Out and About

I have one of those spring colds, which just won’t give up. On these nice days I actually wanted to be outside working in the yard, instead of lying around.

490 Ridge Rd on the dike in Addison



Discovery Museum in Bangor



Cherryfield Quilt show

Roseanne Saucier


Downeast Salmon Federation Smelt Fry

 Quilt show and craft fair to benefit Cherryfield Academy

Just in time for Mother’s Day, you are invited to the inaugural Quilt Show and Craft Fair, Saturday May 4^th from 10-3 at the Cherryfield Academy Building on Main St in Cherryfield. Your $3.00 admission will benefit the academy building restoration.

Have a day out with Mom viewing quilts from antique to contemporary. See a display of antique sewing machines and help identify the names on an early 1900’s signature quilt. Then find a gift as unique as she is from one of the local crafters. There will be quilts, knitted and woven items, jewelry and much more. So come see the quilts, shop and have lunch while supporting the restoration of a local landmark. Mark your calendar for Saturday May 4^th from 10-3 Cherryfield Academy Main St Cherryfield.

For more information contact Brenda Fickett HiBrenda@maineline.net  or Brenda Willey Fickett on Facebook

 The math team from Narraguagus High School traveled to Bangor on Tuesday April 9 to compete in the Thirty Seventh Annual Maine State Math Meet at the Bangor Auditorium.

On Thursday evening April 11 twenty Eastern Star members came together for a meeting at the Masonic Hall in Milbridge, the Chapters that came to our Alcyone Chapter 71, were Irene Chapter 97 of Ellsworth and Riverside Chapter 123 of Orland. Refreshments were served following the meeting.

            We got word that on May 10 at 11 am at the Evergreen Cemetery in Milbridge there will be a grave side service for Susie (Tucker) Leighton-Brewer formerly of Milbridge for friends and family that could not attend the service in Augusta.

            While going through some photos this week I found this one of my late Dad, Orrin Worcester of Columbia posing for me with the coyote that he shot out of the dining room window that day. I know of many coyotes that he took care of this way instead of trapping them. In recent years there are local coyote hunters in the area that eliminate quite a few of them here on the Ridge Rd. I sure do miss him.

            We recently have adopted a new cat. Jasper is about two or three years old, he has almost trained us in what he wants. We wondered how we got along without him up to now.

            This week during school vacation I will be spending some time in Boston with my grandson Asa Washburn and his parents. Asa has grown since I was there last in February and he now signs when he is hungry and claps his hands.

On my way to Boston on the bus, Saturday I met a lovely young man Tom and his wife Julie who are actors in New York, they had been to Portland, Maine to celebrate his parents wedding anniversary. The man sitting behind me told me he was from St. John, New Brunswick.  My trip on the bus went by very quickly when you can socialize with other folks.

My daughter said she just couldn’t figure out how I can start talking with people and find out where they are coming from and where they are going to; besides the movie wasn’t any good, so why not pass the time away talking.

The weather in Boston is about the same as in Addison, right now. I was kind of hoping it would be warmer. I did notice the forsythia bushes along the streets are in bloom. Diadem is waiting and watching to see what comes up in her flower gardens at her

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 On Thursday of this past week I was given a tour of the White Family Museum in our own little Town of Columbia. This has been the best kept secret for a number of years and only a few have had the pleasure of having a tour of this historical home.

Sonja Grant the daughter of Betty and Clifford Grant of Columbia walked me through the historical home of Julius and Anne White on Route One reminiscing of all that her mother had put into fixing the house up as a small museum. One of the items that I really found interesting was the certificate of The World Service of The Methodist Church Certificate of Recognition, whereas, Columbia Church has met its full apportionment for World Service for the years 1949 & 1950 thus strengthening and extending the Proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This certificate was awarded by the Council of Secretaries in recognition and appreciation of the loyalty and Service of the membership of the Church and it was signed by Louis S. Staples, District, Superintendent.

Two more interesting certificates hanging on the wall dated 1867 stated that Ferdinand Maxfield was a member of the Order of Knights Templar around the Globe and that he also belonged to the Royal Arch Masonry in Eagle R.A. Chapter in 1866. The historical value of finding two actual certificates belonging to two organizations from this small community is just mind boggling. I wonder now if anyone else has historical documentations in their homes that they would share with us.

Another great historical document is the 1870 marriage certificate of Julius E. White and Anne P. Smith with their photos and a photo of the Justice of Peace, Levi Leighton is also hanging in the home.

Betty and Clifford Grant’s intent in the beginning was to restore this home and use it as an “Educational Tool” for people to see what daily life would be like in those eras of the late 1800's and early part of the 19th century. It was meant to “feel” like a home, that the family just stepped out for a minute. With the help of Clifford's brother, Leslie "Toot" Grant, they did preserved this family legacy.

Betty and Clifford knew it would be different from the Ruggles House in Columbia Falls because the era was different and this was a "middle class" family home. The intent was always a museum of some type. When Betty was alive she would open it on weekends for anyone that wanted a tour, now that she has passed her daughter Sonja Grant says that she would be delighted to schedule a tour any day she is available. You can reach her at this number 483-2727 to set up a tour.

Over eighty folks attended the Civil War Ball Saturday evening at the “Union Hall, in Columbia Falls. We were taught the basic steps in Contra Dancing before each dance. What fun we had with some of us dressing up in our ‘finery’ in period costume.

Kindergarten registration was this week in our district for the coming school year. I spent all day in Harrington answering questions to the little people about riding the bus and giving them the chance to see what the inside looked like. Other drivers that did the same thing this week were: Pat Thaxter for Addison, Clara Ann Freeman for Milbridge and Tracey Peterson for Cherryfield.

Joseph Tibbetts is now recuperating at home after his stay at the hospital. I bet it won’t be long before he will be out and about again.

Certificate of Recognition of Columbia Church

               

Julius and Annie White's marriage certificate 1870

              

Order of Knights Templar Around the Globe 1867

             


Royal Arch Masonry Certificate 1866

            
White Family Home

             

        Sally Thompson had lots of discussion on the report this year, and requested to adjourn the meeting till some of the questions were answered. It was voted to continue on the meeting. A long discussion was held on the naming of the Union Hall, some folks wanted it left that name Union Hall as it is in the deed and others said it was always the ‘town hall’ when they were younger and it should be named just ‘Town Hall”. The town voted to postpone this article.  The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.

    John Tibbetts of Columbia Falls speaking on the Union Hall name.  

 Jonesport Historical Society had seventeen members turn out to their meeting on Thursday March 28, 2013.  The speaker was President Donnie Woodward on old homes in Jonesport and who they belonged to in the present and past. It was very interesting to hear with comments from the audience that added more information to what he had gathered. Donnie will have to have another meeting about the homes and who owned them as we did not have enough time to see all of them at this meeting.

 The Town of Columbia had their 217th town meeting on Monday, March 18, 2013 with forty seven folks attending. Sonny Beal was reelected as first selectman, and Brandon Lovejoy was reelected as Road Commissioner. All forty two articles were passed with only one article with some discussion on it. The meeting adjourned at 7:58 P.M. The annual town meeting supper sponsored by the Columbia Cemetery Society was attended by sixty three folks from surrounding towns.  Ninety four year old Grace Peterson the oldest resident of Columbia attended both the supper and voted at the meeting.

Grace Peterson of Columbia voting at 94
    

Because of the snowstorm on Thursday school was canceled in district 37

This week we were saddened to hear that Susie ‘Tucker” Leighton/Brewer passed away, a funeral will be held on March 30 in Augusta. Also Joseph Steward Jr. on December 1, 2012 and Agnes “Maddie” (Madden) Cameron on March 10, 2013, brother and sister they were the children of the former Gladys Grant of Columbia Falls.

On Saturday the Washington County Historical & Genealogical Society met in Machias with twenty one folks attending. Ronald Pesha was the speaker for the day. He spoke on the Gold Swindle of Lubec back in the 1800’s. Those that traveled to the meeting were: Valdine Atwood, Wallace Bunrer, Jim Appleman all of Machias; Bill Plaskon, Donald Woodward, Patsy Kelley, Shane Farris, Buzz Alley and Billy Milliken all of Jonesport; Cathy Fonda and Ronie Strout of Addison; Barbara Sellitto, Ron and Rowna Pesha all of Lubec; John and Bonnie Van Dyke of Brewer; Tom Gaddis and Paul Dyer both of East Machias, Celeste Sherman and Betsy Fitzgerald both of Machiasport.

                     Addison had their town meeting on Tuesday evening March 12 at the D.W. Merritt School; one hundred fourteen voters voted on the first selectman position that was opened. Mike Murphy received 34 votes and Brad Hamel received 79, with one vote disqualified. Mike Murphy has a lot of knowledge of the town of Addison in his head as he has held office for 32 years.

Congratulations to Linda Davis our mail carrier on her upcoming retirement in working for the Post Office here in Addison, she has delivered mail to all of us for many years.

Condolences go out to the family of Rebecca Grant Hall, my cousin who passed away on March 11, 2013 in South Carolina. Rebecca is related to Worcester’s, Look’s and Grant’s in the Columbia Falls area. We will surely miss her amongst the family reunions and gatherings. Her funeral was on Friday in Bangor. Those from the immediate area that attended were Chuck and Roberta Hammond and Philip, Valerie and Malinda Worcester of Columbia Falls, Sherry Polly and Ronie Strout of Addison.

Saturday afternoon The Order of Eastern Star, Rumery Chapter #46 of Jonesport had sixty members and one guest at their Installation Ceremony the new 2013-2014 Officers. The Alcyone Chapter #71 of Milbridge had fifty two members and one guest at their Installation Ceremony for the new 2013-2014 Officers. A supper was held before the Milbridge meeting.  The Rainbow Girls of Bangor / Ellsworth area preformed for us before we had our Installation which was very beautiful.  Members of the Order of Eastern Star that attended the two installations came from: Florida, Ashland, Jonesport, Jefferson, Thomaston, Orrington, Presque Isle, Orland, Bangor, Machias, Lisbon Falls, Ellsworth and Milbridge.

On Sunday the Pleasant River Historical Society met at the home of Jeanette Perry’s in the afternoon. Discussion was held on the upcoming calendar progress and on the cannons base replacements progress. Everything is right on target as soon as the weather gets better. We looked at older photos of the Town of Addison that Jeanette Perry had in her collection. Those that attended were Jeanette Perry, Cathy Fonda, Tim and Mary Thompson, and Ronie Strout.

Sunday evening March 17, we enjoyed our St Patrick Corned Beef dinner with friends, Roberta and Chuck Hammond of Columbia Falls.  Doesn’t seem possible that March is half over and another snow storm in the forecast.

Tickets for the Civil War Ball are now on sale at the Columbia Falls Town Office for April 6. The tickets are made as a program where you write in who is dancing with you during the evening. This will be a great souvenir for the 150 year celebration of Columbia Falls. I am excited about going to the Civil War Ball as I with the help of my daughter have made my outfit for it.  This should be a great social activity for the town and as some folks say ‘something different’ is happening in the area. Sounds like fun and I hope the locals will all turn out for it in their finery. The best part of the outfit I have made is that I can wear it during the day of the celebration in June. I think it would be so neat to have anyone that can be dressed in the Civil War era go in their outfits this day. - Ronie Strout

Town of Addison new First Selectman

The Rainbow Girls of Bangor / Ellsworth area

David Mague 3rd place winner at DownEast American Idol

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2013

Looking Back in History

By Ronie L. Strout

History of Ronie D. Worcester

I just want to share with you some history of my grandmother Ronie Diadem Leighton (24 Nov 1878 – 24 Feb.1934) the daughter of Fonze and Genetta Leighton who married Ralph Eben Worcester Worcester (21 Sept. 1874 - 1924) on 1 Feb, 1899 son of Ferdinand and Emma (Tucker) Worcester. They had seven surviving children out of eight.

My grandparents lived their entire life in Columbia, before she married Ralph Eben Worcester Sr. in 1899. She taught school in Columbia at the Branch School and the Webb District School, she also taught at the Beddington School. My dad told me that she went by horse and buggy up over the Epping Barrens to get to the Webb District school from her home and I imagine this is how she got to the Beddington school to teach too.

My grandparents were very active members of the Columbia Grange 361 and she was one of the leaders in the Farm Bureau work in town. My grandmother Ronie was always ready to do her part up to the time of her failing health.

There is a record book of 1913 that Ronie kept accounts on people that bought produce from her in 1913; Edith Woodward, Brother Wint Leighton, Charles H. Tabbutt, A.M. Ingersoll, Ralph Norton, George L. Tabbutt, and Willie Jones were some that had accounts with her She sold two fresh eggs for 5 cents, two quarts of milk for 12 cents, cream and butter went for a pound at 35 cents..  She also made her own soap and sold two bars of soap for 10 cents, among some of the other items that she sold were : oilcloth for three yards for 60 cents,  powder, castor oil, starch, potatoes, tobacco, vinegar and molasses. She had also written down how much it cost for people to work for her, plowing, harrowing and shoeing horses in 1908.

Ronie kept records of her husband’s blueberry lease on Township 25 from 1915 to 1923.

She even kept records of the amount of wallpaper she used in each room, and the births of her children.

There is a page or two on her children when Orrin had chickenpox and when the children Orrin, Merrill, Hilda and Elva had whooping cough during the summer vacation of 1914. That Stella, Oswald and Ralph Jr. had whooping cough in 1924 and they all had the mumps during Christmas of 1924.

Several pages consisted of names of teachers that her children had during their school days at the Epping School and the Columbia Falls High School from 1912 to 1932.

On Mar 31, 1926 - She writes - Quarterly letter from Mother on Children.

Five of the children have not been absent from school for the year. One of the little boys has been out a few days due to sickness. The girls had to board near school a short time during winter thus involving extra expenses.

Merrill has sent braces, belts, shirts, shoes, pants and silver ware for table. I do not know cost of same. (He was working in Haverville, Massachusetts)

 Ronie writes: ‘my greatest problem just now is – How can we obtain the means to help Hilda to attend Normal School so she can teach? Besides the household expenses and clothing I have wood to be fitted for stove, fences to be repaired, vegetable garden to be planted and haying to be done and also an acre of tillage to be prepared and grass seed sown.  Orrin is janitor at school and we have the teacher boarding here at present.  I do a few washings besides we have stock in barn to care for.  My two cows have been dry thru Feb. and part of Mar. but we are now making butter again.  While cows were dry and teachers vacation we did a little white washing, house papering, repaired chairs, washed and repaired bedding, and made five new quilts out of pieces I had in the house.’

Ronie D. Worcester was the head of the household then as her husband Ralph had passed away on Tuesday A.M. June 3, 1924.

At the time of her death Ronie Worcester was the secretary for the Columbia Grange #361, she belonged to the Columbia Epping Church and served as president for the Columbia Union Church Society.

In February 1934 Ronie passed away after only two weeks of illness leaving seven children and her home to two of the boys, Merrill and Orrin. Today that home is no longer there as one of Orrin’s children tore it down a couple of years ago.

Book Review: The Hannah Weston Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Machias, Maine has recently published a 2012 special indexed edition of George W. Drisko’s book, THE REVOLUTION: LIFE OF HANNAH WESTON with a brief history of her ancestry, Also a condensed history of the first settlements of Jonesborough, Machias and other neighboring towns originally published in 1857 and again in 1903. In Chapter I Drisko provides some background information about Hannah Weston’s ancestry, especially her father Samuel Watts and her birth place, Haverhill, MA. Chapter II gives the reader some insight into the origin of Hannah’s courage and fortitude which likely came from her great-grandmother, Hannah Emerson Dustin who survived capture and kidnapping by Indians in the winter of 1697. Watts moved his family to Jonesboro in 1769. Chapters III through V covers some very interesting early history of Jonesboro and Machias and politics leading up to the Revolution. In June of 1775 an urgent message came that a British man-of-war was coming to capture the town of Machias. Of course Hannah Weston is the heroine who called on all the families in Jonesboro and collected some 30 to 40 pounds of ammunition - gun powder, lead, pewter spoons etc. in a pillow case. Since all able bodied men had left the day before in response to the Machias messenger’s demand that men should arm themselves with whatever defense they had and proceed to Machias at once to aid in defending the town against the  approaching British ship, the task fell on Hannah and her husband’s sister Miss Rebecca Weston. The arduous 16 mile journey through the forest, thick swamps, brooks and valleys was made and the ship, Margaretta was captured. But this is only one chapter in this great history book. In 2004 a deposition given by Hannah Watts Weston circa 1839 was discovered in the archives of the Washington County Courthouse. The entire transcription of Mrs. Weston’s own account of her heroic journey in June 1775 is included in this book.  More information has been found about this historic event and clarifying information in brackets has been added throughout this special edition. The appendix of Hannah Weston and her descendants for three generations has also been updated.  Perhaps the most useful addition to this book is the huge 23 page Appendix F, EVERY NAME/EVERY PLACE INDEX for genealogy research. Some graphics added are the silhouette of Hannah Weston, The Maine Women Veterans Plaque, Hannah Weston’s monument, and a 19^th century hand drawn and hand painted Family Register of Betsey (Weston) & Asa Farnsworth. Since there are no known images of Hannah Weston the silhouette on the cover and the sculptor’s model for the Maine Women Veterans Plaque (page 85) is that of one of her direct descendants and namesakes, Hannah Weston Dykes. The Hannah Weston Chapter of the DAR deserves a great deal of credit for the tremendous amount of work that went into the updating and publishing of this long over due, out of print, important and historic book.

This 121 page, 8-1/2” by 11” book is available in perfect binding and a lay flat, spiral binding to aid in genealogy research. Both versions may be purchased locally from Valdine Atwood in Machias, 207-255-4432 or Roberta Hammond in Columbia Falls, 207-483-4120 and cost $25.00 plus tax. For orders to be shipped call Roberta Hammond, the total cost including sales tax, priority mail and handling is $32.00

Photo by Chuck Hammond. Family Movie Night at DW Merritt School, Friday October 19^th. Kids on pillows and blankets, some dressed in PJ’s along with their parents and grandparents await the beginning of Madagascar 3. Movie night was sponsored by the DW Merritt Parent Support Group. All proceeds will go towards the playground fund.

Harrington's 2012 Octoberfest
Photos courtesy of Rufus Hammond age 9




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2012 Harvest Quilt & Craft Show October 6 at Union Hall






Left to right- Mary Lamoureux, Faye Bushey and Leslie McSorley

Clara Donovan and Dick Grant enjoying coffee and donuts at the Quilt Show