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Maine’s History Magazine Volume 27 | Issue 5 | 2018
15,000 Circulation
Midcoast Region
Thomaston’s Henry Knox
From bookstore owner to Washington’s “Right-hand Man”
Morse’s Sauerkraut
Serving Waldoboro for 100 years
Gun Battery On Bailey Island World War II: Be Vigilant!
www.DiscoverMaineMagazine.com facebook.com/discovermaine
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Inside This Edition
Maine’s History Magazine 3 It Makes No Never Mind James Nalley 4 The New Brooks Barn It was framed up the old-fashioned way Brian Swartz 9 Rescuing The Nellie G Coast Guardsmen broke thick ice off Falmouth Foreside Brian Swartz 14 Gun Battery On Bailey Island World War II : Be Vigilant! James Nalley 17 The Historic Bailey Island Bridge The only cribstone bridge in the world John Murray 22 The 1932 Gardiner Winter Mild winter weather broke many records Brian Swartz 26 The Smelts Are Running! Fishing with Grandpa Thomas J. Roth 32 Thomaston’s Henry Knox From bookstore owner to Washington’s “Right-hand Man” James Nalley 38 Belfast’s William Veazie Pratt Native son reached the pinnacle of the U.S. Navy Brian Swartz 42 Wartime Housing In Bath Experimenting with an idea James Nalley 46 A Glimpse Of The State Archives A backstage tour into Maine’s history Brian Swartz 50 Morse’s Sauerkraut Serving Waldoboro for 100 years Brian Swartz 54 Unity’s Carro Clark Publishing pioneer Kenneth Alton Clark
Midcoast Region
Publisher & Editor Jim Burch
Layout & Design Liana Merdan
Advertising & Sales Manager Tim Maxfield
Advertising & Sales Dennis Burch Tim Maxfield
Field Representatives Jim Caron Jim Owens
Office Manager Liana Merdan
Contributing Writers Kenneth Alton Clark John Murray James Nalley Thomas J. Roth Brian Swartz
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 24 & 58
Front Cover Photo:
Fishermen on the shore of Monhegan Island. Item #LB1995.72.223 from Atlantic Fisherman Collection and www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org All photos in Discover Maine’s Midcoast 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
B
y the time this column goes into publication, it will be late Spring, which brings to mind the proverb, “April showers bring May flowers.” On this note, however, Maine is the only state in the country whose state flower is not actually a flower. In 1893, the Women’s Congress at the World’s Fair in Chicago presented the “National Garland of Flowers,” which was made of individual state flowers (or floral emblems) that were selected by the respective state legislatures. Although it was unofficial at the time, many states went on to select their official state flowers as a direct result of this presentation. For example, in late 1894, the Maine Floral Emblem Society launched a campaign to officially establish the state flower, with the help of its citizens. Within days of the announcement, ballots were published in all of Maine’s major newspapers, the purpose being to obtain a majority consensus on the official flower. Overall, the residents of Maine were asked to vote on one of three candidates: the goldenrod; the apple blossom; and the pine cone and tassel. After the votes were tallied, the pine cone and tassel garnered approximate-
ly 60% of the votes. Thus, the pine cone and tassel was adopted as the official floral emblem of Maine by the 67th State Legislature on February 1, 1895. Now, for the botanical buffs out there, the pine cone and tassel (also known as Pinus strobus) comes from the eastern white pine, which, by the way, was named Maine’s official tree on July 21, 1945. According to Maine.gov, “The white pine is considered the largest conifer in the northeastern United States. With a height of up to 200 feet, its leaves (needles) are soft, flexible, and bluish-green to silver-green in color. The cones are 4-8 inches in length and their scales are thin without prickles.” In addition, the white pine is classified as a “gymnosperm,” which does not produce true flowers, but pine cones or strobili. The selection of both the white pine and the pine cone as the state tree and “flower,” respectively, is not surprising, considering that these trees have dominated Maine’s landscape for millennia. Moreover, the lumber products created from these pine trees have fueled the local and regional economy since the early 1600s. As an add-
ed trivia bonus, during the colonial period, the tall, straight trunks of the pine trees were frequently used for the masts of the British Royal Navy vessels. Well, on this note, allow me to close with the following lumber-inspired jest: An elderly man named Isaiah Jones was unhappy about his new chainsaw. For the purpose of getting a refund, he headed back to the hardware store where he had bought the “defective” equipment. As he approached the manager, he yelled, “I bought this chainsaw the other day and YOU claimed that it was supposed to cut FOUR CORDS OF WOOD A DAY! But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t cut more than ONE CORD A DAY! Something’s WRONG!” Then, the manager calmly replied, “Mr. Jones, you’re one of our most loyal customers. We certainly don’t want you to be unhappy. Here, let me take a look at it.” The manager took the chainsaw and headed into the workshop, after which he pulled the starting rope and began to easily cut a test log. That is when Mr. Jones yelled, “HEY…WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISE???”
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The New Brooks Barn It was framed up the old-fashioned way by Brian Swartz
W
hen the Brooks Historical Society needed something new, a Jackson carpenter used an old-fashioned construction technique to meet that need. The society operates the Brooks Historical Society Museum located at 24 Moosehead Trail, just a short distance from the intersection of Routes 7-139 in downtown Brooks. The museum is located in the wood-framed Pilley House, which took its name from Hiram and Mary Pilley. Of their four children, son Albert later lived in the house with his wife, Esther, and their daughter, Louise. “She was the last Pilley to live here,” said Brooks Historical Society
President Betty Littlefield. The Pilley House was deeded to the historical society by Bob and Lee Elliott in 2005 and, along with the adjacent barn, opened as the Brooks Historical Society Museum the same year. Since then the house has undergone extensive renovations, including a new furnace, a new roof, and insulation installed in the attic. Its age indeterminate, the adjacent barn was another story. “Supposedly moved here from elsewhere in town,” the barn “tipped sideways,” Littlefield said, and “its roof was almost gone. “We decided to have it taken down,” she said, and soon only a 7-foot deep hole remained where the barn had
stood. Bud Menard, a Jackson carpenter and farmer who has constructed timber-frame buildings, “was very familiar with the barn that was here. It was in poor condition.” He thinks that because of its size, the original Pilley barn “was more of a carriage shed.” Having demonstrated his carpentry at a museum open house, Menard was well known to historical society members. “We wanted a [new] barn so badly,” Littlefield said; upon learning of that desire, Menard offered to build a barn if the Brooks Historical Society could provide funds to purchase the building materials. Society members obtained a $15,000
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com Davis Family Foundation grant and raised additional monies to fund the barn, which cost more than $20,000. Menard started the barn project “in the winter of 2014 and carried on through early 2015 in the shop” at his farm. Designing a timber-frame barn 26 feet wide, 36 feet long, and 21 feet tall at its peak, Menard opted to use white pine timbers exclusively for the building’s frame. “I love white pine,” and hardwood is not often used in timber frames, he said. Menard visited different sawmills to personally select logs, which the mill operators then sawed to his specifications. A Brooks sawmill “predominantly cut all the timber frame for that barn,” he said. The timbers came in various sizes, such as 4-by-7 inches, 6-by-6 inches, and 8-by-8 inches. During the first winter, Menard measured and cut out the frame from the timbers. Accumulating “600 hours of winter work” in his shop,
“I drank a lot of hot cocoa, [and] had a lot of fires” in the wood stove to keep warm in what was one of the coldest Maine winters in recent memory. A Connecticut native, Menard “got a genuine interest in how to timber frame” years before moving to Maine. “I just loved it when I was growing up,” said Menard, who honed his skills while working with George Senerchia, “an unbelievable craftsman” who owned Northford Timber Framers. Menard opted to build the barn’s frame like Maine carpenters would have done during the 18th and much of the 19th centuries. “It’s all mortise and tenon. The entire frame is self-standing,” he said. Cutting most holes with power drills and finishing others by hand, Menard figuratively assembled the frame in his shop to make sure that every timber fit correctly. “I measured twice, sometimes three times, and cut once,” he said.
“It would be an expensive mistake if I cut wrong,” he noted. Of the 14,000-15,000 board feet of lumber that Menard estimates went into the barn, about 8,000 board feet went into the timber frame. Once winter 2014-2015 passed into history, Menard “waited until the weather got good” before transporting the timbers to the Pilley House. A local company graded the site selected for the barn, which unlike its predecessor would not be connected to the house by a breezeway. The new barn would rest on concrete piers that extended below the frost line. The barn was raised on Saturday, July 17, 2015. “The raising day, we did have much help,” Menard said. Ed Miles of Northeast Equipment supplied a crane, and Menard’s three sons — Bryan, Josh, and Eric — assisted their father all day. Despite the occasional showers that (cont. on page 6)
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(cont. from page 5) dampened interior Waldo County, the barn “was up that same day,” Menard said. Each timber was carefully set in place, then pegged with pegs made mostly from red oak. Also crafted by Menard, the pegs measured from 2 inches up to 12 inches in length; he used “about 240 pegs” to fasten the timbers together. “The frame itself has no hardware in it,” Menard said. While designing the barn for the needs of the Brooks Historical Society, Menard also incorporated beauty and simplicity into the building’s features. Accessed by a ramp wide enough to accommodate a horse-drawn carriage, the front doors slide to right and left, just as many barn doors did in the 19th century. To bring the natural light indoors, Menard installed nine-panel “traditional divided light windows” because
“they’re more fitting for a building like this.” Surrounding hardwood trees block the morning light, but the sun had swung into the west on this particular day and illuminated the front of the barn. Standing inside where sunlight swept through the open doors, Menard pointed to the light pouring through the two front windows. “They’re beautiful,” he said. Stairs access the barn’s open upper level. When designing the two upper doors that stand where the access doors to the hay mow would be found in a traditional Maine barn, Menard installed a gate too heavy for a child to lift; “I did it that way purposefully, so no one would get hurt” by falling through the open doorway, he said. The Brooks Historical Society will use the barn to display artifacts.
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Rescuing The Nellie G Coast Guardsmen broke thick ice off Falmouth Foreside by James Nalley
W
rapping up another tourism season spent ferrying people and cargo between Falmouth Foreside and Great Chebeague Island, Oren Swett moored his small passenger steamer, the Nellie G, at Town Landing in Falmouth for winter 1933-1934. Deciding to convert the steamer’s engines from burning coal to burning gasoline, Swett worked on the boilers as winter landed with a thud on southern Maine. Edward McDowell, a close friend, often assisted Swett in the conversion work, done in tight quarters and poor lighting in the steamer’s small engine room. By early January 1934, brutal cold and heavy snows had set new weather
records in Cumberland County. Nighttime temperatures often plunged well below zero, and Portland Harbor froze over so solid that daring schoolboys walked across the ice from Eastern Promenade to Mackworth Island. Thick ice soon encased the Nellie G and the Falmouth Foreside shore, from which local residents often walked back and forth to Clapboard Island. When they could work — and the days were not many — Swett and McDowell walked across the ice to climb aboard the Nellie G. They worked until the cold drove them ashore. One day in late January, the northwest wind freshened behind a passing storm and started pushing the ice, al-
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(cont. from page 9) gines were repaired. Her crew contacted Boatswain G.V. Stepanoff, skipper of the Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane, then moored in Portland Harbor. Could Stepanoff and his ship go after the Nellie G? Certainly, the intrepid Stepanoff replied. Swett and a friend, Edward McDowell, boarded the Harriet Lane, and the cutter got under way at 10 a.m. Wind-kicked vapor enveloped the ship as it cruised through open water — and with Little and Great Diamond islands to starboard — as far as Clapboard Island, which belongs to Falmouth. Then the Harriet Lane took 10 minutes to punch through ice; suddenly open water reappeared, and Stepanoff paid close attention as his cutter approached the next ice field, a half a mile across and at least six inches thick. Its hull shuddering, the Harriet Lane slid up on the ice, which cracked and separated. Stepanoff backed up his
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dragging on the Casco Bay bottom, and waited as the Harriet Lane backed into open water. Stepanoff then maneuvered his cutter alongside the steamer. Securing the hawser fed over on the heaving line, Swett then jumped aboard the Harriet Lane. McDowell and a Coast Guardsman boarded the Nellie G to steer the steamer during its upcoming tow. With Swett acting as his pilot, Stepanoff started the Harriet Lane toward Portland. Keeping an eye on the ledges off Basket Island, he closely monitored both ships and the sea conditions. The wind and tide had not yet closed the channel broken by the Harriet Lane, but now the northwest wind howled from starboard rather than port. Freezing spray pounded the bows of both ships. Aboard the Nellie G, McDowell
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(cont. from page 10) and his Coastie companion stood at the wheel when not jumping up and down to keep warm. The temperature hovered somewhere below zero; despite their winter clothing, the men shook and shivered. Across inner Casco Bay steamed the Harriet Lane, the hawser line pulled tight as ice bounced off the Nellie G. The ships approached the Maine State Pier, where the little steamer was soon safely tied up. Ice three inches thick covered the bow of the Nellie G. Stepanoff and his crew would spend some time later that Monday breaking off the ice — fortunately not so thick — covering the bow of the Harriet Lane. Swett and McDowell shook hands all around with their brave Coast Guard rescuers.
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Gun Battery On Bailey Island World War II: Be Vigilant!
I
by James Nalley
n December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan and Germany, which opened up the United States to conflicts on two fronts: the Pacific and the Atlantic. Regarding the latter, military and merchant ships leaving the shipyards along the East Coast had become vulnerable to attacks from German submarines (U-boats) waiting off the coastline. According to the article “World War II in Casco Bay” by Sam Smith, “In the first months, 46 merchant ships were sunk off the east coast. Another 126 would be sunk before the war was over.” Of particular interest to German U-boat captains were the ships leaving Portland and Casco Bay in Maine. Smith
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com also added that one U-boat was sunk “five miles southeast of the Portland sea buoy” with another “seven miles off Halfway Rock after being spotted by shore gunners on Bailey Island.” Thus, strategic coastal forts were scattered throughout the islands of Casco Bay, including Bailey Island near Harpswell. Their sole purpose: to spot German U-boats and protect the ships as they left Casco Bay. Located on two parcels of land, one of which was purchased in June 1942 and the other leased in August 1942, the 7.37-acre Bailey Island Military Reservation was one of the most important. It included two, eight-story observation station and radar towers, a SCR-296 radar set, and Battery AMTB (anti-motor torpedo boat) 970, all of which were used to meet the primary objective. As stated in the article, “Seacoast Artillery Sets” by Patrick Clancey, the SCR-296 radar set was a “fixed
Bailey Island observation tower
coast artillery gun-laying medium wave radar set assigned to modern 6-inch or larger batteries.” More specifically, its function was to “provide present azimuth and range of surface vessels with sufficient accuracy for direction of gun fire.” What made this radar set particularly effective was that it was “not limited by darkness, haze, smoke or other atmospheric characteristics that render optical methods of observation ineffective.” As for the gun battery, two World War I-era 155mm GPF (“Grande Puissance Filloux”) guns arrived in August 1942, in response to the June 1942 submarine sighting nearby. However, with the increase in the number of U-boat sightings, construction began on Battery AMTB 970 in 1943. Built with reinforced concrete, it included two 90mm guns (mounted on 90mm M3 fixed gun mounts), two 90mm guns (mounted on 90mm M1A1 mobile gun (cont. on page 16) Fresh Seafood
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(cont. from page 15) mounts), and two 37mm guns (mounted on M3 mobile mounts). In addition to spotting enemy U-boats, the gun battery also protected the coast against fast enemy motor torpedo boats (MTBs) and aircraft. According to the article “Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Portland, Maine” by the U.S. Army, “The effective range of the guns was approximately 4.5 miles. Each weapon required a crew of 15, with 9 men in the gun squad and 6 men in the ammunition squad.” In order to house the necessary personnel, the site also included a barracks, a mess hall, two generator buildings, and a radar operations building. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy also placed anti-submarine indicator loops around Casco Bay, with listening stations at Fort Williams, Peaks Island, Cape Elizabeth, and Bailey Island. These indicator loops were miles of
submerged cables placed on the seabed to detect the passage of enemy submarines. According to the article “Bragg and Mitchell’s Anti-Submarine Loops” by Richard Walding, “Indicator loops are long lengths of cables laid in precise patterns on the seabed. The presence of steel-hulled vessels is detected by the electromagnetically induced swing of a needle at a nearby shore station. Anti-submarine vessels are stationed nearby to attack the submarines, usually with depth charges.” After Germany and Japan surrendered in April and August 1945, respectively, the long war had come to a decisive close. As a result, the coastal defenses along Casco Bay were no longer necessary and the gun batteries were deemed obsolete. In August 1945, Battery AMTB 970 was deactivated, after which the 4.50-acre lease on Bailey Island was terminated and the site
was abandoned. Today, although the two towers currently sit on private property, they can still be easily spotted on the southern point of Bailey Island. These eight-story towers have stood the test of time and they are reminders of an important period in history when tensions were high and vigilance was of utmost importance. Nostalgic Carhop Service
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The Historic Bailey Island Bridge The only cribstone bridge in the world by John Murray
U
nique to any other bridges in the state of Maine — and the entire world — is the Bailey Island Bridge. Nicknamed the Cribstone Bridge by local residents of the township of Harpswell, this historic bridge is recognized today as a civil engineering marvel. The township of Harpswell consists of a portion of coastal mainland which has several islands in adjoining Casco Bay, including Bailey Island and Orr’s Island. Bailey Island acquired its current name in 1742, when the Reverend Timothy Bailey purchased what was then known as Will’s Island. Will’s Island was named after a freed slave who was called Black Will, and the island
was later occupied by his son, William Black. Past records are sketchy, but it is believed that Reverend Bailey purchased the Island from William Black for a gallon of rum, and a pound of tobacco. After the transaction, William Black relocated to Orr’s Island, and the Reverend Bailey and his wife became residents of Will’s Island, which was renamed Bailey Island. Surrounded by superb fishing waters, Bailey Island would ultimately become populated by fishermen and their families. The ocean waters were rich with lobster, cod, mackerel, striped bass, bluefish and tuna. Bailey Island fishermen used boats to pursue their ocean fishing ventures, and these
boats were also the only link to the coastal mainland. This water travel to the coastal mainland was impossible during inclement weather and the winter season, so the residents of Bailey Island wanted a bridge to be constructed. By the 1800s, Orr’s Island, which was approximately 2000 feet north of Bailey Island, already had a bridge in place to connect Orr’s Island to the coastal mainland. Orr’s Island was relatively close to the mainland, and this constructed bridge had a span of 50 feet. Numerous proposals were made to fabricate a bridge linking Bailey Island to Orr’s Island. All these proposals were denied at town meetings (cont. on page 18)
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(cont. from page 17) by the larger number of the townships residents that lived on the coastal mainland. It was always concluded that the cost of such a large bridge project would only benefit a small amount of Harpswell’s population. Finally in 1883, the residents agreed that a bridge could be constructed between Bailey Island and Orr’s Island, but the bridge project stalled during the initial planning stages. In 1912, a modern road was planned to cross both islands, and the bridge was included with the project. The estimated cost of the bridge was determined to be $25,000, and the state of Maine instituted a law in 1915 which would give funds for road and bridge projects. With positive traction now in place to begin the project, the Bailey Island Bridge construction stalled out again, with concerns about the country’s involvement in World War 1. In 1927, the Bailey Island residents
ultimately saw the started construction of the long awaited bridge. The bridge was designed by Liewellyn N. Edwards, the bridge engineer for the state of Maine. A graduate of the University of Maine with a civil engineering degree, Edwards had already designed and constructed five railroad bridges in the state by 1912. By 1927, Edwards was a seasoned designer of bridges, and his experience gave him the foresight that the Bailey Island Bridge would have to be unique in construction to contend with the flow of the coastal tides. Strong coastal tides and saltwater would cause rapid erosion of a conventional bridge, so Edwards designed a bridge that had never before been constructed in the United States. Unlike other bridges that are made with a single open channel to allow the passage of fishing boats, Edwards concluded that the strong current influenced by the
tides would create a danger for these fishing boats if this design was employed. To correct this issue, Edwards decided to construct a bridge that allowed for the ocean tide to pass through the entire length of the structure. The best location for the bridge was in a location between Bailey Island and Orr’s Island known as Will’s Gut. There was a natural reef ledge in this area, and this reef ledge would be the base for the bridge. To enable the ocean tide to freely pass through the length of the bridge, this bridge would be constructed from thousands of cut granite slabs. Granite is a strong and dense heavy rock. These granite slabs would be stacked on top of each other to form a cribwork base. The granite slabs were cut narrow, but long in length, and stacked in a horizontal fashion. Stacking of the granite slabs alternated in layers of being stacked lengthwise, then crosswise. No mortar
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was used to cement the granite slabs in place, but cut stone wedges were placed inside the gaps to help balance the weight load. Edwards determined that the cribwork stacking of the heavy granite slabs would be able to withstand both heavy winds and ocean waves. Boat traffic could freely pass under the center of the Cribwork Bridge in an opening that was constructed to be 52 feet in width. Approximately 10,000 tons of granite was used for the construction of the bridge. All of the stone granite was mined from quarries in Yarmouth. Stone workers cut the granite to length, and transported the heavy granite slabs to the jobsite location. An 18-foot wide roadway was laid along the top of the constructed cribwork design to allow for vehicle traffic. This roadway would ultimately be known as route 24, and connects Bailey Island and Orr’s Island with the main-
Bailey Island bridge provides a link to the mainland.
land. Hundreds of workers were used for the construction project which took place throughout 1927 and 1928. The finished Bailey Island Bridge would have a total length of 1,150 feet, and allowed residents and visitors to have year round passage to the island.
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There have always been skeptics, and probably always will be. At the time, Edwards’ design was scrutinized by other bridge experts, and some questioned if it would be able to function safely. The years ticked past, and time itself was the testament to the solid (cont. on page 20)
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(cont. from page 19) construction of the cribwork design. 23 years later, in 1951, a sidewalk was added to the bridge for the safety of walking pedestrians. 10 years after the sidewalk was added, guard rails were installed along the length of the span in 1961. More than 80 years after the bridge was originally constructed, an inspection noted that some granite slabs had cracked, and the bridge underwent repair during 2009 and 2010. During this time, a temporary bridge was constructed alongside the original Bailey Island Bridge so vehicle traffic to the island could continue. The granite slabs used to replace the cracked granite were mined from the same granite quarry in Yarmouth that provided the original granite. The Bailey Island Bridge is completely functional today, and is used extensively by the island’s 400 residents, and many tourists that frequently visit. Fishing is still a big part of the economy of Bailey
View of granite stones that form the Bailey Island bridge
Island, and lobster boats are a common sight in Mackerel Cove. A fishing tournament has taken place on the Island since its conception in 1938, and draws many competing saltwater anglers every summer. Liewellyn N. Edwards, who was born in 1873, and passed away in 1952, was always especially proud of his unique Bailey Island Bridge design that has withstood the elements of nature and the test of time. When the Bailey
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Island Bridge was completed in 1928, Edwards would begin another bridge project that same year. The Norridgewock Bridge in Somerset County was the next bridge constructed. This was a rainbow arch bridge over the Kennebec River that would also see many years of service, and ultimately was replaced in 2011. Liewellyn Edwards became known as a master bridge builder, and his passion for building bridges earned him the respect of his peers. The Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History proudly displays his engineering journals. The Bailey Island Bridge is truly one of a kind, and no other bridge in the world is similar. In 1975, the Bailey Island Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1984 the Bailey Island Bridge was officially deemed a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
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The 1932 Gardiner Winter Mild winter weather broke many records by Brian Swartz
E
ven the bugs had enjoyed the mild winter just passing into history — and sitting at his desk in his Augusta office, Maine state entomologist Dr. H.B. Pierson wrung his hands in worry. Like the black bears exiting their dens, the bugs were hungry, he told an Associated Press reporter looking for a good story in late April. Pierson explained that due to lower-than-expected temperature-related mortality, “most of the insect pests will emerge from their places of hibernation ready for a hearty meal.” Mainers had better beware, Pierson warned. Gardiner residents got a glimpse
of the winter to come on the previous Christmas Eve, when the thermometer hit 59 degrees, convincingly breaking the city’s 45-year record for the date by 11 degrees. Nearby Augusta was just about as warm, and Pierson wondered if the freakish heat presaged a trend. On Christmas Day, the thermometer settled to 36 degrees in Gardiner, again breaking the 45-year record. Upriver, Waterville posted a similar temperature, which shattered a 36-year record by one degree. “What’s going on here?” entomologist Pierson wondered. Up and down the East Coast and inland to the Midwest, Americans expecting to shovel and shiver through a
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typical winter had pleasantly watched the mercury go in the wrong direction as December transitioned to January. The January 15 issue of the Washington Post proclaimed that the 76 degrees officially recorded in the nation’s capital a day earlier had tied the all-time record for January 14. “Flowers have never ceased to bloom in the Capitol this year, coaxed out by the succeeding days of warm weather,” the Post noted. As expected, the paper cast a wide net to tell readers about the warm-weather anomalies elsewhere east of the Mississippi River. “Coatless citizens pluck pansies and pussy willows at New Haven, Connecticut,”
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com the Post reported on January 15. The 70-degree temperatures lured Cleveland youngsters to swim in Lake Erie, according to the paper. Kennebec Valley residents practically basked in the wintry sunlight. Breaking a 36-year record by 5 degrees, the Waterville thermometer topped out at 48 degrees on January 13. Pumped by southwest winds, the heat continued building into central Maine. The next day, as Washington, D.C. residents reveled in summer-like temperatures, people living in Gardiner doffed their coats and stepped outdoors into warmth more like mid-May than mid-January. The mercury reached 60 degrees in Gardiner on January 14 and broke the 45-year record, according to the National Weather Service. And that night the Gardiner thermometer bottomed out only at 33 degrees, also shattering a 45-year record. The temperature hit record highs at Gardiner on January 15-16; the read-
ings on both days again broke the 45year records by comfortable margins. Though only in the mid-50s and not competitive with Washington’s waytoo-early summer, the warmth was appreciated by the people of Augusta and neighboring towns. Entomologist Pierson sweated a bit as the warming trend continued through February and March. Higher temperatures meant that precipitation usually fell as rain or sleet, not snow, and prevented the ground and trees from freezing. That was bad news for farmers and horticulturists and good news for bugs, he realized. “Extremes of temperatures do much to destroy insect life,” Pierson explained to the AP reporter. “Tests show that some insects that can survive the winter in central and southern Maine are unable to live through the colder temperatures of the northern part of the state.
“Therefore, temperature acts as a natural barrier to many insects,” Pierson pointed out the obvious. The heat cooled a bit in February; the only place in the Kennebec Valley to set a new temperature record was Waterville, where the thermometer reached 49 degrees on February 18 and broke the 36-year record for that date. March settled into a normal temperature pattern, but by now the damage had been done in terms of insect survivability. Farmers were already looking over their bare fields and calculating what crops should be planted where. Pierson gave the AP reporter a brief but detailed explanation about the agricultural threats posed by insect pests. “Now it behooves everyone to be on the lookout for their appearance and to immediately take protective measures before crops are destroyed,” Pierson cautioned. (cont. on page 24)
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(cont. from page 23) According to Pierson, quite pleased to be sharing his professional expertise with a member of the fourth estate, the mild winter did not necessarily indicate a warmer-than-usual spring. There was still hope for Maine farmers. “The rise and fall of temperature in early spring” was critical, Pierson explained. Warm weather in April could “bring out many pests” emerging “from over-wintering eggs or … cocoons and nests, but large numbers of them would be destroyed if this warm period is followed by a below freezing temperature.” But that likely would not happen this spring because there was “little chance” of the insects “being caught by freezing weather,” Pierson admitted. The AP reporter scribbled a few words on his notepad. All this scientific talk about insects and eggs and cocoons and mortality and temperatures had glazed over his eyes; there just were
not that many farms right around the Capitol Building in Augusta, and the reporter wondered how much “white space” his editor would actually devote to this article. Sensing his interviewer’s wandering attention, Pierson graciously eased the topic toward the exit. Heavy, ongoing rains could “sometimes check serious insect outbreaks,” he noted. “Sawfly larvae and caterpillars are washed off and drowned by the millions during these rains.” April showers did come, and Gardiner broke a 45-year record yet again with a recorded 1.05 inches on April 12. Ten days later, Gardiner shattered yet another 45-year record when the temperature rose to 74 degrees. Hungry as all get out, the bugs were out and eating in Gardiner and elsewhere the Kennebec Valley — and doing quite well after surviving the record-breaking winter of 1932.
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View of Vassalboro looking south. Item # 6410 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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The Smelts Are Running! Fishing with Grandpa by Thomas J. Roth
S
pring did not come easy in Lincoln County in the early part of the 1900s. It seems that the winter was inclined to stay straight through until summer fought it away for another year. At least that’s what young Jim Flood thought. With nearly two months of school left and all his spare moments spent working at his grandfather’s farm, it seemed that the energetic lad had little time for what mattered most, fishing. The month of May in Lincoln County was usually spent repairing equipment, ordering seeds and picking up supplies at the local mercantile, but May found Jim pining away with the thoughts of a large bass or salmon at the end of his
line. Jim was luckier than most his age, because he owned a boat that he had gotten from his grandfather just the past summer. He fixed that little pram into a fine rowboat able to handle the sheltered coves of local Damariscotta Lake without a bit of trouble. Now he’d be able to paddle away from the shore where the really big fish lived. There was only one problem, ice still had a choke-hold on the lake with all but the center of Great Bay frozen in. Sure there was a bit of open water around the shore and the streams and tributaries were open, but those were no places for a boat, much less one he had so painstakingly restored. He’d
have to wait a few more weeks for the lake to fully open up. That Saturday, Jim found himself at his grandfather’s farm. He was helping Grandpa sharpen the edge on the plow that he pulled behind his team of horses. As he put the file back into the tool shed, Jim noticed a peculiar sight atop the tidy work bench. It was a net, much like Jim used when fishing, but the holes in the net were much finer than any he’d seen, and the net was almost as big around as the rain barrel outside the kitchen at his parent’s house. He picked up the lightweight net and took it to his grandfather in the barn. “What’s this, Grandpa,?” Jim queried.
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com “Why it’s a smelt net that I made for you,” was the reply. This puzzled Jim. Sure he’d heard tales of “smelt runs” when husbands would go out in the wee hours of the night, supposedly after smelts, returning home drunk and wet from falling in the water instead. Jim assumed that these were along the lines of the snipe hunts that his brother tried to coax him to go on. Grandpa noticed the disbelief in young Jim’s eyes, so he sat down and explained it all to the eager-to-learn boy. Smelts, Grandpa explained, lived in Damariscotta Lake in great numbers. Each spring, near the time of ice out, the smelt began their spawning runs up the streams and rivers that flowed into the lake. All one had to do was sneak up to the edge of the stream, late at night, and then scoop the tiny fish up into the net. Jim was amazed. How could anyone who loved fishing as much as he did ever miss out on such an event? Grandpa had just won him
over to smelting, and he couldn’t wait until the run was on. A few days passed, and the following Friday Jim was again at the farm, thinking more of Grandpa’s promise to take him smelting than working. A truck pulled up to the barn and Jim noticed Grandpa approach the man. It seems the man knew Grandpa from town, and he mentioned that Davis Stream was out. Jim didn’t know what he was talking about, but he listened on. He also heard the man state that the jacks were in. As the man drove away, Jim asked his grandfather what in the world the man was talking about. Grandpa explained that the ice had left Davis Stream and the jacks were jack smelt, or smelt that grew to enormous proportions. That was all he needed to hear. Jim was tugging at Grandpa’s coat, begging him to take him after the smelt. Grandpa naturally gave in and the plans were made. Jim was instructed to go home and
take a nap, wake up around 9:00 p.m., and dress warm. Grandpa also told Jim to bring along a few of his mother’s molasses cookies. Sleep did not come easy to the exuberant boy, but he managed to get a few winks in until his mother woke him. With woolen pants, a heavy overcoat and a bag of warm cookies, Jim was on his way to Grandpa’s. Grandpa was waiting in the dooryard with the nets and a flask of some caramel-colored liquid. After a short walk up the Linscott Road, then down a path towards the lake, they had reached the mouth of a small stream where Jim used to catch crayfish. Grandpa laid the nets out on the grass beside the stream and explained to Jim what he needed to do. Grandpa would work the lantern, opening the cover to expose a beam of light. He would then shine it on the water. When Jim saw the black cloud of smelt in the water, he was to sweep the net along (cont. on page 28)
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(cont. from page 27) the bottom and try to gather as many as he could. Jim was ready and anxious to give it a try. Jim and Grandpa crept up to the edge of the stream and Grandpa shined the light on the water. Jim couldn’t believe his eyes. There in front of him were hundreds of fish, some tiny and some up to eight inches long. He stood in awe as the fish darted away, some up and some downstream. “Jim, wake up!” cried Grandpa. The old man laughed as the boy plunged his net in the water, only to come up empty-handed. Jim was heartbroken. This was his first chance at a whole mess of smelt and he missed them. Grandpa pulled away from the water and they sat down by a tree to rest. That would give the smelts a chance to regroup and they’d have another crack at them. Grandpa took a drink from the flask and Jim asked him what it was. Rheumatism medicine was the reply he got, but even
young Jim knew better than that, as Grandpa washed down a cookie with the strong-smelling liquid. After what seemed like an hour, Grandpa suggested that they give it another try, so they headed back to the edge of the stream. Grandpa reminded Jim to act fast when he saw the fish, and not to disturb the bottom that much. As the light hit the water, Jim saw the fish. The net was so full it was almost bursting. “That’ll make a fine feed,” Grandpa stated, as they poured the slippery fish into a flour sack Grandpa had brought along for such an occasion. Back at the barn, a group of cats gathered where the old man was showing his grandson how to clean the little fish. First Grandpa would snip their heads off with scissors, then he’d open up the bellies with the point and draw the innards out. Next he’d dunk them in a bucket of water to rinse them, then place them in a bowl of corn meal.
Once the entire catch was cleaned, Grandpa fried the little fish in a cast iron skillet and put them on the table. By now Grandpa’s brother Ed had arrived, along with several other older friends, and Jim took his place at the table as the men commented on the size of the smelt this year. Jim took a crispy smelt from the basket, sniffed it curiously, and then bit into it. A smile quickly came to his face and in no time, he was doing his part to polish off the pile of fish that sat on the table. “Looks like Jim has taken a liking to these smelt,” Grandpa said to anyone listening. “You bet I have,” replied Jim. “Let’s go back and get some more!” It seems that Jim Flood had learned what many residents of Lincoln County knew all along — that smelts aren’t only fun to catch, they’re even better to eat. Besides, when ice-out is just a few weeks away and you want to catch a fish, what else does a young boy do?
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View of the south shed and sail loft at Rice Shipyard in East Boothbay. Item # LB1990.49.202 from the Ruth Montgomery Photographic Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Governor Lewis O. Barrows breaking ground for the new state lobster rearing station at Boothbay Harbor ca. 1938. Item # 7651 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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Carter boat MARM being launched in Waldoboro in April 1973. Item # LB2005.24.1836 from the Boutilier Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Thomaston’s Henry Knox From bookstore owner to Washington’s “Right-hand Man” by James Nalley
O
n April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. As the city of Boston was besieged, Henry Knox, a 25-year-old bookshop owner, fled the city as his store was looted and destroyed. After offering his allegiance and engineering skills to the militia, he was noticed by several generals in the developing Continental Army, including General George Washington. The two men immediately developed a respect for one another, and Knox quickly rose in the ranks to become chief artillery officer and one of the most influential leaders in the Continental and subsequent United States Army.
Portrait of Henry Knox by American artist Gilbert Stuart in 1806.
Henry Knox was born to ScotsIrish parents in Boston, Massachusetts on July 25, 1750. His father, William Knox, was a ship builder who eventually left the family when Henry was only nine years old. But Henry was a bright and gifted young man who was admitted to the Boston Latin School, where he excelled in everything from Greek and Latin to mathematics and history. Unfortunately, at the age of 12, he was forced to give up his education and work as a clerk in a bookstore in order to support his widowed mother. According to the book Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution by Mark Puls, “The shop’s owner, Nicholas Bowes, became a sur-
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com rogate father for the boy. At the same time, Knox was also involved in several of Boston’s street gangs and he had become known as one of the toughest fighters in the neighborhood. He eventually joined a local artillery company, known as ‘The Train’ at the age of 18.” In March 1770, Knox was a witness to the devastating “Boston Massacre,” which he attempted to defuse by trying to convince the British soldiers of “standing down.” He later offered a sworn testimony at the trials of the soldiers, in which all but two of them were acquitted. One year later, Knox opened his own bookshop in Boston called “The London Book Store,” which sold a full stock of books on military strategy and science. In his spare time, he co-founded the “Boston Grenadier Corps” and was second in command. In June 1773, Knox accidentally discharged a gun that shot off two fingers of his left hand. He quickly ran to the nearest doctor, who fortunately stitched
up the open wound. He remained a staunch supporter of the colonies and aided a variety of radical groups ranging from the “Sons of Liberty” to the “Boston Tea Party.” After abandoning his bookstore in 1775, Knox served under General Artemas Ward and not only helped him design and develop fortifications around Boston but directed artillery fire in the “Battle of Bunker Hill.” After befriending General George Washington, Knox (who did not have a commission in the army) was offered one by the 2nd Continental Congress. Not one to start at the “bottom,” Knox was immediately commissioned as a colonel in the army’s artillery regiment. He quickly applied his knowledge of artillery fire and convinced Washington to let him lead an expedition to retrieve approximately 60 tons of cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. Knox subsequently led what was to be known as the “noble train of artil-
lery,” which was an ox-drawn “train” of cannons and a variety of armaments that completed the six-week journey back to Boston on January 27, 1776. Upon arrival back in Boston, the cannons were immediately deployed to protect Dorchester Heights over Boston Harbor. So threatening were the rows of cannons that the British actually withdrew their fleet. Knox had suddenly earned the respect of every major politician from John Adams to Alexander Hamilton and he remained at Washington’s side through just about every major conflict of the war. In fact, he was in charge of the logistics for Washington’s famed “Crossing of the Delaware” that preceded the “Battle of Trenton.” Due to the battle’s overwhelming success, Knox was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and offered command of five regiments in the artillery corps. In 1777 Knox received word that Congress had appointed Philippe Tronson
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(cont. from page 33) du Coudray, a French officer, to command the artillery corps. Naturally, Knox’s ego was a little bruised and he immediately threatened his resignation. In a strange turn of events, Du Coudray was immediately reassigned to the post of inspector general instead, and eventually died after a fall from his horse in September of the same year. Meanwhile, Knox happily continued his earlier post and even established the Continental Army’s first school of artillery and officer training, which was the predecessor to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Through 1779, Knox spent his spare time training more than 1,000 soldiers in vital artillery skills despite the low morale and scarce rations since most of the primary battles of the war had moved to the south. But when Knox did rejoin some of the battles, he continued to excel. According to the Marquis de Chastellux, “We cannot sufficiently admire the intelligence and
activity with which he collected from different places and transported to the batteries more than 30 pieces…commending his military genius.” Knox was again recommended for another promotion — this time as major general, which made him the army’s youngest. With the arrival of peace in 1783, Congress began to demobilize the army, and Washington delegated command of its remaining numbers to Knox. During this time, Knox implemented several plans that still exist to this day — the formation of two military academies (one for the army and the other for the navy). When the British withdrew the last of their forces in November of that year, Knox led the American forces that officially took over. At the same time, Benjamin Lincoln resigned his post as Secretary of War and promptly recommended Knox to replace him. However, Knox disagreed with Congress’ idea
of establishing a standing militia force as a “peacetime” army, and he resigned his army commission in January 1784. In March 1875, Congress finally appointed Knox as the second Secretary of War, despite the fact that the army was only a fraction of its former size and the country was rapidly expanding west. At the same time, he assembled a multi-million acre tract of land in Maine, which eventually earned him an appointment as the “negotiator” of treaty arrangements with the Native Americans after an act by Congress in 1789. This would eventually prove to be difficult, especially since Knox disagreed with his leaders and continued acting upon his idealistic beliefs. According to Knox, “The Indians, being the prior occupants, possess the right to the soil. It cannot be taken from them except by their consent, or by rights of conquest in case of a just war. To dispossess them on any other
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principle would be a great violation of the fundamental laws of nature.” Obviously, as the rest of history has shown, this idea was ultimately overshadowed, and Secretary Knox eventually witnessed one bloody campaign after another. Only temporary treaties (with gifts such as livestock) would appease some situations, but many of the negotiations failed miserably. On January 2, 1795, Knox quietly resigned his position and returned to “Montpelier,” his estate in Thomaston, Maine. There, he spent his remaining years devoted to his family, cattle farming, and other business ventures built upon borrowed money. But his years in Maine were not as quiet as one would think. He often rented tracts of land out to settlers and used intermediaries to evict those who did not keep up with the bills. According to Liberty Men and Great Proprietors by Alan Taylor, “These tactics upset the
settlers to the point where they once threatened to burn Montpelier down. Knox briefly represented Thomaston in Maine’s General Court, but had become so unpopular that he eventually lost his seat to a local blacksmith.” As
a result, most of his business ventures failed, and he was forced to sell large tracts of land to satisfy his creditors. In 1806, while visiting an acquaintance, Knox swallowed a chicken bone, which (cont. on page 36)
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(cont. from page 35) subsequently lodged in his throat, creating an infection. He died three days later on October 25, 1806 and was buried on his vast estate in Thomaston. Unfortunately, his estate was near bankruptcy and his wife was forced to sell additional portions of the land in order to pay his creditors. Montpelier remained in the family until 1871, when it was demolished to make room for the Brunswick-Rockland Railway’s branch line. Today, the only surviving structure is an outbuilding that is the current home of the Thomaston Historical Society. But despite the numerous incidences and evidence that attest to both his good and bad character, Knox has been honored as the namesake for many cities and counties from Maine to Texas. Perhaps the most well-known (and ironic) is historic Fort Knox in Kentucky, which is home to the country’s gold bullion depository.
View of the Central Maine Power Company storefront, Chamber of Commerce and Veazie Hardware in Rockland, ca. 1930. Item # 201 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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View of the harbor in Camden on July 16, 1951. Item # LB1977.55.102.6 from the Carroll Thayer Berry Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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Midcoast Region
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Belfast’s William Veazie Pratt Native son reached the pinnacle of the U.S. Navy by Brian Swartz
A
talented Belfast native served his country so capably in the Navy that eight years after he retired from a 44-year career, the Navy Department recalled him to active duty to help fight another foe. Born in Belfast to Nichols and Abbie Jane (Veazie) Pratt on February 28, 1869, William Veazie Pratt was probably predestined for naval duty. During the Civil War, Nichols Pratt had joined the Navy as an acting master; he likely regaled William and brothers Ralph and Edward with tales of wartime daring-do. Securing an 1885 congressional appointment to the Naval Academy, William Pratt graduated in 1889 and spent
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two years aboard the USS Atlanta before being commissioned an ensign in 1891. Before returning to Annapolis as an instructor in 1895, Pratt served on warships ranging in size from a gunboat to a sloop to a cruiser. He taught at the Naval Academy until 1897, then reported aboard the gunboat USS Mayflower and participated in the blockade duty of Cuban ports during the Spanish-American War. Along with other young and rising naval officers, Pratt served on other warships after the war. He went to Annapolis again as an instructor in 1900, then returned to sea duty in 1902. Recognizing his leadership skills, se-
nior officers groomed Pratt for higher command. After a tour as navigator on the USS Newark, a cruiser, he served as the executive officer of two other cruisers. Securing higher rank and responsibilities required Pratt to study at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island from January 1911 to June 1913. He was on his way up after graduating from the NWC; Pratt’s first command was the light cruiser USS Birmingham, and he soon wore a captain’s eagles. Back home in Belfast, childhood friends and family acquaintances followed his career with interest. While war engulfed Europe, Pratt served a year in the Panama Canal Zone and
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com taught at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Pratt married Louise Johnson, a Boston native; their son, William Veazey Pratt (relatives noted the change in spelling from his father’s middle name), was born in New York City in late July 1917. America’s April 1917 declaration of war against Imperial Germany found William Pratt assigned to the Office of the Chief Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. For the next year he worked closely with senior Army officers to organize the convoys taking American troops to France. Named assistant chief of naval operations in August 1918, Pratt took command of the battleship USS New York in January 1919. Assigned as Commander Destroyer Forces, Pacific Fleet, in 1920, he was promoted to rear admiral in 1921. (cont. on page 40)
Belfast native William Veazie Pratt reached the rank of admiral during his 44-year career in the Navy. (U.S. Navy photo)
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(cont. from page 39) The Great War rubbed shoulders with the Civil War when Pratt returned to his hometown in late August 1922 to attend a bash in his honor. Just about every Belfast dignitary turned out for the dinner that members of Frank D. Hazeltine Post 43, American Legion organized at the Northport Country Club on Wednesday, August 30. The head table stood near the clubhouse’s fireplace. At least a dozen notables, including Belfast Mayor Clement Wescott and Post 43 Commander Ralph Bramhall, encircled the table. While Pratt was the center of attention, younger guests also noted the older man (perhaps the oldest) seated at the table. He was Colonel Philo Hersey, a “local boy done good” who, as a lieutenant colonel, went to war with the 26th Maine Infantry Regiment in 1862. Tonight, six decades after leaving Belfast and 37 years after moving to sunny
California, Hersey led off the speakers honoring Pratt. The admiral spoke last. He stood, looked across the rapt audience, and then talked about modern issues and personages. Guests listened closely as Pratt spoke for almost 90 minutes. Having just completed duty with American negotiators assigned to the Naval Limitations Treaty, Pratt shared behind-the-scenes details about the disarmament conference. The Northport Country Club living room was almost silent as he dropped names well-known to devotees of the news. Pratt served the Navy in other capacities after the Belfast soiree. Following two years in charge of the San Francisco-based Battleship Division 4, he became the president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island in 1925. Pratt left there two years later to command a battleship and then the Na-
vy’s Battle Fleet, a career move that saw him promoted to full admiral. Belfast’s native son reached the pinnacle of naval success with his September 1930 appointment as the chief of naval operations. Including duty in Great Britain during the London Naval Conference, Pratt remained the CNO until retiring in June 1933. He might have lived out his life in quiet retirement had not Nazi Germany invaded Poland and the Japanese military occupied French Indochina. The Navy recalled Pratt to active duty in January 1941; for the next six months he helped develop measures to defend civilian shipping against Nazi U-boats. Pratt retired for good in July 1941. He and Louise settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts, but he always considered Belfast his hometown. Pratt died in Massachusetts on November 25, 1957, and Louise lived until November 1963. Their son, William, served in the
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Army during the World War II and later prospected in Canada and Alaska. He died childless in 1993. The Navy honored Admiral Pratt in 1961 by naming a Philadelphia-built guided missile destroyer (DDG 44) the USS William V. Pratt. Decommissioned 30 years later, the destroyer was scrapped in 1995.
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Midcoast Region
42
Wartime Housing In Bath Experimenting with an idea by James Nalley
O
n April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stood before a joint session of Congress and requested that the United States officially declare war against Germany. As a result, the shipyards along the east coast, which had been somewhat dormant, sprang to life. As the massive shipbuilding program unfolded, thousands of workers, enticed by the pay, job opportunities, and sense of patriotism, flooded into the cities surrounding the shipyards. The shipyards in Bath were no exception. Due to the rapid influx of skilled laborers and their families, cities like Bath became overwhelmed. As stated in the official report published by the
U.S. Housing Corporation in 1920, “Bath…has a population normally of about 10,000, but during the war period, this increased to approximately 14,000.” However, according to Bathbased architectural historian Robin Haynes in the article titled, “First World War Housing Demand Remade Bath” (by Stephanie Bouchard), “The population of Bath went from 9,396 in 1910 to, by some estimates, between 18,000 to 20,000 in 1917-1918.” She also added, due to the lack of housing, people “turned barns into apartments, crammed people into rooms in houses all over town, set up tent cities outside the shipyards, and lived in houseboats on the river.” Needless to say, such ef-
forts did not help, and new housing had to be quickly constructed in order to support the war effort. Unlike what would happen today, the U.S. government, rather than creating temporary settlements, saw the opportunity to build quality, long-lasting neighborhoods that could be integrated into the surrounding communities. Thus, in early 1918, the U.S. Congress appropriated the necessary funds for 83 new housing projects to be built in 26 states, including Bath. In July 1918, the U.S. Housing Corporation (USHC) was established, as a division of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Industrial Housing and Transportation. Although some of the projects were
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com relatively small, with only a dozen dwellings, others approached the dimensions of small towns. As stated in the official USHC report, “In Bath, the site chosen, the so-called Palmer tract, is in the west-central part of the town and within about three-quarters of a mile of the Bath Iron Works…The spreading of the town sideways from the river is an advantage, as the town is tending to become inconveniently long and narrow. The Area Planned: 9.14 acres. Housing planned and constructed: 74 families; semi-detached two-flat houses, 16 families; total, 90 families.” At that time, the majority of the USHC projects incorporated the socalled Garden City principle, i.e., a distinct community with a park-like environment and plenty of open space. Since the USHC hired local architects for the projects, the houses generally matched the local/regional environment. In other words, the housing in the West Coast region of the country con-
sisted of wooden bungalows, whereas the housing in the East Coast region included red-brick Colonial structures. In Bath, the houses mainly consisted of five- and six-room dwellings with small porches and ample front, side, and back
yards. There were also “semi-detached, two-flat houses,” with a different family on each floor. Meanwhile, in order to make the housing affordable for the workers, the communities were relatively dense, without removing key features such as easy access to parks, plenty of light, and roads designed to their planned level of use. Overall, these housing projects proved to be extremely well thought out and cost-effective. According to Frederick Olmsted, Jr., the renowned American landscape architect and city planner, the “housing projects far exceeded in design and planning any immediate needs brought on by the housing shortage. The architects, planners, and engineers were also interested in testing out ideas that heretofore had been only subjects of theoretical debate.” In addition, this was the first time that the U.S. government had adopted design principles for city planning. In fact, such standards had a major influ(cont. on page 44)
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(cont. from page 43) ence on future city designs in the country. Despite the concerted efforts by all of the parties involved, on November 11, 1918, Germany signed an armistice, thus bringing the “The War to End All Wars” to a close. After the war, some shipyards closed while others refocused on peacetime endeavors. Consequently, the wartime labor force was no longer necessary. According to Haynes, “Within three weeks of the signing of the armistice…1,200 people had already left the city.” Meanwhile, some of the projects by the USHC had not yet been completed. However, in many cases, instead of simply demolishing the structures, the surrounding communities integrated these neighborhoods into their own city plans. For example, in Bath, there was the “North End Project” designed by architect R. Clipston Sturgis. In this project, three types of dwellings were built: 1 ½-story
single family homes, 1½-story duplexes, and 2-story dormitories with three bedrooms on each floor. Construction began approximately three months before the armistice was signed, and it continued for several months afterwards. Overall, a total of 65 brick houses were built. Interestingly, these brick houses still stand today as a testament to government innovation during a time of war. Besides the fact that these 100-year-old houses are relatively small (at least by modern standards), they have become well-known
for their quality, affordability, and investment potential. Although the U.S. government no longer conducts such projects on such a wide scale, architect Frederick Olmsted, Jr. summed up the effort as follows, “There are lessons to be learned from the work of the U.S. Housing Corporation, especially concerning the means by which small houses are not only made beautifully and consistently with economy of construction and convenience of use, but they are architecturally sound at consequent low cost.” You’ve got to visit
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A Glimpse Of The State Archives A backstage tour into Maine’s history by Brian Swartz
R
esearchers frequenting the Research Room at the Maine State Archives in Augusta often wonder, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, just who is that man behind the curtain? Or at the Research Room, just what lies beyond that elevator door? A veritable historical treasure trove, as a rare backstage tour of the Archives recently revealed. On a sunny autumn afternoon, about a dozen people gathered in the Research Room at the Archives to meet their tour guide, archivist Samuel Howes. Dressed as a colonial-era gentleman in honor of Halloween, he welcomed the visitors participating in the tour.
The State Archives share the architecturally utilitarian State Cultural Building with the Maine State Library and the Maine State Museum. A common lobby serves all three excellent facilities. Much of the library and museum are open to the public, but visitors to the Archives can access only the Research Room, technically located on the Archives’ third floor (the ground-level floor facing the Capitol). This room is where visitors interface with Maine’s history via microfilmed or print records. Security’s an issue here, so visitors
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must leave anything that could conceal priceless documents — coats, backpacks, purses, etc. — in lockers just inside the Research Room’s public entrance. Rental is $0.25 per locker; visitors take the locker keys with them. Why the concern about security? Research takes place on the honor system; supposedly no one will steal anything, but theft has occurred. While reading an original Civil War letter written by a famous Maine infantry officer, I discovered that someone had excised his signature with a razor blade. The thief likely kept the stolen signature or auctioned it to the highest bidder.
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com Like Gaul, the Research Room is divided into three parts. The first, nearest the public entrance, is the microfilm area, with cabinets containing microfilmed records, such as many municipal records, military records, pre-1892 marriage records from most counties, probate-court records from several counties, divorce records, and other records. Visitors searching particular microfilms via the on-site microfilm readers can make paper prints at $0.15 apiece or purchase a thumb drive from the Reference Room staff. Thumb drives brought from the outside are prohibited. Located beyond the microfilmed records is the original documents area, into which visitors can take only a computer, a camera, or a pencil. Notebooks and I-pads are banned, and if a researcher needs to take notes (only in pencil to prevent ink from staining a (cont. on page 48)
Samuel Howes, an Archivist III, displays a town record to people participating in a backstage tour of the Maine State Archives. (photo courtest of Brian F. Swartz)
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(cont. from page 47) historic document), the Research Room staff provides sheets of lined pink paper. Here, a visitor can request specific documents; a Research Room staffer then vanishes beyond that elevator door and returns a while later with a push cart laden with archival boxes. A visitor sits at a table to examine the documents, which can either be photographed with a camera or copied by the Research Room staff on a photocopier or a digital scanner. Located beyond the original documents area is the Civil War Reference Library. I’ve often wondered about where the archivists go when the elevator door closes behind them in the Research Room. What lurks beneath? Hearing no more questions about what’s available in the Research Room, Samuel Howes took his tour group beyond the elevator door, into a world that
HARTFORD
few visitors ever see. Into the elevator we stepped; the door closed, the elevator rumbled a bit, and another door opened onto the second floor. We stepped into a historian’s paradise. Box- and ledger-filled steel shelves stretched horizontally and vertically in every direction. Like gold prospectors exploring the Sierra Madre, we’d discovered the Mother Lode. Land records (even the original survey notes) dating to the late 18th century, business trademarks, Maine Public Utility Commission records dating from the commission’s 1914 founding, railroad-commission records from the late 19th century, Executive Council records, and municipal-court records from the era preceding the Maine district-court system. All these and more await historians. “If you’re researching Prohibition, this is a great place to look,” Howes referred to the municipal-court proceed-
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ings. There are Revolutionary War land grants issued into the 1830s for “mostly Somerset County, a little bit of Franklin and Washington counties,” he said. Covering multiple shelves are vital records supplied by town clerks and transcribed in the 1920s. Most town clerks provided the information on their local records, but a Leeds clerk added a lot of extra information about many local residents, according to Howes. There is the militia section with its extensive Civil War documents and militia courts material through 1853. “We do have a few things up to World War I,” Howes said. Then there’s “the legislative graveyard (dating to the 1820s), where all the bills the Legislature did not pass” go for storage, he said, drawing laughter from the tour group. The paperwork accompanying one such bill includes a 50-foot scroll signed by Maine women
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com in 1841 seeking the continued right to petition about abolition. Howes proudly unveiled an ancient and precious document: the 1637 charter of Maine granted by King Charles I. Maine’s almost 200 years old as a state, but our history goes back a whole lot farther. Then we rode the elevator to the first floor, much of it occupied by high-density shelving that rolls together to better utilize available storage space. “We’re functionally full” in terms of storage capacity, Howes explained. Down here are maps galore, original Maine census books from 1850 to 1880, boxes of photographs of Civil War soldiers from Maine, an original Declaration of Independence belonging to the town of North Yarmouth, and myriad bland records, such as oil-spill reports and underground storage-tank reports. The tour’s last stop was the vault, protecting extremely rare and valu-
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Among the rare documents stored in the Maine State Archives vault is this original 1819-published Maine state constitution. (photo courtesy of Brian F. Swartz) able documents, including the original Maine state constitution, printed in 1819. Afterwards we rode the elevator to the third floor, the Research Room, and
the exit. The elevator door closed. I had seen the world beyond it. Maine‘s history is in good hands.
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Morse’s Sauerkraut Serving Waldoboro for 100 years by Brian Swartz
A
century after its incorporation as a North Waldoboro business, Morse’s Sauerkraut thrives as the place where the tastes of the past meet the tastes of the present — and no one can tell the difference. The town’s name belies the Germanic roots (and hence the sauerkraut traditions) of Waldoboro, named after Boston-born Samuel Waldo, who in 1729 acquired a legal patent granting him controlling ownership of almost all the land between the Muscongus River and Penobscot River. Waldo needed to find settlers to whom he could sell land to recoup his investment. In his History of the Town of Waldoboro, Maine, Samuel Miller
cites one source that after Waldo toured Brunswick and Saxony, “forty German families … arrived at Broad Bay” in 1740 “and laid the foundation of the present town of Waldoboro.” Waldo certainly recruited more settlers in the German states in 1753. Carving farms from the dark woods, the Germans grew familiar crops; “cabbage was raised and sour krout (sic) manufactured from the first,” Miller noted. The Plantation of Broad Bay became
the Town of Waldoborough on June 29, 1773. During the next 127 years, German settlers’ descendants continued making sauerkraut; in the early 20th century, Virgil Morse Sr. grew cabbage and produced sauerkraut at his North Waldoboro farm. “Virgil made really good sauerkraut,” said Cody LaMontagne, who with her husband, James Gammon, owns Morse’s Sauerkraut today. Jim Gay, who owned a Waldoboro general store, “asked for a barrel of sauerkraut to sell” in 1910, “which led to the wholesale business,” Cody said. Sales picked up, and Virgil incorporated Morse’s Sauerkraut in 1918. He grew cabbage on some 15 acres and
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51
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com produced sauerkraut on his farm located on the Washington Road. In 1953, Virgil Jr. bought a Sears & Roebuck mold and cast cinderblocks for a new, larger building where he could produce sauerkraut. Constructed at 3856 Washington Road (modern Route 220), the building was packed with barrels of sauerkraut, and in true Maine fashion, locals dubbed it “The Kraut House.” The name settled into Midcoast lore. Unlike most crops that are grown in summer and harvested and processed in fall, cabbage is harvested in autumn, stored at cool temperatures, and fermented into sauerkraut through the winter and spring. James explained that layers of shredded cabbage are alternated with layers of salt inside a plastic bin that “can hold five barrels’ worth of cabbage.” The bin’s contents are tamped by hand with a wooden mallet, and the cabbage is then weighted down with large boards and river rocks.
In fact, Cody and James own the original rocks with which Virgil Morse Sr. weighted his first sauerkraut batch 100 years ago. Fermentation produces brine, which “is the juice from the cabbage,” and sauerkraut, which “has more vitamins and has those probiotics,” James said. Once finished fermenting, sauerkraut is “excavated” by an employee using a stainless-steel, food-grade pitch fork to remove the shredded cabbage from the bin. The process of producing sauerkraut, from loading shredded cabbage into a bin through fermentation and excavation, is called a “batch,” and in a typical year Morse’s will produce approximately 60 batches. Annually processing 70 tons of cabbage to produce 54 tons of sauerkraut (2017 figures), Morse’s buys its cabbage “locally from White Oak Farms in Warren” and also from “a fifth-generation family farm in upstate New York,” James said. White Oak Farms raises its
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cabbage in Knox and Lincoln counties. Sauerkraut fermenting takes place at a Morse’s facility in Union. “We’ve always got three batches going,” so customers are guaranteed fresh sauerkraut, James said. Virgil Morse Jr. took over Morse’s Sauerkraut in 1963, but unfortunately fell ill four years later. His wife, Ethelyn, worked as the chief nurse at the Damariscotta Hospital; she started transitioning into managing Morse’s when Virgil took sick and took over Morse’s after he died in 1969. She quickly expanded into retail and mail-order sales. Sauerkraut production reached 60 tons in 1976, and Ethylen added a new product, Aunt Lydia’s Beet Relish, after the family grew what Cody described as “a bumper crop of beets.” Leon Payne purchased Morse’s Sauerkraut from Ethelyn in the early 1990s and added many new products before (cont. on page 52)
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Local Antiques and Imports from Southeast Asia
Carpet • Ceramic • Wood Vinyl • Area Rugs
Block Prints • Textiles • Rugs • Jewelry • China Shawls • Tableware • Hanging Votives
207-594-2413 210 Park Street Rockland, Maine
Two Floors of Merchandise
~ Open 11am-5pm Daily ~ (Memorial Day - Columbus Day)
350 Main Street • Thomaston (across from the Prison Showroom)
354-0777 • After Hours: 594-4070
Midcoast Region
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(cont. from page 51) selling the business to Jacquelyn Sawyer and David Swetnam in September 2000. They opened the Kraut House Restaurant in 2002 and the Bavarian Pantry in 2003. Hailing from Sumner in Oxford County, Cody and Jim “had a business in Lewiston” several years ago and “were a wholesale customer of Morse’s,” Cody said. Seeking a rural business that would let them live nearby and operate a small restaurant on the premises, she and Jim bought Morse’s on New Year’s Day 2015 and moved into the Morse farmhouse next door.. “This business has been here so long, it was really important to maintain the traditions,” especially in using the original Morse family recipes, Cody said. Morse’s has developed a nationwide following for its delicious sauerkraut, pickled beets, and pickles, and many customers shopping at the
store have fond memories of visiting Morse’s with parents or grandparents in past decades. Morse’s Sauerkraut distributes wholesale to restaurants, grocery stores, delis, breweries, butcher shops, and other similar businesses all over Maine and ships mail order to customers as far away as southern California. Resembling a European delicatessen, the store attracts people seeking not only sauerkraut, but foods from overseas that are almost unavailable elsewhere. Cody explained that the store has some Asian food items and that Morse’s has expanded its food items “from a German focus to encompass a wider variety of offerings from across Europe.” Customers have responded accordingly; they often share recipes with Cody and James, helping them “create new relationships with people across the country,” she said.
Pen-Bay Glass, Inc. Commercial • Residential Auto Glass ➢ Custom Shower Doors ➢ Standard Shower Enclosures ➢ Framed or Frameless Monday-Friday 8a-5p
594-0766
Route 1, Thomaston Line • Rockland, Maine
www.penbayglass.com
Do You Enjoy Writing? Do You Love Maine? Do You Love History?
If so, give us a call. We Are Always Looking for HISTORY WRITERS to contribute to our magazine!
Discover Maine Magazine (207) 874-7720 • 1-800-753-8684
Area • CHAMBER • OF • COMMERCE • Serving the Inland MidCoast
www.unionareachamber.org members list ~ calendar of events information PO Box 603 • Union, ME 04862
SANTANA
EXCAVATION FOUNDATIONS
Over 15 Years of Experience New ~ Old ~ Repair Work House Jacking & Sills Sitework & Excavation Room Additions
975-0025 • Rockport, ME
Promptly Serving the Mid Coast Region
santanaexcavation.com
Open 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. except Wednesdays, The Kraut House serves central European and German dishes. The store is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., daily. “A lot of people know us because their families have come here for years,” James said. “There is a lot of history to Morse’s.” For more information about Morse’s Sauerkraut, check it out on Facebook and Instagram, log onto www.morsessauerkraut.com, call 207-832-5569, or email info@morsessk.com.
Discover Maine
Offshore Restaurant
Best in Local Seafood Daily Specials Lobsters • Clams • Scallops Haddock • Steamers Sandwiches • Burgers • Steaks Fresh Salad Bar with over 30 Items Prime Rib every Fri. & Sat. Cocktails • Children’s Menu Open Tuesday Thru Sunday Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Take out Available
596-6804 Route One, Rockport
(across from Mini Golf)
Air Conditioned
53
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The Windsor Hotel in Belfast. Item # LB1999.27.104 from the Frye Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
pro-rental of rockport “Choice of the Pros”
See us for all your construction equipment needs!
Murray Builders ~ Serving the Midcoast Region ~
•Fully Licensed & Insured •Renovation & New Construction •Caretaking
MAINELY POTTERY
EQUIPMENT & TOOL RENTAL FOR CONTRACTORS & HOME OWNERS 440 West Street RT 90, Rockport
236-8803
prorentalofrockport.com
Les Murray
557-4315
Explore our extensive inventory of fabulous yarns and hand-crafted accessories. We carry traditional wools, alpaca, cashmere, and cotton, as well as
novelty and hand-dyed yarns. We provide warm, friendly service, and weekly knitting groups. Visit us in the shop or on the web.
The Cashmere Goat A Knitting Shop
open ‘rou year nd!
20 Bayview Street, Camden, ME • 207.236.7236 • www.thecashmeregoatknit.com
Potter at work and works of 28 Maine potters Open daily on Route 1 East Belfast
207-338-1108 MAINELYPOTTERY.COM
Midcoast Region
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Unity’s Carro Clark by Kenneth Alton Clark
Publishing pioneer
“
adventurous and determined entrepreneur and author from Unity, in Waldo County, who became the first woman in American history to found and manage her own book publishing firm, the C. M. Clark Publishing Company, established in Boston in 1900. In the first decade of the twentieth century she was the only woman to publish books in the United States and perhaps even in the world. She and her team released back-to-back best sellers in Quincy Adams Sawyer and Blennerhassett, and Carro revolutionized the way books were marketed in the country. Born in 1867, Carro Clark grew up on a farm on the west side of Clark Road in the southeastern corner of Unity. A
She brought the elastic health and sound common sense (of) girls born…in the free air of the Pine Tree State.” No, the columnist from the Press and Horticulturalist on July 8, 1902 was not characterizing Maine’s most revered reformer, Hampden’s Civil War nurse and asylum investigator Dorothea Dix. “See what a gentle, blue-eyed woman can do if she has Yankee grit and the courage of her convictions.” The journalist from the Los Angeles Sunday Herald was not talking about a young Margaret Chase Smith, Portland’s long-serving member of the U.S. Congress and one-time presidential candidate. Instead, these quotes refer to Carro Morrell Clark, an
s n i f f i r G
Open 7 Days A Week 9am-5:30pm
207-342-5872 368 Augusta Road (Rt.3) Belmont, ME
WEAVER’S
ROADSIDE VARIETY ~ Bakery & Catering ~
Gas • Full Deli • Huge Beer Cave Non-Ethanol Fuel • Kerosene Agency Liquor Store We cater for any occasion and specialize in BARBEQUE
342-5697
1386 Waterville Rd. • Waldo, Maine
THE OTHER PLACE
Clothing & Accessories Hardware & Variety Goods ~ Blue Seal Feeds ~ “You Never Know What You May Find”
Flavored tortillas wrapped around gourmet fillings! Soups & Salads www.thebaywrap.com
338-9757
Come Visit THE HUB Full Espresso Bar & Coffee House 102 Main Street, Belfast
We’ve got it all wrapped up!
Open Monday - Saturday, Closed Sundays Also visit us at 1 Hitchborn Rd., Augusta 620-9727
BRYANT STOVE & MUSIC, INC. Come in and browse in the Bryant Stove Works Showroom. Visit Joe & Bea’s Doll Circus & Antique Museum
Antique Cars • Stoves Mechanical Music & Other Wonders
207-568-3665
27 Stovepipe Alley • Thorndike, ME Just 4 miles from Unity on Rt. 220
B ry ant St ove s.c om
Bucksport Hannaford 53 U.S. Route 1 Bucksport, ME 04416 207-469-3282
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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com large network of relatives lived close by, including her father’s first cousin, Michael, whose property lay two miles east over the Knox line where today Peter and Susan Curra operate the successful Curra Vale Farm. Freedom Village seems to have played a larger role in the family’s life than Unity, whose town center was further away and a more difficult reach via country roads. In the mid-19th century, Freedom bustled with business activity. Near where today’s Pleasant, High and Main Streets intersect, shoe and carriage makers, the Eldorado House Hotel, and two blacksmith shops served a steady stream of customers; among the many retail firms, one even sold “West India Goods and Groceries.” Carro attended Freedom Academy and the Congregational Church, both located on today’s Pleasant Road, about two miles from the Clark farm. In 1957 Freedom Academy suffered its second devastating fire and closed its doors for good, but not before providing an excellent education to generations of Waldo County children. In 1890 a restless Carro went to Boston where, after a brief period of work at the Hotel Clifton, she obtained credit to start her own dry goods store at 86 Massachusetts Avenue, right in the heart of the opulent Back Bay district. She returned often to the area to visit friends and relatives, taking the train up from Boston. One older brother, Alfred, ran a farm on a piece of the Clark
~ Freedom, Maine, ca. 1900 ~
Road property and his August 5, 1894 diary entry suggested the family made the most of Carro’s visits home: “It has been a fine day and I carried Carro… over to Unity to the Windemere Park,” close to the present location of the Benjamin Berry American Legion Post. Back in Boston, in the summer of 1900, Carro and her friends were invited to a reading by noted Bostonian Charles Felton Pidgin, who had gained earlier fame by writing successful musicals and operettas. The story she heard reminded her of the farm in Unity, and she determined to publish the complete tale herself. A few months later, the C. M. Clark Publishing Company was born. The first release, Pidgin’s Quincy Adams Sawyer, sold 500,000 copies over the next decade and was made into a play and two silent films. Her ag-
PATTERSON’S
GENERAL STORE Pizza • Subs • Baskets • Cigs • Soda GAS • DIESEL PROPANE
OPEN 7 DAYS
4 Pond Road • Burnham
207-948-3388
Cold Beer • Deli Case
Jessica Vancil, O.D. Eye Health Examinations Diagnosis & Treatment of Eye Diseases Glasses • Contact Lenses Most Insurance Accepted
Accepting New Patients
207-469-3022
165 U.S. Route 1, Bucksport
VancilVisionCare.com
gressive mass marketing of the books, using billboards, blank city walls, and large, colorful ads taken out in leading newspapers and magazines shocked some, but her strategy was soon adopted by rival firms. The company’s immediate success drew the attention of newspapers and magazines throughout the country and across the world. In California, The Los Angeles Times and the Riverside Press charted her rise in the business world. Trade publications such as The Bookseller attempted to draw out the secrets behind the high sales numbers. Her reputation as a “Pioneer Publisher” reached as far away as London, Australia and New Zealand. During the twelve-year life of the firm, Carro published 170 books, including some by Maine authors: Ella (cont. on page 56)
Carter’s Citgo Fort View Variety Full Service Gas at Self Serve Prices
Try one of our famous pizzas or sandwiches OPEN 7 DAYS
Route 1 • Verona Island • 469-0004
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(cont. from page 55) Matthews Bangs from Portland; future state congresswoman Maude Clark Gay from Waldoboro; Hampden’s George Selwyn Kimball; and Frank Carlos Griffith of Dixfield. In 1905, Griffith authored a book entitled Maine’s Hall of Fame. Not unsurprisingly, he placed Carro on his list of noted “Journalists, Publishers, Etc..” The other nineteen in the category were men. Over time, the book-selling market became more and more competitive and Carro shifted gears to writing children’s books. Even as a young girl, she wrote stories, some published by a local weekly near Unity. Using her pen name, Carro Frances Warren, she claimed to have been the first person in history to personify flowers in her books. Her first, Little Betty Marigold, came out in 1907. Honoring Maine’s state bird, Little Chick Chickadee appeared six years later. All told, ten books comprised the Garden Series, most of which are difficult to find today.
DownEast Auctions
Coin, Currency & Estate Auctioneers & Appraisers Mark E. Bradstreet CAI auctioneer ME Lic. #1212
Monthly auctions May to October Coin & Currency consignments accepted from anywhere, attend or bid from anywhere 328 East Main St. (U.S. Rt. 1) • Searsport, ME 04974 207-548-2393 | www.downeastauctions.com or auctionzip listing #19308
On March 28, 1928 The Publishers’ Weekly began a series of articles on the increasing presence of women in the book publishing industry. Author William Harris wrote, “Yet of those who might be cited, the career of none seems more colorful or interesting than that of Miss Carro Morrell Clark, the pioneer woman publisher in America.” The release of the story caught the attention of Henry Dunnack, the Maine State Librarian in Augusta. His assistant, Marion Cobb Fuller, wrote to Carro on August 24, 1928, “I remember Quincy Adams Sawyer and Blennerhassett…I wish I could have known then that C. M. Clark was a Maine woman.” Twenty-one years later, in 1949, Carro, now a widow, decided to spend the fall and winter with her remaining relatives in Maine. Regrettably, she fell ill, and after a brief stay at Waterville’s Sisters’ Hospital, passed away on February 16, 1950. The Waterville
Bucksport Golf Club
Longest Nine-Hole Golf Course in Maine Beautiful, well-maintained course with wide-open layout and characterized by spectacular views of hills and valleys.
Large Putting Green Chipping Greens • Driving Range 207-469-7612 • 397 State Route 46, Bucksport, ME
www.bucksportgolfclub.com
Morning Sentinel heralded Carro as a “pioneer woman publisher.” The following weekend, Redington Funeral Home oversaw services, but the spring thaw would need to arrive first before Carro could be laid to rest in the large family plot at Freedom’s Pleasant Hill Cemetery. As years passed, reminders of her achievements went largely unnoticed. On March 8, 1975 Edith Labbie, longtime local interest writer for the Lewiston Evening Journal, penned one of the last reflections on Carro’s remarkable career in a piece entitled “Women Who Dared.” However, it was perhaps a young society editor at the Santa Cruz Evening News who, years earlier, best summed up Carro Clark’s influence, writing, “It is by the hands of those possessed with faith and foresight such as (hers) that the wall of prejudice has been broken down for the business women of today.”
DiscoverMaineMagazine.com
A rare rear view of Freedom Academy and the Freedom Congregational Church. Maine Writers Correspondence. Paper 637. http://digitalmaine.com/maine_writers_correspondence/637
Early view of Post Office Square in Freedom. Item # 6619 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com
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Midcoast Region
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The Barnard Home in Bucksport. Item # LB2007.1.104638 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org
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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS BUSINESS
BUSINESS
3D Home Improvements .................................................................40 A-1 Seamless Gutters .........................................................................9 Advanced Quality Water Solutions .....................................................6 Aeroseal and Home Performance .....................................................22 Affordable Well Drilling Excavation & Forestry ...................................9 All-Things Landscape & Stonework .................................................47 American Awards Inc. ......................................................................24 American Dream Builders ................................................................37 Atlantic Edge Lobster .......................................................................49 Augusta Tool Rental ........................................................................24 Austin Law Offices ...........................................................................25 Bailey Island General Store ..............................................................18 Balmy Days Cruises ..........................................................................48 Bart Flanagan Tree Service ................................................................6 Bay Wrap ........................................................................................54 Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce ................................................39 Bennett’s Gems & Jewelry ..............................................................39 BFC Marine ......................................................................................42 Bill’s Garage ....................................................................................19 Birgfeld’s Bike Shop .........................................................................41 Bisson’s Center Store ........................................................................42 Black Bear Media Blasting & Construction .....................................40 Blood’s Garage .................................................................................40 Bob Temple Well Drilling ................................................................13 Bowens Tavern ................................................................................39 Bryant Stove & Music, Inc. ...............................................................54 Bucksport Golf Club ........................................................................56 C&J Chimney & Stove Service, LLC ....................................................3 C&S Market ......................................................................................46 Cahill Tire - Tire Pros .........................................................................18 Cameron’s Lobster House ................................................................15 Cantrell Seafood ..............................................................................14 Canty Construction ..........................................................................22 Cap ‘N Fish’s Whale Watch & Scenic Nature Cruises .........................30 Capital Area Tree Service ..................................................................44 Carl M.P. Larrabee Insurance ...........................................................44 Carter’s Citgo....................................................................................55 Cayouette Flooring, Inc. ...................................................................51 Cedar Haven Family Campground ....................................................11 China Area Wash & Dry and Self Storage .........................................25 China By The Sea .............................................................................48 China Rose .......................................................................................12 Clark Auto Parts ................................................................................27 Clayton’s Cafe .....................................................................................4 Coastal Maintenance Painting .........................................................30 Coggins Road Auto ..........................................................................31 Conundrum Wine Bistro .....................................................................5 Cornelia C. Viek, CPA .........................................................................6 Creamer & Sons Landwork, Inc. .......................................................19 Curtis Custom Meats ........................................................................33 Daffy Taffy Factory & Fudge Factory ...............................................30 Damon’s Beverage Mart ..................................................................46 Dan’s Towing ...................................................................................40 David Murray Home Repair & Cottage Care .....................................49 Day’s Lobster & Crabmeat ...............................................................10 Dews Door .........................................................................................4 Donald E. Meklin & Sons ...............................................................49 DownEast Auctions .........................................................................56 Downtown Diner .............................................................................45 Dow’s Eastern White Shingles & Shakes ............................................4 Driscoll Tree Service .........................................................................17 Ed’s Stuff .........................................................................................43 El Jefe Taco Bar ...................................................................................5 Elmer’s Barn & Antique Mall ............................................................44 Erica’s Seafood .................................................................................17 Evergreen Self-Storage .....................................................................36 Fairground Cafe ...............................................................................13 Fat Boy Drive-In ...............................................................................16 Five K-First Class Landscape Arborist .............................................26 Fleet Service ...................................................................................22 Flux Restaurant ................................................................................13 Fort View Variety .............................................................................55 G&G Cash Fuels ...............................................................................23 Gardiner Apothecary .......................................................................22 Gary Ladner Landscape Design, LLC .................................................23 Gene Reynolds & Sons Paving Inc. ..................................................21 Genuine Automotive Services ........................................................35 Georgetown Country Store .............................................................43 Glenn’s Auto Body ...........................................................................10 Goggin’s IGA ....................................................................................45
Granite Hall Store .............................................................................31 Gray’s Homestead Ocean Campground .............................................29 Griffins - The Other Place ................................................................54 Grimaldi Concrete Floors & Countertops ..........................................9 Gulf of Maine Books .........................................................................42 H.T. Jones Lawncare ........................................................................32 Haggett Hill Kennels .......................................................................47 Hair By Shannon .............................................................................33 Haley Power Services ......................................................................41 Hammond Lumber Company ..........................................................14 Hampton Inn by Hilton - Bath .......................................................19 Hannaford Bucksport ......................................................................54 Harbour Towne Inn on the Waterfront ............................................29 Harraseeket Inn ..............................................................................11 Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster Company ...........................................11 Hartford Construction .....................................................................48 Hatch Well Drillers ..........................................................................48 Highnote Bed & Breakfast ..............................................................43 Hoppe’s Tree Service ........................................................................34 Houston-Brooks Auctioneers ............................................................3 Indian Trail Antiques .......................................................................27 Interstate Self Storage .....................................................................5 Island Candy Company ...................................................................17 J&H Marine ....................................................................................51 J. Edward Knight & Co. ...................................................................3 J.T. Nelson Sewer & Drain LLC ........................................................30 Jack’s Property Service ...................................................................10 James C. Derby Housewright & Home Inspections ........................49 Jensen’s Pharmacy ..........................................................................36 Jess’s Market ...................................................................................35 JMH Excavation .................................................................................9 John’s Handmade Ice Cream Factory ...............................................38 JW Awning Co. .................................................................................51 Katahdin Clapboard Company ..........................................................3 Katahdin Cruises .............................................................................26 KC’s Collision ....................................................................................32 Ken-Kas Inc. Builders & Home Improvement Pros ..............................5 Kirkpatrick’s Service & Repair ..........................................................46 Knowles Mechanical Inc. ................................................................25 Kopper Kettle Breakfast & Lunch ...................................................14 K.V. Tax Service, Inc. ........................................................................44 Lake Pemaquid Campground ...........................................................27 Lakeview Lumber Co. ......................................................................47 Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union .........................................12 Lucas Construction ..........................................................................38 Macomber, Farr & Whitten Insurance ............................................47 Maine Coast Petroleum, Inc. ...........................................................33 Maine Forest Service .......................................................................16 Maine Historical Society ...................................................................3 Maine Lighthouse Museum .............................................................36 Maine Lobster Festival ....................................................................36 Maine Maritime Museum ................................................................20 Maine Pellet Sales LLC ......................................................................5 Maine Remodeling ...........................................................................4 Maine’s Outdoor Learning Center ...................................................56 Maine State Music Theatre ..............................................................15 Maine State Prison Showroom Outlet .............................................34 Maine Virtue Inc. Roofing Contractor ............................................51 Maine-ly Pawn Antiques, Furniture & More ...................................27 Mainely Pottery ..............................................................................53 Mama D’s Cafe ................................................................................28 Marine Parts Express ......................................................................28 McNaughton Bros. Construction ......................................................23 Metcalf’s Submarine Sandwiches ....................................................27 Mid-Maine Construction ................................................................21 Milestone Communications LLC ......................................................46 Milling Around LLC Antiques & Gifts ...............................................26 Mister Bagel Yarmouth ....................................................................10 Mobile Home Parts Unlimited ..........................................................25 Mobile Home Parts Unlimited Sales & Service .............................25 Monhegan Boat Line ......................................................................35 Monkitree ........................................................................................21 Montsweag Flea Market ..................................................................21 Moody’s Diner .................................................................................31 Moon Harbor Realty .......................................................................38 Moosehead Marine Museum ..........................................................26 Morning Glory Natural Foods ..........................................................15 Morse’s Cribstone Grill ....................................................................17 Morse’s Sauerkraut ..........................................................................50 Mossy Rock Landscaping ................................................................14
BUSINESS Mr. Tire & Company .........................................................................32 Murray Builders ...............................................................................53 Muscongus Bay Lobster ...................................................................33 Oakland Park Bowling Center ..........................................................37 Occupational Health Associates of Maine, PA .................................20 Offshore Restaurant .........................................................................52 Pasta’z Italian Cuisine ......................................................................22 Patterson’s General Store ..................................................................55 Pen-Bay Glass, Inc. ...........................................................................52 Penobscot Marine Museum ................................................................8 Petrillo’s Food & Drink ......................................................................12 Plumb Good Builders ........................................................................14 Prock Marine Company ....................................................................36 Pro-Rental of Rockport .....................................................................53 Quarry Run Disc Golf .........................................................................46 Quick Turn Auto Repair & Towing ....................................................28 R.J. Energy Services, Inc. ................................................................46 Red’s Automotive .............................................................................41 Red’s Eats .........................................................................................20 Regional Rubbish Removal, Inc. .....................................................26 Registered Maine Guide ...................................................................56 Reilly Well Drilling ...........................................................................31 Restorations Unlimited of Maine LLC ................................................41 Richard’s Restaurant ........................................................................16 Riverfront Barbeque & Grille ............................................................24 Rockland Mercantile Co. ...................................................................51 Rolfe’s Well Drilling Co. .....................................................................24 Salt Cod Cafe .....................................................................................42 Santana Excavation & Foundations ..................................................52 Scarborough’s Collision ....................................................................26 Sharp Landscape Construction & Snow Plowing Services ..................9 Shaw’s Fish & Lobster Wharf Restaurant .........................................32 Shore Hills Campground & RV Park ...................................................29 Skip Cahill Tire - Tire Pros ..................................................................28 South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-Op .....................................................31 Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce ............................16 Southport General Store ..................................................................30 Spinney’s Restaurant .......................................................................18 Sprague & Curtis Real Estate .............................................................24 Sprague’s Lobster ............................................................................22 St. Pierre Concrete Services ..............................................................13 Steve Brann Building & Remodeling .................................................11 Strong-Hancock Funeral Home ........................................................27 Temple Heights Spiritual Camp ......................................................38 Thai Garden Restaurant ...................................................................13 The Birches Resort ...............................................................back cover The Cabin Brick Oven Pizza ..............................................................43 The Cashmere Goat .........................................................................53 The Chimney Doctor ..........................................................................6 The Driftwood Inn ...........................................................................18 The Gin Mill ......................................................................................24 The Good Table ................................................................................38 The Miss Wiscasset Diner ..................................................................21 The Salvation Army - Rockland .....................................................34 The Sea Gull Shop .............................................................................48 The Tidewater Motel ........................................................................35 Thomaston Grocery ..........................................................................32 Tom Finn Shoe Repair ......................................................................45 Tri-State Staffing ..............................................................................45 Union Area Chamber of Commerce ...................................................52 Unique Spiral Stairs ..........................................................................37 Vancil Vision Care .............................................................................55 Vasvary Electric ................................................................................44 Vintage Barber Shop ........................................................................42 Vintage Maine Images.com .................................................................3 Wardwell Construction & Trucking Corp. .........................................41 Warren Auto Barn ............................................................................33 Waterfront Flea Market ....................................................................6 Weaver’s Roadside Variety ................................................................54 WellTree Tree Care Specialists ..............................................................7 Whispering Raven Primitives ...........................................................45 Whitecap Builders ............................................................................39 Wilson’s Drug Store ...........................................................................43 Windsor Preventive Dental Care .......................................................25 Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington Railway Museum ....................20 Yankee Yardworks ............................................................................12 Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce ......................................................5 Yarmouth Clam Festival ......................................................................5 Young’s Lobster Pound .....................................................................40
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~ 2018 Midcoast Region ~
Midcoast Region