2014

Volume 11 | Issue 7 | 2014

Maine’s Original History Magazine

FREE

Est. 1991

Western Lakes & Mountains Region

The Daigle Brothers Of Madison

Six brothers defended their country in wartime

Western Maine’s Thomas Phelps

The Civil War’s naval surveyor

John Chandler: American

A self-made man from Monmouth

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Inside This Edition

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Western lakes & mountains region 3

I t Makes No Never Mind James Nalley

5

The Lumberjack’s Alphabet A woodworker’s traditional song Charles Francis

11 Onward Pressed Our Line General Cuvier Grover from Bethel

James Nalley 14 The Rumford Fireplace Count Rumford was an original shareholder of Rumford

Charles Francis 23 An 1897 X-ray Found An 1864 Bullet Thousands of Civil War veterans suffered life-long wounds

Brian Swartz 28 Bush Hogging The Border A unique example of international cooperation

Charles Francis 32 The Daigle Brothers Of Madison Six brothers defended their country in wartime

Brian Swartz

Maine’s History Magazine

Western Lakes and Mountains Region

Publisher & Editor Jim Burch

Layout & Design Liana Merdan

Advertising & Sales Manager Tim Maxfield

Advertising & Sales Dennis Burch Chris Girouard Tim Maxfield Steb Pena

36 The Populist And The Suffragette Maine’s Montana connection

Charles Francis

Office Manager

43 The Baptism Of Alberta Buttersworth

She wanted a dunk, not a sprinkle

Rev. Sherwood W. Anderson

Mike Pagliaro George Tatro

48 Western Maine’s Thomas Phelps The Civil War’s naval surveyor James Nalley 53 George Lafayette Beal Norway’s Civil War hero

James Nalley 56 B ridgton’s Wendell Perkins The primitivist con

Charles Francis 63 Fairfield’s Seldon Connor Experienced Life After “Death” Adapted from Maine At War

Brian Swartz 66 Skowhegan Is Rich In History The shiretown that grew up on the Kennebec BJ Bangs 71 Henry Knox Thatcher Mercer’s Hawaiian knight

Charles Francis 76 John Chandler: American A self-made man from Monmouth

Charles Francis 80 Hebron’s “Honest John” Russwurm

African-American abolitionist

Charles Francis 83 Lovell’s Eastman Johnson

The American Rembrandt

Charles Francis

Liana Merdan

Field Representatives

Contributing Writers

Rev. Sherwood Anderson BJ Bangs Charles Francis | fundy67@yahoo.ca James Nalley 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 © 2014, CreMark, Inc.

SUBSCRIPTION FORMS ON PAGES 60 & 86

Front Cover Photo: Main St. in Lewiston, #LB2007.1.100537 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org All photos in Discover Maine’s Western Lake & Mountains 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

A

lthough the general focus of the tourism industry centers on Maine’s Atlantic coastline, the state’s western lakes and mountains are a beauty to behold. Geographically, this vast region stretches from the border of New Hampshire to Canada and upon closer examination, its size is larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined! Of particular importance during the relatively warmer months of the year, the region’s lakes thrive with visitors who come to enjoy both the scenery and the water-related activities. Out of the literally thousands of lakes in Maine, the well-known ones include Sebago (approximately 45 square miles), Rangeley, Moosehead, and of course, the one that is fun to say, Mooselookmeguntic. In regard to this lake, apparently, there is a legend in which an Abnaki male went hunting for moose in the area. After spotting one near the shoreline, he picked up his rifle and took a shot at the animal not realizing that he had forgotten to load the weapon. Believing that his rifle was damaged, he began yelling at the moose until it wandered away.

On a more serious note, Sebago Lake, with its vast open space, had become a “relatively” safe location for training military pilots during World War II. However, during these training flights, several planes were lost. Notable examples include: August 16, 1943, when the crew successfully ditched their Grumman Avenger and it sank near Raymond; May 16, 1944, when two low-flying F4U Corsairs were lost after a mid-air collision that killed both pilots; and July 16, 1944, when a third Corsair crashed into the lake with the pilot still inside the cockpit. In regard to these wrecks, some of these planes were ditched in good condition and they sit somewhere on the bottom of the lake.

In 2003, an aircraft restoration company used sonar equipment and found one of the sunken planes. According to the Associated Press, “even a muck-covered hulk is worth upwards of $800,000 because the airplane can be restored as an original Corsair.”The company went to court to fight for permission to salvage the wreck, but it eventually lost. To date, the wrecks are still “quietly awaiting recovery.”

Well, noticing that my short time with you has come to an end, I will close with the following jest about a navy pilot: In 1944, a young man volunteered for Navy service and since he had such a high aptitude for aviation, he was sent directly to Pensacola instead of boot camp.

On his first day at Pensacola, he became the best pilot on the base after which the higher authorities immediately assigned him to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

On his first day aboard, he took off and single-handedly shot down six Japanese planes. Then, after climbing up to 20,000 ft. he found nine more Japanese planes and shot all of them down. Noting that his fuel was getting low, he descended, circled an aircraft carrier, and came in for a perfect landing on the flight deck. Feeling proud, he threw back the canopy, climbed out, and ran over to the captain. Saluting smartly, he said, “Well sir, how did I do on my first day?” The captain took out his sword, bowed, spoke, and directed the pilot’s eyes to his translator who then said, “Honorable American pilot, you have made one crucial error.”

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A complete index of these advertisers is located on the inside back cover of this issue. Without their support, we could not produce this publication each year. Please support them!

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The Lumberjack’s Alphabet A woodworker’s traditional song

by Charles Francis

H

Alphabet or The Woodsman’s Song.

Those are variant titles. Just as there are variant titles for the piece, so there are variations among versions. What follows are examples of variations among endings. The variations relate to how hard it is to come up with rhymes for the last letters of the alphabet.

V is for valley we haul our logs through.

W is for woods we leave in the spring.

Now I’ve ended my song; no more will I sing. Most versions of The Lumberjack’s Alphabet use the above lines for the letters “V” and “W.” It would seem that after “W” most singers were continued on page 6)

ave you ever heard The Lumberjack’s Alphabet? It’s a traditional song associated with a traditional occupation, woods work. At one time it was known in about every lumber camp, be that camp on the east coast or the west coast, in Canada or the United States. Many authorities believe the song originated in Maine, in particular eastern Maine, along the border between Maine and New Brunswick. This would place the song’s origins along the St. Croix or St. John rivers, most likely, for reasons that will become apparent, the upper St. John, which means the St. John Valley.

Maybe you know The Lumberjack’s

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(continued from page 5) ready to give up, but they didn’t give up in the same manner. Another traditional version of the song has as its last line: I’ve told you all I’m a-going to sing.

Another ending is a bit more on the creative side. It goes: X.Y.Z. These last few letters I can’t put in a rhyme So fare you, young darling, I’ll tell you in time, The train at the crossing, the whistle does blow So fare you well darling, to the woods I must go.

This ending, even though the singer says “I can’t put in rhyme” rhymes. It’s clever. Perhaps the most clever version of the song. It’s certainly a lot better than yet another abrupt ending that goes: And so I’ve sung all I’m going to sing.

The folklore of traditional occupations is rife with alphabet songs. As noted, folklorist Horace Beck said “A folklorist might ask what manner of life does not have an alphabet song.”

Beck went on to give examples of occupations few of us would think of as traditional. He cited the hobo and “the queen of the red lights.” The latter refers to a madam of a house of ill repute or tenderloin district establishment.

Then there is the sailor’s alphabet. The song The Sailor’s Alphabet is believed by some to be the source or model for The Lumberjack’s Alphabet.

One authority traces The Sailor’s Alphabet to Nantucket Island, saying it was first written down in verse there.

If that’s the case, then The Sailor’s Alphabet is less than traditional and other than a folk song. The Lumberjack’s Alphabet is traditional though, and at heart a song. It just may be one of the

most famous traditional Maine songs of all. This means it is up there with The Jam on Gerry’s Rock.

And if it did originate along the Maine and New Brunswick border, this means it is the most famous lumberjack song from eastern Maine.

You can find The Lumberjack’s Alphabet in Michigan. Michigan also claims Paul Bunyan. There is a big Paul Bunyan statue in Michigan. It’s not that dissimilar from the one in Bangor. Folklorists say The Lumberjack’s Alphabet most likely or probably came to Michigan with Maine lumberjacks.

They hedge on Paul Bunyan, though.

The above comments are intended to introduce The Lumberjack’s Alphabet. So just what evidence is there that it is of Maine origin?

A song with the title Alphabet Song was printed in the Maine Sportsman in February 1904. The alphabet is basically that of The Lumberjack’s Alpha-

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bet. Unfortunately, no source is given for the song. The Maine Sportsman claimed it was devoted to preserving traditional Maine songs.

About 1925, Thelma Kellogg of Vanceboro took down a version of The Lumberjack’s Alphabet she heard from a logger in her home town. We don’t know the logger’s name, but most likely he would have worked in the woods of eastern Maine, and probably across the border into New Brunswick.

In the 1840s and 1850s, John S. Springer, a Washington County native, worked the woods both sides of the Maine and New Brunswick border. A good deal of his time was spent on the upper St. John on the Maine side of the river. In 1851 Springer published Forest Life and Forest Trees. The book is often compared to Thoreau’s Maine Woods. Springer records several logging camp songs from the St. John.

Though he doesn’t give the words to

The Lumberjack’s Alphabet, he alludes to it. Thoreau does, too. The bard of Walden Pond visited a logging camp on Chesuncook, encountered loggers there and further north and east on the Allagash.

It is generally accepted that The Sailor’s Alphabet is older that The Lumberjack’s Alphabet. Logs from the upper St. John, the Aroostook and other St. John tributaries were driven down the St. John to be loaded on ships. That’s where ‘jacks with a musical bent would have heard The Sailor’s Alphabet.

Saturday nights (with Sunday being the traditional day off), singing lumbermen in camp would take their turn on the “deacon seat” in the bunkhouse, offering songs old and new in an unaccompanied or “a capella” declamatory style for the entertainment of themselves and their fellow ‘jacks.

The songs in a typical ‘jacks repertoire contained a mix of logging and

non-logging songs. Here is how The Sailor’s Alphabet would have become The Lumberjack’s Alphabet. With the variety of men singing ‘jack worked with from camp to camp and year to year, there were endless opportunities for a song to spread.

One of the more unique aspects of The Lumberjack’s Alphabet is that it allowed for no singer contribution. The chorus was usually recited, rather than sung. When it was time for the chorus, listeners would shout or burst out with the chorus. This happened after every stanza. Here’s a common version of the chorus. Imagine it coming after the first stanza with its “D” line: D is for danger we often are in.

Chorus So happy, so happy, so happy are we, No mortals on earth are as joyful as we.

Hi-derry-hi, hi-derry-down, (continued on page 8)

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(continued from page 7) Give a shanty boy grub and there’s nothing goes wrong.

The Lumberjack’s Alphabet is a happy song. The chorus says this. Except for the “D” line, there is nothing about the adversity of the lumberjack’s life.

This says a good deal as to why the song was popular and spread as it did.

That the song spread from where it did, to the far corners of the forests of North America, speaks to how far Maine loggers and their traditions have travelled.

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Onward Pressed Our Line General Cuvier Grover from Bethel

by James Nalley

O

Confederates. Although the attack lasted for just one hour, it was just one brutal scene of many that occurred during the war. According to Grover’s report, “Many of the enemy were bayoneted in their tracks, others struck down with the butts of pieces, and onward pressed our line.”Grover’s men were ultimately successful in this daring attack, but onethird of them would not return home alive. Grover himself would live on to fight in other battles, but at the cost of his overall health.

Cuvier Grover was born in Bethel, Maine on July 24, 1828. The younger brother of future Oregon governor and senator La Fayette Grover, Cuvier (continued on page 12)

n August 29, 1862, after days of confused orders and long counter-marches had worn the Union Army’s nerves, Cuvier Grover greeted the general’s aide who presented the latest orders. Upon reading that the general wanted Grover to move his troops and charge the railroad line unsupported, he yelled, “What does the general want me to do now?!” Later that afternoon, Grover’s brigade emerged from the Groveton Woods and ran full speed towards the railroad line. Amidst the opposing gunfire, the Union soldiers scrambled to the top of the hill and initiated hand-to-hand combat with the

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(continued from page 11) received his early education in Maine before accepting an appointment to the United State Military Academy at West Point in 1846. Graduating fourth in his class (out of 44 cadets) in 1850, the fresh second lieutenant was assigned to “frontier duty” in the ever-expanding west. Not one to turn down a challenge, he focused all of his efforts in this dangerous tour of duty. After an initial three-year stint in Kansas, he served on a mission in the Rocky Mountains in order to determine if a northern route of the transcontinental railroad was feasible. During the brutal winter of 1854, Grover and his party of five successfully crossed the mountains, thus demonstrating the possibility of this northern route as well as his level of determination. Subsequently, he served in various positions in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Colorado as well as New Mexico, where he was promoted to the rank of captain.

After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Grover was placed in command of Fort Union in New Mexico, where Confederate sympathizers demanded its surrender. In his last act of defiance, Grover surrendered the fort and destroyed everything of military value before marching his troops to the Missouri River. At that time, valiant actions in the military resulted in various levels of promotions. For example, in 1862, Grover (as a captain) was appointed brigadier general of the U.S. Volunteers while being brevetted to lieutenant colonel in the regular army “for gallant and meritorious services at the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia.”

In regard to the former promotion, this made him one of the senior generals in the army.

With this new title and rank, Grover was put in command of an entire brigade and subsequently fought not only in the Battle of Williamsburg, but

the siege of Yorktown and the Battle of Second Manassas in Virginia. Additional records concerning this latter battle show the chaotic situation in which Grover had to maintain control: In a few yards more it met a terrible fire from a second line, which in its turn broke. The enemy’s third line now bore down upon our thinned ranks in close order, and swept back the right center and a portion of our left. With the gallant Sixteenth Massachusetts on our left I tried to turn his flank, but the breaking of our right and center and the weight of the enemy’s lines caused the necessity of falling back, first to the embankment and then to our first position, behind which we rallied to our colors...

On October 19, 1864, Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early launched a surprise attack against the Union Army across Cedar Creek in northern Virginia. That afternoon,

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Grover’s division was the first to meet Confederate Major General John Gordon’s troops. After an exchange of deadly skirmishes, Grover’s troops had re-taken the entire field by sunset.

During this engagement, Grover was badly wounded. For his actions on the field, Grover received a brevet to major general of volunteers that same day.

After he sufficiently recovered from his injuries, Grover assumed command of the District of Savannah, Georgia, on January 20, 1865. He remained in this position until the end of the Civil War on May 10, 1865. After the war, Grover continued to serve in the army and eventually received the rank of colonel in the 1st Cavalry in December 1875.

In his remaining years, Grover’s health fell into rapid decline due to his injuries from the war. In June 1885, he traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the hopes that the ocean air would improve his breathing and physical

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condition. On June 6, 1885, Grover died there at the age of 56 and he was buried with full military honors at the West Point Cemetery. According to the “Congressional Edition,” the cause of death was “hemorrhage of the lungs arising from pulmonary abscess, facial neuralgia, and nervous prostration.” In the words of some medical officers, “Grover’s ongoing duty to his country and his inability to affectively serve it created ongoing stress that proved to be too much for this valiant man.” This was in addition to his facial neuralgia, which is a nerve disorder in the face that has been described as among the most painful conditions known to humankind.

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The Rumford Fireplace

Count Rumford was an original shareholder of Rumford

by Charles Francis

J

ane Austen loved a good fire. Fires play important parts in many of her novels, particularly in Northanger Abbey.

Catherine Morland, the heroine of Northanger Abbey, arrives at the book’s place name during a rain storm. Young Catherine expects on entering to find a dark, gloomy and smoky place. What she finds is just the opposite.

Jane Austen describes Catherine Morland’s first impressions of Northanger Abbey with the following words: “An abbey! (yes, it was delightful to be really in an abbey!) but she doubted, as she looked around the

room, whether anything within her observation would have given her the consciousness. The furniture was in all the profusion and elegance of modern taste. The fireplace, where she had expected the ample width and ponderous carving of former times, was contracted to a Rumford…”

To state a given, the Rumford fireplace revolutionized domestic life in the 1800s. It did this by eliminating a lot of smoke, and by increasing fireplace efficiency. In fact, the Rumford fireplace was so popular, that its name was a commonplace. So what was the origin of the name Rumford?

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The name Rumford was that of the inventor or developer of the fireplace.

It is the same Rumford whose name is memorialized in Maine with Rumford on the Androscoggin. The inventor of the fireplace was a Count. Count Rumford’s name is also preserved with Rumford Baking Powder, a brand name, with a stove that rivaled Ben Franklin’s and with gardens and studies in the field of physics.

The fact that Count Rumford’s name is still a household word, because of Rumford Baking Powder, tells us that the man who gave his name to the Maine town is still an intellectual force (continued on page 16)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 14)

It may surprise those who think of environmental issues as a relatively recent concern, to hear that air quality was almost an obsession in the nineteenth century. Yet, it was. For example, in 1860, C.J. Richardson produced a work The Smoke Nuisance and its Remedy. The work was just one on the subject by Richardson, an authority on house construction. In another work he devoted a chapter to “Flue Construction and Smoke Prevention.” Though Richardson does not say so, his source was most likely Count Rumford.

Almost every nineteenth century book on house design devoted at least one chapter to home ventilation, and what was most commonly described as “the evils of bad air.” To a certain extent, “bad air” was smog and the smoke associated with industrialization. These evils were to be kept out of the home. Beyond this, however, there was what we can only refer to as indoor

to be reckoned with today. Though many may be unaware of the fact, the Rumford fireplace is still known today.

In fact, it is enjoying something of a comeback, as such notable home construction gurus, such as Bob Vila, recommend the Rumford as the fireplace of choice to the homeowner who wants a cherry fire burning in the living room or family room.

Count Rumford was Benjamin Thompson, a Yankee. Thompson didn’t come up with the idea for his revolutionary fireplace in his native land, though. In fact, the fireplace that became the heating source of choice for many homes on both sides of the Atlantic wasn’t even designed for home use to begin with. The Rumford first appeared in an almshouse in Bavaria.

From there it spread to England, the rest of the Continent, and to Thompson’s native land.

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com pollution. Indoor pollution came from smoky fireplaces, open cooking fires, and, of course, ill-washed persons. We are talking about the middle and upper classes here. These classes generally located their kitchen as far as possible from the main part of the house. In short, the issue of the day was ventilation. It was an issue that had to be approached with the science of the day, and that is what Benjamin Thompson did in designing the Rumford fireplace, which was followed by his stove.

Benjamin Thompson was a self-educated inventor, as well as a soldier, diplomat, and gardener. He was self-educated in the manner of a Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. A native of Woburn, Massachusetts, and a resident of what would become Concord, New Hampshire, he was a loyalist spy during the Revolution. His tie to Rumford, Maine relates to his owning six shares of the township that became

the town bearing his name in 1800. He was knighted in England, and raised to the nobility in the Holy Roman Empire.

These social recognitions came about primarily because of his work as a scientist, philosopher and inventor. As a gardener, Thompson laid out Munich’s famous Englisher Garten (English Garden).

Thompson spent eleven years in Bavaria, where he served as minister of war. There he built a number of military hospitals, the kitchens of which had cooking ovens and stoves of his own design.

Thompson numbered among his scientific interests the physics of heat.

This interest led to his improvement in fireplace and stove design, the first of which was in an almshouse kitchen.

Thompson’s concern with the almshouse relates to the fact he was sort of a social reformer – at least by the lights of the time. Among other social inno-

vations, he is credited with coming up with the first soup kitchen. His soup kitchen design included indirectly heated ovens.

It was during a visit to London that Thompson came up with his formal statement that forever changed fireplace design. It was the great pall of smoke hanging over London that motivated him. Thompson’s fireplace changes included narrowing the throat of the chimney, making the fireplace opening much smaller, and angling the side walls to radiate more heat into the room. The result was not only less smoke, but also more heat.

Thompson presented his ideas on fireplace design to the British Royal Society around 1800. That his innovations circulated like wildfire is an understatement. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey went to the publisher in 1803.

This means the term Rumford had (continued on page 18)

The

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 17)

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something like three years to become a recognizable commonplace.

The first Rumfords did not completely solve the problem of the smoking chimney. This seems clear from the continued concern with home ventilation throughout the rest of the century.

It is also clear that the Rumford served as a benchmark in fireplace design.

This, in part, explains why Rumford fireplaces are enjoying a comeback today. The other reason Rumford fireplaces are regaining their popularity relates to their tall, classic elegance.

Maybe, too, it has something to do with the name Rumford, the name of the Count whose name is so familiar not only in kitchens where one finds Rumford Baking Powder, but in Maine on the Androscoggin. * Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.

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Western lakes & mountains region

Ellingwood Turning Co. in West Paris. Item # LB2008.19.115912 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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An 1897 X-ray Found An 1864 Bullet Thousands of Civil War veterans suffered life-long wounds

by Brian Swartz

F

or 33 years Samuel B. Wing of Phillips endured the pain caused by a wound suffered while fighting in Virginia during the Civil War. Then a Bates College professor decided to look “inside” Wing to find out why he occasionally coughed up bone fragments.

Drafted into Company H, 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment, Wing arrived in Virginia and marched with his outfit into the Wilderness as General Ulysses Grant launched his “Overland Campaign” in spring 1864. About 2 p.m. on May 12, “the bullets again began to whistle,” and Wing returned to a firing position he had recently left.

In his 1898 The Soldier’s Story: a

Personal and Narrative of the Life, Army Experiences and Marvelous Sufferings Since the War, Wing described what happened “as I arrived” at his position “and thought to turn.”

There “a bullet struck me in the right arm near the shoulder, just above the armpit. This caused a numbness, which felled me to the ground.” he recalled.

Wing crawled away until “two men at the rear assisted me to the hospital.”

Later “the doctors examined my wound carefully and picked out some pieces of cloth” from his uniform, Wing remembered. The doctors told him the bullet was in his shoulder and that they would not remove it.

“I told him my shoulder felt all

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right, but that I felt very badly in my chest and lungs,” according to Wing.

The doctor “thought that that must be a sympathetic pain, caused by the nerves running from the shoulder to the side.”

Breathing became difficult for Wing, who was later discharged from the Army and sent home. Like so many disabled soldiers, he suffered from his wound for the rest of his life.

“For the first few years after I was wounded, my breath was quite short and I could not increase it even a little without feeling an injury,” Wing described his ordeal. “There must be cavities in my lung because the blood clots have often been so large that I could not (continued on page 24)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 23) cough them up, but had to wait for their resolution.”

Wing coughed up bone fragments from time to time. He lived with the discomfort and the less-than-sanitary conditions caused by his wound.

And Wing was not exactly sure about the object “which has been in motion with every breath” he took post-May 12, 1864. He figured it was a bullet.

Then came an opportunity for Wing to learn just what lingered in his right lung. On Saturday, April 17, 1897, “I met Prof. W.C. Strong of Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, for the purpose of having the ball in my lung located by means of the X-ray,” Wing wrote in his book.

Accompanied by nephew Emerson Whitman, niece N.S. Whitman, Dr. Aurelia Springer “and others,” Wing met Strong in Lewiston that day. “We were taken into a dark room where we

remained some time to render our eyes sensitive to faint light,” Wing recalled.

Professor Strong, quoted in the same chapter, placed Wing’s X-ray exam on Friday, April 16. “Except for the irritation caused by the presence of the ball in his lung, and the feebleness of enforced inactivity[,] he appeared to be in a very good state of health,” Strong described Wing’s physical condition.

Wing could only tell Strong that the bullet “was somewhere on the right side,” according to Strong. He decided to x-ray Wing with “an X-ray tube furnished by Stanley Bros., of Newton, Mass.” The high-tech “tube was excited by a Stanley double-plate Holtz machine, running at the rate of about 1500 revolutions per minute and capable of giving 8 inch sparks in rapid succession.”

The actual procedure involved Wing sitting with his back to the x-ray tube.

Strong could see “the position of the

clavicle, ribs and vertebral column and disclosed the outlines of the lungs, heart and liver.

“Low down on the right side, nearly touching the upper border of the shadow of the liver, was observed a dark round spot nearly as large as a silver dollar, which was immediately identified as the enlarged shadow of the bullet,” Strong noted in his report.

He turned Wing to face the x-ray tube. By carefully shifting Wing’s position, Strong “determined with great accuracy” the bullet’s “precise location.” It lay “in the right lung, opposite the opening between the 8th and 9th ribs, on the back side … and about two inches inward from the surface of the body.”

The examination wore out Wing. He returned on Friday, April 23 so Strong could photograph the bullet.

X-ray technology was still in its infancy; taking two photographs re-

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quired “exposures of twenty and thirty minutes respectively,” Strong reported.

Even complex MRIs take far less time today, and modern radiologists know that exposing a patient to 20 or 30 minutes of x-rays is not good.

The photographs revealed that the bullet had broken apart upon impact in 1864; Strong described as “most curious perhaps of all” two bullet fragments “lodged in the 7th and 8th ribs, and the piece of bone broken out of the 7th rib.”

This broken bone “appears to have been the source of the bone fragments coughed up by the patient,” he noted.

Strong confirmed that the bullet lay in Wing’s right lung; “it moves with the lung,” the professor wrote. He described the bullet as “evidently a spherical one of large size, and seems to be such as was formerly used in the old fashioned Springfield rifle,” a popular Confederate firearm.

Strong showed Wing the two photographs. Wing studied the x-rays and saw the bullet; “there, at last, is revealed the object which has caused all my sufferings,” he stated.

Removing the bullet was really not possible; surgically opening the lung to recover the bullet could expose Wing to infection. “Had the X-ray been applied when I was wounded, I might now present facts in this connection [with his wound] instead of suppositions,” he

wrote.

As for Strong, he wondered that “with the knowledge which we now possess, how many lives might have been saved during the Civil War” and “how many cases of misapplied treatment might have been avoided.”

The x-ray would help save lives in future wars.

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Oakes, Quimby & Herrick store in Rangeley. Item # LB2007.1.102145 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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Yorks Log Village on Loon Lake in Rangeley. Item #LB2007.1.102161 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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Western lakes & mountains region

Bush Hogging The Border A unique example of international cooperation

by Charles Francis

H

ow many have crossed the U.S./Canada border at Jackman or Coburn Gore? Some know the Coburn Gore crossing as Moosehorn. For a long time the U.S. Customs Office here operated as a substation of the Holeb-Jackman port of entry. Not far from this entry port to the U.S. one finds Arnold Pond. It wasn’t too far from the little body of water with the infamous name that Benedict Arnold and his troops crossed into Quebec on their abortive attempt to wrest that French-speaking territory from the British. Back in 1968 the State of Maine erected interpretive panels commemorating the passage.

If you have made the crossing from Quebec to Maine at either Coburn Gore or Jackman it is doubtful you have taken in your immediate surroundings.

The views into Maine at either are what catch the eye. This is especially true of Jackman. From the general area surrounding the U.S. Customs Office here one has an almost unobstructed vista of the northern chain of lakes that stretches away to the horizon in the direction of Moosehead. Be that as it is, if you were to explore to either side of any international crossing on the Maine-Quebec border you might be surprised at what you find. There is a seeming unending, wide clear trail stretching into

the distance. It is a trail that appears maintained and cared for on a regular basis.

If the trail to either side of the international border separating Maine and Quebec looks as if it has been bush hogged, there is a good reason for this.

Much of it has been gone over by a tractor pulling one of those heavy duty rotary mowers with the quaint but appropriate name of bush hog. Most likely the tractor and bush hog originating on the Quebec side of the border will say Made in Canada. In a similar manner, the equipment brought in from the Maine side of the border will probably say Made in USA. It doesn’t matter if

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com the bush hogs or tractors bear a Japanese brand name or another equally well-known to bush hoggers. It is a matter of pride that equipment originating in the respective countries be used.

Many forget that Maine borders on the Province of Quebec. When we think of the U.S./Canada border as it relates to the State of Maine we tend to think of New Brunswick rather than Quebec. This is largely because our mental picture of the U.S. and Canada has a north to south orientation. Seldom do we think of Canada as being in any way to the west of the U.S.. In Maine, however, it is very much to the west, in a big way.

Maine and Quebec share a border that is both watery and land-bound.

Much of the watery international border is centered in the St. Francis River. This particular international line is called a thalweg. Thalweg, as it is most often used in international law, refers to the middle of the main navigable channel

of a waterway that serves as an international border. There is only one U.S./ Canada border that actually subscribes to this definition, the St. Croix River.

The U.S. and Canada expanded or appropriated the thalweg concept to apply to the deepest soundings of the St. Francis. In like manner, the same was done for the St. John. The land bound boundary between Maine and Quebec was done by traverse survey.

The first accepted traverse survey of the U.S./Canada border as it relates to Maine was done in 1843-45.

(It should be noted that the St. Croix thalweg was not accepted until 19 34.

But that is another story, which does not belong with this discussion of the Maine-Quebec boundary line.)

A traverse survey extends from an established, or known point of reference, to a point of unknown position.

It is topographical in nature, being horizontal and vertical. The 1843-45 traverse boundary survey included the (continued on page 30)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 29) St. John River. The St. John survey was done in the winter 1843-44 when the St. John was frozen. It was done by a naval captain named William Fitz William Owen during one of the worst winters on record up to that time. Several of Owen’s survey crew were permanently incapacitated, losing arms and legs as a result of gangrene.

Questions and considerations involving the U.S./Canada border, the longest undefended border in the world, fall under the jurisdiction of the Joint International Boundary Commission.

Actually there are very few real issues, at least as they relate to changes in watershed, rivers, lakes and oilier watery areas like swamps. The reason for this is that even though rivers and streams may change course due to erosion or other natural or man-influenced causes, the U.S./Canada border was largely defined in terms of latitude and longitude.

The Maine and Quebec border is a notable exception. One might expect the exact watersheds of the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic to be the main points of reference in establishing the boundary between Maine and Quebec.

These two salient features were not the primary consideration in establishing the border as is the standard procedure in most instances elsewhere. Instead, the boundary line is demarcated as a series of connected segments approximating as closely as possible the true watershed. As the boundary demarcation was completed, markers were put in place. The problem now is making sure the markers stay where they are placed and they and the information on them stay visible.

Today you can find as many as twenty-one different types of markers on the Maine and Quebec border. The markers range from cast iron, to bronze, to alu-

minum, to granite, to concrete. There are plaques and discs and range towers with lights. There are a veritable panoply of reference markers.

For a large part, the markers placed along the Maine and Quebec border in the 1840s were cast iron. These monuments were placed so that each would be visible from its nearest neighbor. Of course, they didn’t stay visible for long.

In the early 1900s a decision was made to clear a strip along the landbound U.S./Canada border six meters wide, three meters to a side. Back then there weren’t any bush hogs or other powered equipment. The project was labor intensive. Even overhanging branches within the six-meter-wide swath had to be dealt with. It was at this time that one of the biggest problems involving the international border came to light.

It seems that some boundary mark-

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com ers had wandered over the decades.

Other markers had been defaced, so that salient points regarding location could not be deciphered . Some local land owners had discovered that by moving a border marker they could influence the size of their property holdings . Then there were hunters. It seems that cast iron markers made for wonderful targets if there were no deer, or moose or whatever around. Some markers were nothing more than a mass of dents, nicks and bullet holes.

Maintaining a clear vista along the international boundary in heavily wooded western Maine and similarly wooded Quebec is a major preoccupation of the Joint International Boundary Commission. So too, is seeing that markers remain legible and in place. In addition, the Commission has to deal with changes in land use and attitudes toward land use.

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der. In this age of passports and nexus cards, Commission staff and assistants (whether Canadian or American ) cross the border on a regular basis to see to border corridor maintenance. Vehicles, equipment and instruments are unimpeded as they go back and forth about their duties. In this era of tightened border restrictions, it is a unique example of international cooperation. tuted a program of clearing along the border using chemical sprays. Then attitudes towards such practices changed as concerns over environmental degradation heightened. Then there was use of the cleared corridor itself. Logging trucks and ATVs found the six-meter wide trail a natural passage way. Both had a tendency to run over or hit markers.

Today, staff and crews from both Canada and the U.S. tend to work alone along sections of the international bor-

DID YOU KNOW? Members of the Wolastoqiyuk Nation, known also as Maliseet, whose lands and culture have been and still are centered on the St. John River, have historically called the river Wolastoq, translating to “good and beautiful river”.

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Western lakes & mountains region

The Daigle Brothers Of Madison Six brothers defended their country in wartime

by Brian Swartz

F

ollowing in their father’s footsteps from the Great War, six brothers from Madison served in the American military during World War II or Korea.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, Mack Sim Daigle “was a cook in the lumber camps” and “a carpenter” living in Kingman, recalled Claud Daigle, one of eight sons born to Mack and his wife, Marcia. They also had a daughter named Rose.

Mack “did active duty over in France during the first world war” while serving as a cook with the Army’s Coast Artillery, said Claud, who was born in August 1930. Ten years later the family moved to Madison, where

his older brothers found work in the Hollingsworth and Whitney Co. paper mill (now Madison Paper).

Then Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor, and five Daigle brothers took up arms to defend the United States.

Actually a half brother to his eight younger siblings, Wallace L. Humphrey joined the Army as a military policeman and headed to Italy. Besides being “blown out of a foxhole” by German artillery fire, Wallace experienced a rare (and pleasant) wartime encounter, Claud said.

Another brother, Alfred M. Daigle, had joined the Army on June 24, 1944 and trained as a motor-pool driver.

Claud described Al as “a feisty” individual who “was sitting with one of his buddies on the curb on this particular street” in an Italian town one day late in the war.

Noticing the lounging soldiers, a passing MP prodded Al “with the toe of his boot and told him to stand up,” because soldiers were not permitted to relax in such fashion in public places, Claud said, a smile brightening his face.

“Al hopped up and took a swing at the MP,” who caught Al’s fist before it made contact, Claud said. Two sets of startled eyes stared at each other, then Wallace released his brother’s fist, and the family reunion was on! (continued on page 34)

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Photo of Daigle family courtesy of Claud Daigle. It was taken near their home in Madison. Marcia and Mack Sim Daigle(2nd and 3rd from left) stand with their nine children: (from left) Fletcher, Vallair, Claud, Wallace, Rose, Phillip, Alfred, Bennie and David.

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 32) Earlier in the war, David E. Daigle had joined the Army Air Force and trained as a co-pilot in a bomber. He was later stationed in England with the 409th Bomb Group; when senior Army officials learned about the chance meeting of two Daigle brothers in Italy, “David was flown in from England for a week-long reunion with Al and Wallace,” Claud recalled.

And David had his share of wartime adventures. During a particular bombing mission, a German anti-aircraft shell exploded in front of his plane; a piece of shrapnel punched through the plane’s windshield and struck and lodged in David’s goggles, near his left eye.

He sported only a bad bruise afterwards.

And when his plane was shot down on another mission, David drifted on a life raft in the English Channel for 18 hours before he was rescued.

A fourth Daigle brother, Bennie E., joined the Army on Feb. 25, 1943. Serving with Co. I, 317th Infantry Regiment during a 1944 battle to capture a town near Millery, France, he was wounded nine times by bullets fired from a German’s “burp gun“ (an MP-40).

Technically Bennie could have received nine Purple Hearts; instead “he took one, and he came home,” Claud said. Bennie was also awarded a Silver Star.

On June 29, 1946, Phillip R. Daigle joined the Army Air Force. He went to Germany, where “he was on board an aircraft all the time, going back and forth between the two points,” Berlin “and where he was stationed,” Claud said.

Phillip flew on many supply missions during the Berlin Airlift and left the military on June 29, 1946. He later settled in California.

With his brothers away in the mil-

itary, “I was the oldest one left home” with his younger brother, Vallair, and Rose, so Claud quit school to operate “a wet machine” at the Hollingsworth and Whitney mill.

By “the mid-1940s,” his older brothers started coming home from the military, Claud said. “They would dump on me about their wartime experiences” and not share them with their parents.

After shooting broke out in Asia in 1950, a sixth Daigle brother, Fletcher J., joined the Navy that Oct. 24 and served as an aircraft engine mechanic on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. “He was in the [war] area; [the] aircraft he was working on were coming and going” from Korea, Claud said.

Fletcher left the Navy on Aug. 24, 1954.

Then Uncle Sam extended Claud an invitation to serve in the military. “They drafted me for the Korean War,” he explained. He and “three of my buddies”

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reported to a Portland induction center. There “we stood in the line,” and “a doctor took one look at me and said, ‘What in hell are you doing here?’”

Claud had reported for military duty while wearing a plaster-of-paris body cast “from my hips to the tops of my shoulders.” Some time earlier, he had broken a vertebrae in his lower back; the injury spelled “the beginning and end of my [military] career,” he admitted.

Youngest brother Villair never served in the military.

Today Claud lives in Winslow and looks after Rose, who still lives in Madison. Their other siblings have passed away, but their faces and memories live on in the documents, newspaper clippings, and family photos that Claud has meticulously assembled and preserved.

He is proud of his brothers, who like their father defended the country that they loved.

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Claud Daigle, who lives in Winslow, was born in August 1930 to Mack Sim and Marcia Daigle. He had seven brothers and one sister; six of his brothers served in the American military, five during World War II and one during the Korean conflict.

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Western lakes & mountains region

The Populist And The Suffragette Maine’s Montana connection

by Charles Francis

P

oliticians seem to have a knack for getting themselves in trouble by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time when a reporter just happens to be present. Freeman Knowles learned this the hard way when he was visiting with family and friends in Skowhegan back in 1897. Knowles had just been elected to Congress from South Dakota on the Populist ticket and naturally was reveling in his newly earned celebrity. The faux pas Congressman Knowles committed was to mention that perpetual Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan had gifted the National Committee of the

Populist Party with a check for $1500.

While there doesn’t seem to be much that would be objectionable in this fact, the press also reported Congressman Knowles had supposedly added that Mr. Bryan had indicated the $1500 had come with an attached stipulation: “… that no action against fusion be taken by the People’s [Populist] Party until after the next National Convention.” The implication here being that Bryan had hopes the new party that had its roots with Midwestern farmers would formally join with the Democrats.

What happened was a reporter for the Lewiston Journal wrote up Free-

man Knowles’ comments with the alleged stipulation for his paper. Luther Bateman was Grange editor for the Journal. Bateman had been the People’s or Populist’s candidate for governor of Maine in 1896. When Bateman saw the Journal story, he accused Bryan of bribery. Bateman’s remarks (he had other accusations to level at Bryan) made it into the national media. In fact, the accusations made it to the New York Times.

Freeman Knowles was one of that vast number of Mainers who followed Horace Greely’s advice of “Go west, (continued on page 38)

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Margaret Chase Smith home, ca. 1940. Item #1425 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 36) young man, go west.” Moreover, he wasn’t the only member of the Knowles family to do so. His cousin Ella Knowles, one of the first women to graduate from Bates College – she graduated in 1884 – went west, too.

Ella’s decision to head west was proof that that land of fabled opportunity also held allure for the gentler sex.

The Populist Party never made much of an impact in Maine. Populists’ candidates for governor, like Luther Bateman, garnered votes in the low thousands. In the Midwest it was a different story, however. There, Populist candidates for office showed their vote-getting strength at all levels ― local, state and national . Freeman Knowles in South Dakota was just one of many Populists to win office in that state. So was Freeman’s cousin Ella in Montana. However, Ella was unique in that she was female. Ella became Mon-

tana’s Deputy Attorney General.

That branch of the Knowles family of which Freeman was a member traces its origins to Londonderry, New Hampshire. Freeman was born in Harmony and grew up in Skowhegan, attending that town’s Bloomfield Academy. The branch of the Knowles family that Ella belonged to left Londonderry for Northwood, New Hampshire. Before enrolling at Bates, Ella attended normal school to prepare for teaching.

Teaching was the way she paid her way through Bates. College showed Ella a wider world. And like her cousin Freeman, Ella would be drawn to the Populist Party.

Freeman Knowles made his way west after serving in the Union Army in the Civil War. He first settled in Iowa and then Nebraska, where he published a newspaper. In 1888 he again moved, this time to Deadwood in the Black

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Hills. Here he founded his second newspaper, the Evening Independent.

The Independent was devoted to the rights of farmers. Knowles’ advocacy of the farmer brought him to the Populist Party and finally to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ella Knowles’ western trek took her further than Freeman’s. She ended up in the Montana territory. Here she used skills learned as the only female member of the Bates College debate team to become a spokesperson for women’s right to vote. In 1888, the same year that Freeman Knowles moved to Deadwood, Ella introduced a bill in the Montana House to allow women to practice law. It passed! Ella Knowles then became Montana’s first woman attorney. She would eventually plead before the U.S. Supreme Court.

While Freeman Knowles was shoring up his credentials as a Populist in

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South Dakota, Ella Knowles was doing the same thing in Montana. And this was when women had yet been able to vote. In 1892 Ella was the Populist candidate for Montana Attorney General. She lost. The winner was Henri Haskell. Haskell, however, appointed Ella Deputy Attorney General. As Montana Deputy Attorney General, Ella Knowles held the highest office of any woman in the United States. Haskell and Knowles eventually married and then divorced.

In 1896 Ella Knowles became the first woman to ever serve as an elected delegate to a national political convention. 1896 was the year Freeman Knowles won his seat in Congress.

Both Freeman and Ella served as delegates to the Populist Party’s National Convention that year.

Luther Bateman, the Populist from Maine who accused William Jennings

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Bryan of attempted bribery, was also a delegate to the 1896 Populist Convention. Ironically, Bateman had nominated Bryan as Populist candidate for president. Even though Bryan was the candidate of both the Democratic Party and the Populist Party, he lost. He lost to William McKinley.

As for Luther Bateman’s accusations, Freeman Knowles denied them.

He said that the $1500 was given by Bryan with the clear understanding of all that “no action against fusion should be taken by the People’s Party before the next National Convention.” That statement brought a close to the controversy.

Freeman Knowles did not run for a second term in Congress. He died in Deadwood in 1910. In the years between his term in Congress and his death, Freeman Knowles used his newspaper as a voice for the farmer and

the Populist Party.

Ella Knowles gave up Populist activism in 1902 to concentrate on her law practice and women’s suffrage. She died in 1911.

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Western lakes & mountains region

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Messalonskee Dam in Oakland, ca. 1900. Item #74731 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com

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Early street view in New Sharon. Item # LB2007.1.101744 from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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The Baptism Of Alberta Buttersworth She wanted a dunk, not a sprinkle

by Rev. Sherwood W. Anderson Alberta came to the office with a request. “I want to be baptized,” she said.

“But Bertie, your name is already on the church rolls. You are a choir member. You sing solos. All Christians have been baptized.”

“I’ve never been baptized. I am a rape.”

“What did you say?”

“I am a rape. My mother was raped and I am the result.”

“Oh, Bertie, I’m so sorry.”

“My mother, without a husband to stand with her, was ashamed to have me baptized. Now she’s gone and I want to be baptized.”

“Yes, indeed, you must be baptized.”

“I want to be dunked.”

“Bertie, you know Congregationalists sprinkle.”

“Yes, but my mother was dunked, and I want to be dunked.”

“But we don’t have facilities for immersion. Maybe we could use the Baptist church. I’ll call the minister.”

So I called him: “We have a believer who wants to be immersed. May we use your baptistry?”

“Sure. Just tell me when and I’ll open up for you.”

We arranged, the three of us, to meet at his church midweek. He turned on the lights and directed us to the robing

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rooms, one for the clergy and another for candidates. The baptistry in front of the pulpit was filled hip deep. It was a cold winter night in Farmington, and the sanctuary had not been heated.

A pair of waders hung from a peg in my robing room. I removed shoes, pants and wristwatch, then pulled the waders up to my chest, held there by suspenders.

A full length black clergy gown, weighted at the hem, was provided as well. I rolled my sleeves as far up my arms as possible and pulled the gown over shirt, tie, waders, boots and all.

Proceeding into the pool I awaited Alberta. Our Baptist host, still in (continued on page 45)

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com (continued from page 43) his overcoat, sat in the front pew of the empty sanctuary. The water compressed the waders against me, and although completely dry I felt its chill.

Bertie appeared attired in a white gown, her feet and ankles showing beneath its weighted hem, and waded into the water. She was a person of substance but I determined not to let her slip, and I didn’t. I asked her to clasp her hands beneath her chin. Placing one hand over hers, the other behind her back, I said, “Alberta, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

I plunged her backward beneath the frigid water and immediately hoisted her from its depths to her feet.

“Jesus,” she blurted, as she accepted the face towel.

She stepped from the tank without another word and made for the robing room.

Who could say her remark was inappropriate? After all, the sacrament is symbolic of Christ rising from the grave.

Bertie returned to the choir, purged of a sin she did not commit, and sang her solos with joyous vibrato, though the choirmaster, as before, scheduled her for off-Sundays, when attendance was low anyhow.

Alberta Buttersworth knew ever after she had been baptized. So did I. Amen.

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100 mile Endurance Trial at Farmington on August 23, 1969 (watering time). Item # LB2005.24.22864 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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Early view of the post office in Jay. Item # LB2007.1.107732 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

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Western lakes & mountains region

Western Maine’s Thomas Phelps The Civil War’s naval surveyor

by James Nalley

L

ocated within the tree-lined, northwestern portion of Section 1 at the Arlington National Cemetery is a grave that stands out among the rest. Unlike the majority of the gravestones that honor the nation’s heroes that consist of white marble, this one is made of dark-gray stone with three tiers capped off with a large cross. It honors a rear admiral in the United States Navy from Buckfield, who approximately 150 years earlier, commanded a critical battle in North Carolina during the final year of the Civil War. Thomas Stowell Phelps was born in the town of Buckfield, Maine, on Nov. 2, 1822. At the age of 18, he joined the

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U.S. Navy and served for three years on the sloop Boston that traveled along the Mediterranean and Labrador Coast.

At the end of his tour in 1843, he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he received his commission as an officer in February 1846. After graduation, he rejoined the Boston and eventually served on three other ships such as the Polk, the Independence, and the Constitution with an impeccable service record.

In January 1856, Phelps, then a 34-year-old lieutenant, was assigned to the sloop Decatur. The Decatur was stationed in Puget Sound in anticipation of possible conflicts with several tribes

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com of Native Americans in the Washington Territory, which is near present-day Seattle. After receiving reports that a tribe had occupied the nearby woods, the commander of the Decatur, Guert Gansevoort, ordered a landing force that consisted of both Marines and sailors. According to historical records from the U.S. Naval Institute: Supported by a howitzer, which they brought ashore with them, and the ship’s battery firing solid shot, shells, grape shot, and canister, the landing party engaged the Indians and drove them back within thirty minutes. By 10 p.m., all firing had ceased when the Indians disengaged and retreated with their dead and wounded into the woods. No sailors or Marines were lost due to fighting and the actions of the combined (force) had safeguarded the frontier settlement.

Although the records both glorified and simplified the conflict, Phelps would later publish his own recollection of the event in much more vivid

and gruesome detail.

After the Civil War began in 1861, Confederate forces attempted to destroy all of their navigational aids on their territory’s major rivers in order to hinder future Union attacks. In order to support the Union’s future offensive plans, Phelps secretly surveyed, charted and marked the Confederate coast despite the incredible danger. In the fall of the same year, Phelps commanded the steamer Corwin that surveyed Cape Hatteras where he successfully fought the Confederate gunboat CSS Curlew and sunk two Confederate vessels. His efforts would be prove to be successful for the Union Navy and he was recognized by the Secretary of the Navy for services.

But January 1865 would be the time when Phelps would earn his greatest notoriety for his leadership and actions.

As a lieutenant commander, Phelps led his steam sloop Juniata in an attack on Fort Fisher, which was the last supply

route open for Confederates forces to supply the port at Wilmington, North Carolina. The Juniata was positioned as one of the central ships in the main wave of 56 vessels that bombarded the fort for two-and-a-half days. As the fort’s defenses were weakened due to the bombardment, a landing force of 8,000 Union soldiers attacked and successfully conquered the crucial location on Jan. 15, 1865. His final major Civil War service was on April 16, 1865, during the Battle of West Point (Georgia) where he prevented a large Confederate force from rejoining their main army, which aided the Union victory in that conflict as well. Later that year, Phelps received his promotion to commander, and six years after the Civil War had ended, Phelps was promoted to the rank of captain in 1871.

One of his most important historical contributions was in 1882, when he published his Reminiscences of Seattle: Washington Territory and the (continued on page 50)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 49) U.S. Sloop-of-War Decatur. During the Indian War of 1855-56.” Despite the fact that it was written approximately 30 years after the event, it was apparent that his memory of the battle was crystal clear with writing that included vivid details: The roaring of an occasional gun from the ship, belching forth its shrieking shell, and its explosion in the woods, the sharp report of the howitzer, the incessant rattle of small-arms, and an uninterrupted whistling of bullets, mingled with the furious yells of the Indians, transpiring beneath an overcast and lowering sky, pictured a scene long to be remembered by those who were upon the ground to witness it. A young man (Pocock, or Wilson, as he called himself), having benefited by the protection afforded by a stump, for an hour or more, lost his life by the severance of the spinal column with an Indian

bullet, while in the act of running to the rear, for the purpose of procuring water to quench his thirst.

In 1885, at the rank of rear admiral, Phelps retired after completing 45 years of service. He lived his final years watching his own son quickly rise through the ranks as a naval officer, and died in the Naval Hospital in New York City on Jan. 10, 1901, at the age of 78. Episcopal funeral services were held at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. T.B.M Mason, and his body was escorted to Arlington National Cemetery by United States Marines as the Marine Band performed in honor of his service. His pallbearers included three Navy captains, one Marine general and two Admirals. He is buried in Grave 504, Section 1, next to his wife and son, Thomas Stowell Phelps, Jr., who also became a rear admiral.

Perhaps it was best said by Phelps at

the end of his published reminiscence that showed his true love of the sea despite his difficult experiences in battle: In three hours our noble vessel once more rode over the long gentle swell of the broad Pacific, and when well outside of Cape Classet, and clear of Duncan’s Rock, the hawsers connecting our ship with the John Hancock were cast off, and as she swept around in a graceful curve on her return to Puget’s Sound…As our eyes turned in the direction from whence we had come, with the exception of the writer, every officer, and nearly every man, on board the U. S. sloop-of-war Decatur looked for the last time upon the magnificent Strait of Juan de Fuca.

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51

Early view of Winthrop Road in No. Monmouth. Item # LB2007.1.108621 from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

The Sedgley Place

In an era of chain restaurants, all-you-can-eat buffets and drive-through windows, the world is full of forgettable meals. This is not the case at the Sedgley Place in Greene, Maine.

For over 25 years, Sedgley Place has focused on quality and commitment to seeking constant improvement. Such was the case 12 years ago, when the owners, Paul and Susan Levesque, started using vegetables grown on their organic farm. The farm is located a few miles from the restaurant in Leeds, Maine. In late May they start picking greens and tomatoes out of their greenhouses, and through late November produce is picked fresh daily for use in the kitchen. From eggs to eggplant, potatoes to tomatoes, the ingredients at Sedgley Place are always farm fresh. Their farm has been certified organic by MOFGA for the last 17 years, which once again shows their commitment to quality, the environment, and the consumer’s health.

Sedgley Place’s owners pride themselves on having a limited menu that changes weekly, offering the customer a unique variety of tastes. This allows them to focus on excellence, not quantity. Their menu always includes a prime rib served au jus, a filet mignon, a poultry entree and a fresh fish entree. It also may include duck, lamb, shellfish, veal Sedgley Place, located on Sedgley Road in Greene, is or perhaps some venison. Generally their housed in a stately federal home that was built in 1786. menu has six different entrees to choose from.

One of the unique things about the dining experience at the Sedgley Place is their inclusive pricing. For one fixed price you receive homemade cheese and crackers, homemade bread, and honey whipped butter. You also get your choice of an appetizer, choice of entree and choice of a homemade dessert. They also have a full bar and a diverse wine cellar which boasts 63 different wines from all over the world. The bar includes wines and microbrews from our own great state of Maine. Sedgley Place is a fine restaurant for those with hearty appetites. The multiple courses ensure that dinner guests never go away hungry.

Take time in your busy schedule to come relax and experience the ambiance of a stately federal home built in 1786 and enjoy one of the finest dining experiences in New England.

They are located 2 miles off of 202 in Greene, Maine, 45 minutes south of Waterville, 20 With the help of the Levesques’ sons, Josh and Peter, minutes south of Augusta, and 45 to 50 minutes north of the Portland/Falmouth area. The Sedgley vegetables are harvested daily from their MOFGA Place is reservations only. Please call 1-800-924-7778 or 207-946-5990. Also, visit them online at certified fields and greenhouses. www.sedgleyplace.com. You can also request the weekly menu at sedgley@sedgleyplace.com

52

Western lakes & mountains region

Old postcard of early view of City Park in Lewiston, ca. 1935. The church in the background is St. Patricks, built in 1891. Item #17475 from the collections of the Maine Historical Society and www.VintageMaineImages.com

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George Lafayette Beal Norway’s Civil War hero

by James Nalley

O

n August 9, 1862, Union forces, led by Major General Nathaniel Banks attacked General “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederate troops as they marched toward the court house in order to prevent a Union advance into Virginia. Known as the Battle of Cedar Mountain or Cedar Run, this was the first serious clash between the Union’s “new” Army of Virginia and the Confederate’s Army of Virginia. With the Union soldiers outnumbered two-to-one, casualties quickly mounted and Confederate victory was imminent. Leading the 10th Maine Infantry was a freshly appointed colonel from Norway, Maine, who charged

the Confederates forces and lived through some of the bloodiest fighting in the battle. Although he miraculously survived and received a commendation for his service, he lost 173 of his men in the first 30 minutes alone.

George Lafayette Beal was born in Norway, Maine, on May 21, 1825. The son of one of the town’s first citizens, Ezra Beal, George was educated in the local schools and eventually at Westbrook Seminary. Although he found regular employment as an agent with the Canadian Express Company, he had been highly interested in military history and affairs. In 1855, Beal enlisted in the local militia as a private and quickly (continued on page 54)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 53) rose to the rank of captain by 1861. After the fall of Fort Sumter and the subsequent outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, Beal’s company became part of the 1st Maine Infantry, which included a three-month term of service. According to the Historical Dictionary of the Civil War by Terry L. Jones, “Beal may have been the first Maine man mustered into Union service when his company became part of the 1st Maine.”

After his three-month term concluded in Washington, D.C., Beal immediately re-enlisted for two years and was commissioned as the colonel of the 10th Maine Infantry. Naturally, his appointment meant that he and his troops were guaranteed a direct ticket to the battlefield. Beal and his regiment subsequently fought in various battles including Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, and Antietam, where he was severely wounded. According to the battle report by Lieutenant Colonel James Fille-

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brown, “On the morning of the 17th, in command of his regiment, Colonel Beal received a shot in the legs, which passed through one and entered the other slightly.”Other reports, such as this one from a corporal in the regiment, were similar: “I found myself on the ground with a strange feeling covering my body…My shirt was filled with blood and I supposed it was my last day on Earth. I had the unusual feeling of being at home with friends and thousands of thoughts ran through my mind. Many officers were killed and wounded.”

After Beal recovered, he was mustered out with his regiment in May 1863. Unlike others in his position who would have quietly returned home, Beal promptly signed on for an additional three years. On December 17, Beal was commissioned as the colonel of the 29th Maine Infantry, which fought in the Red River and Shenandoah Valley campaigns in 1864. By August of that year,

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he happily returned home to Maine.

Upon his return, his father had hoped and assumed that Beal would take over the Beal Hotel, but he remained steadfast in his service to his country and to his state. Beal was involved in the Maine National Guard/Militia until 1874 and he served as the department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a fraternal organization composed of veterans from the Civil War. In regard to his dealings with the state of Maine, he was highly active in politics and he served as adjutant general from 1880 to 1883 and as state treasurer from 1888 to 1894.

On December 11, 1896, Beal passed away from heart disease at the age of 71. According to the December 15, 1896 article in the Oxford Democrat, General Beal had returned Thursday evening from Washington, where he had been to attend a meeting of the

Board of Managers of National Soldiers’ Homes, of which board he was a member. Although not in perfect health during the trip, he did not consider himself ill, and spent the evening after his return entertaining callers, and seemed in very good spirits. Early in the morning, after hearing sounds from his room indicating that he was not sleeping easily, Mrs. Beal went in a found him dead.

He was buried at the Norway Pine Grove cemetery. Today, any discussions that connect the town of Norway with the Civil War must include the name George Lafayette Beal. Through his years of service to his country and his state, he has easily become the town’s most famous and revered citizen. As the Oxford Democrat stated in 1896, “Such a man must be greatly and widely missed.”

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Bridgton’s Wendell Perkins

by Charles Francis

The primitivist con

W

hat happens when you get caught kiting checks in Maine? Most likely you end up in jail. In the case of Wendell Perkins, you get sent to the Reformatory for Men in South Windham. Perkins was incarcerated for one to five years for writing bad checks.

What do you do in jail if you are, as Wendell Perkins was, possessed of artistic talent? Well, what Perkins did was paint murals, very large ones, on reformatory walls. As of this writing, I believe the murals — which include Portland Head Light —still in extent.

Wendell Perkins was a naïve man.

Naïve is usually taken as a pejorative.

That is not the object here, though.

Naïve can also be associated with selftaught. Some very good writers and artists are self-taught. Wendell Perkins the artist was largely self-taught. There are critics that describe him as a “primitivist.” This is because he had little formal training. The subject of Wendell Perkins as primitivist will be considered in this essay. As it is, remember that in the United States, self-culture has long been considered a hallmark of what it means to be accomplished, as an American and an individualist.

Some of the greatest writers and artists American has produced were self-cultured. Walt Whitman comes to mind here. So, too, does the work of some giants of the art world of the turn of the

century and later.

Grandma Moses is, of course, notably primitive. But then some of Picasso’s work is considered primitive, as is that of Henri Rousseau.

Wendell Perkins painted in Maine and in Florida. His first Maine paintings had a marine theme. The sea and ships were his first subjects. For me, Perkin’s best work was with Western Maine as its subject. They were done when Perkins lived in Bridgton. The subjects of Perkin’s paintings done in the mountains of western Maine and New Hampshire I find uniquely evocative of a perspective few have had the perception to realize. His Florida work is of an entirely different order, dealing,

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com as much of it does, with African-American subjects.

Wendell Thompson Perkins was born in Boston in 1928. He died in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1997. His occupation was artist and painter. His subject matter falls into three broad categories: maritime or marine settings, landscapes and African-American subjects. Most of his work was done in oil.

Perkin’s most productive period was probably when he was in Bridgton.

Unfortunately, it is also his least representative. The reason for this has to do with his Bridgton studio and gallery being destroyed by fire. Several hundred paintings were lost in the conflagration.

One that wasn’t was the painting titled Winter.

Primitive art is often characterized as possessed by a childlike simplicity in subject matter and technique. To put it another way, primitive art is often seen as having been produced by someone lacking a formal degree. The primitive

artist is characterized as not thinking in analytical terms. Limit, scale, and quanity do not enter as atmospheric aspects of his work. Now let us consider the Perkins painting Winter.

Winter is not two-dimensional. It has depth. The painting shows a New England farm in the White Mountains: weathered red barn and adjacent outbuildings, lowering sky and distant mountains. The foreground is broken rail fence. The weathered aspect of the buildings and fence contrast to the snow. What one might consider as naïve is the painter’s astonishment at the beauty of what he sees. Astonishment does not accompany measuring and analyzing. The subject of Winter is familiar. Perkins does not deal with description, but rather familiarity.

Wendell Perkins did have some formal training. He attended the Portland School of Fine Arts. That training did not dull his appreciation of the familiar.

We can be glad it did not.

Wendell Perkins was raised in Castine. He was adopted by Joel and Martha Perkins of Castine, and raised by them. Castine environs served for Perkin’s initial inspiration.

Perkins first experimented with oil paint when he was seven. He had watched his father and older brother, Donald, painting landscapes around Castine. Perkins later said “My first painting…was of a four mast sailing ship, which I copied from a large painting. I used oils on that first painting and it was a horrible looking thing. I sold it to a woman vacationer at Castine for 25 cents and I felt rich.” On another occasion, Perkins said: “I’ve always been painting, ever since I was a child. I guess I taught myself.” It should be noted that many of Perkins’ early ship paintings were two-dimensional. Sophistication came as he matured, though work like the famous Forest City has decided two-dimensional elements. (continued on page 58)

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(continued from page 57) Perkins spent two years at the Portland School of Fine Arts on the GI Bill. He had been in the Navy. Then came his incarceration for writing bad checks.

Perry Hayden, the superintendent at the reformatory, upon discovering Perkins’ predilection for painting, allowed him to paint. Perkins said he wanted to paint something large and was allowed to paint the entry walls using house paint and oils. The murals measure sixfeet tall and two-feet wide, and are connected into a single panoramic scene at the doorway. On the right side of the door is a forested lake, and on the left is Portland Head Light station. On the opposing wall facing the door, Perkins added the Great Seal of Maine.

When he was in his mid-twenties, Perkins got to know Hartley Staley, who lived in Bridgton, and was invited to stay in Staley’s home. Staley would later become Perkins’s business man-

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ager.

Perkins was inspired by the scenery of the area around Bridgton, and began painting the surrounding region’s varying landscapes. Staley then helped Perkins purchase a small piece of property to house his first studio, called The Red Shingle Gift Shop and Studio. A garage from another location was moved there and decorated with red-stained shingles. Twelve-foot wings were added onto each side to exhibit paintings. The shop also sold items created by Thomaston State Prison inmates. In addition, Staley’s Aunt Dorothy sold embroidery and quilts. Then came the fire.

The fire broke out on a October morning. Hundreds of paintings were destroyed. Firefighters at the scene had been unable to get water due to cold.

The paintings were valued at around $15,000.

Perkins and Staley then opened a

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restaurant in Bridgton, before moving to Portland, where they opened a new studio shop named Hartley’s Antiques.

At their new store, Perkins painted ships and Staley sold antiques. Around 1980 they relocated to Windham. Perkins subsequently moved to St. Augustine, Florida, where he began the African-American phase of his art.

Calling Wendell Perkins a primitivist just may be disservice. The term brings to mind folk art. But for the Bridgton fire, Wendell Perkins might never have left Maine. Perkins might have developed to become “the” painter of Western Maine. Today he stands as one of Florida’s more significant painters. One can wonder what might have been…

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Fairfield’s Seldon Connor Experienced Life After Death

by Brian Swartz

Adapted from Maine At War

M

aine lost a future governor after the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia.

Born in Fairfield on Jan. 25, 1839, Seldon Connor graduated from Tufts University 20 years later. He retained his Vermont ties by joining the 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment in 1861.

But Maine needed every native son with military talent, so Connor transferred to the 7th Maine Infantry as a lieutenant colonel (and second in command) that August.

He served well, experiencing combat during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, suffering a minor wound at

Fredericksburg, Va. in early May 1863, and fighting at Gettysburg that July.

Connor later assumed command of the 19th Maine Infantry Regiment.

His luck ran out during the Battle of the Wilderness on Friday, May 6, 1864.

According to Medical Histories of Union Generals, a Confederate musket ball shattered the Connor’s left thigh and caused “a compound and comminuted fracture of the left femur, eight inches below the hip.”

Placing Connor in a blanket, some Union soldiers struggled to carry the 200-pound colonel through the dense thickets to a nearby road. Evacuated

to a field hospital, Connor underwent surgery there; “a primary excision of” 3½ inches “of his fractured femur was performed,” according to Medical Histories.

Connor later arrived at the Douglas Hospital in Washington, D.C. In mid-June “a secondary hemorrhage occurred”; “the surgeons were summoned, and preparations for amputation were made,” according to Medical Histories.

The result stunned Connor’s friends.

On Friday, June 24, several Maine newspapers published a Maine Farmer report stating that “Gen. Seldon Con(continued on page 64)

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(continued from page 63) nor, late of the 19th Maine, who was severely wounded in the battle of the Wilderness on the 6th of May, died last week in Washington.”

Connor had “acted as brigade commander during the battle in which he was fatally wounded,” the report informed readers. “The day before his death, his appointment as [brevet] Brigadier General [of volunteers] was confirmed by the Senate, a tardy but honorable recognition of gallant and meritourious (sic) services.”

After extolling Connor’s service and virtues, the Maine Farmer report concluded, “Thus at the early age of 25 years, when … a loftier and still more useful career was opening to him, in the service of his country, his name is added to the list of heroes and martyrs, who have nobly sealed their devotion to that country with their lives.”

Preparations immediately began to bestow on Connor a general’s funeral like that accorded Hiram Berry after

~ Seldon Connor ~

his death at Chancellorsville in spring 1863. The political and military bigwigs would see that Connor received a funeral fit for a hero.

But the funereal preparations suddenly went on hold. On Saturday, June 25, the Bangor Daily Whig & Courier reported on page 2 that “we learn from Gen S. P. Strickland that Gen S.P. Connor is not dead but is doing well.”

“We make the announcement with joy, and it will be received by Union men with feelings of profound gratitude. He is a brave officer, and we are pleased to state that he will live to honor the new position (general) he is so eminently qualified to fill,” the paper concluded.

As with so many press reports then and now, the media got the news half right. Seldon Connor was not dead, but he certainly was not “doing well.”

The surgeons scrambling to remove Connor’s left leg discovered that because “he had lost so much blood and

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was in such a weakened condition,” amputation would probably kill him, Medical Histories reported. “The tourniquet was removed and the bleeding was stopped by digital compression.

Day and night for the next few weeks someone was at his side to apply pressure.”

Connor gradually recovered; he later underwent surgery during which a doctor removed from Connor’s thigh “a flattened piece of lead equivalent to about a third of the [length of an] ordinary elongated bullet,” according to Medical Histories.

Connor never returned to action.

The wound and subsequent medical care crippled him by shortening his left leg four or five inches and ultimately leaving the leg “entirely useless,” the Medical Histories noted.

But Connor let no lifelong affliction slow him down. Propped up in an Army ambulance, he watched the Army of the Potomac march along Pennsylva-

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nia Avenue in Washington, D.C. during the May 23, 1865 grand review. Three months later Connor headed home; on Jan. 1, 1866 “he stood up for the first time in almost two years with the aid of crutches,” according to Medical Histories.

Running as a Republican, Seldon Connor was elected as Maine’s 35th governor in 1875, served a one-year term, and won re-election twice. Despite winning a plurality (but not a majority) of the 1879 gubernatorial election votes, he saw his victory overthrown by a combined Democrat and third-party effort in the Legislature to award the victory to the Democratic candidate, Alonzo Garcelon.

After his “second” (and official) death on July 9, 1917, Seldon Connor was buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Augusta.

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Skowhegan Is Rich In History The shiretown that grew up on the Kennebec

by BJ Bangs

S

kowhegan is rich in history — some still visible in town, some living only through memories of those who remember the past or through historical archives.

While this community of 8,824 people may be best known as being the home of the Honorable Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995), who served in the U.S. Congress from 1940 to 1972 and was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, this Somerset County community was a bustling manufacturing community during the 1800s. River drives on the Kennebec River winding through the community could be witnessed every spring. And Skowhegan

Island was so congested that there was little room for anything else.

Skowhegan Island is situated near the perpendicular Skowhegan Falls, where the river descends 28 feet in a half mile. It divides the Kennebec River into two channels, and has always been important to the community, which also serves as the shiretown (the county seat) of Somerset County.

Abner Coburn, Maine Governor from 1863-64, was instrumental in this.

A man of considerable wealth, he was the key player in the construction of a new court house and jail being built in Skowhegan. Then, he reportedly used his political power to move the coun-

ty seat from Norridgewock to Skowhegan.

Skowhegan Island was once an area brimming with activity. Today, it remains a beautiful place to visit, accessible by footbridge and the Margaret Chase Smith bridges. There is open space, making it an ideal place for tourists. Its also hosts a park built to commemorate Benedict Arnold’s march up the Kennebec River on to Quebec City.

Before the formation of a town was even heard of, Native Americans (The Red Paint Indians and later the Abenakis) used Skowhegan Island on their annual trip to and from the coast.

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~ Margaret Chase Smith ~

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nebec, they planted corn, which they harvested on their return trip.

In 1724 the massacre at old Norridgewock village drove most Native Americans away from the Kennebec Valley. In 1772 the first white settlers came and built their homes and farms several miles down river. One of their first needs was to find a location that could provide water power to run sawmills. Skowhegan Island was perfect because of a natural cleft in the ledges that a current ran through. The first mills were built on the “Power Channel,” also known as the sluiceway, in the 1790s.

Sawmills were powered by two waterfalls prior to the construction of the first small dams to raise the water level and make water power more efficient.

The sluiceway served as an ideal place to build mills and factories. But after larger dams were installed, the water level rose considerably, and the (continued on page 68)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 67) once important sluiceway was no longer visible.

Early transportation to the island was via ferry that was neither safe, nor time-efficient, and history has recorded many fatal ferry accidents. In 1809 the first wooden covered bridges were built, allowing people to go back and forth to Skowhegan Island easily at any time of the year. In the late 1800s those bridges were replaced with steel bridges, providing stronger reinforcements for heavier loads. Then, in 1970 the Margaret Chase Smith bridges, the major access routes to the island today, were constructed.

Historical records show that in the mid-1800s, the island hosted the town’s first bank, first high school, two churches, fire station, one of the first dairy treats in Maine, and a new spinning mill built to replace older factories. That spinning mill later became

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the home of Solon Manufacturing Co., manufacturer of Popsicle sticks and other small wood pieces. In the early 1900s Central Maine Power built two large dams and power stations that remain in use today.

One of the area’s tourist attractions, the swinging bridge, originated because a local farmer wanted to shorten his walking distance to the island. Six years later, his bridge was destroyed when the cables gave out and the bridge collapsed. The floods of 1901 and 1936 destroyed subsequent bridges. Finally, a bridge was constructed high enough to escape flood waters and it still stands today – even though it feels very wobbly when you walk over it.

Skowhegan Island and the Kennebec River offer additional historical significance. In the winter of 1775 General Benedict Arnold led his Revolutionary Army up the Kennebec River

to Quebec City. Because there were no dams at the time, the men and animals had to journey their way up the high waterfalls. The rugged territory resulted in many men and supply animals dying. Additionally, much-needed food supplies were lost in the cold, icy river. Is it any surprise that their mission failed, and many were either killed or captured? One of the earliest settlers of Skowhegan, Mr. Joseph Weston, joined the expedition.

The Kennebec River hosted the annual River Drives for years, with the last one being held in 1976.

Hard work and low wages were the norm for river drives. In the early 1900s, the men worked from before sun up to after sun down, working what is called “pod auger” days. They were served four meals a day: breakfast at 5 am, a second meal at 9 am, lunch at 2 pm, and supper at 7 pm.

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While lodging facilities and work practices for the workers varied depending upon the time of year, if the drive was moving down river, temporary camps were erected. These camps consisted of three large tents holding 80 to 85 men. The cook’s shack was in front of the tents. If the drive wasn’t moving down river, camps were more stationary, consisting of log cabins with bunks and an attached or adjacent cook’s shack.

In the mid 1900s, a typical log drive would begin in April. Once the ice had melted, they hooked the boom logs together and the drive began. The men ran over the logs in the river with caulk boots: boots with thick soles and nails sticking out of the soles so that the men wouldn’t slip. They used pick poles: long poles that had spikes on the end to keep the logs going down the river. Reportedly there were only four responses

to a log jam. First, the men would try to break the jam by hand. If that didn’t work, they tried to cut away the key logs, the logs that were holding the others back. If they couldn’t get to the key logs, they would use dynamite to blow them away. If the jam still didn’t come apart, they would raise the water level of the river through the use of dams.

Usually it was a matter of just keeping the wood moving down the river, but in the fall it was a different story.

Workers bringing up the rear had to walk along the banks of the river and make sure there wasn’t any wood left behind. When high water resulted in wood being left back in the woods, the men would form a line, passing the wood along until it could be thrown into the water. After all of the wood was in the river, boats would come along with the booms and continue moving the wood along the river untl it reached its

destination – many times saw or lumber mills.

Because Skowhegan has such a wealth of history, students at the Skowhegan Area Middle School have been working on an in-depth study of the community for years, and continue their in-depth study of the community.

This work is being done in conjunction with the town’s History Center and the Maine Memory Network, a part of the Maine Historical Society in Portland.

Much of the students’ award-winning work has been compiled in studies, movies, web pages, and reports, published on the internet. Their web site is www.msad54.org/sams/projects/community/.

(BJ Bangs is a freelance writer. Her business Preserving Memories focuses on preserving old photographs and keeping history alive through creating story books about important events in people’s lives. She can be contacted at bjbangs@preservingandcreatingmemories. com)

J.R.’s Trading & Pawn INSTANT CASH LOANS We Provide The Dependable Service You Need.

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C.B. Davis Co., Inc. Since 1946 ~ Open to the General Public ~ Manufacturers & Wholesalers of Sheet Metal, HVAC Ductwork, and supplies Specializing in Custom Metal Fabrication

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70

Western lakes & mountains region

Memorial Hall in Oakland. Item # LB2007.1.102004 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

Gallant

Funeral Home,Inc.

Funeral Prearrangement Specialists Waterville’s Only Independent & Locally Operated Funeral Home John O. Gallant, Director

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Accessible to the Handicapped

KMD CAR CARE

Michael’s Short Cuts Michael Weymouth

Owner/Barber/Cosmetologist Terry Duran Owner

BUFF • WAX • SHAMPOO ATV’S • BOATS • AIRPLANES 20 Years Experience Call For Appointment • 314-3835 44 Main St. • Oakland, ME

Warren Brothers CONSTRUCTION Complete Site Preparation Bulldozing • Septic Systems Sand • Loam • Gravel • Fill

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SandyAPPLES River

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71

DiscoverMaineMagazine.com

Henry Knox Thatcher Mercer’s Hawaiian knight

by Charles Francis

I

for a number of reasons.

Unlike his grandfather, Henry Knox Thatcher was a Navy man. In fact, he was one of America’s first admirals.

Admiral was not the only title of esteem he bore, however. Intriguingly, he was a knight, having garnered this accolade from none other than Kamehameha V of Hawaii.

Henry Knox Thatcher was in Thomaston at Montpelier on May 26, 1806.

His parents were Ebenezer Thatcher and Lucy Flucker Knox. The future admiral spent his earlier years attending Boston schools, visiting Maine in the summers. At the age of eighteen he was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point. It was at this (continued on page 72)

n Maine the name Henry Knox is usually associated with Thomaston, the town where the famous Revolutionary War general and first United States Secretary of War built his mansion, Montpelier. There is another Henry Knox, however. His full name is Henry Knox Thatcher and he chose to make his Maine home in the town of Mercer.

Henry Knox Thatcher came by his name quite rightly. He was the grandson of the Henry Knox who built Montpelier. However, birth is a matter of happenstance. Henry Thatcher Knox was in his own right an extremely accomplished military man as well as a prominent figure in American history

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JP’s Service

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Stringed Instruments

Repair • Restoration • Sales Factory authorized service: CF Martin, Gibson, Taylor and Ovation guitars Lawrence S. Siegler

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Steve’s Garage For All Your Automotive Needs Steve Rackliff - Owner

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72

Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 71) time he began a series of moves which would lead to the rank of admiral.

In the fall of 1822, just a few months into his first year, Henry Thatcher took sick leave from West Point. He would never return. Academy records show him as absent from the end of November 1822 until April of 1823. What Thatcher had done was to join the Navy.

On March 4, 1823, Henry Thatcher was commissioned a midshipman in the United States Navy. Thatcher’s naval career would continue until he retired from active duty in 1871.

Henry Knox Thatcher’s rise through the naval ranks was almost meteoric for this time period in naval history when competent officers were known to languish in the lower ranks all their lives.

In February of 1833, he was jumped two grades to full lieutenant.

The decades following the War of 1812 saw the United States directing most of its military spending to the Army due to the ever-expanding west-

ern frontier. What ships-of-the-line America had were vessels like the Old Ironsides and dated from the Revolutionary era or slightly later. Money for construction of new vessels was spent on ships for patrolling coastal waters and cutters for the Revenue Service, Foreign postings and command of a number of vessels. It was also at this time that Thatcher acquired a home in Mercer.

The records indicate that Henry Knox Thatcher purchased a home on what is now known as Old Route 3 in Mercer early on in his naval career. He was to consider it his permanent home rather than the Knox mansion in Thomaston. Thatcher spent what little time he had when not on active duty in Mercer.

In 1855, Thatcher was promoted to commander and given command of the sloop-of-war Decatur of the Pacific Squadron. This was Thatcher’s first tour of duty in the Pacific. While

there he took part in the evacuation of American citizens in Nicaragua during a period of revolution and helped to put down Indian uprisings in the Pacific Northwest. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Thatcher was in the Mediterranean in command of the Constellation.

In July of 1862, Thatcher was jumped a rank to commodore. (He was never a captain) At this period in history commodore was the highest rank in the Navy. David Farragut was a commodore at this time and the senior ranking officer of the Western Gulf Squadron. Thatcher was given command of a division of ships and placed on blockade duty. His flag ship was the Colorado. In the attack on heavily fortified Fort Fisher the Colorado was struck six times.

Following the surrender of Fort Fisher, Thatcher replaced Commodore Farragut as commander of the Western Gulf Squadron. Although Farragut had

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73

DiscoverMaineMagazine.com gained control of Mobile Bay at the time he uttered his famous “Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead,” he had been unable to secure the capitalization of Mobile itself. It was Thatcher, in coordination with General Edward Canby, who accomplished this. Thatcher then went on to occupy Galveston, Texas. In 1866 he was placed in command of the consolidated Western Gulf Squadron.

Shortly after this he followed in Farragut’s footsteps with a promotion to rear admiral. He was then placed in com-

mand of the Pacific Squadron.

It was at this time that he was knighted by King Kamehameha V of Hawaii. It was a political move on the part of the King who wished to promote trade relations with the United States while at the same time maintaining his kingdom’s autonomy. Congress had to enact a special bill to allow Thatcher, as a naval officer on active duty, to be knighted.

From 1869 to 1871, Thatcher was post admiral at Portsmouth, New

Hampshire . The posting made it possible for him to spend the longest periods of time in Mercer that he had been able to during his entire naval career.

Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher died in 1880 in Boston. The Secretary of the Navy authorized a thirteen-gun salute in his honor. Today Henry Knox Thatcher, the man who called Mercer home, stands as the only naval officer to have been knighted while actively serving his country. His Mercer home is now on the National Historic Register.

Discover Maine

* Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.

RDM ELECTRIC Ryan Morgan Master Electrician Fully Licensed & Insured

~ A Veteran Owned Maine Company ~ West Farmington, Maine

207-778-2452 (Home) 207-491-7314 (Cell)

186 Main Street, Farmington, Maine

207-778-2755

www.countyseatrealty.com

74

Western lakes & mountains region

Main camp, Overlake, in Farmington. Item # LB2007.1.100753 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publising Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

FARMINGTON FARMERS UNION “Celebrating 100+ Years of Serving the Area’s Agricultural Needs”

We offer a complete line of plumbing, hardware, paint, farming supplies, and livestock needs

~ Tool Rentals Available ~ ~ 244 Front St., Farmington, ME • 778-4520 ~ 778-5674

Jerry D. Bean, Jr. owner

207-491-9624

Shop: 207-645-9780 gdbean@beeline-online.net 14 Shea Street • Wilton, ME

MEADOW LANES

McAllister Accounting And Tax Services

WINTER HOURS

Serving your business and personal tax planning and preparation needs for over 30 years.

~ Celebrating 50 years in business ~ Route 2 • East Wilton Mon. 6pm-10pm Tues. 9am-12pm / 6pm-10pm Wed. 9am-12pm Fri. 1pm-6pm / 8:30pm-11pm Sat. 12pm-10pm Sun. 1pm-5pm

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Ronald E. McAllister Marcus E. McAllister

897-5667

404 Main Street • Jay, ME

75

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Early view of Umbagog Mill area on the Androscoggin River below the bridge from Livermore to Livermore Falls.

Item # LB2012.20.120976 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

Riverside

Gunsmithing

170 Main Street Jay ME Established in 1954

Factory Trained and Armour Certified Glock Certified

Serving Franklin County and the local communities

Joseph E. Velozo

897-0900 • 800-848-3688

Cell: 207-754-4270

www.otisfcu.coop

513 Boothby Road • Livermore, ME

of Maine

Long Green Variety Meet Comethe Moose Rocko

Intersection of 108W and Rt. 4 Livermore, ME

Agency Liquor Store • ATM Sunoco Gas • New England Coffee Soda • Beer • Tobacco • Lottery Pizza & Sandwiches • Ice Cream

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New Equipment Sales & Service Ross Clair, Manager/Sawyer

(207) 645-2072 541 Borough Rd., Chesterville, ME

Food, Fun, Games, Rides & More FREE ADMISSION

www.applepumpkinfestival.org 207-897-6755 P.O. Box 458, Livermore Falls, ME 04254

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Western lakes & mountains region

John Chandler: American A self-made man from Monmouth

by Charles Francis

A

boy sits on the edge of the world. He stares at a scene only God could have created.

It is spring and the hills so verdant that one envies the cows and their grass.

In hollows, patches of snow melt and drip. In the distance the even greener mountains are lace-like, sheep-dotted.

A town bell strikes. There are other sounds ― a whisper of warm wind, the cow’s lowing, bird cries, a creak of harness, a giggle of rushing water.

The boy ― his name is John Chandler ― is fourteen years old. The year is 1776. The place, a small town, a hamlet really. There are a lot of small towns like this in New England of 1776. John is like a lot of New England

boys on the verge of adolescence. John hasn’t been to school. A lot of boys didn’t go to school then. It was nothing unusual that John couldn’t read, write, or cipher. His older brothers couldn’t either.

At fourteen, John Chandler was something of a blank slate. He wasn’t much of anything. He didn’t think of himself as anything particular. He did what his older brothers did, which was what Joseph Chandler, the father, said to do. That was about all John knew.

Joseph Chandler was a farmer. Farming provided the bounds of John’s life.

He did as he was supposed to do. That was what he was and who he was.

Change was in the air, though. There

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77

DiscoverMaineMagazine.com were rumors.

John Chandler’s father had just gone off to fight. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, either. John knew some of the stories. Joseph Chandler had been a militia captain during the French and Indian War. He was a militia captain now. Captain Joseph Chandler had gone off because there was fighting in neighboring Massachusetts. Though John didn’t know it, he would never see his father again.

Joseph Chandler died in 1776. With that a lot changed for fourteen-year-old John.

John Chandler was born in Epping, New Hampshire in 1762. In 1776 he joined the Continental Army. After the war he settled in Monmouth. He went on to a remarkable career as a militia officer and as a political. John Chandler was one of a new breed of men.

He was an American. In a sense he created himself, just as a lot of others did back in the Revolution and the years immediately following. In a sense,

(continued on page 78)

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Ed Hodsdon Masonry “Your Full Service Commercial Masonry Contractor” BRICK VENEER ~ BLOCK WORK

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North Monmouth

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 77) John Chandler reconceived himself.

Someone wrote a biography of John Chandler’s Revolutionary War career.

It is a remarkable piece. It is anonymous, unsigned. The little biography tells of how Chandler joined the Continental Army at age 14 with his two older brothers. It tells how he fought in the last battle against Burgoyne and went on to serve on the Arnold, an 18gun privateer. It tells how Chandler was captured by the British at sea and taken to Savannah. Chandler and seventeen others escaped. In Savannah they joined up with General Benjamin Lincoln.

Through General Lincoln, Chandler met General Henry Dearborn. Dearborn took a liking to the teenage soldier, becoming something akin to the youngster’s mentor. It was because of Dearborn that Chandler came to settle in Monmouth in Kennebec County.

This is getting a bit ahead of things,

though. First Chandler served the rest of the war.

The Revolution created America.

The Revolution created Americans.

The Revolution made John Chandler an American. Character before Revolution is generally regarded as relatively unchanging; men and women are represented as ageing and dying, but not as changing because their relationship to themselves, rather than to the country, has changed. From the time of the Revolution on, character develops rather than unfolds. Character develops because individuals reconceive themselves. This is what being an American is all about. This is what John Chandler is about. It is what happened when Chandler came to Monmouth in the early 1780s.

Monmouth was a part of the old Plymouth Patent. At the close of the Revolution, General Dearborn acquired some 5,225 acres of the township. For a

number of years he made the township his home, developing it. John Chandler followed in Dearborn’s wake, arriving in the community with a much needed skill. Chandler was a blacksmith. It is said Chandler came “the poorest man in the settlement in respect to money.”

General Dearborn, however, lent Chandler money, $400. The $400 was used to purchase 200 acres.

Monmouth was incorporated as a town in 1792. General Dearborn suggested the name. The General fought at the Battle of Monmouth. By and large the battle had been an American success. In 1792 Monmouth was prospering as a town. John Chandler was prospering, too.

John Chandler was a self-educated man. The fourteen-year-old Chandler was illiterate. The man learned to read, write, do sums and more. It would be tempting to call Chandler self-made.

He, of course, had a friend in Henry

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KEYSTONE MASONRY INC. Hebron, ME

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www.keystonemasonry.us

79

DiscoverMaineMagazine.com Dearborn. Would either have done what they did had they not been American? It is doubtful. The times and the land were irrevocably changed with the birth of America.

At one time or another John Chandler held most of the important positions in Kennebec County. He was Massachusetts Senator from 1803 to 1805. He served as a Democratic Republican to the United States House of Representatives from 1805 to 1809. In 1808 he was appointed sheriff of Kennebec County. He served in the Massachusetts Militia and the regular Army during the War of 1812, from 18121815, attaining the rank of brigadier general. In the latter position, he saw some fighting in Canada and was captured by the British when he mistakenly stumbled into enemy lines thinking them his own. Following the war, Chandler actively worked for the separation of Maine from Massachusetts.

A picture of John Chandler shows

him as kindly, yet knowing. He was a go-getter, that seems certain. In 1819 he was in the Massachusetts General Court. It was a good position from which to work for Maine statehood. It led to Chandler serving on the committee drafting the Maine Constitution.

Here he had a role in reporting the provision that guaranteed “absolute freedom of religion.” This was at a time when Massachusetts still played lip service to an established church. From this, one would be tempted to describe Chandler as a liberal. There are similar considerations too, such as no property qualifications for voting and the election of state senators based on population, not town size.

Chandler was serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives at the time of the Missouri Compromise. If the bill was not passed Maine would revert to Massachusetts.

Missouri was to come in as slave, Maine as free. Maine had seven Con-

gressmen. Five opposed slavery. Only Chandler and one other, Mark Hill, voted for compromise. President Jefferson later thanks Chandler.

John Chandler was the first President of the Maine Senate. He held office for only a few months before resigning to become United States Senator from Maine. He held that position from 1820 to 1829. During that time period he is credited with establishing the armory at Augusta and the beginnings of the Military Road from Bangor to Houlton. He ended his career in public life as the Collector of Customs of Portland. John Chandler died in 1842.

That John Chandler had a remarkable career seems evident. The question is would he have done so if not for the Revolution? Would he have done so in the manner in which he had begun life? I think not. But that is opinion. Or is it? * Other businesses in this area are featured in the color section.

Record Building Supply, Inc. Smedberg’s Crystal Spring Farm

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115 King St. • Oxford, Maine

80

Western lakes & mountains region

Hebron’s “Honest John” Russwurm African-American abolitionist

by Charles Francis

H

The name Russwurm is an important one in Liberian history. John Russwurm, the subject of this piece, served as a governor of Liberia.

Russwurm was also a student at Hebron Academy. It was there he acquired the sobriquet “Honest John.” “Honest John” Russwurm enrolled his two sons at North Yarmouth Academy.

“Honest John” Russwurm emigrated to Liberia in 1829. Prior to that he served as an editor of Freedom’s Journal, an antislavery periodical that was the first African-American owned and run newspaper in the United States.

ebron Academy and North Yarmouth Academy have a number of things in common besides the fact that they are among the oldest secondary schools in Maine. Today, of course, they are noted preparatory schools. Back in the nineteenth century both were known for breaking down social barriers. Early on, Hebron admitted girls. Missionaries serving as far away as what is now Turkey and in Cuba saw to it that promising students could attend North Yarmouth. There is another commonality or tie between the two, however. Students bearing the name Russwurm attended both academies in the early 1800s.

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81

DiscoverMaineMagazine.com John Russwurm was an educated man.

He was one of the very few AfricanAmericans to graduate from college in the pre-Civil War years. Depending on the source, Russwurm was either the second or third African-American to graduate from an American college.

Prior to the Civil War only forty or so African- Americans achieved the distinction.

Russwurm’s full name was John Brown Russwurm. There is some conjecture that Russwurm was born a slave. About 1813 and at the urging of his stepmother, Russwurm took on his white father’s last name. Prior to that time, he had been known simply as John Brown, the implication being that “Honest John” was the son of a slave.

John Russwurm was born on the island of Jamaica in 1799. His father was a successful merchant and plantation owner, his mother a matter of conjecture. The elder Russwurm

quite obviously cared for his son as he sent him to Quebec City to be educated.

John was eight at the time. Five years later, in 1812, father and son moved to Portland. A year later John acquired a stepmother, the former Susan Blanchard of Yarmouth. Blanchard was a widow. John’s stepmother saw to it that he was treated as an equal member of the family. The new Mrs. Russwurm had several children.

John Russwurm’s father died in 1815.

That same year John’s stepmother married again. She was now Mrs. William Hawes.

William and Susan Hawes sent John to Hebron. His fellow Hebron students began calling him “Honest John” because he never missed classes or got in trouble. The nickname became important enough that it followed Russwurm into adulthood and into stories and accounts of him.

From Hebron, “Honest John” went on to teach at a school for AfricanAmerican children in Boston. Then in 1824 and with the help of William and Susan Hawes he matriculated at Bowdoin. While not fully accepted at Bowdoin (he lived off campus) he did join a fraternal organization. He was a friend of Nathaniel Hawthorne and even gave one of the commencement addresses.

In 1827 Russwurm and AfricanAmerican Presbyterian minister Samuel Cornish founded Freedom’s Journal.

Russwurm used the pages of the periodical to call for the resettlement of African-Americans to Africa. The position was a controversial one among abolitionists at the time. Not all opposed to slavery favored freed slaves being sent to what some perceived as their ancestral homeland. In fact, the position led to Russwurm’s resignation (continued on page 82)

KNOPP CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Barry E. Knopp 39 Paris Street Norway, Maine (207) 743-2866

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(continued from page 81) in 1829.

Russwurm’s next position was that of colonial secretary of the American Colonization Society. The oft times controversial society was founded on the idea of establishing a colony of free slaves in Liberia. That fact that southern slave owners who feared a potential slave revolt were members of the society was just one of the controversies the organization faced.

Others saw the society as existing as a bridgehead for American imperialism in Africa.

Russwurm served as a newspaper editor in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.

He was also a state superintendent of education. His longest serving position was that of governor of the Maryland section of Liberia. He held that position from 1836 until his death in 1851. As such, he did much to further trade

relations and cooperation between Liberia and its neighbors.

John Russwurm married and fathered four children. In 1850, one year before he died, Russwurm returned to Maine.

He visited his step-siblings in Yarmouth and enrolled two of his sons at North Yarmouth Academy.

The man whose honesty was recognized by his Hebron classmates died while still working to better the position of Liberian settlers. There is a statue of him at his burial site at Harper, Maryland County, Liberia.

Harper is on Cape Palmas. Cape Palmas is considered the traditional home of Americo-Liberians, the descendants of former slaves, former slaves that John Russwurm once governed.

Wilson

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Lovell’s Eastman Johnson The American Rembrandt

by Charles Francis

H

e was known as the American Rembrandt. During the winter of 1999-2000, the prestigious Brooklyn Museum of Art presented a retrospective of his work. Its title was: Eastman Johnson: Painting America.

Whether or not Eastman Johnson deserved the title of American Rembrandt, there is no question he was a major nineteenth century artist and one of America’s great painters. Today Eastman Johnson prints are sold for anywhere from forty to nearly 200 dollars. A large print of his The Party in the Sugar Maple Camp has a list price in the $180 range.

Eastman Johnson was first and foremost a Maine artist. The Party in the Sugar Maple Camp has a distinct Maine flavor. In fact, it was another ‘sugaring off’ scene that in part established Johnson as a serious artist. This painting was Sugaring Off at the Camp, Fryeburg, Maine. Why did Johnson chose a Fryeburg sugaring camp for a subject? The answer is simple. He was from Lovell.

Eastman Johnson painted the movers and shakers of his day. It is largely

because of him that we have clear and realistic images of the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Moreover, the nation acquired some of the mythos associated with a young Abraham Lincoln thanks to Johnson’s Boyhood of Lincoln. Boyhood of Lincoln presents the future Union Civil War leader reading by the light of a wood fire in a rustic log cabin.

It is not hard to see why Eastman Johnson was popular during his lifetime, at least in the North, where a number of his Civil War era paintings appealed to New England abolitionists.

One of those paintings, A Ride for Liberty — The Fugitive Slaves depicts a slave family fleeing their condition on horseback.

In viewing A Ride for Liberty one is caught up in two conflicting approaches to art, the romantic and the realistic.

Both are definitely there as they are in some of the work of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In fact, A Ride for Liberty and other Johnson works like Negro Life at the South tend to make one want to call him the Harriet Beecher Stowe of

painting. That, of course, would be an affectation, pretension. Eastman Johnson was much more than an artist who appealed to sentiment and emotion.

This is clear in his realistic portrayals of cranberry pickers on Nantucket and in some of his work produced while he sojourned among the Ojibwe of what was then the Wisconsin Territory. As a case in point, Johnson’s Ojibwe work may have been a bit too realistic. The Ojibwe work did not find acceptance until after Johnson’s death.

Eastman Johnson was born in Lovell in 1824. The youngest child — he had seven older siblings — of Philip and Mary (Chandler) Johnson, he grew up the center of attention of a large and active household. And it was a household of privilege and accommodation. Philip Johnson was an influential figure and businessman in Maine. That influence included Augusta, as the elder Johnson served as Maine Secretary of State.

This led to Eastman being brought up in both Lovell and Augusta.

That the Johnson family was accustomed to rank and privilege is illustrated in the career of Eastman’s oldest (continued on page 84)

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Western lakes & mountains region

(continued from page 83) sibling Philip. Philip rose to the rank of commodore in the Navy during the Civil War. (This was before the rank of admiral was adopted.) Philip’s son Alfred was appointed to the Naval Academy by none other than President Grover Cleveland. Eastman Johnson painted President Cleveland.

There is an obvious link between Eastman Johnson being described as The American Rembrandt and his privileged upbringing. Johnson spent time studying painting in The Netherlands.

He studied the work of Dutch and Flemish masters in The Hague, the city where Rembrandt was the preeminent icon.

Eastman Johnson came to The Hague by what some might consider a route carefully constructed by those most concerned in his artistic development. When Eastman was sixteen his father apprenticed him to a Boston lithographer. Lithography was viewed as one of the prime steppingstones to the world of serious painting at the time.

From Boston, Eastman journeyed to Dusseldorf, Germany, a mecca for aspiring young American artists, to study.

From there he went on to The Hague.

Of course, it was young Eastman’s father who footed the bill.

Today the work of Eastman Johnson showcases the finest museums of the country. His work can be found at the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan, at

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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com the Carnegie and the National Gallery of Art. Today (though critics no longer refer to him as The American Rembrandt) Johnson is regarded as having left a significant legacy to today’s art world and beyond.

What is it about the work of Eastman Johnson that endures to this day?

Perhaps the answer lies in his depiction of rural America, most notably rural New England as Johnson experienced it growing up in Lovell.

Shortly after Johnson’s death one critic said that “...all his life,” Johnson “remained an unmistakable ‘Down Easter,’ in his outward way and modes of speech, as well as in his ways of thinking and in his shrewd and humorous outlook on life.” To say it in another way, Eastman Johnson may have journeyed far from Maine but, yet, never left home. * Other businesses from this area are featured in the color section.

~ Eastman Johnson portrait of brother Philip Carrigan Johnson Jr (1876) ~

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Early view of Main St. in Bridgton. Item # LB2007.1.100303 from the Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection and www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org

Enjoy Discover Maine All Year!

Discover Maine Magazine is published eight times each year in regional issues that span the entire State of Maine. Each issue is distributed for pick up, free of charge, only in the region for which it is published.

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A.C. Auto Sales & Vintage Volvos ...................................................4 A.E. Hodsdon Engineers ................................................................69 A.E. Robinson Oil Company ........................................................32 A.F. & W.F. Libby, Masonry .........................................................81 ABT Plumbing, Heating & Cooling ............................................46 Ace Insulation ...............................................................................78 AJ’s Everything ...........................................................................81 All Seasons Storage ...................................................................66 American Legion Bourque-Lanigan Post 5 .................................39 Ames Construction .......................................................................31 Andrew Ames Logging .................................................................5 Annabessacook Veterinary Clinic ...............................................77 Annabessacook Equine Clinic ....................................................77 Apple Pumpkin Festival ...............................................................75 Archie’s, Inc. Rubbish Removal .................................................13 At Home Electric ..........................................................................42 Augusta Terralift Septic Revitalization .........................................76 Axel Annis Concrete Contractor .................................................14 Bay Haven Two Lobster Pound Restaurant....................................60 Benchmark Appraisal ..................................................................54 Bessey Motor Sales ....................................................................80 Betty’s Laundry ............................................................................54 Blanchet Builders, LLC .................................................................35 Bob’s Cash Fuel ..........................................................................62 Bolster Monumental Works .........................................................80 Boomers Restaurant & Saloon ..................................................81 Boothby’s Orchard & Farm Winery ..............................................47 Boudreau’s Heating .....................................................................37 Bowley Brook .............................................................................23 Bowman’s Masonry ...................................................................78 Boy Locksmith ...............................................................................4 BRC Carpentry Inc. .......................................................................78 Breau’s Too ..................................................................................11 Bridgton Hospital ...........................................................................56 Bridgton Urgent Care ...................................................................56 Brownie’s Auto Service ...............................................................63 Brown’s Construction ...................................................................77 Bruce A. Manzer, Inc. ................................................................34 C&D Mosher Construction & Remodeling....................................37 C.B. Davis Co., Inc. .....................................................................69 Canaan Motel ...............................................................................38 Canaan Carry Out ........................................................................66 Cardinal Printing Company, Inc. ................................................83 Carpentry & Odd Jobs .................................................................15 Cates Logging .............................................................................19 Central Maine Community College ............................................5 Central Maine Powersports .........................................................50 Central Maine Sandblasting .........................................................65 Central Tire Co. Inc. .....................................................................69 Chretien’s Construction ...............................................................47 Chris’ Electric ..............................................................................53 City Cove Realty ...........................................................................25 CJ’s Appliances ...........................................................................72 Cliff Roderick, Inc. General Contractor..........................................58 Cobbossee Motel ...........................................................................49 Cobb’s Pierce Pond Camps .......................................................27 Collins Enterprises ......................................................................73 Colonial Valley Motel ...................................................................73 Complete Denture Center .............................................................45 Conlogue’s Building & Property Management ............................46 Cooper Farms ...............................................................................22 Coos Canyon Campground & Cabins ..........................................4 Cornerstone Plumbing & Heating ..............................................71 Coulthard’s Pools and Spas .......................................................13 County Seat Realty .......................................................................73 Covered Bridge Motel .................................................................33 Cushing Construction ...................................................................49 Custom Logging & Excavation Inc. .............................................12 D.A. Wilson & Co. Excavation .................................................22 D.B. Industries ..............................................................................76 D.H. Pinnette & Sons, Inc. .......................................................7 DAC Distributors, Inc. ...................................................................68 Daddy O’s .....................................................................................79 Debra Achramowicz CPA, PA........................................................40 Decker-Simmons American Legion Post 51 ..............................41 Deluxe Diner ................................................................................14 Dependable Painting & Roofing ..................................................82 Designed Living ............................................................................29 Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers ........................................72 Devlin’s Home Improvement .......................................................12 Dick’s Auto Body & Collision Center .........................................50 Dionne & Son Builders .................................................................36 Doug’s Garage ............................................................................68 Douin’s Market & Diner ................................................................42 Dover Audiology & Hearing Aid ..................................................30 Dover Small Engine Repair ..........................................................61 Dover True Value Hardware .........................................................20 Dunkin Donuts ...............................................................................8 Dunn & Pakulski Optometrists .....................................................64 Dyer Septic Service .....................................................................55 E.H. Ward & Son ......................................................................62 E.R. Palmer Lumber Co. .................................................................3 E.W. Moore & Son Pharmacy ....................................................17 Ed Hodsdon Masonry ...................................................................77 Edmunds Market ..........................................................................15 Elias Woodworking .......................................................................61 Eric’s Restaurant .........................................................................40

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Evergreen Auto Salvage .............................................................31 Fairfield Antiques Mall ...................................................................7 Family Pet Connection & Grooming ...........................................65 Farmington Fair ............................................................................72 Farmington Farmers Union ............................................................74 Farrington’s Backhoe Service .....................................................46 Fayette Country Store .................................................................76 Final Touch Painting & Carpentry...................................................41 Fine Line Paving & Grading...........................................................33 Finish Line Construction ...............................................................32 Firefly Boutique ............................................................................57 Fireside Inn & Suites Waterville ...................................................40 Fireside Stove Shop & Fireplace Center .......................................52 Five Fields Farm .............................................................................3 Floormaster North ........................................................................36 Foster Tree & Landscaping ..........................................................41 Fountaine Gates ...........................................................................15 Four Corners Store .....................................................................59 Foxcroft Veterinary Services, P.A. ...............................................31 Framemakers .............................................................................39 Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union ........................................9 Franklin Memorial Hospital ..........................................................44 Franklin Savings Bank ....................................................................6 Fryeburg Fair ...............................................................................59 Fryeburg Glass .............................................................................84 G3 Firearms ................................................................................49 Gallant Funeral Home, Inc. ..........................................................70 George’s Banana Stand ...............................................................64 Good Times Unlimited ..................................................................45 Graf Mechanical ..........................................................................65 Gratefully Dead Custom Meat Cutting ........................................50 Griswold’s Country Store & Diner ................................................29 Grover Hinckley American Legion Post 14 ...............................38 Hair by Tim ....................................................................................14 Hammond Lumber Company ....................................................36 Hardy’s Motorsports ....................................................................63 Harmon’s Heating .......................................................................31 Harris Real Estate .....................................................................73 HealthReach Community Health Centers ....................................4 Heart & Hand Inc. ........................................................................58 Hemlock Ridge Game Processing ..............................................42 Herring Brothers Meats .............................................................19 High Tide Low Tide Seafood .........................................................33 Highland Lake Resort ................................................................57 Hight Chevrolet ..........................................................................10 Hollis Construction Inc. .................................................................83 Homecare Partners .....................................................................67 Houston-Brooks Auctioneers .......................................................5 Howie’s Welding & Fabrication, Inc. ............................................47 Hungry Hollow Country Store ........................................................7 Hydraulic Hose & Assembly ..........................................................8 Image Auto Body ......................................................................62 Indian Summer Tanning & Beauty Salon ..................................35 J.D. Logging .................................................................................61 J.T. Reid’s Gun Shop .......................................................................5 Jackman Auto Parts ....................................................................18 Jackman Power Sports ................................................................29 Jackman Trading Post ..................................................................18 Jake’s Garage .............................................................................23 James Dunn Logging ..................................................................78 Jay-Livermore-Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce ...............75 Jean Castonguay Excavating .....................................................48 Jimmy’s Automotive ......................................................................67 Jimmy’s Shop ‘N Save ..................................................................17 JMH Excavation ..........................................................................53 John Firth Builders ........................................................................30 John Venter Construction .............................................................43 Johnny Castonguay Logging & Trucking .......................................47 Johnson Foundations ..................................................................31 Jordan Lumber Company ............................................................16 JP’s Service .................................................................................71 JR’s Trading & Pawn ....................................................................69 Judy’s Variety ................................................................................14 Katie Q Convenience, LLC ............................................................8 KB Construction & Remodeling .....................................................47 KC’s Country Store .....................................................................20 Kelvin’s Auto Repair ................................................................27 Kennebec Metal Recycling .........................................................65 Keystone Masonry Inc. ................................................................78 Kiesman Drywall Inc. ....................................................................58 Kimball Insurance, LLC ...............................................................19 KMD Car Care .............................................................................70 Knopp Chiropractic ......................................................................81 Knowles Lumber Company .........................................................77 Kozy Log Cabins, LLC ..................................................................30 Kramer’s Inc. ...............................................................................48 L&C Lobster Pound & Clams.........................................................64 L.E. Taylor & Sons .......................................................................11 La Fleur’s Restaurant ................................................................47 Laney’s Pit Stop ...........................................................................65 Larsen Masonry ..........................................................................39 Larsen’s Electric ..........................................................................13 Larsen’s Jewelry ..........................................................................69 Lavallee’s Garage .........................................................................18 Law Office of Brian D. Condon, Jr. Esq. .....................................48 Leland’s Masonry ........................................................................49 Lemon Stream Gamelands ..........................................................71

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Len Poulin Excavation, Inc. .........................................................67 Linkletter & Sons, Inc. ....................................................................62 Logan Home Builders ..................................................................83 Long Green Variety .....................................................................75 Louvat Plumbing Service ............................................................23 Lovell’s Guilford Hardware .........................................................29 Luce’s Maine-Grown Meats ...........................................................34 Lumberjack Lodges .....................................................................61 Lynn-Hom Electronics ..................................................................43 M.A. Vining Concrete ....................................................................18 MacCrillis Rousseau VFW Post 8835 .........................................67 Maine Historical Society .................................................................6 Main St. Styles .............................................................................38 Maine Home Recreation ..............................................................45 Maine Maple Products, Inc. ........................................................61 Maine Veterans’ Homes ................................................................54 Maine-ly Elder Care ....................................................................41 Maine-ly Foam ..............................................................................58 Maine Warden Service .................................................................82 Major’s Heating Services .............................................................78 Marshall’s Automotive Machine Inc. ............................................35 Martin’s Service & Sales ..............................................................24 Maurice Restaurant ......................................................................54 McAllister Accounting & Tax Services ..........................................74 McKusick Petroleum Co. .............................................................31 Meadow Lanes .............................................................................74 MEI Excavation ...........................................................................54 Merchants Floor Sanding ............................................................64 Merle Lloyd & Sons, Earthwork Contractors ...............................62 Metcalf’s Trading Post .................................................................60 Mexico Trading Post ....................................................................12 Michael’s Short Cuts ....................................................................70 Mill St. Cafe ................................................................................46 Mills Market .................................................................................15 Ming Lee Chinese Restaurant ....................................................39 Montello Heights Retirement Community ....................................52 Moose River Campground & Cabins ...........................................19 Moosehead Motorsports .............................................................30 Morrisette Auto Detailing Inc. ......................................................69 Mosher’s Meats & Seafood ..........................................................43 Motor Supply Co. .........................................................................9 Mountain Mechanical, Inc. ..........................................................25 Mountain Rustics .........................................................................55 Mountainview Resort ...................................................................18 Mount Blue Motel ........................................................................73 Mt. Blue Drug ...............................................................................43 Mtn. View Carpentry ....................................................................74 Naples Packing Co., Inc. .............................................................12 Nick DiConzo Builder / Craftsman ..............................................13 Niedner’s Floor Finishing ...........................................................68 Norseman Inn and Motel ............................................................11 Northeast Laboratory Services ..................................................9 Old Canada Road Inn ...............................................................19 Old Mill Stream Ice Cream Shoppe ..............................................76 Orr Excavation ............................................................................45 Otis Federal Credit Union ........................................................75 Oxford Federal Credit Union ......................................................24 Oxford Hills Machine Works ........................................................58 Oxford Hills Taxi ...........................................................................80 P&A Mechanics .........................................................................53 Packard Appraisal, Inc . ................................................................55 Pat’s Pizza Bethel ......................................................................11 Pen-Bay Tractor Co. .....................................................................68 Penobscot Marine Museum .......................................................21 Perkins Management ...................................................................40 Pete’s Roast Beef .......................................................................76 Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce ............................................31 Pitcher Perfect Tire Service .........................................................42 Polly’s Variety ...............................................................................79 Prime Financial, Inc. ...................................................................39 Professional Hydro-Blasters ......................................................42 Pulsifer Orchard ..........................................................................85 R&B’s Home Source .................................................................32 R&D Self Storage ........................................................................68 R.A. Thomas Logging ...................................................................29 R.E. Lowell Lumber Inc. ..............................................................53 R.F. Automotive Repair .............................................................64 R.W. Day Logging .......................................................................59 Ralph Libby Chain Saws .............................................................53 Randy’s Full Service Auto Repair ..............................................37 Rangeley Building & Remodeling ................................................25 Rangeley Electric ........................................................................26 Rangeley Equipment Repair .......................................................15 Rangeley Saddleback Inn ...........................................................25 Ray’s Gun Shop ..........................................................................76 RDM Electric ...............................................................................73 Record Building Supply, Inc. .....................................................79 Redington Fairview General Hospital ..........................................37 Ricker Hill Orchards ...................................................................50 Rick’s Garage ...............................................................................34 Rideout’s Seasonal Services ......................................................20 River Valley Grill ..........................................................................14 Riverhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast ..................................................27 Riverside Gunsmithing .................................................................75 Riverside Kwik Stop ....................................................................74 Robert W. Libby & Sons, Inc. .........................................................3 Rocky Mountain Terrain Park .....................................................23

BUSINESS

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Ronnie’s Docks and Dive Service .................................................35 Ron’s Market .............................................................................72 Ron’s Transmissions ....................................................................76 Rooster’s Roadhouse ..................................................................11 Rowell’s Garage .........................................................................20 Roxy’s Salon ................................................................................82 Russakoff Jewelers ....................................................................35 Russell & Sons Towing ................................................................80 Russell’s Lakeside Rentals ..........................................................26 S&K Earth ....................................................................................45 S.S. Milton ....................................................................................22 Saba’s Photography ....................................................................69 Sackett & Brake Survey, Inc. .......................................................64 Saco Valley Sports Center ...........................................................84 Sandy River Apples ....................................................................70 Shamrock Stoneworks & Landscaping, Inc. ................................48 Shaw’s Lodging ...........................................................................19 Shelly’s Hometown Market ..........................................................46 Siegler Stringed Instruments .......................................................71 Siimplicity .....................................................................................14 Siragusa Builders .........................................................................61 Skowhegan & Waterville Tire Center .............................................65 Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce ....................................63 Small Engine Specialty ..................................................................7 Smedberg’s Crystal Spring Farm ...............................................79 Snow’s Excavation, Inc. ..............................................................56 Solon Superette ...........................................................................28 Solutions Hair Salon .....................................................................71 Spencer Group Paving & Seal Coating ..........................................50 Spencer’s Bakery & Cafe ...........................................................20 St. Pierre’s Garage ........................................................................46 Steinke & Caruso Dental Care ......................................................20 Stevens Electric & Pump Service Inc. ..........................................9 Stevens Forest Products ...........................................................49 Steve’s Garage .............................................................................71 Stony Brook Recreation ...............................................................24 Strong Hardware & Building Supply ...........................................16 Sun Auto & Salvage ....................................................................66 Sunrise Property Services ........................................................55 Super 95 One-Stop ......................................................................38 T&T Construction .........................................................................63 Tall Pines Trucking .....................................................................23 Taste of Eden Vegan Cafe ..........................................................80 Taylor’s Drug Store .....................................................................33 The Black Horse Tavern ................................................................56 The Good Beer Store ..................................................................58 The Hearth Doctor ..............................................................bk cover The Irregular ................................................................................28 The Korner Store & Deli ..............................................................70 The Little Red Hen Diner & Bakery ..............................................24 The Living Tree Center ..............................................................67 The Looney Moose Cafe ..............................................................17 The Maine Bookhouse .................................................................54 The Pickup Cafe ..........................................................................34 The Poland Corporation .............................................................12 The Sedgley Place .....................................................................51 The Sterling Inn ..........................................................................28 The White Elephant Country Store ............................................27 Thompson’s Orchard ...................................................................52 Thompson’s Restaurant ...............................................................16 Tim Merrill & Co., Inc. ...............................................................30 Tindall’s Country Store & Dam Diner ...........................................27 Tire King ......................................................................................66 Town & Lake Motel & Cottages ...................................................26 Town Line Pipe & Truck, LLC .....................................................33 Town of Mexico ...........................................................................13 Trail’s End Steakhouse & Tavern ..................................................17 Tranten’s Too Convenience Store ................................................15 Twin Rivers Building Supply, Inc. ...............................................12 Two Lakes Camping Area ............................................................79 United Methodist Economic Ministry .........................................16 Village Market ..............................................................................39 Vintage Maine Images ...................................................................6 W.D. Bickford Machinery .............................................................38 W.L. Sturgeon, Inc. .......................................................................85 Warren Brothers Construction ....................................................70 Watson, Neal & York Funeral Home ...........................................85 Weber Insurance Group ............................................................50 Webster’s Mini Excavation ...........................................................75 West Front Market .......................................................................36 Western Maine Pharmacy, Inc. ....................................................28 Western Maine Towing & Recovery ............................................53 Whited Peterbilt Truck .................................................................52 White’s Land Management ........................................................22 Whittemore Pool & Spa Management .........................................22 Wicked Good Electric, LLC ..........................................................60 Wilkinson Automotive ..................................................................62 Wilson Excavating, Inc. ...............................................................82 Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce ......................48 Woodlawn Rehab & Nursing Center ...........................................34 Wood-Mizer of Maine .................................................................75 Wood’s Lawn Company .............................................................55 Woody’s Bar & Grill .....................................................................29 York’s Market ..............................................................................66

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