-October. You can check out its location and annual and special events during the year on Facebook.
Early view of Madison. Item #LB2007.1.107900 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection & www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Naming The Carrabassett River History of a beautiful river by Steve Pinkham
T
he name Carrabassett goes back to the early seventeenth century, being the name of a Norridgewock chief who died in 1724 along with Mogg and Father Rasle, when their village at Old Point (Madison) was attacked and burned by a band of men from York. We know little about him, though in 1830 Nathaniel Deering of Portland published a fictional play called “Carabaset,” about the life of the Norridgewog warrior. Carol Dana, linguist specialist of the Penobscot Nation at Old Town, mentioned that the Wabenaki language does not have the letter R, and the letter B is sounded as P. As near as she could tell, the warrior Carrabassett’s name is derived from the Wabenaki Kʷələpihaso, meaning “he who turns around quickly,” most likely referring to the warrior’s quick agility in fighting or hunting. The “et” added to the end of Carrabasset means “one who…,” so the full name means “one who turns around quickly.” In mid-July of 1761 Col. John Montressor, a British engineer, came down
from Quebec to Fort Halifax and back up across the Great Carry Place. In his journal he left us no name or description for the Carrabasset River. That same year on September 12th, Capt. John Small of Cape Elizabeth, who was commissioned to measure the Kennebec River from Fort Halifax to Dead River, wrote in his journal “N 18 E. ¾ m(iles) to a large… where comes in a large river from the westward.” Someone later wrote “Carrabassett River” in the margin. The river was first known as Seven Mile Brook and when Benedict Arnold was coming up the river in 1775, one of his officers, Simeon Thayer wrote in his journal, “Oct. 4. Came to the mouth of the 7 mile streams, and encamp’d on a point of land.” He probably learned this name from the several families that were residing at Norridgewock at that time. This is the first written reference to Seven Mile Stream, named for its outlet at Anson being seven miles north of Old Point. All the maps for another century list it as Seven Mile River and Seven Mile Brook.
In 1870 Alvin Johnson’s Map of Maine lists it as the Carrabasset River for the first time. Ernest G. Walker, who wrote Embden, Town of Yore, noted that the name was changed about this time, but he did not know who changed it, why it was changed, or who suggested Carrabasset. Jerusalem Township, which lies north of Kingfield, was originally called Treadwell, but it soon went by the name New Jerusalem. When the township loosely organized as a plantation, it dropped the first word and became known as Jerusalem Plantation. In 1971 this unincorporated township became the town of Carrabasset Valley, and later its western neighbor, Crockertown Township, was added to the new town. Crockertown was originally named for Thomas Crocker of Paris, Maine, a land and lumber speculator who had purchased the township. Discover Maine
Western Maine
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Early view of the town hall in Sanford. Item #LB2008.19.115559 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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A-1 Seamless Gutters......................................................................................25 ABC Pool & Spa Center ......................................................................................7 Above & Beyond, LLC ......................................................................................22 Absolut Services Inc. Excavation & Septic Systems ...........................................66 Absolut Services Inc. Repair Shop ..................................................................66 Advantage Insurance ......................................................................................48 Affordable Well Drilling & Forestry .................................................................23 Alan’s Automotive Incorporated ......................................................................28 All American Builders & Restoration, LLC .......................................................37 All Seasons Tree & Landscaping ......................................................................61 Altus Construction ..........................................................................................36 Amazing Chase Sebago.com ...........................................................................10 Andrew Ames Logging ....................................................................................3 Archie’s, Inc. Rubbish Removal ........................................................................63 At Home Electric .............................................................................................59 Athens Corner Store ........................................................................................70 B&M Auto Repair .............................................................................................9 Barker Tree Service & Logging ......................................................................36 Bay Haven Lobster Pound & Restaurant .........................................................30 Belgrade Regional Health Center ......................................................................4 Bessey Insurance .............................................................................................48 Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce ................................................................18 Bethel Family Health Center .............................................................................4 Betty’s Laundry ..............................................................................................35 Big Dawg Concrete .........................................................................................37 Bingham Area Health Center ...........................................................................4 Bissonnette’s Plumbing & Heating .................................................................15 Blanchet Builders, LLC ....................................................................................57 Blue Door Primitive Peddler ...........................................................................11 Bob’s Cash Fuel ................................................................................................68 Bolster Monumental Works ............................................................................15 Boomer’s Restaurant & Saloon .......................................................................17 Boos Heating Company .................................................................................36 Borsetti Construction Inc. ..............................................................................37 Bowley Brook .................................................................................................46 Boynton’s Greenhouse ....................................................................................55 Bardbury’s Market & Diner .............................................................................63 Brown’s Construction ......................................................................................18 Buen Apetito Mexican Grill ..............................................................................41 Carrier Welding & Fab ....................................................................................46 Casco Village Variety .......................................................................................33 Central Maine Artists Gallery .........................................................................71 Central Maine Community College .................................................................34 Central Maine Disposal ...................................................................................42 Central Maine Powersports .............................................................................22 Central Maine Sandblasting ............................................................................70 Central Tire Co. Inc. .........................................................................................29 Chim Chiminey Chimney Sweep ........................................................................9 Chris’ Electric ..................................................................................................33 Chuck Wagon Restaurant ................................................................................39 Cole Harrison Insurance ..................................................................................49 Conlogue’s Building & Property Management .................................................45 Cooper Farms .................................................................................................37 Cornerstone Plumbing & Heating ...................................................................62 Cornish Denture Center, LLC ...........................................................................30 Coulthard’s Pools & Spas ................................................................................47 Country K9 & Cats ............................................................................................60 Creaser Jewelers .............................................................................................34 Crooked River Resources .................................................................................36 Cushing Construction ......................................................................................40 D&R Paving & Sealcoating ..............................................................................11 D.A. Wilson & Co. Excavation ........................................................................36 D.H. Pinnette & Sons, Inc. ................................................................................4 Daggett’s Garage ............................................................................................61 Damboise Garage ...........................................................................................43 Dave’s Appliance ..............................................................................................9 Den’s Automotive Services, Inc. .....................................................................13 DeWolfe & Wood Rare & Used Books ..............................................................27 Dick’s Auto Body & Collision Center ..................................................................38 Diggin Riggin .................................................................................................54 Douglass Construction, Inc. ............................................................................31 Dunn & Pakulski Optometrists .......................................................................70 Dutch Treat .....................................................................................................46 E.W. Moore & Son Pharmacy ...........................................................................67 East Lebanon Glass .........................................................................................29 Ed Hodsdon Masonry, Inc..................................................................................8 Edmunds Market ............................................................................................64 Ed’s Grove Discount Warehouse ......................................................................28 Ellis Variety .....................................................................................................62 End of the Rainbow Alternatives .....................................................................45 Eric’s Restaurant ..............................................................................................41 Evergreens Campground & Restaurant ............................................................68 Fairfield Antiques Mall .....................................................................................5 Farmington Farmers Union .............................................................................62 Fast Eddies .....................................................................................................25 Fine Line Paving & Grading ............................................................................54 Finelines Auto Body ........................................................................................33 Finley Funeral Home ......................................................................................58 Firefly Boutique ...............................................................................................32 Fireside Stove Shop & Fireplace Center .............................................................24 Floormaster North ..........................................................................................56 Four Winds Too Lobster Co. & Redemption Center ...........................................58 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce ..........................................................61 Franklin Savings Bank .......................................................................................7 Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union ............................................................5 Frederick Heating ............................................................................................69 Fryeburg Glass .................................................................................................13 G&G Cash Fuels .................................................................................................24 Gateway Marina ..............................................................................................36 Generators of Maine Inc. ...............................................................................44 George’s Banana Stand ....................................................................................57 Giberson Funeral Home ...................................................................................53 Gingerbread Farm Perennials ..........................................................................40 Goin’ Postal .....................................................................................................16 Goodrich’s Bikes & Boards ...............................................................................12 Gray Family Vision Center ................................................................................26 Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce ...................................31 Gridiron Restaurant & Sports Pub ..................................................................22 Grimaldi Concrete Floors & Countertops ........................................................39 Hall Implement Co. .........................................................................................27 Hall & Smith ....................................................................................................52 Hammond Lumber Company ...........................................................................44
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Hardys Motorsports .........................................................................................69 Harris Drug Store ............................................................................................52 HealthReach Community Health Centers ............................................................4 High Tide Low Tide Seafood ...........................................................................54 Highland Farms Logging, LLC .........................................................................13 Hight Family of Dealerships ...............................................................................7 Hodgdon Well Drilling, Inc. ..............................................................................6 Homestead Realty ...........................................................................................25 Hungry Hollow Country Store ...........................................................................3 Hydraulic Hose & Assemblies .............................................................................6 Ideal Electric ....................................................................................................42 Image Auto Body .............................................................................................69 J&K Sporting Goods ........................................................................................37 J.D. Potter Construction ....................................................................................31 J.E.T.T. 24 Hour Towing & Transport ...............................................................39 J.T. Reid’s Gun Shop ..........................................................................................5 J.T.’s Finest Kind Saw ......................................................................................55 Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce ...................................66 Jack’s Air Service .............................................................................................52 Jake White Logging .........................................................................................29 Jay-Livermore-Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce ..................................58 Jean Castonguay Excavating ...........................................................................38 Jimmy’s Shop ‘N Save.......................................................................................68 JMS Services ....................................................................................................28 Johnny Castonguay Logging & Trucking ..........................................................39 Jordan Lumber Company ...............................................................................48 Joseph’s Market ..............................................................................................59 Justin Carlson Tree Service ..............................................................................67 Kash for Kans Recycling, LLC .........................................................................12 Keith Hadley Inc & Auto Sales .........................................................................17 Kelley Petroleum Products, Inc. .....................................................................72 Kiesman Drywall, Inc. ......................................................................................31 Kim’s Garage ...................................................................................................60 KMD Auto Repair .............................................................................................73 Knowles Lumber Company ...............................................................................8 Korhonen Land Care & Excavation ..................................................................17 Kramers Inc. ....................................................................................................42 L.P. Poirier & Son Inc., Excavation ..................................................................20 L.R. Nadeau Inc. Excavation .........................................................................25 Lacasse Shoe Repair, Inc. .................................................................................72 Lakewood Continuing Care Center....................................................................41 Laney’s Pit Stop ...............................................................................................55 Langtown Outfitters & Guide Service ..............................................................66 Lapointe Custom Construction ........................................................................60 Larsen’s Electric ...............................................................................................64 Larsen’s Jewelry ..............................................................................................59 Lavallee’s Garage ..............................................................................................67 Law Office of Brian Condon, Jr., Esq. ..................................................................25 Len Poulin Inc. Excavation ..............................................................................59 Lewiston House of Pizza .................................................................................20 Liberte Auto Sales & Service .............................................................................20 Linkletter & Sons, Inc. .......................................................................................4 Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union .........................................................24 Littlefield Paving .............................................................................................59 Lizotte Construction ........................................................................................41 Logan Home Builders ......................................................................................30 Long Green Variety .........................................................................................58 Long Pond Camps & Guide Service ....................................................................6 Luce’s Meats & Maple ......................................................................................53 Lyn’s Spring Service, Inc. ..................................................................................25 Madison Area Health Center ..............................................................................4 Maine Crafts Festival ........................................................................................65 Maine Family Federal Credit Union ...................................................................8 Maine Forest Service .......................................................................................45 Maine Gro Compost .........................................................................................22 Maine Historical Society ..................................................................................4 Maine Pellet Sales LLC .......................................................................................8 Maine-ly Foam ................................................................................................31 Maine Veterans’ Homes ...................................................................................33 Mainely Puppies ..............................................................................................16 Maine’s Paper & Heritage Museum .................................................................38 Mama Bear’s Den ............................................................................................53 Maple Leaf Self Storage .................................................................................60 Martin’s Auto Repair ........................................................................................16 Maurice Restaurant .........................................................................................35 Maynard’s In Maine .........................................................................................51 McAllister Accounting & Tax Services ............................................................58 McNaughton Construction ..............................................................................42 Mel’s Raspberry Patch .....................................................................................29 Memorial Guard LLC ........................................................................................38 Merle Lloyd & Sons Earthwork Contractors ....................................................69 Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce ....................................................................40 Mike Wainer Plumbing & Heating.....................................................................43 Ming Lee Chinese Restaurant ...........................................................................40 Montello Heights Retirement Community ......................................................23 Moosehead Motorsports .................................................................................52 Morrell’s Septic Tank Service & Excavating ....................................................14 Mother India ....................................................................................................20 Motor Supply Co. ...............................................................................................3 Moulton Lumber ..............................................................................................30 Mt. Abram Regional Health Center ..................................................................4 Mt. Blue Drug ...................................................................................................45 Murdough Logging & Chipping ......................................................................15 Naples Marina .................................................................................................33 Naples Packing Co., Inc. ..................................................................................63 New Portland Lions Agricultural Fair ...............................................................65 Nordica Homestead Museum ...........................................................................44 Northeast Laboratory Services ..........................................................................3 Northland Hotel Rooms & Lounge ..................................................................68 Norway/Paris Soft Serve ...................................................................................16 Oberg Insurance & Real Estate Agency ............................................................14 Old Fart Construction .......................................................................................70 Oquossoc Marine .............................................................................................51 Otis Federal Credit Union ................................................................................58 Our Village Market ...........................................................................................65 Oxford Casino ......................................................................................Back Cover Oxford Federal Credit Union ............................................................................47 Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce ................................................................14 Oxford Hills Taxi ...............................................................................................35 Packard Appraisal, Inc. ....................................................................................31 Pat’s Pizza - Auburn .........................................................................................24 Pat’s Pizza - Windham ......................................................................................27
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Penobscot Marine Museum ............................................................................19 Perkins Management ......................................................................................41 Phil Carter’s Garage ..........................................................................................59 Pine Tree Paving ..............................................................................................16 Poland Mining Camps ....................................................................................26 Pork Chop Tree Company ..................................................................................29 Prestige Pools ...................................................................................................24 Quinn Hardware .............................................................................................70 R&B’s Home Source ........................................................................................54 R.E. Lowell Lumber Inc. ..................................................................................37 R.F. Automotive Repair ....................................................................................71 R.S. Pidacks Inc. ................................................................................................4 R.W. Day Logging ...........................................................................................14 Randy’s Full Service Auto Repair, LLC ..............................................................55 Range Pond Campground ................................................................................10 Rangeley Building & Remodeling - Belgrade .................................................45 Rangeley Building & Remodeling - Rangeley .................................................49 Rangeley Electric ..............................................................................................51 Rangeley Family Medicine ................................................................................4 Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce ...........................................................51 Record Building Supply, Inc. ...........................................................................15 Red Mill Lumber ..............................................................................................33 Redington-Fairview General Hospital ..............................................................56 Richard Wing & Son Logging Inc. ...................................................................28 Rick & Kevin Lewis Building & Remodeling ...................................................14 Ricker Hill Orchards .........................................................................................38 Rick’s Garage ...................................................................................................54 Rising Sun Cafe & Bakery ..................................................................................35 River Valley Chamber of Commerce ................................................................64 River Valley Grill ..............................................................................................47 Riverbend Campground ....................................................................................9 Riverside Realty ..............................................................................................63 Robert W. Libby & Sons, Inc. .............................................................................5 Rod’s Cycle & RV ...............................................................................................54 Ron’s Market ....................................................................................................61 Ron’s Transmissions ..........................................................................................10 Roopers Beverage & Redemption ....................................................................21 Rottari Electric ..................................................................................................9 Roy Brothers Excavation ...................................................................................24 Roy’s All Steak Hamburgers & Golf Center ......................................................23 Russell & Sons Towing ......................................................................................35 S.A. McLean, Inc. ..............................................................................................29 Sackett & Brake Survey, Inc. ............................................................................71 Sanders Auto Service .....................................................................................65 Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce .................................................10 Seth McCoy’s Excavating ..................................................................................12 Shawn’s Masonry ............................................................................................16 Simplicity Full Service Salon ............................................................................64 Siragusa Builders ..............................................................................................9 Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce .........................................................56 Smile Again Dentures, Inc. ...............................................................................22 Solon Corner Market ........................................................................................57 Solon Superette ...............................................................................................53 Spencer Group Paving, LLC ............................................................................38 Stanley Ames LLC .............................................................................................70 Sterling Electric ................................................................................................46 Stratton Plaza Hotel & Traitor Lounge ...........................................................67 Strong Area Health Center ................................................................................4 Strong Hardware & Building Supply .............................................................65 Styling Dog Grooming Boutique .......................................................................6 Sugarloaf Rentals & Cleaning Services ............................................................49 Sunset Flowerland & Greenhouses .................................................................43 Taste of Waterville.com .....................................................................................40 Taylor’s Drug Store ...........................................................................................55 The Irregular ...................................................................................................48 The Kingfield Woodsman Restaurant .............................................................49 The Korner Store & Deli ...................................................................................44 The Little Red Hen Diner & Bakery ..................................................................48 The Looney Moose Cafe ....................................................................................66 The Milk Room Store .......................................................................................11 The Old Bookshop ............................................................................................13 The Peppermill Restaurant ..............................................................................12 The Rangeley Inn .............................................................................................50 The Sterling Inn Bed & Breakfast ...................................................................53 Thompson’s Restaurant ..................................................................................53 Tilton’s Market ................................................................................................18 Tom’s Auto Parts ................................................................................................8 Town of Farmington ........................................................................................45 Town of Mexico ...............................................................................................63 Trailside One Stop ............................................................................................52 Trash Guyz .......................................................................................................27 Triple D Redemption & Tanning Spa .................................................................69 Tri-State Steel ...................................................................................................27 Tuck’s Ale House ..............................................................................................62 Twin Town Homes ..........................................................................................15 Valley Arbor Care ..............................................................................................60 Valley Gas & Oil Company ...............................................................................65 VintageMaineImages.com .................................................................................4 W.D. Bickford Machinery .................................................................................43 W.L. Sturgeon, Inc. Excavating Contractor ........................................................13 Wadsworth Woodlands Inc. ............................................................................30 Warren Brothers Construction ........................................................................61 Weber Insurance Group ...................................................................................48 Weiss Drywall & Remodeling LLC ..................................................................34 Welch’s Hardware & Lumber ..........................................................................12 Western Maine Family Health Center ...............................................................4 Western Maine Pharmacy, Inc. ........................................................................49 Westwood Cottages .........................................................................................31 White’s Land Management .............................................................................46 Whittemore & Sons Outdoor Power Equipment ...............................................57 Willie’s Towing .................................................................................................11 Willyn to Do What You Can’t Find Time To Do ..................................................13 Wilson Excavating, Inc. ....................................................................................17 Wilson Funeral Home .....................................................................................10 Winslow Supply, Inc. ........................................................................................60 Woodlawn Rehab & Nursing Center ................................................................56 Wood-Mizer of Maine .....................................................................................18 Woodsome’s Feeds & Needs ............................................................................11 YMCA of Auburn / Lewiston .............................................................................23 Zippy Copy Center ............................................................................................11
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always fun! Maine’s home for wicked good fun, with 24/7 casino action and now a brand new hotel and pub!
OxfordCasino.com
Experience round-the-clock casino excitement on our expanded gaming floor, including nearly 1,000 slot machines and 28 table games! With a new hotel featuring over 100 rooms and a new pub-style restaurant offering the best in Maine and New England cuisine, we’re building excitement every day!
Oxford Casino Hotel is just minutes from the Maine Turnpike on Route 26!
Persons under 21 years of age may not enter the gaming area unless licensed as employees. Gambling problem? In Maine, call 2-1-1 or (800) 522-4700 for help.