River`s Edge - Skowhegan History House

By The
River’s Edge
Skowhegan History House Society Newsletter
Fall 2015 Edition
skowheganhistoryhouse.org · (207) 474-6632
Inside...
The Depot: Then
and Now
Page 2
Madison Avenue:
Then and Now
Page 3
Heirloom
Gardens
Page 4
Skowhegan History House
recently lost a treasured friend with
the passing of Lee Granville.
We respectfully dedicate this issue
to him.
LEE GRANVILLE
1936—2015
A Review of
Harriet A. Nash’s
Polly’s Secret
Page 4
Membership &
Up Next: The Depot
Appeal Supporter
OUR NEXT FEATURED EXHIBIT,
Listing
‘THE DEPOT’, officially opens to the
public on May 31st, 2016. It replaces
the current exhibit, ‘Old KennebecHarvest Tea Party Skowhegan’s First Highway’, which
Page 6
was the first exhibit placed in History
House’s new rotating exhibit room in
Skowhegan
2014.
House: Then and
‘THE DEPOT’ exhibit includes
Now
numerous artifacts, informative panels,
photographs, maps, and more that
Page 6
illustrate just how vital the railroad was
Membership and - from its start in 1856 until the last bit
Contributions
of track was removed in 1971 - to the
growth, development, and consequently,
Page 7
the prosperity of Skowhegan.
Mystery Photo
Abner Coburn (1803-1885), Maine’s
Page 5
Page 8
(Continued on page 2)
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Two Recent Accessions
Accession: “Something that is added to a
collection at a museum”
THE SKOWHEGAN HISTORY HOUSE
gratefully accepted a number of accessions
this past summer, further enriching the
magnificent collection acquired since Louise
Helen Coburn first opened its doors in 1937.
Accessions over the years include
photographs, yearbooks, almanacs, and
various other personal items. These items are
not simply charming relics of times-gone-by;
they document the many stories of
Skowhegan and her people.
While some donations involve hundreds of
items, others are comprised of just one
special piece, like the pencil holder donated
(Continued on page 2
(‘The Depot’ continued from page 1)
governor during the Civil War and a leading promoter
of Skowhegan, was most influential in bringing the
train from Waterville right to Skowhegan’s downtown.
He understood that the railroad would increase
commerce, transport supplies and products to and from
this growing community, and bring visitors to our town.
And did they come! At one point, Maine Central
Railroad trains arrived five times daily from Boston,
bringing tourists and guests to the many thriving local
hotels and resorts. The train reversed direction where
Cumberland Farms now stands to make its return trip to
Boston carrying Skowhegan-made goods along with
passengers.
Eventually private automobiles became the preferred
mode of transportation. In 1937 the train depot was
demolished to make room for in-town parking facilities.
Today, most likely only a few of us will recall the
sound of the train’s whistle announcing its arrival in
Skowhegan, bringing an influx of visitors, customers,
and goods throughout the day, every day - even in
winter. Many Skowhegan residents may be surprised
to learn there ever was a train station in what is now the
Municipal Parking Lot between the Somerset Grist Mill
and the Aubuchon Hardware store.
We hope you will plan a visit to History House during
2016 to see ‘THE DEPOT’ exhibit. It will include an
interesting collection of artifacts and photographs - all
documenting the vital role the railroad held in
Skowhegan history.
The ‘DEPOT’ exhibit was
carefully designed by former Museum Curator Ben
Doty.
The Depot: Then and Now
coast via the Panama Canal while the Michigan
manufacturers used more expensive rail for transport.
Mr. Marshall’s pencil holder was most likely made for
advertising purposes and given free to staff and
customers in an effort to spread the company name. This
pencil holder reminds us that not so long ago, true
wooden pencils were both common and used until they
were too short to sharpen. They were not discarded
once the point broke or because finding a sharpener was
(Two Recent Accessions continued from page 1)
to us recently by one of our volunteers, Edna Marshall.
Mrs. Marshall’s late husband, Richard, worked at the
Skowhegan-based Thompson Manufacturing Company,
which made croquet sets from 1925 to 1950. According
to The Skowhegan Community Action Group’s book
Voice on the Kennebec, published 1983, Thompson’s
only real competition was a croquet manufacturer in
Michigan. The Thompson Company was able to
underprice its croquet sets by shipping them to the west
(Continued on page 3
Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center
Board of Trustees
Melvin Burnham, President/Director
Patricia Horine, Treasurer
Bonnie Chamberlain, Secretary
Kay Marsh, Volunteer Coordinator
Patricia Baldwin
Joan Farnsworth
James Hastings
David James
Our Mission
Preserving an increasingly valuable historic collection representing
Skowhegan’s legacy and promoting Skowhegan’s cultural heritage
By The River’s Edge, Skowhegan History House Newsletter, published twice annually
Authors: Kim Wilson, Patricia Horine, Patricia Baldwin
Editor & Graphic Designer: Kim Wilson
2
Up Madison Avenue: Then and Now
(Two Recent Accessions continued from page 2)
too much trouble.
Skowhegan resident, Jim Rea,
recently made a gift of accession in
the form of 279 digital images of old
Skowhegan postcards. Some of
these images were new to History
House and the donation is invaluable
to our collection. These postcard
images show Water Street and the
first couple blocks of Madison
Avenue as a bustling downtown
business center with pedestrians
packing sidewalks and patient horses
hitched to carriages waiting curbside
while their owners conducted their
business. Other postcard images
show a single trolley track running
up the length of Madison Avenue.
What strikes us about so m an y of
these postcard images of the
downtown area are the number of
businesses – most likely all owned
by Skowhegan residents - offering
items that were produced locally,
using local materials. The Sanborn
Map from 1884 shows multiple
crockery shops, fruit sellers, grocers,
hardware stores, harness, stove, and
jewelry stores as well as your choice
of dentist, tailor, barber, and even
decorator.
The Sanborn Map and these
postcard images give us the
opportunity to imagine the smell and
taste of the magical elixirs that once
lined the shelves of Fogg’s
Drugstore, to see the Hotel Coburn
and imagine their meals made with
fresh, local, organic ingredients, or
to see that just beyond Elm Street,
Madi son Avenue was strictly
residential with stately trees shading
the narrow dirt road.
Traveling back to the 1800’s to
experience what life was like in an
early self-sufficient community is
not an option, but visiting History
House does allow you to discover
what stories and l ess on s these two
accessions- as well as the thousands
of other items in our collection have to share with you.
Down Madison Avenue: Then and Now
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Heirloom Gardens:
materials tolerated the varying conditions. Our stand of
spring blooming native Maine Lupine with its lovely
blue flowers thrived as did four out of five of the most
common heirloom plants (Hosta, Day Lily, Peony, and
Phlox). However, the Hollyhock again challenged us
with its rust fungus which we found difficult to treat.
Currently we are planning the end-of-the-season
garden and yard chores, such as dividing/pruning
perennials, weeding, removing plant debris, amending
the soil, and raking leaves. We are also planning new
projects such as replacing the hollyhocks with a stand of
delphiniums, installing additional professional signage,
and increasing our use of annual plant materials. One
annual plant in particular has “caught our eye” – for its
loveliness as well as for its name: Kiss Me Over the
Garden Gate, Kate (Polygonum orientale).
We again thank Lynch Landscaping for its generous
donation of lawn care services. We also thank our loyal
community volunteers who gave of their time and
energy for this season’s garden maintenance. Finally, a
special thank you goes to a Board Member for
sponsoring a special autumn project - reclamation of the
garden area directly in front of the History House
building.
We hope you’ll visit History House next spring to
enjoy the expanded Heirloom Gardens, the lovely lawns
with their Kennebec River views, and while here, be
sure to check out the new exhibit, The Depot.
Memories of Summer
Patricia Horine, Master Gardener
IT IS ALWAYS WITH some sadness that we say our
goodbyes to another gardening season. Yet, we also
celebrate the wonderful season it’s been! The spring
Heirloom Gardens provided a lovely backdrop from the
opening ceremony for the permanent outdoor River
Bateau Exhibit to the fall Harvest Tea Party co-hosted by
the Bloomfield Garden Club. In between, the gardens
framed the History House with splashes of on-going
seasonal color.
Frankly, it’s been a challenging gardening season.
Conditions were too cool and rainy at times and then too
hot and dry at other times. But, for the most part, plant
A Review of Harriet A. Nash’s
Polly’s Secret
Patricia Baldwin
WE MADE A DELIGHTFUL DISCOVERY this past
summer within our History House library: the book
Polly’s Secret by Harriet A. Nash, first published in
1902. Several of us read it, and enjoyed a journey back
in time to turn-of-the-century Bloomfield, Maine, as the
south side of Skowhegan was once called. Originally
meant perhaps for teenage girls, this novel gives a vivid
picture of life during an earlier era, complete with
romance, villains, and a mystery.
Set in Locke Tavern, a building still standing on Main
Street opposite the Southside Tavern and disguised here
as Brooks Tavern, the story centers on Polly Brooks,
daughter of the tavern-keeper. We are privy to the usual
dilemmas of her teen years, such as parties, romance, and
responsibilities.
The tavern itself offers constant
The original Locke Tavern sign is on display
at History House
(Continued on page 5
4
Skowhegan History House Society Memberships & 2015 Appeal Supporters
Life Members
Melvin & Debra Burnham
Nathan & Rachelle Burnham
Richard & Bonnie Chamberlain
Donna Conkling
Patricia & Norman Dickey
Jim & Eileen Ferland
John & Kathy Gifford
Lee Granville
Sam & Amanda Hight
Walter & Sandi Hight
Henry & Mary Holden Mollerus
Sam & Patricia Horine
Dr. M. Imam & Dr. S. Khan
Virginia Jordan
Pauline Kimball
Bill Laney
Verna Lister
Ellen MacMichael
Edna Marshall
Delores Mowatt
Alex & Mardi Pakulski
Ingrid & Susan Philbrick
Roger & Marilyn Renfrew
Sandy & Mary Turbyne
Dr. Gerald Vermette
Dale & Rick Watson
Partnerships
Jacob & Molly Burnham
Dorothy Cleaver
Brad & Patty Hager
Lee York
John Lynch Landscaping
S & K Heating
Hight’s Chev. Buick, GMC
Anonymous Business
Benefactor
David James & Jon Kimbell
Skowhegan Savings Bank
Business
Dunn & Pakulski
Hi-Tech Software
Hight Ford
Kyes Insurance
Skowhegan Rotary Club
Family
Pat Burdick
Harlan & Gretchen Buzby
Mike & Karyn Curran
Stephen & Jennifer Dionne
Robert & Kathy Dorko
Jan Eakins & John Ferry
Jeff & Kathy Evans
Violet & Bruce Ferland
Jack & Gail Gibson
David & Barbara Hawes
Bruce & Betty Haynes
Louis & Deborah Hight
Roger & Carol Jarvais
Jeffrey Kelly
Amber & Mike Lamke
Kurt & Patricia Maynard
Dave & Pam McDermott
Tom & Donna Mickewich
Robert & Gloria Nicholson
Mickey & Janet Powers
Will & Margo Reid
Gene & Amy Rouse
Sackett & Brake Surveyors
Warren & Jeanne Shay
Martha Smart
Hatherly & Alice Souther
Charlotte Tripp
Houghton & Mary White
Peter & Barbara Whitkop
Individual
Kristal Anderson
Lucille Andrews
Rodney Arno
Patti Baldwin
Warren Balgooyan
Patricia Boyle
Gay Fawcett
Dean Homstead
Alice Jump
Patricia Miller
Hilma Millett
Joanne Mitchell
Dugan Murphy
Jennifer Pierce
Cornelia Pleasants
Marc G. Poulin
David Richards
Sylvia Richardson
Rebecca Somes
David Thibault
Robert Washburn
GFWC/Semper Fidelis Club
Heritage House Restaurant
Student/Senior
Thomas Apetz
Ruth Blood
Daniel Boepple
Evalyn Bowman
Gregory Bisson
Elaine Cannell
Mary Lynn Cayford
Raymond Cayford
Linda S. Chandler
Elinor R. Clark
Marjorie H. Coburn Black
Connie Connell
Anna Lee Court
Diane Crowley
Janet Daigle
Ronda Ducret
Marilyn L. Dunlap
Joan Farnsworth
John(Annette) Janes
Roberta Knowles
Ron LaFratta
Carol Lam
Karen C. Marsh
Carl & Gail McKenney
David McLean
James McManus
Mr. & Mrs. S. Peter Mills
JoAnn Moody
Dana Perkins
Richard Tessier
Bob & Carol Withee
2015 Appeal
Lucille T. Andrews
Rodney G. Arno
Warren Balgooyen
Greg Bisson
Patricia Boyle
Pat Budick
Elaine Cannell
Raymond Cayford
Connie Connell
Diane Crowley
Robert & Kathy Dorko
Jim & Eileen Ferland
Hight Ford
Bruce & Betty Haynes
Dean Homstead
Tom & Donna Mickewich
Henry & Mary Holden Mollerus
Sam & Patricia Horine
Dassie Jackson
David James & Jon Kimbell
Virginia Jordan
Amber & Mike Lamke
David & Pam McDermott
David McLean
Delores Mowatt
Ingrid Philbrick
Marc G. Poulin
Mickey Powers
Will & Margo Reid
Roger Renfrew
Sylvia Richardson
Cheri Savage
Skowhegan Rotary
Skowhegan Savings Bank
Martha Smart
Rebecca Somes
Alice Souther
Robert & Marianne Steinhacker
Gust & Jan Stringos
Gerald Vermette
Bob & Carol Withee
(Listing Updated November 30, 2015)
(Polly’s Secret continued from page 4)
diversions to her, even though she is often needed to help with guests. When these duties include an
encounter with a mysterious, ailing gentleman, her life changes dramatically. She promises to keep a
family secret for this man, and her moral conflicts involving this promise carry ramifications to several
other characters.
This major plot thread is woven around Polly’s lighter responsibilities to her family and friends, as
they prepare for various celebrations and ceremonies. Through these activities we see the details of
everyday life in Norridgewock and Skowhegan, such as descriptions of riding in a carriage to
Norridgewock, or wandering along the river between Bloomfield and Milburn. These were all vital and
lively towns at the time, central to the lives of its inhabitants. Readers can follow the descriptions to
align with present-day places. We are left with a vision of Skowhegan so very different from today, and
that may be the greatest value of reading Polly’s Secret.
While mostly a more sentimental story than those we read now, Polly’s Secret does offer realistic
solutions to its conflicts. Not everyone lives “happily ever after,” nor do they all follow their dreams.
The inequity in female education comes up as issue several times, as do issues of differing religions and
classes in society. Nash’s characters run the gamut from the wealthy and ostentatious, to the overly
Illustration from Polly’s Secret by
pious, to the very poor: a cross-section of most small-town societies.
Harry C. Edwards
Thus far, our research efforts reveal no other published books by Harriet A. Nash. Her gravesite is
located in Skowhegan’s Southside Cemetery, near the area she wrote about so fondly in Polly’s Secret. In addition to our History House
library, this book is also available online. A quick but worthy read, this is also a fun escape into our past!
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The Annual Harvest Tea Party
September 19, 2015
A LOVELY TIME WAS HAD by all who attended the
recent annual Harvest Tea party, hosted by the History
House and the Bloomfield Garden Club. Members
decorated tables with artful floral and autumn harvest
arrangements and served freshly-brewed tea in exquisite
china teacups along with delicious finger sandwiches,
pickles, and wonderful sweets.
We were fortunate to have a beautiful sunny September
day to enjoy the lovely fall gardens and the river view as
we listened to live music performed by David Hovey and
brothers Allan and Peter Foxwell.
Paul Johnson, our guest speaker, who was slated to
present a program about Maine’s wildflowers, was
unable to attend due to illness. History House Director,
Melvin Burnham, quickly stepped in to give an
informative and visually fascinating PowerPoint
presentation of newly acquired old Skowhegan postcard
images.
These hundreds of postcard images were recently given
to History House and we are in the process of
cataloguing them. Many were not labelled or easily
recognizable. Our guests were able to identify some of
the postcard images, which made for an interesting and
lively discussion about the ‘olden days’. We all agreed
that it is unfortunate, however, that we are unable to
confirm the tale that the Skowhegan House Hotel did, in
fact, once serve ‘the best whiskey sours!
If you missed out on the fun this year, be sure to mark
your calendars for next year’s Harvest Tea on September
17, 2016.
Above, from left, David Hovey, Allan Foxwell, and
Peter Foxwell
Below, from left, Marjorie Black– President, Edna Marshall,
and Donalie Burbank
Skowhegan House, Russell Street: Then and Now
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Society Membership
Membership Benefits…






Recognition as an interested supporter of the
preservation and promotion of our heritage
Spring & Fall Newsletters
Access to historical research
Opportunity to submit articles for publication in
the Society Newsletter
Consultation with the Curator and Master
Gardener
Notification of events and activities
 New
 Renewal
 Gift Membership
Please Print Member Information:
Name:
____________________________________
Mailing Address:
____________________________________
City/Town:
____________________________________
State:
Giving Opportunities…
__________________ Zip: _____________
E-mail Address:
The History House Association, Inc. welcomes financial
support to further its goals and mission, programming,
general operations, and endowment activities. History
House is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization
and donations are tax deductible within the limits of the
IRS Code.
For information on any of the following giving
opportunities, please contact the Skowhegan History House
Museum & Research Center, P.O. Box 832, Skowhegan,
Maine 04976, or online at skowheganhistoryhouse.org.
Society Membership
Members of the Skowhegan History
House Society represent patrons, families, and friends of the
History House who wish to support financially the mission of
preserving Skowhegan’s legacy and promoting its heritage.
Major Partner
This level of support allows the Association
to fast track projects that dramatically affect programming that
preserves, protects, and promotes our heritage.
In Memoriam
Families, family members, or friends may
make memorial donations in honor of their loved one.
Remembrance
Donations may be arranged through the
deceased’s obituary notice as a remembrance.
Annual Appeal
Contributions to the Annual Appeal advance
the goals and mission, programming, and general operations.
Stocks, Bonds, or Tangible Property
Donation of
stocks, bonds, or securities is an important and useful way of
supporting the History House Association Inc.
Bequests and Trusts
Charitable donations in the form of a
bequest in a will, the establishment of a trust, or other financial
arrangements to support our mission are welcome.
Historic Items
Donations that have relevance to the historic
period of the museum and existing collections are appreciated.
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____________________________________
Check relevant Annual Membership Category,
Lifetime, and/or Donation:
 Student/Senior (65+) $15
 Individual (1 Person) $25
 Family $50
 Business $100
 Benefactor $150
 Donation of $____________
Gift Membership
Please print purchaser’s information (only if
different from member’s information):
Name:
____________________________________
Mailing Address:
____________________________________
City/Town:
____________________________________
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__________________ Zip: _____________
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____________________________________
Checks payable to:
Skowhegan History House Museum &
Research Center
P.O. Box 832
Skowhegan, Maine 04976
(207) 474-6632
Credit cards may be used online at:
skowheganhistoryhouse.org
Use the donate button & include explanation.
Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center
P. O. Box 832
Skowhegan, Maine 04976
(207) 474-6632
Mystery Photos
These two young men are believed to be from the Skowhegan High School graduating class of 1892 but we do not know their
names. Do you recognize them? [email protected]
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