ANDROSCOGGIN HISTORY

WARREN B. RANDALL (1920-2001)

We regretfully report the death on October 30, 2001, of Warren B. Randall, a member of the Society’s Board of Directors. He was a member of other local historical societies, as well. He is remembered particularly as the founder of the Joshua L. Chamberlain Civil War Round Table in Brunswick in 1986. He arranged many of their programs as program chair and edited their newsletter for many years. We extend our condolences to his family.

HISTORIC HOUSE DONATED

The Livermore-Livermore Falls Historical Society has received the gift of a 19^th Century house, once the North Livermore Reading Club, from the Washburn-Norlands Foundation. As reported in the Sun-Journal, this also includes an endowment of about $3,800 for maintenance. The Society plans to restore the property as a place to preserve and interpret local history.

ANDROSCOGGIN ROUND TABLE

On October 23, 2001, the Board of Directors voted to establish the Androscoggin Round Table, a program dedicated to the promotion of the art and science of operating cultural organizations in and around Androscoggin County, Maine. Dennis Stires of the Livermore/Livermore Falls Historical Society and Michael Lord of the Androscoggin Historical Society will head up the effort. We shall hold meetings on grant writing, private and semi-private organizations that may be sources of help, registering with the government and completing forms (federal, state and local), archival work, cataloging, and the general mechanics of operation. These meetings will be excellent networking opportunities as well.

As this newsletter goes to press, the first meeting is scheduled February 14, 2002, with Kathleen Amoroso of the Maine Historical Society as speaker on their new Maine Memory Network web-database that scans local historical Maine photographs and documents. See www.mainememory.net for more information.

HISTORY ENTHUSIASTS WANTED

The Lewiston Historic Commission is seeking new members. This is an official city board that devotes most of its efforts to the publication of monographs on some aspect of Lewiston history. Their most recent work was Bales to Bedspreads, “a pictorial account of the processes used by Bates Manufacturing Company.” If you are a resident of Lewiston interested in local history or if you have questions, please contact Gracia Eisemann at 782-5164.

Attorney Irving Isaacson has offered to fund the publication of a short history of Androscoggin County suitable for local students. The Society needs some historians willing to help do the research and writing. Please contact Michael Lord at 784-0586 if you are interested.

NEW SCANNER

Irving Isaacson and Martin Eisenstein, through the L&A Fund, have enabled us to purchase a new scanner. We now are able to provide researchers with digital copies of pictures and documents. In the long run, we will be able to make our holdings more accessible via the Internet. We thank our benefactors for their generosity.

MEETING NOTICE

Time: Tuesday, February 26, 2002, at 7:00 P.M.

Place: Androscoggin Historical Society, in Androscoggin County Building, Auburn

Presenter: Billie Gammon of The Norlands.

Topic: “Secrets of the Washburn Sisters”

You may have heard the presentation on “A Busy Cradle: The Seven Famous Washburn Sons.” Come to hear about the rest of the family!!

RECORDS OF LEWISTON GRANGE NO. 2

Mark Hamby has purchased and has made excellent progress on renovating the hall of Lewiston Grange No. 2 for a function facility called “Grange Hall Rentals.” If you need a hall for a reception, party, family reunion, or similar gathering, he may be reached at 207-783-0785. If this business succeeds, it will help to maintain this historic 128-year-old building. Mr. Hamby found some of the grange records there and permitted your editor to borrow them. Here are selections from the minutes of the 1880s book:

June 9, 1881. Resolve [for discussion], “That young ladies should fit themselves for housekeeping in preferance [sic] to any other occupation” which was talked on a little and the following was offered for three weeks from tonight, Resolved, “That an evening spent with a Grange by a farmer is more profitably spent than the same time would be at any school.”

Mar. 30, 1882. Moved that every member of the Grange write of 2 or 3 names of books that they would like to have [for the Grange library] and present them at the next meeting.

May 25, 1882. Bro. Morrill was reported sick with the slow fever voted to help Bro Morrill do his planting as far as possible Bro Blethen was appointed as a com to see what Bro Morrill wanted done most voted to go week from friday if pleasant

June 22, 1882. Bro Noel B Potter makes a motion that no book be let out for more than 30 days & for each day exceeding that time one cent per day shall be paid into the grange treasury also that none except patrons be allowed to take books from the Library It is voted that Noel B Potter attend to seeing that written instructions to the above effect be placed in each book

Oct. 6, 1882. Bro Goss says he has got something new to tell & it is how to keep the cows tails still while you milk it is to put a rope over their hips & let it hang down over their tails & that keeps them still several made remarks about that subject

May 3, 1883. On motion of Bro. Goss a committee consisting of Bro’s Thomas Crowley Benj. Witham and Dexter Blethen were appointed to procure suitable places for stabling the horses of the visitors during the session of the Pomona Grange with this Grange on the first Wednesday in June.

Aug. 23, 1883. The following question was proposed for discussion at our next meeting. Resolved That the use of Tobacco is the greatest of all evils with one exception

Sept. 27, 1883. Discussion in regard to which was the most profitable for farmers to keep cows for dairy purposes or turn their attention to raising hogs.

April 24, 1884. the W. M. appointed Bro.s Potter Keniston Crowley E. H. Goss Frank Adams and Sisters Snow Delie Goss Kirby Hodgkin and Laura Spoffard as a committee to make arrangements for an entertainment on the 24th of next June the ninth [actually tenth] anniversary of the dedication of our Hall.

June 12, 1884. Bro. Ham spoke in terms of the highest praise of the Cedar Valley in Iowa; but advises young men to stay in Maine in preference to going West. . . . Bro. Herbert Potter thinks the West is the place for young men. Bros. Morrill and Ham also spoke of the advantages and disadvantages of living in the West.

Jan. 14, 1886. [Letter from former member John C. Spoffard of Everett, Mass., to Secretary Noel B. Potter included in the minutes:] . . . The enemies of the Grange charged them in vain. Like the noble Christian Knights of old they were fighting for a principle and nothing could penetrate their armor. They fought the good fight. They kept the faith. And tonight they rejoice over victories won, and seated at tables loaded with toothsome beans and brown-bread, steaming Indians pudding such as only the sisters of Lewiston Grange can bake; cream pies surpassed in goodness only by their makers, milk more delicious than the fabled Nectar of the Gods, pies cakes and sweetmeats the delight of Epicurean palates. They pledge themselves anew to future triumphs.

Aug. 19, 1886. Bros John Goss Blethen and John L. Ham and sister John [sic] Goss speak about ironing. It is thought that a large part of this work is useless and might be done away with.

Feb. 17, 1887. The forenoon was occupied by Bro. Rufus Prince of Turner who gave us a very interesting address upon the subject of Ensilage and the feeding of the same.

Nov. 3, 1887. The question for discussion was – had we better build – fix up and stay here in Maine – or go West. Nearly all spoke upon the question – and all but Bro. John L. Ham thought it as well to stay in Maine. Bro. Ham spoke in glowing terms of the West, thought it a very fine Country. But evidently Bro. Ham thinks Maine a good State to live in for he has recently painted all of his buildings in fine style, and is tidying up generally.

May 17, 1888. Bro. Dexter Blethen favored us with interesting remarks about his late Journey to Southern Cal. He thought that if we could move our June clad Forest hills and our green fields to that favored clime that indeed it would be a paradise; But taking everything into account it was not ahead of the State of Maine

Aug. 16, 1888. Bro. John Goss spoke about our roads growing up to bushes – and remarks were made on the same by Bro’s Blethen Ranks Adams & others. The opinion of all was that the bushes should be kept down not only for the convenience but the looks of it.

Books and booklets:

Hendrickson, Dyke. Quiet Presence. Portland, ME: Guy Gannett Publishing Co., 1980.

National Park Service. Department of the Interior. Maine Catalog: Historic American Buildings Survey. Maine State Museum, 1974.

Peck, Bradford. The World a Department Store. Lewiston, ME: Bradford Peck, 1900.

Rolde, Neil. Sir William Pepperrell of Colonial New England. Brunswick, ME: Harpswell Press, 1982.

Walker, David B. Politics and Ethnocentrism: The Case of the Franco-Americans,1961.

Wheeler, William A. The Maine Central Railroad, 1847-1947.

Williams, Anne D., ed. The Experience of the Great Depression in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine. Vol. II. Transcripts of interviews with local residents.

Cultural Mosaic: Lewiston - Auburn. Horizons 55 project on ethnic groups; includes recipes.

Through Maine on Printed Paths. 1956. A bibliography.

Fifty News Pictures of Maine’s Greatest Flood.1936.

Lewiston Public School Department. A History of Our Schools. Lewiston Historical Commission, October, 1971.

Lewiston City Charter. 1979.

Catalog for display of Lewiston photographs.

Constitution of the State of Maine, 1965.

Historical artifacts:

Collection of advertising cards.

Lewiston High School documents from the Nineteenth Century

Lewiston ward maps, 1974 and 1977.

War ration stamps and tokens.

Research papers:

Research notes and papers by Geneva Kirk:

“Founding of the Lewiston Chamber of

Commerce”

“History of Lewiston/Auburn Churches”

“Calvary Methodist Church Receives Deed”

Five historically significant Lewiston men: Simmons, Frye, Peck, Carrigan, Dingley

Notes for walking tours and slide shows

Several student papers on Lewiston history from Bates College and Lewiston High School.

Norman R. Beaupré, “Project ‘Downtown Lewiston: Preparation of a Development Program’: A Report on the Lower Lisbon Area.” 1977.

Primary sources:

Materials on ethnic groups, including clippings, articles, and transcripts of interviews.

Materials on historic buildings in Lewiston - Auburn

Newspaper clippings on a variety of topics of local history.

Notes and other material on Bradford Peck.

Treasurer’s Accounts, Ladies Aux. Lodge 16, O.S.C. (Order of the Scottish Clans)(1902-1941).

Secretary’s Minutes, Benevolent Branch, International Sunshine Society of Lewiston-Auburn (1955-1959).

GOINGS-ON AT THE SOCIETY

by Michael Lord, Executive Secretary

Our Calendar Year 2001 business totals include telephone calls, 876; museum visits, 319; library visits, 334; letters, 1004; meeting attendance, 197; meeting notices, 545+; business meeting attendance, 53+; newsletters sent, 462; Balloon Festival attendance, 26+; annual dinner attendance, 45.

My article on our interns was published in the Maine Archives & Museum Newsletter on the back page in November 2001 (Volume 4, Issue 4). The article will help other historical organizations get interns via their own local colleges and schools.

On Friday, October 26, 2001, I attended the MAM Conference held at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, an extraordinary campus in a beautiful season. I went to meetings on Museum Safety & Security, Museum Climate & Pest Control, Emergency Preparedness, and Emergency Response, and all were very useful.

We’ve advertised in the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce’s new local 2002 map.

On January 16, 2002, we had a group of fourteen persons tour our Society from Central Maine Self-Learners. On Saturday night, January 19, 2002, twenty-two members of my Auburn SDA Church had a tour.

We donated two combined Lewiston & Auburn Standard Sets of local postcards, each valued at $30.00, to The Maine PBS Great TV Auction.

ACQUISITIONS

We have acquired the following items during the past few months:

Donations

· City Map of Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, pub. by Hallé & Linscott of Hallowell,, ME, 1937. By Court Street Baptist Church.

· An old horse-drawn plow from what is reputed to be the oldest house site in Danville, at what is now 931 Old Danville Road, Auburn. By Herman Lord.

· “The Lewiston Canals,” a presentation by Normand Lamie & Christopher Branch, March 1995. By Normand Lamie.

· A century-old photograph of the Journal Block & Boston Tea Store. By John Morrison of J. H. Morrison Co. Auctioneers of Auburn.

· Some 1914 Washburn School pictures, Auburn, and 1895 Auburn Grammar School Diploma. By Dorothy Whiting of Auburn.

· A Philippine Insurrection soldier’s letter addressed to Mr. E. H. Perry, postmarked 10 February 1900 in Manila, The Philippines, and 4 April 1900 in Lewiston, Maine. By Mrs. Edna Maloney of Sacramento, CA.

· A letter, membership card, and Field Day admission tickets, all from the Androscoggin Fish & Game Association, and owned by Wilfrid F. Therriault in 1937. By his son Wilfrid R. Therriault, of Saco, Maine.

· A History of High Street Congregational Church U.C.C. Auburn, Maine, by Kenneth Connor, L. Damon Scales, Jr., and Douglas I. Hodgkin, pub. by The 175^th Anniversary Committee of that church, 2001. By same.

· A three-drawer, three-shelf storage unit that we are using for our photocopier stand and most of our oversize photograph collection. By Court Street Baptist Church.

· The City of Auburn’s Resolve to accept Horace Munroe’s gift of his Shoe Factory in West Auburn for use in fire protection or as a school or both, dated 2 October 1944. Also other Munroe-related papers. By John F. Hartley of Cape Elizabeth, ME.

· A collection of locally significant historical books, booklets, research papers, primary sources, and historical artifacts. By Geneva A. Kirk of Lewiston.

· Minority Military Service – Maine – 1775-1783, by The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1990. Also photocopies of local Native American material. By Mary Jane Densmore.

· Handwritten index to scenery and props at the Music Hall in Lewiston, signed by Charles Horbury, ca. late nineteenth century. This was found pasted to an upper beam in the rafters. By Norman R. Ness, Jr., for the State of Maine.

· Margaret Chase Smith: In Her Own Words, ed. by Pamela Neal Warford. Pub. by Northwood University, Margaret Chase Smith Library, Skowhegan, ME, 2001. By the Margaret Chase Smith Library.

· Stereoview card of sunken U. S. S. Maine, ca. 1898, pub. by the Keystone View Co. By Glenn Gagne of Lewiston.

Purchased

· Dave’s People – A Maine Television Adventure, by Dave Silverbrand, 1982.

· A Vast Army of Women, by Lynda L. Sudlow, 2000.

· Twelve Thousand Years – American Indians in Maine, by Bruce J. Bourque, et al., 2001.

· The Mirror of Maine – One Hundred Distinguished Books That Reveal the History of the State and the Life of Its People, ed. by Laura Fecych Sprague, 2000.

· Agreeable Situations - Society, Commerce, and Art in Southern Maine, 1780-1830, ed. Laura Fecych Sprague, 1987.

· Pineland’s Past – The First One Hundred Years, by Richard S. Kimball and signed by the author, 2001.

· Province and Court Records of Maine, Vol. 1, Maine Historical Society, 1991 reprint of 1928 original.

· Maine Register State Yearbook and Legislative Manual No. 132, 2002, Tower Publishing Co., 2001.

· The Manual of Museum Management, by Barry Lord and Gail Dexter Lord, 1997.

· Johnson’s Kingdom, The Story of a Nineteenth-Century Industrial Kingdom in the Town of Wayne, Maine, by Edward L. Kallop, Jr., 2001.