HISTORY OF EAST HODGDON, MAINE
FACTS AND FICTION
by
Florence Grant Dickinson
[1893-1988]
This book is an account of the people of East Hodgdon, Maine, and its activities during my lifetime of ninety-one years, that I gathered during the last eight years.
East Hodgdon has a lot to be proud of. It is a community of about one hundred people, more or less, as people marry and leave and others move in, as time and work required.
I have tried to make my story factual and do not apologize for any mistakes as I got my facts from the people themselves. The stories are all from memory.
East Hodgdon citizens are hard working, honest enterprising people who take pride in their homes and families.
Florence Grant Dickinson
CONTENTS
Page
Discover East Hodgdon . 1
Farm History in East Hodgdon 5
Some of East Hodgdon's Family Groups 9
Boys Not Born Here, But Lived Here Over the Years until Married 18
Large Families in The Past Made A Larger Population for East Hodgdon . . 18
Weddings of East Hodgdon Residents through the Years ... 20
Business and Professional People from East Hodgdon .. 23
East Hodgdon People Who Got Their Elementary and High School
Education Here But Some Went Elsewhere to Live 24
People Who Lived in East Hodgdon During My Generation .. 27
A Thank You to the Men and Women Who Helped Make Our
Country Safe ... 28
A Visit to the Houlton Business Center . ... 30
Houlton Businessmen and Businesses of My Generation . 32
Memories from Years Past . 33
Just For Fun 49
DISCOVER EAST HODGDON
East Hodgdon is just a wide place on the nicely paved road with one cross road to the west, joining Calais Road, three mile deep cross road and one short cross road. All these roads are bounded on the east by New Brunswick, Canada. We have one Church, East Hodgdon Union Church, and the cemetery just back of the Church. Some old stones go back to the 1700's.
East Hodgdon is necessarily a farming and dairy community. We have eight dairies: Glenn Duff, Lincolns, Cranes, Robert Duff. All these dairymen sell to Houlton Farm Dairy in Houlton, now owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Lincoln, an East Hodgdon man, and their sons, Eric and James Lincoln. Dennis London sells to Houlton Farms Dairy, too, William Fitzpatrick and David Barton sell to Hood's Dairy.
At the present time, there are fourteen farmers, some have more than one farm: Weldon Smith. Glenn Duff. Shirley Weston. Herman London, Robert London. William Fitzpatrick, LeRoy Crane. John Lincoln, Larry London, Douglas Sloat, Robert Duff, Emery Lincoln, Daniel Griffin, Robert Henderson. Robert Smith keeps bees, sells honey, strawberries and raises poultry. We have two licensed plumbers, Terry Lincoln and a Mr. Hemingway. We have a cattle buyer and dealer, who also handles horses, Mr. Richard Riley. Many of the potato and grain farmers own several farms and keep cattle for beef purposes.
A farm pond is a necessity where cattle are raised and so is the necessity of fire protection. Two East Hodgdon men, Richard Riley and Herman (Mike) London have swimming pools next to their homes. Other farm ponds are Donald Duffs, Lincoln's, Roy Crane's, Robert Smith's, Weldon Smith's, Dennis London's, Shirley Weston's. Weldon Smith has farm ponds at each of his farms. Glenn Duff has several farm ponds or fish ponds.
Since 1940, there have been new homes built in East Hodgdon. Weldon Smith and Glenn Duff built new homes in the early 1940's. Roy Crane built a home on the Homestead on Lincoln Road. Charles McAtee built a model home on the Cross Road and a few years back. Terry and Rachel Lincoln built a new home, and Ellen Weston and her husband Reggie Williams built a new home on the Cross Road. More recently Dallas Henderson built his new home, too.
Melvin and Sheryl Fast Duff built their home at the corner of East Hodgdon and Smith-Duff Roads. Ronald Murray and wife Mary Duff built their home on the left side of Smith-Duff Road as well as Kenneth and Patricia Foster, on the right. On down toward the end of the road, Robert Smith and wife, Margaret Duff, built a modern home. A bit further on, Rick and Carolyn Smith Stamper have established a large home.
As I see it, the oldest houses in East Hodgdon now are: The Willard Weston home, now owned by Robert Duff; the Maggie Finnegan home, now owned by Agnes Griffin; the Benjamin Duff homestead, not occupied, but owned by Donald Duff; the Thomas Lloyd homestead, now owned by Emery Lincoln. Running close would be the Edward Henderson house, now occupied, and the William Henderson house occupied by Stanley London and the Moore place, now occupied by Mike London. Perhaps the William Berry place, now occupied by Robert London. The Thomas Henderson place, now the Ella McQuarrie home. All these homes have been rebuilt and modernized.
On the Lincoln Road is a large trailer home occupied by Mrs. Betty Lincoln, located on the Lincoln Homestead property. On the Main Road is a new trailer home owned by Dennis and Vickie Suitter London. A mile farther down is a trailer home previously owned by Dorothy London, now owned by her son, Mike London.
The Richard Riley's have remodeled their small home to larger quarters. The Wm. Fitzpatrick's have made extensive changes when they bought the Turney property. Remodeling has been done by Mr. and Mrs. Dale Clark and inside remodeling has been done by the Robert Duff's, the Mike London's, the Emery Lincoln's.
Besides farmers, we have teachers, nurses, plumbers, business men, ministers, missionaries, business women, many that commute daily to their places of business.
There are four families in the community that the family name has gone from father to son for generations. The Hendersons, the Lincolns, the Cranes and the Duffs. The Lincolns go back to Leonard Lincoln, then to J. Blaine Lincoln, on to John Lincoln and to Blaine and Craig Lincoln, John's sons. The Cranes go back to Herbert Crane, to Jasper Crane, to son LeRoy and LeRoy has two SODS, Mark and Kevin. The Hendersons go back to Edward Henderson and then to Robert Henderson, Sr., then to Robert Henderson, Jr. and then to Dallas and Edward Henderson and Dallas's sons Robert D. III and Aaron and Samuel. The Duffs go back to Benjamin Duff, then to son Donald Duff, on to son Robert Duff and Robert has two sons Bruce and Clifford. The Maurice Duff family have retained the family farm by four generations of farmers: Maurice, Glenn, Melvin and Melvin's son Joel.
There are other families, who through marriage have retained the family farm, but not always in the same name. Since I am going back the ninety-one years of my life, these seem to be pertinent and interesting facts. East Hodgdon has had many sets of twins, namely: The Herbert Crane twins: Clara and Clarissa; The Benson twins: Claude and Clayton; the Weldon Gildard twins: Vernal and Vina; the Miles Smith twins; Flora and Floyd; the Glenn Duff twins: Mary and Gerry; the Joseph Aucoin twins: Joseph and Josephine; the Henderson twins: Dallas and Edward; the Larry London twins: Jill and Jodi; I'm going to include the Weston twins, Peter and Philip, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weston, because both Louise and Paul were born in East Hodgdon although they now live in Houlton.
For a population of less than one hundred and about forty families, these facts seem quite remarkable to me. We have had six Golden Weddings: Ralph and Ethel Sloat, Ralph and ffianche Barton, Kenneth and Hazel Duff, Donald and Olive Duff, Miles and Dora Smith, and Maurice and Ruth Duff.
Although East Hodgdon is naturally and essentially a farming and dairy community, our religious contacts have not been neglected. Three members of the Fred Barton family became clergymen: Harold Barton married a neighbor girl, Ethel Duff, and they moved to California at once. He became a minister and he and his wife had a family of nine children, all religiously oriented in preaching, music and missionary work; Fred W. Barton now retired and lives in Bangor with his invalid wife; Lewis Barton, son of Ralph and Blanche Barton and grandson of Fred A. and Amanda Barton, is also an ordained minister. Also, Rev. Edward Henderson, son of Robert and Helen Henderson, at the present time is the pastor of a church in Great Village, Nova Scotia; Rev. Darrell Moran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Manley Moran, is a Missionary in South America.
East Hodgdon has produced one Doctor, Raymond A. Duff, specializing in Children's Diseases and is a lecturer and writer. Fifteen nurses have gone out from East Hodgdon, giving their services to humanity: Martha and Stella White, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White; Louise and Margaret Duff, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff; Audrey Duff, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Donald Duff; Louise Griffin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Griffin; Geneva London, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred G. London; Alice and Janice London. daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Donald London; Velma and Gloria Crane, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Crane; Barbara and Donaline Bickford, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bickford; Dorothy Turney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Turney; Inez Turney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney; Lena Sloat, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sloat. Sylvia Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Smith, is an LP.N. and two nurses, who married East Hodgdon men, were Hope Melvin, who married Charles Turbill, and Mary Conners, who married Fred G. London.
There have been, during World War I and World War II, the Korean Affair and the Vietnam tragedy, a boy or girl, man or woman, enlisted for every star in our flag. I will enclose another sheet for the names, choice of effect and the parents names. During these years, everyone who could, sewed, knit and planted to help feed the masses. During the Peace Years, so called, there have been five enlistees: Barbara M. Boone, Army, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone, who spent seven years in the service, of which two were in Japan; Lois E. Boone, another daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone, served the Air Force six years, of which three were in Germany; David W. Boone, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone, served the Army three years. Randy Lincoln, served in the Air Force in Nevada, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Emery Lincoln. Theodore Bell, served the Air Force at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, is the son of Mrs. Ella Mae McQuarrie and the late Kenneth Bell.
In World War I, one nurse, Stella White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White, and one soldier, my older brother, Cecil E. Grant, son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant, died of Spanish Influenza at Camp Devens. We saw my brother off at the B & A Railroad Station August 28, 1918 and on September 28 we buried him. Ralph White, soldier in World War I, son of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White, was wounded in battle and died instantly.
In World War II, my older son, Flt.-Sgt. Winston J. Dickinson, was shot down over Holland during the final days of the war, June 29 and June 30, 1942. It was during the Umbrella Raids over Germany when the British sent their planes over Germany, bombing continually as fast as one set of one hundred planes got back to base, another was sent over. Winston helped bomb Essen, Colonge and was shot down coming back from a bombing of Bremen, Germany. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, later transferred to Royal Air Force. He was buried in Noorwolde Cemetery near Steinwick, Holland, with dignity and pride with seven other Airmen. Winston had seven medals.
Double cousins are another unique thing in East Hodgdon. Harold Barton married Ethel Duff, Maurice Duff married Ruth Barton, Ralph Barton married Blanche Duff, thus making their children double cousins. Also, Donald Duff married Olive Woodcock and Kenneth Duff married Hazel Woodcock, making their children double cousins, too.
It seems to me that East Hodgdon has something to be proud of because for forty-two years, our eleven miles of East Hodgdon roads have been plowed and kept open by one family, The Maurice Duff's.
In 1940, Maurice Duff signed a contract with Town of Hodgdon and that year they used a 1936 Ford later buying an International. But as time went on he saw that he needed more power and he and his son, Glenn, bought Walters trucks and they now have three Walters heavy duty trucks. Glenn's son, Melvin is on the job, too. That would be three generations of Duffs: Maurice, Glenn and Melvin, - father and sons, and in 18 years Melvin's son, Joel, will likely be on the job.
East Hodgdon has no wooded areas except for a half mile or so in three areas, so the storms and winds have their own way about three miles going East of the Cross Road, known as Lincoln-Crane Road that goes to the Canadian Boundary at Union Comer. That road is very difficult to keep open and requires many extra hours day and night. Another cross road goes West to the Calais Road but not so difficult. Over the hill South is a short swampy area, but after that it's hills, hills, and hills. The time spent to keep these roads open is endless.
There are eight dairy farmers in East Hodgdon and the milk and mail must go through so it's no easy job keeping the roads passable in winter. We have been lucky only a few times in my recollection has any road been blocked and that not for long.
One must give the Duffs full credit for not only keeping our roads open for forty-two years, but many and many a time at night, they have been called out to pull someone from a ditch and some other reason, and.dog-tired as they might be, they would respond, I'd say without pay. The storms in March and April drew many camera fans taking pictures of the l8-foot high drifts down at Union Corner and on Westford Hill roads.
To me, it is a record for one family!
In 1910, Mrs. John Grant (my mother), on an August afternoon at a Sunday School Picnic, got together a few women and girls and they organized The Ladies Aid of East Hodgdon. The Ladies Aid lasted seventy years and incidently, it was terminated at the grand-daughter's home of Mrs. John Grant, Mrs. Muriel Boone.
The initial membership was eight in number: Mrs. John Grant, Pres., Mrs. Herbert Crane, V. Pres., Mrs. Charles Green, Treas., Mrs. Will Moore, Sec., Miss Florence Grant, Miss Lillian Brown, Miss Edna Brown, Mrs. Turney White.
Incidently, the last meeting on the 4th Wednesday of the month had exactly eight members. The dues were fifty cents for married women and twenty-five cents for young women. In seventy years those dues never changed. At one time, I think there were fifty paid up members. People joined from Houlton, Hodgdon and New Brunswick. Then people passed away, moved away and I am the only living member of the original eight. The Ladies Aid, though small, was a power for good. Wherever there was a need we helped, like fire victims, sickness, medicine for shutins, baskets of fruit at Christmas sometimes. We contributed to Red Cross, Heart Fund, T. B., Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Missionaries and Salvation Army. We pledged $300.00 to Aroostook Hospital at time of their building project. We went once a week and did mending and patching during the war years. We bought dozens of white bath towels, diapers and linoleum for women's ward. Curtains for both women's and men's wards, too.
We furnished an entire room at the Aroostook Hospital with bed, overtable, dresser, inch plateglass dressing table, stuffed chair, venetian blinds and draperies, three-way floor lamp and floor covering. This was in the late 40's and early fifties. We were young and active. How did we pay for all these activities?
Ice cream sales, food sales, making Quilts to sell, all sorts of sewing things such as aprons, knitting and putting on big dinners and chicken stews. Harvest suppers, salmon dinners, often at the Methodist Church dining room in Houlton. We did all kinds of meals, the sort that today would cost $5.00, we put on for $1,00. Many a fireman rose from his place at the table to congratulate us on the fine food and attention. We also put on turkey dinners for the Odd Fellows Lodge specials.
The Church was not neglected either. When the Parsonage was built, we contributed the large electric stove, all the silver and dishes we had bought during the years, went into the kitchen cupboards.
FARM HISTORY IN EAST HODGDON
This is to be a short history of the farm owners of East Hodgdon as I remember it. I am 85 years old and no doubt my memory may not be exactly accurate. I did a history, much like this, for the Centennial in 1976, but it got lost or it was not good enough.
I am starting with the farm where I was born May 8, 1893. My father, John W. C. Grant bought the farm from his father, Samuel Laurence Grant, in 1890. The farm, as well as the second farm over (one farm in between owned and farmed by Gordon Neal) were both known as the Deacy farms. It may have been spelled Deacey.
My father married Phoebe Tilly Smith, June 24, 1891. They were parents of three children: Florence Inez (me). Cecil Eugene born 1897 and was a member of the Army in 1918 and died at Camp Devons as a victim of Spanish Influenza, and Phoebe Eva born 1903. My father sold the farm to Miles Smith in 1917 and he lived there until his death. It is now owned and operated by Miles' son, Weldon with his mother, Dora Smith the occupant of the buildings or home.
Weldon Smith recently bought the Gordon Neal farm from Gordon Hoyt, who was an heir, I believe. The third farm over belongs or was owned by my father's brother, Havelock R. Grant, who farmed it for many years and ran a maple sugar business in a small productive way. The house burned. He sold to Colie and Hubert London. The Londons later sold to James Rush, Sr., a Canadian, in 1928. They farmed for ten years then sold to Bernard Schools and moved to Houlton on the Comer of the Hovey Road and the Main Road. Later Mr. Schools sold the property to Maurice Duff and Maurice sold to Glen Duff and Harold Duff.
Now, in 1977, Glenn Duff sold a portion of the farm to his sister and husband, Margaret and Robert Smith and they built a very modem home there.
Going back to the Smith Estate, Weldon Smith's daughter, Carolyn Smith Stamper and husband, Rick Stamper, have built a modern one story home on a lot provided by her father on the upper portion of his farm. This was the, so called, Cross Road.
The next farm on the right was first owned, to my knowledge, by Zephaniah Parks, sold to his son Percy Parks, who later sold to Burnham J. Bell. Later Mr. Bell sold the property to Emery Henderson and he sold it to the present owner and occupant, Maurice Duff. Going down the road, still on the right hand side, Mr. Duffs granddaughter, Mary Duff Murray (daughter of Glenn Duff) and her husband Ronald Murray, have built a two story home this year on the west side of this farm.
Continuing down to the comer, still on the right, was the original (to me) Willard Weston farm. The farm was purchased at Mr. Weston's death by Colie and Hubert London. When Hubert died, Colie took it over and later sold it to Robert Duff, who now owns and operates the farm.
Going back to the left side of the road, the first farm was the Thomas Henderson Homestead. He and his wife had one daughter, Clara, who inherited the property. Clara married Harry Thwaites and they had one child a daughter, Ella Mae Thwaites, who in turn inherited the Henderson farm. Ella Mae is now married to Clifford McQuarrie and they occupy the property at present.
The next home down is a new one built on the Glenn Duff farm which was purchased from him. The owners are Kenneth and Pat Foster.
Just over the knoll is a hug[e] potato house owned by Weldon Smith. When I was a young girl, there was a family of two bachelors and an old maid sister who lived in a very, very small house and their names were McElkenny. The buildings burned but Glenn Duff owns the farm now. On the corner lot (left) Weldon Smith purchased a lot from Glenn Duff and built a fine residence.
Let us now cross the road to an area of many acres owned by the Bird Sisters. Sue and Selina Bird. The property was purchased by Earl Gardiner and later sold to James and Robert Rush. who still own and operate it. On the comer to the left, Melvin Duff bought a lot and has built a fine home in 1977. Coming now to the first farm on Main Road. A Civil War Veteran named Lowe, owned the farm where Glenn Duff now lives. Mr. Lowe married a White girl. The property was transferred, I don't know how, to a Mr. Ludlow White, nickname "Lud" White, and he had a son Bertram White, nicknamed "Berchie", and a daughter, Vanentine. The daughter married and Mr. and Mrs. "Berchie" White lived there until they died. The property was then purchased by Frank Gorham and wife. Gorham sold to Robert Henderson and Mr. Henderson sold to Harold Duff, a WW II Veteran, and he resold it to his brother Glenn Duff, who now owns it and has built a new home there. Glenn sold a lot, in the wood lot, to a Rev. and Mrs. Sam Fast, who have a trailer home there. The balance of the Bird place was a wood lot butting on the farm now owned by Shirley Weston;
The man who originally owned the farm now owned by Shirley Weston, as far as I can go back, was Allen Wade who sold to Frank Gorham, then sold to Elmer Weston and now owned and operated by Shirley Weston and wife.
Across the road, East from Shirley Weston was a Perry Brown place. Mr. Brown married Miss Emma White and they had three children: Lillian lived and died on the 20 acre homestead, William went to California, and a daughter Edna.
On the same side of the road is a modern home built and occupied by Harold Smith. The building lot was purchased from Manley Moran. Next home is now owned by Warden Boone. This five acre lot was formerly owned by Robert Henderson, sold to John W. C. Grant, who sold to Billy Gellerson and then bought by Manley Moran. Manley sold it to Warden and Muriel Boone. Next, the school house, namely Stone School, was purchased by Henry Higgins and converted into a summer home.
Across the road (west) was a farm who as far as I know, was the first owner, Jock Ertha, a colored man. They had a family of three children. He sold to Billy Barrows, his daughter's husband, and he sold it to Patten Bros., then they sold to Gordon Rouse, who sold it to Henry Chandler and then resold to Donald Duff. Donald Duff sold it to his son, Robert Duff, who now farms it.
There is a cross road here by the Boone farm leading to a farm one mile up that was owned by Turney White. Mr. White sold it to Howard Webb. Then the farm was divided and one half was bought by Maurice Duff and the other half (south half) to Charles Turbill. Duff still owns his half but Turbill sold his half to Robert London.
On the next farm past the crossroad, as far back as I can remember, the farm was owned by William Henderson. His nickname was "Rakeback Bill" because he was so tall and thin. He sold to William Berry (who I'll mention later) and his son. Jack Berry live there for a time. My father, John W. C. Grant owned it for a time and then sold it Ormand Sloat. Ormand died and his widow married Stanley London. They had one son Robert, but he never lived there. Robert London bulldozed the house down and when his son Dennis married, he bought a trailer and set it on the lot.
Next farm on the west side of the road was a Henderson homestead. Edward Henderson, first owner to my memory, was a brother to the above William Henderson. Edward had three sons and five daughters, but the one who fell heir to the homestead was George, who never married. Later his brother, Robert Henderson, and his wife Blanche lived with him and they had two sons, Robert, Jr. and Edward. Neither son lived there but following the death of their parents and George, Robert Henderson, Jr. bought the property from the heirs but the house is torn down.
The next farm on the East was purchased by John W. C. Grant in 1906 from James Victory. Mr. Grant lived there 33 years until his death in 1939. His daughter, Florence Grant Dickison, paid off the heirs and lived there since 1940. She sold to John Lincoln.
Next farm on the west, opposite the Grant farm, was a farm owned and operated by William Moore. He sold to a Frenchman named Alex Chaison, who sold to his nephew, Joseph Aucoin. Joseph died and his son, Richard, occupied the property until he sold to Donald London. Mr. London died and the farm is now owned and occupied by his son, Herman London.
Now we have another crossroad of one mile. The farm to the left, at the road, was formerly owned by William Neal. He died and his son, Don Neal, farmed for a bit and he sold to Ernest Turney. Ernest Turney died and his son, John, farmed a few years and the farm was sold to William Fitzpatrick.
The farm on the south side of the Cross Road was the William Berry homestead. Mr. Berry sold to Elias Eagers. Mr. Eagers never lived there himself, but his son, John, did. Later Charles V. Turbill from Canada bought the farm from Eagers and lived there a number of years and sold to Robert London.
Back down to Main Road now. First house and farm to the left was originally owned by a William Atherton family. They sold to a man by the name of Dresser and he built a mill for sawing logs on the McAtee Brook, which runs through the farm. Elias Eagers bought it from Mr. Dresser and the property was sold or transferred to Elias's son, John. John died and Robert Henderson, Jr., the present owner, bought the farm from John's widow. I think this farm was double lots. There was a small house on the knoll owned by a Mrs. Atherton and her sons, Ira and Preston, all gone now. These Atherton men never farmed nor did their father but had a home there.
Now we are back to the right side of the Main Road, back to the present Herman London farm. This farm, too, was a double lot. Herman (Mike) London's mother has a trailer home on the extreme south side of his farm. The next farm was previously owned by Charles McAtee and it went to his son, Ralph. Buildings burned and Ralph sold to William Fitzpatrick. A grove, known as the McAtee Grove, was and is on the south side of this farm. An open field clear to the Cross Road, which is owned by Mrs. George Griffin and son, Daniel. Mrs. Griffin died.
Going East, we come to what is known as the Lincoln Road, that leads to the Canadian Border. First farm to the left is the Lincoln homestead, formerly the property of Leonard Lincoln, then passed on to his son, J. Blaine Lincoln, and now to Blaine's son, John, who farms it. John has two sons and Mrs. Blaine Lincoln, his mother, has a trailer home and lives on the premises of the Lincoln Homestead, too.
The next farm was the James Finnegan farm. Mr. Finnegan died leaving one son, George, who never farmed but Mrs. Finnegan's brother-in-law farmed the farm for years, later selling it to George Griffin from Canada. He had one son, Daniel, who now farms the property. The Griffins had a "daughter, Louise.
Next farm was originally owned by James Buckley. He had three daughters and a son but never had an heir. He died in a mental hospital in Bangor and the family sold to Alden Varney from Fort Fairfield, who transferred the farm or sold to Frank McAtee and later sold to Ralph McAtee, who sold it to Walter Davis, who sold to Weldon and Otis Smith, who are heavy potato raisers.
The next farm is the Crane Estate. It had never been out of the Crane name, like the Lincoln Farm. The first Crane I knew was Herbert Crane. He died and his son, Jasper bought the farm from the heirs, then Jasper's son LeRoy bought the farm from his father. Roy has two sons who may carry on the farming tradition.
At one time around the turn going to Canada, there was a lumber mill operated by Perley Stevens, but owned by a group of men, on a farm now owned by LeRoy Crane, formerly owned by a Mr. McNerlin, sold to Edward McAtee, who sold to Beecher Horton, who sold to John Sharp and then bought by Kenneth Neal. At the very corner at Boundary Line, there was a home once owned by Aaron Nevers and used as a U. S. Custom House after Nevers left. It was once owned by Henry Potter and later bought by Lewis Lloyd and I don't know how many changes there has been since the Lloyds sold.
Down to the next farm was Herbert Martin. He sold to Wm. Martin and lastly to Gordon Martin. Both have died and I don't know the present owner. Another McNerlin farm was next. It was known as the Finnegan place, sold to Philip Manser. There was some ownership in between, but it's now owned by Emery Lincoln who farms it. There is a fifteen acre disputed property that the heirs (Finnegan) could not trace and it's grown up in woods. There is a road separating U.S. and Canada. Each has a road. The U.S. road ends with Emery's property.
Going back now to Lincoln Corner, so called, Kenneth Duff bought land, built a home and runs a garage. He and wife, Hazel still live there. The Lincoln farm must have been a two lot farm, for except for the Lincoln School House, there are no other dwellings.
Next on the right, Mr. Furse owned two farms. He divided them giving one farm to each of his two sons, Fred, nicknamed "Babe" and Thadius, nicknamed "Thad". "Thad" married then sold his farm to Thomas Callnan who had a family of ten children. The Callnans sold to Ralph McAtee and Ralph sold to Walter Davis and Davis sold to Weldon Smith and son, Otis. The "Babe" Furse farm was sold to A. P. Young. Weldon Gildard farmed it for Mr. Young many years. He sold to Guy Turney, who sold it to his son-in-law, George Drake. George died and the property was sold to James and Robert Rush in 1948, then resold to Earl Gardiner, who sold to Guy Miller and he sold to Walter Davis and it is now owned by Weldon Smith and Son. All these men were farmers.
Next home was a 20 acre farm that was given Mrs. Nellie Crane Green when she married Charles Green. Mr. Green was a laboring man but he farmed this small farm and made a good living, When he and his wife passed away, the little farm fell to Charles Barton, a young man they brought up from childhood. The small farm is now owned by Hope Barton Nightingale, daughter of Charles Barton. They had two other daughters and three sons but none of them farmed.
Now we go back to Lincoln Corner. The first farm on the west side of the Main Road, one quarter mile back, was owned by William Atherton, nicknamed "Billy", and his wife Mary McAtee. He sold it or it was sold to Donald McAtee who later sold it to Larry London.
Now on to Main Road again. To the best of my knowledge, all the land on the next side was at one time Alexander property. It was a Lougee Estate and he was a school master. At first, during my time, it was farmed by Fred Alexander with a brother who died. Fred sold to Herbert London. He died and the farm was bought by Orrin Taylor. Orrin sold to Hanford and Ralph Sloat and then to his son Douglas. Up on the hill Donald London built a small house when he married, later occupied by Donald's father, and then Larry London.
Next to the upper Alexander property, I understand Fred London bought it from the Alexander Heirs. It was later sold to Fred's son, Horace London, nicknamed "Barney". "Barney" sold it to his son Larry. Just across the road on the East side of the hill was a small set of buildings which was the Lloyd Homestead. Thomas Lloyd, we presume inherited the property. When Mr. Lloyd died, his son William took over. After Will's death, Donald London bought the farm, later selling to Emery Lincoln who now owns and operates the farm. Emery has three adult sons, none of whom farm as yet.
A farm around the turn to the right was owned by Charles Eagers, whose father was John Eagers. Charles died and I believe the farm was sold to Theodore Griffin. The turn to the right, going East, was the Benjamin Duff Farm. Robert Duff, a grandson of Benjamin now owns and operates the farm, but before Bob got it, his father Donald Duff owned and farmed it many years. Benjamin, Donald and Robert, the owners and same family. Bob has two sons, Bruce and Clifford.
At the top of the hill on left was the original Ellsworth farm which John London purchased. At John's death, his son Clarence took over and at his death it was bought by Donald Duff. The farm across the road, as we know as the Fred Barton homestead, was once a part of the Ellsworth property. Mr. Barton farmed it and later his son Claude took over. At present it is farmed by Fred Barton's grandson, David Barton, son of Ralph and Blanche Barton.
I believe the property, called the Benson place down under the hill to the left of the Clarence London farm, now owned by Donald Duff, was originally the James Benson property. His son, Alvin Benson farmed it and at Alvin's death, his son Claude bought the property. On top of the hill was another Ellsworth property. It was bought and farmed by Everett London. I'm not sure of the in-between owners but Henry Higgins lived there for a time.
Down under the hill to the right is a home owned by Keith Barton. It was owned at one time by Thomas Callnan and he bought the farm from Matt London, son of John London. The following is rather indefinite but I do know there was three farms beyond known as the Manley Tracy farm, the Crane farm and the Lincoln farm. At one time Levi Tracy's family lived on the Tracy farm. There are several wood lots and I do not know who owns them.
Going back to Lincoln Corner and going west. The first farm to the right on top of the hill was the Bert Taylor farm. He sold to Paul Jackins who sold to Seth Humphrey and then to Dale Clark and he now lives there in a house he built. The Humphrey home burned.
To the left, at the foot of the hill is what was formerly the Sam Curran farm. Not too much land but after the Currans left home, Blaine Lincoln bought the little farm and buildings and he resold it to Robert McQuarrie. Richard Riley acquired it and he resold it.
Then off to a house formerly owned by John Brown, now owned by Mrs. Lenentine. Across the road was a chicken farm owned by Adolph Wiggin. I don't know who owns it now.
Young men of East Hodgdon who bought land from Theodore and Margaret Griffin and have built their homes on what is known as the Cross Road leading to the Calais Road, are Horace London who has a trailer home; Charles McAtee, son of Ralph McAtee, has a new residence; Terry Lincoln, son of Emery Lincoln, has a new residence and Reggie Williams, son of Vinal Williams, also a new residence.
SOME OF EAST HODGON'S FAMILY GROUPS
Fred A. Barton, son of Samuel and Ruth Ann (Fanjoy) Barton, married Amanda Atherton, December 25, 1884 at Houlton. Their children were:
1. George Barton went to Oregon in his youth and married Hazel Logan of Nevada. They had a
family of eleven children: Fern, Harold, Coral, Ruth, Quinton, Dorothy, Bethany, Bethel,
Eldon, Richard, and Anna.
2. Harold Barton married Ethel Duff and they went to California to live and had a family of ten
children: Frances, Aimee, Esther, Eunice, Rachel, Paul, Lois, Harry, Joan and Edwin. Edwin
lived only a few hours. Harold became a minister and he and his wife endowed their children
with religion and music and many of the family are Missionaries.
3. Claude Barton never married. He was a Veteran of WW I and was a car salesman for Overland Cars for many years in Houlton.
4. Ruby Barton married Eben Merritt and had a family of eight children: Lorna married Cecil
Murchie and adopted a son Gerald; Mildred married Willard Howard and they had Willard,
Jr., Glenn, Ruby, Frank and Frances (twins); Elbridge married (1) Dorothy Benn and (2)
Virginia Cone, (3) Mildred Stinson. There were children in the first two marriages but I do
not know their names; Fred married Clair (not known) and he as a Veteran of WW II; Marion
died as a result of an accidental gunshot wound at age of 16 years; Earl married Ruth Welton
and had ten children, not known to me; Dorothy became an R.N. and married James Hannigan
and had five children: Karen, Linda, Sheila, Diane and Gregory; Byron married Margaret
McKnight and had one daughter and then married (2) Marjorie Sowers, no children from that
marriage.
5. Fred W. Barton married Carrie Lane. No children but they adopted two children, Ernest and
Beatrice. Fred was a car salesman and bookkeeper and later became a minister and served the
church until his retirement.
6. Sadie Barton never married. She was very helpful in home nursing, especially at maternity
cases.
7. Benjamin Barton never married. He was a Veteran of WW I and later became a Missionary to
Peru, S.A. He contracted TB and was sent home to rest but died in a N.Y. hospital on the way
home.
8. Ruth Barton married Maurice Duff and they had ten children: Louise married Paul Weston
and had eight children: Daniel, Philip and Peter (twins), Ellen, Thomas, James, Ann,
Rachel; Harold married Evelyn Smith and they had six children: Ruth, Timothy, Rebecca,
Lois, Eunice and John; Raymond married Joyce London and they had three daughters: Jane,
Carol and Lori; Glenn married Flora Smith and they had six children: Gerry and Mary
(twins), Medley, Bryant, Melvin, and April; Guy married Lois Cook and they had three
children: Stephen, Vernon and David; Norma married Richard Benoit and had four children:
Ronald, Charlene, Nancy and Gary; Margaret married Robert Smith and they had four
children: Wanda, Gregory, Cheryl and Herbert; George married Jean Grabill and they had two
children: Beth Ann and a stillborn son; Leon married Ann Barnes and had four children:
Bruce, Suzanne, Kathryn and Maurice; Oland married Alice London and they had two
children: Michael, and Diana.
9. Ralph Barton married Blanche Duff and they had a family of seven children: Frank married
Christal Madden and they have two sons: Frank Jr., and Russell; Keith married Geraldine
Ruth and they had eight children: Kenneth, John, Sally, Cindy, Ronald, Lawrence, Crystal.
and Peggy; Grace married James Ellison and they had two children: Edith and J. Barton;
Roger married Marjorie Carson and they had four children: Kevin, Laurie, Deborah and
Timothy; David married Lydia Loveland and they had a family of four children: Joanne, Ray,
Donna and Benjamin; Lewis married Janice Parker Shaver and they have a son, Tood, and a
daughter, Michele; Jean married David Stewart and they have a family of three children:
Cheryl, Rhonda and Dale.
10. Miles Barton married Ethel Whitney. They had five children: Roberta married Ralph Gleason
and had four children: Ellen, Jean, Steven and Amy; Richard married Betty Ivey and they
have four children: twins, David and Darrell, Richard, Jr. and Bettina; Marjorie married Dale
Stewart and they had five children: Sherry, Cindy, Wanda, Susan and Nancy; Leita married
Gordon Jones and they have four children: Gordon, Jr., Betty Lou, Linda and Michael;
Amanda married John Williams and they have five children: twins, Bruce and Brian, Todd.
Craig and Julie.
11. Llewellyn Barton never married. He enlisted in WW II, got a skin ailment from the jungle
activities. He deals in buying and selling of coins.
12. Roy Barton married Maude Anderson. They had a family of six children: Joyce, Phyllis,
Sherwood, Gloria. Roy Jr., and Betty.
13. Carl Barton married Helen Pray. They had a family of four children: Frances, Jack, James and Jerrold.
14. Cora Barton graduated from Ricker Classical Institute, University of Maine, Orono, taught
school many years and married Percy Nicholson. They had two children: Lawrence, who
became a teacher and coach at Orono and Marion, a Ricker College graduate and went on to
Radcliffe College.
Alvin Benson, son of William and Lydia (Fanjoy) Benson, married Janey A. Duff, daughter of James and Blanche (Baker) Duff. They had eight children:
1. George Benson married Ressa Crowley and moved to New Hampshire.
2. Blanche Benson married Robert McQuarrie and had four children: Edward married Shirley
Winslow and had five children: Darlene, Tammy, Carlene, Heidi and Edward. Jr.; Maxine
married Wayne Farrar and they have no children; Nina married Robert Folsom (now
deceased) and they had two children: Wanda and Beth, who married Charles Sylvio and have
no children. Nina remarried to John Colton (now deceased) and later married again to Carl
Kirner and there were no children from those marriages; Richard married Maureen Jackson
and had two children: Kerry Lynn and Kimberly.
3. Verna Benson married Clark Bubar. No children. They lived in Amity and Verna is the
Postmistress there.
4. Laura Benson married Stanley Pray (now deceased). They had four children: Robert married
Evelyn Ford and had four sons: Sean, Patrick, Timothy and Christopher; Judith married Ray
Martin and had three children: Elizabeth, Carolyn and Jeffrey; Peggy married James Taylor
and had two children: Megan and Joseph; Jeanette married Glen McGary and they had two
children: Heather and Glen, Jr.
5. Claude Benson married Mildred Corey and they had one daughter, Sandra. Sandra married
William Wadsworth and had four children: Katherine, Elizabeth, Kimberly and William. Jr.
6. Clayton Benson married Patricia Plourde and they had three daughters: Cynthia, Barbara and
Sally.
7. Morris Benson never married.
8. Grace Benson lived only one day.
Thomas Callnan married Mary McCarthy and they had a family of ten children:
1. Minnie Callnan never married and is now deceased.
2. William Callnan married Theresa Hurley. Theresa died and William remarried to Susie
Markey. Both marriages brought five children.
3. Thomas Callnan, Jr. farmed for awhile where Keith Barton now lives and later in life became
a Bond Broker. He married Beulah Smith and they had a family of three sons and three
daughters: Marie, Joseph, Kenneth, Philip, Catherine and Joan.
4. Leo Callnan married Alice McAtee and they had four children: Gerald, Jean, Dorothy, and
Robert. Robert was Prop. of Aroostook Milling.
5. James Callnan married Elizabeth McDonald and had one daughter.
6. Elizabeth Callnan never married. When her brother, Lewis, lost his first wife, Elizabeth
brought up his son, Michael and his daughter, Mary. Mary married Dwayne (Skip) Anderson.
7. Gertrude Callnan married a Mr. Vanderwerker from Teaneck, N.J. She was a telephone
operator in Houlton. They had no children.
8. Katherine Callnan married John Eagers. They had one daughter, Jean, who married Earl
Ca1lnan and had three sons: John, Timothy and James.
9. Albert Callnan, farmer and later a Stock and Bond Broker.
10. Lewis Callnan married Carmen Hogan and they had two children: Michael and Mary. Carmen
died at childbirth and Lewis remarried to Paula Bruso and they had two daughters: Julie and
Lisa. Lewis was a farmer.
Herbert Crane, son of William and Susan Crane, married Sarah Brown and they had six children:
1. William Crane married Gertrude Smith and had two children: Darrell and a daughter whose
name I do not know.
2. Clara Crane married Emerson Dickinson and they had a son, Earl, who married Myrtle
Dickinson; a daughter, Dorothy, who married Gerald Hawkes and they had two daughters,
Shirley and Betty, and two sons, Richard and Robert.
3. Clarissa, Clara's twin, married Robert Hawkes and they had two sons: Ellis and Cecil.
4 Jasper Crane married Alice Boardman and had three daughters and two sons: Velma, Pauline,
Gloria, and Clifford and LeRoy. Velma married William Lyon and had five children: John,
Judy, Richard, Susan and David; Pauline died a young girl; Gloria became a nurse and LeRoy
married Irma Hare and had two sons and a daughter; Mark, Kevin and Clara Alice.
5. Elsie Crane married Truman Stairs and had a large family.
6. Flossie Crane married Forrest Russell and had two sons.
Benjamin A. Duff, son of John and Rachel Knowlton Duff, married Jemima V. Miller of Debec, N.B., and with their four older children moved from Kirkland, N.B. to their farm in East Hodgdon in 1903. Two more children were born in East Hodgdon:
1. Ethel Duff married Harold Barton and moved to California. They had a family of ten children. Refer to Fred A. Barton Family No. 2.
2. Maurice Duff married Ruth Barton and they remained in East Hodgdon and had a family of
ten children . Refer to Fred A. Barton Family No.8
3. Donald Duff married Olive Woodcock and they remained in East Hodgdon and had a family
of five children: Eugene, who served in World War II and married Pauline Nason and had no
children. He died of a mood Clot at his apartment in Houlton; Gerald married Elaine White
and had a family of three daughters: Diane, Susanne and Leanne; Carl married Mildred
Cassidy and had five sons and a daughter: James, Dana. Thomas. Dale, Peter and Carla;
Audrey became a nurse, married Ted Cravan and had a son, Theodore [Teddy). After a
divorce, Audrey married Donald Anderson and they live in South Portland; Robert served in
the Army in Alaska, married Gail Foster and had two sons and two daughters: Bruce. Clif-
ford and Roberta and Lisa. Robert is a farmer and dairyman and has always lived in East
Hodgdon.
4. Kenneth Duff married Hazel Woodcock and they have always lived in East Hodgdon. They
had a family of eight children: Evelyn married Paul Hovey and had a daughter. Bonnie. They
divorced and Evelyn married Raymond Robinson and had three children and lived in Tulsa.
Oklahoma. Evelyn died in 1983; Arnold married Viola Cassidy and had eight children;
Michael, Joseph, Lucy, Suzie, Mary, Polly, Molly and Julia. They live in Houlton; Philip died
when struck by a truck while crossing the road on the way home from school. He was five
years old; Donna married Robert Higgins and had one daughter. Sally, who married Roger
Graham and had one daughter. Robert was killed in a car accident and later Donna married
Vonal Tracy. No children from this marriage. Vonal died as a result of a snowmobile
accident; Benjamin married Martha Ford and had five children: David. Philip, Rodney, Jane
and Janet. They all live in Connecticut. Willis married Bonnie Farrar and had three children:
Keven, Kimberly and Karen. Willis died in 1980; Allen married Ann Cunningham and have
three children: Laurie, Paulette and Amanda. They live in Littleton.
5. Blanche Duff married Ralph Barton and had seven children. Refer to Fred A. Barton Family
No.9
6. Emma Duff married Henry O. Higgins and had a family of six daughters and one son: Ethel,
Leona, Alene, Rowena, Glennice, Henry and Ardis. Henry and Emma lived in East Hodgdon
until 1930 and moved to Hodgdon Mills where they lived until 1952, then moved to
Connecticut with their five younger children and have lived there since. Henry died in 1980.
John Eagers married Catherine Flowers and they had a family of five children: Martha, Sarah, Elias, Hattie and Mary.
1. Martha married (1) Wm. Wade, (2) Charles Russell. No family.
2. Sarah married (1) John Rouse, (2) James Finnegan and had two children, Florence and Gordon.
3. Elias Eagers married (1) Isabel Henderson and had three children: John, who married Katherine Callnan and had a daughter, Jean; Viola never married; Isabel died in infancy. Elias married (2) Amelia Buckley Eaton. No Children from this marriage.
4. Hattie Eagers married (1) Percy Tidd and they had two daughters, Grace and Lois. Grace
married Del Roix. Lois married Arthur Tidd. Hattie married (2) Charles E. Eagers and they
had a son Ellery, who died young.
5. Mary Eagers married Weldon Gildard and had eight children: Edna died in" infancy; John
died at age eight years; Leland married Alta Wilcox and had a large family; Elwood
married Irene Richardson and had two sons. One son was drowned by trying to save the life
of a mentally disturbed woman; Vina married Thomas Williams and had no family; Vemald
married Edna Steward and had two daughters; Ruby married William Stewart and had three
children: Patricia, David, Paul, Fred and Dwane; Weldon married Louise Rhoda and had
four children: Otis married Michele Bouchard and have a daughter Amanda; Joanne married
Hank Spegner and had two children: Melissa and Jeffrey; Sharon not married; Carolyn
married Rick Stamper and have two daughters, Jennifer and Stephanie; Flora married Glenn
Duff and they have always lived in East Hodgdon. They had twin daughters, Mary and
Gerry, another daughter, April, and two sons, Bryant and Melvin. Mary married Ronald
Murray and have a daughter Heidi and a son, Darren and live in East Hodgdon; Gerry married
George Stouffer and have four sons, Sean, Craig, Nathan and Alan. Bryant is not married, works in
Customs Service in Texas; April is attending Cedarville College in Ohio and will graduate in 1982;
Melvin married Sheryl Fast and have a daughter, Robyn and a son, Joel. Floyd Smith, Floras twin,
married Sylvia Stinson and have two sons William and Ronald and live in Conn.; Evelyn married
Harold Dudd and they have six children: Ruth, Timothy, Rebecca, Lois, Eunice and John. They live
in the Thomaston area.
There was a James Eagers who married Janet Graham and had no family. This Mr. and Mrs. Eagers raised Alvin Whitney.
My father, John W. C. Grant, son of Samuel Laurence and Victoria A. Grant, moved to East Hodgdon in 1887 with his parents who bought a farm near the Boundary Line, which his father later sold to him. John became naturalized in 1890. In 1891 he married Phoebe Tilley Smith and they had a family of two daughters, Florence Inez and Phoebe Eva, and one son Cecil Eugene.
1. Florence Inez Grant married Leslie P. Dickinson of Richmond Corner, N.B. and they had a daughter Muriel Cecile and two sons, Winston J. and Dana. Muriel married W. Warden Boone of Fosterville, N.B. and they had six children: Barbara married Russel Heinselman and had two children: Lauri and Craig; Evelyn married William Jack and had three sons: Andrew, Daniel and Brian; David married Jean Tedesco and they have two daughters, Kerry and Stephanie; Lois Married Karl Hartse; Helen married David C. Cooper; Marjorie graduated from U.M.V.T.I. and is employed at Ames Dept. Store in Houlton. She is engaged to marry Timothy Parks, a Draftsman in Bangor. Winston K, Dickinson, never marries, was a WWII victim and buried in Holland. Dana Dickinson married Rowena Taylor and they had six children: Sylvia married Wm. McCausland and have two children, Wendy and William; Linda married Robert Gagnon, now divorced, had two sons, Robert and Bruce; Karen married Dell Carmichael and had two children; Andrea and Dell Jr.; Ann married Mark Thibodeau and had one son, Mark Jr. and had a daughter Holly; Allison married Lana Edwards and had one son, Dana.
2. Phoebe Eva Grant married Manley A. Moran. They are the parents of four children: John Clifton,
Darrell, Virginia, Theodore (Teddy) and Nancy. John Clifton Moran married Marion Kimball and
have four children: one daughter, Jeanine, and three sons, roger, Russell and Jeffrey. They all Live
in Connecticut. Darrell Moran married Carolyn Clark and they have four sons: Andrew, Arthur,
Albert and Anthony. Darrell and his wife are Missionaries in South American.
Virginia Moran was injured in a fall from her crib and did not recover. She died at twenty-one years
of age.
Teddy Moran married Joyce Coseo and they have two children: Kimberly and Kenneth and live in
Bolton, CT where Teddy makes parts for U.S. Airplanes via Pratt & Whitney and employs other
machinists. Nancy graduated from New Brunswick Bible Institute and Manchester Community
College in CT. Nancy is not married and is employed at Signa Insurance and lives in Windsor, CT.
3. Cecil Eugene Grant, WW I victim of Spanish Influenza after one month of service at Camp Devons
in 1918. He was not married.
Edward Henderson married Isabelle Lloyd and they had nine children.
1. Edith Henderson married Frank Lowrey and had no children.
2. Elizabeth Henderson married Clarence Libby and had no children.
3. Isabelle Henderson married Elias Eagers and had three children: John, Viola and a baby born that
died in infancy.
4. Lucy Henderson died in her teen years.
5. Robert Henderson married Blanche Pray and had two sons: Edward and Robert, Jr. Edward
married Clair Tilley and had two daughters, Ann and Mary; Robert, Jr. married Linda Gallop and
had twins sons, Edward and Dallas. Edward married Helen McQuarrie and had two children, Wendy
and Bradfield. Edward became a minister and has a Church in Great Village, Nova Scotia. Dallas
Henderson married (1) Joan (unknown) and had two sons, Robert D. III and Corey. After the
divorce, Dallas married Christine Putnam and they had two sons, Samuel and Aaron. Dallas and his
father, Robert, Jr. are both residents of East Hodgdon.
6. Emery Henderson married Carrie Pelkey and they had a son, Donald.
7. Flossie Henderson married Robert Stephenson and they had one daughter, Madeline, who never married.
8. George Henderson lived and farmed with his brother, Robert, Sr. He never married.
9. Lewis Henderson did not remain in East Hodgdon after he grew up. Another Henderson family, a
brother to Edward Henderson, lived in East Hodgdon and I went to school with the children. I do not
know William Hendersons wifes name, but William and Rachel Henderson had a large family and
none remained in East Hodgdon but they are part of the past history. Mr. Hendersons nickname was
Rakeback because he was so thin. Edmund, Emery, Henry, Benny, Elden, Dorcas, Jennie
Henderson were some members of that Henderson family. Dorcas, and we called her Dossie, moved
to Foxcroft and married there. All the Hendersons on the Foxcroft road seemed to prosper.
Another Uncle, Asa Henderson, lived there on the Foxcroft Road in Littleton and was a wealthy man
and a single man. He took Bennie and Elden under his wing and they, too, became prosperous. They
never married.
Leonard Lincoln married Annie Retallic and they had a family of nine children.
1. Bess Lincoln married Fred Manser. They had three children: Eleanor, Iantha, and Lincoln.
2. Mable Lincoln married Robert Dickinson and had no children.
3. Allie Lincoln married a Miss Brennen and had one child, Boyd.
4. Elspie Lincoln married Leland Adams and had no children but they brought up, but did not adopt, Elwood Lloyd.
5. Mildred Lincoln married Amos Adams and had three children: Leonard, Dana and Anna.
6. J. Blaine Lincoln married (1) Venus Niles and had a daughter,
Marcia. Venus died and Blaine married (2) Elizabeth Herrick. They had three sons: Emery,
Leonard, John and a daughter, Brenda. Emery married Lois Henderson and they had four
children: Terry, who married Rachel Weston and had a daughter, Tracie: Randy married Sue
Tidd and have a daughter Robin Lee: Brent, not married, lives in Houlton: Sheryl lives at home
and is a student. They have lived in East Hodgdon and Emery died in 1982; Leonard Lincoln
married Alice Bull and they have two sons, Eric and James: John Lincoln married Nancy
Wright and they have three children: Debbie, Blaine and Craig. They have always lived in East
Hodgdon, too. Brenda Lincoln, not married and is away to school.
7. Harry Lincoln, once married and I do not know to whom, lived and worked on the farm until his death.
8. Earl Lincoln married Frances Wilkins and they had one daughter; Geraldine. Frances died and
Earl married (2) Katherine "Kaye" Harvey. No children from this marriage.
9. Garfield Lincoln, died when young.
Thomas Lloyd married Harriett Atherton and they had seven children:
1. Thomas Lloyd married Mary Martin. Some of the children were: Hazel, Anna and Blanche.
2. Clara Lloyd married Tyler Ervin and had two sons.
3. Anna Lloyd never married and died young with Tubercluosis.
4. James Lloyd married Ruby Martin and had four children. all born in East Hodgdon; Ruth. Evelyn, Lewis and Dolly.
5. Lessie Lloyd married Frank Turney from Canada. They had a family of four daughters: Elva, Helen, Phyllis and Beulah.
6. Grover Lloyd died young of a heart attack while going for his cows.
6. William Lloyd married Blanche Dickinson and had ten children: Forrest married Adelaide
7. Thompson and had a daughter. Cheryl; Katheryn married David Chase and had five children: Sharon, Marilyn, David Timothy and Philip; Genevieve married John Coyle and had three children: Judith. Richard and John; Samuel married Marilyn Fleming and had four children: Douglas, Martha, Mary and Vera; William married Ruth Haley and had three children: Wm. Jr., Mary and Michele. William married (2) Elizabeth Graham and they had three children: George, Forrest, and Thompson; Joseph married Lois Lowrey and had five children: Joseph, Julie, Kathleen, Barbara and John; Hudson Leigh married Pat Cunliffe and they had three children: Beth, Robert, and Leanne; Winona married Roland Clark and had four children: Karen, Troy, Ronna and William; Pauline married Ervin Carfer and they had five children: Edwin, Ernest, Betty, Ellen and Chester.
John London of Richmond. N.B. married Hannah A. Grant of Hodgdon in 1867. They had a family of eleven children: Mansfield, William Harvey, William E., John, Ella, Alice, Charles, Percy, Clarence, Fred and Herbert. Two sons remained in East Hodgdon. Clarence E. London, born 1882. married Myrtle McConnell, born 1892. They were parents of four children:
1. Paul London married Gertrude Quint and they had one son, Gary.
2. Arlene never married.
3. Mansfield married Irene Bubar and they had three daughters: Lesley, Susan, and Carlene; and one son, Kevin.
4. Joyce London married Raymond Duff, a Doctor specializing in Children's Diseases. Joyce and Raymond are parents of three daughters: Jane, Laurie, Carol and live in Conn.
The other son of John and Hannah London who remained in East Hodgdon was Fred G. London. Fred married Alice McNerlin and they had a family of one daughter, Geneva; three sons: Horace, Donald and Herbert.
1. Horace London married Marion Cronkite and they had three daughters and two sons: Marie,
who married Mervin Williams and they had two sons, Bryan and Christopher. Mervin died and Marie married (2) Kenneth Windfield. No children by this marriage.
Larry London married Myrna Hughes and they have a son, Stephen and twin daughters, Jill and Jodi.
Lynda married Royce Quint, a teacher, and they have three children: Clay, Amy and Aaron.
Richard London has not married and lives and works in Presque Isle.
Sharon, not married, lives at home and works in Houlton.
2. Donald London married Dorothy Rhoda and they had three children: Alice named for her
grandmother, married Oland (Butch) Duff and they have a son, Michael and a daughter Diana; Herman (Mike) married Norma Wright and they have two daughters, Sandra and Rachel; Janice married Ralph Wilcox and have two children, Nicole and Stephen.
3. Herbert London married (1) Virginia Rhoda and had three daughters: Gail, Sandra and Diane.
Herbert and Virginia divorced and Herbert married (2) Marion Bouchard, a mother of two children, Michael and Michele. Michele married Otis Smith, son of Weldon and Louise Rhoda, and have a daughter, Amanda. Herbert and Marion have a son, Fred.
4. Geneva London married Lawrence Russell and they had a daughter, Ann. Geneva died when the baby was two weeks old while Geneva was leaving the hospital.
After Alice's death, Fred London married (2) Lillian Nelson and they had a daughter, Marion, who married Merlin Bragdon. Lillian died and Fred married again to (3) Mary Conners. No children from this marriage.
About some of the other members of John and Hannah London's family: Wm. Everett married Mae Shannon and had two children: Gladys, who married Jack Sleeper and John, who married Helen (unknown to me). No family; Alice Maude married Lincoln Tompkins and had a family; Ella married a Cottle and had a family; Charles never married; Wm. Harvey died at age of three years; John Nelson; Percy London; Herbert R. married Irene McDougall and Mansfield married Ida A. Thomas in 1892.
Bernard (Barney) McAtee came to the U.S. in 1842 at the age of 25 years. He had been living on the Homestead property when he bought it in 1854 from John Hodgdon. He was married to (1) Mary M. (unknown) and they had a son, Michael. Then Barney McAtee married (2) Ellen McElhinney and they had a family of six sons and four daughters: Barney, Hughie, William, Charles, Edward, John, Kate who married a Chapman, Ellen who married a Haley, Annie who married a Hardigan and Mary who married Wm. Atherton. Barney bought the farm for $200.00. $100.00 down and $100.00 in a year. Charles McAtee and Mary (McAtee) Atherton were the only two of the Barney McAtee family that I mew. Charles married Margaret Roach and they had a family of two sons: Donald, who married Ruby Davis and had a daughter, Barbara Lee, who married Wm. Rutledge and had three daughters; and Ralph McAtee who married Josephine Schools and they had three sons: Joseph, Charles and Paul.
The Charles McAtee farm was farmed and lived on by both Ralph and Donald. But through some business deal, I know nothing about, it ended up owned by Ralph only. The buildings burned while a Gardiner family lived there. Ralph and Josephine McAtee had three sons: Joseph, who married a Miss Dunphy and they had a son Timothy, and a daughter Carla, later were divorced. An aunt, Miss Anna Schools, kept house for Joseph and helped raise the children. Ralph's second son, Charles, married Joan Larson and they had a son, Jeffrey. They live on the Cross Road to the Calais Road in Hodgdon.
I said all I knew of the Barney McAtee family was Charles and Mary, but Donald reminded me of two others William (Billy) and Edward. William (Billy) McAtee married Miss Anna Doucette and they had five children:
1. Nellie, who married Matthais Friel and had a son, Paul.
2. Frank, who married Clara McCluskey and had four daughters: Ruth, married John McGillicuddy (now deceased) and they had no family. Isabelle married Jerry Fitzpatrick and had a family of three daughters: Susan, Martha and Barbara and live in Presque Isle: Virginia married Floyed Smith and had five children: Sara Ruth, Deborah, Gregory, Christopher Paul and Michael; Reta (Babe) married Cedric Benn (now deceased) and had a family of five children: Lawrence, Dorothy, John, Timothy and Patricia.
Bernard (Barney) McAtee was naturalized in 1849. Records show a Michael McAtee, who owned property in Hodgdon, sold it and went to Washington State. It is believed that two boys went west but it hasn't been proven as yet.
Now. Edward McAtee and Jennie Reed were married and were the parents of three sons: Beecher, Ned and Alex: and two daughters: Doris and June. I do not know who they married because they moved from East Hodgdon where they lived at the American Union Comer.
George and Susan Neal lived on their farm on the Cross Road. They had four children:
1. Georgia Neal married Milton Bither.
2. Laura Neal married someone not known to me.
3. Donald Neal married a Hanson girl.
4. John Neal married but to someone not known to me.
Donald and John moved to Augusta and run a dairy. The Neal farm was sold to Ernest Turney.
Mr. and Mrs. Hanford Sloat of Birch Comer, N.B. and their two sons, Ralph and Orman, moved from the Irish Settlement to Littleton, Maine and then to East Hodgdon to the Alexander Farm.
1. Ralph Sloat married Ethel Turney and they had three children: Lena, who married George Quinion and had a son, Bret and two daughters, Lisa and Jodi; Douglas married Marion Estabrook and they had three sons and two daughters: Arthur married Marion Montgomery and had two children, Kristin and Bradley; Richard married Leslie Grady and had two children: Michele and Laura, then were divorced and Richard married Jean Tibbets and they had a daughter Ericka; Andrew, third son of Douglass and Marion Sloat, recently married Patricia Blanchette; Carol Sloat married David Smith and they have a son, David, Jr. and a daughter, Shannon; Cathy Sloat, not married. Barbara Sloat married David Rowe and they had three children: David, Jeffrey and Kimberly.
2. Orman Sloat married Florence (not known to me) and they had two daughters: Dorothy (Dolly) and
Marion. Orman died and Florence married Stanley London. They had a son, Robert. Robert married
Pearl Grass and they have a son, Dennis.
Ralph Sloat is now deceased and Ethel lives in Houlton. Douglas owns and operates the farm in East Hodgdon.
Miles Albert (Bert) Taylor, son of George and Ellinor Taylor, married Clara Manuel and they had a family of two children:
1. Bessie Taylor married John Brown and they had three children: Elden, Edith and Wendell. Wendell
married Jackie White and they had three children; Melanie, Roger and Pamela.
2. Fred Taylor, (I do not know about him).
Bert Taylor remarried to Sadie Robinson and they had a son, Wilfred. They lived on the Cross Road to the Calais Road on their farm that was sold to Paul Jackins, who sold it to Seth Humphrey and they sold to Dale Clark, who now lives there.
Ernest Turney married Lena Gartley and they had a family of six children:
1. John Turney married Ethlyn Thurston and they had four children: Osmond, who married Trudy
Malone; Arlene married twice; Elaine, not married and Judith, not married.
2. Ethel Turney married Ralph Sloat and they had three children: Lena, Barbara and Douglas. See the
Hanford Sloat Family, No. 1
3. Bessie Turney married Harold Smith and had a family of two sons and three daughters: Linwood
married Doris Carson and had four children: Wayne, Connie, Evan and Lynette; Robert married
Margaret Duff and had four children: Wanda married Rephel Bennett, Gregory married Lauri Peters,
Cheryl and Herbert not married; Marilyn married Virgil Farrar and have two children: Vaughn, not
married, and Nancy, who married Mark Scott; Sylvia married David Quint and they had three
children, Cynthia, Matthew and Jodi. Kathy, not married.
4. Inez Turney married Irvin Rhoda and had three children: James married Rebecca Rogerson and had
three daughters; John married Sandra Rich and had three sons, Daniel, Doug and Dale; Ruth married
Brian Clark and have a daughter, Joy.
5. Thelma Turney married Fred McPherson and had a family of four children: Joyce married Stephen
Hamilton and have two children: Stephen and Joy Lynn; Andrew married Jean Pryor and had two
sons; Ann and Jane are not married.
6. Margaret Turney married John Conway and had three children: William, Jr. married and divorced;
Mark married; Jacqueline married Price Haymaker.
Guy Turney married Effie Bell. They had seven children:
1. Harrison, married (1) Miss Davis and had three children: Dwight, Connie and David. They divorced
and Harrison married (2) unknown to me and no children by this marriage. Now Harrison has married a third time and also to someone I do not know.
2. Dorothy Turney married Richard Ayer and had no children.
3. Arnold Turney married Ola Rockwell and had six children: Joyce, Ann. Judy, Mary, Louise and
Perry.
4. Doris Turney married Chauncey Robbins and had one daughter, Jane, who works in Asian
Development Banks in Philipines.
5. Ruth Turney married Henry Found and had five children: Rebecca, Susan, Mary, David and Henry
Jr.
6. Jean Turney married George Drake and had two sons: Woody, named for his father, Woodrow
George; and Guy. George died and Joan married Ebon Currie.
7. June Turney married Gerald Perkins. They had a baby daughter, Greta, who died when only a few
months old.
The Turney White record, as I know it. Mr.J White married three times as I remember it. His first or second wife was a sister to Perry Brown, and they had a son, Fred, and a daughter, Mina, who married Leonard Harrington. Mr. White's third wife was Hannah Harrington and they had ten children:
1. Mable White married George Emerson.
2. Lester White never married.
3. Martha White, R.N., married twice. One marriage was to a Bither who was killed in an accident.
4. Stella White, R.N., died of Spanish Influenza in the Army in 1918.
5. Ralph White
6. Cora White married Herman Stillman and had two sons: John and Donald, and one daughter,
Hannah, who died at one year old.
7. Bertie White married Harry McGuire and had a family.
8. Thomas White married Hilda Briggs and had a family.
9. Miles White married Bessie Nightingale and had a family of six children: Elaine, who married Gerald Duff and they had three daughters; Dianne, Susanne and Leanne; Wilbur, who married Kitty (unknown to me) and they had two daughters; Raymond (Micky) married Joyce Williams and had a family; Gwendolyn married John Wiggins; Grover married someone not known to me; Dennis married Sally Wakefield and had two sons and they live in South Portland.
10. Amos White, a Veteran of WW I, moved away from this area and I'm not familiar with the family.
Not all residents of East Hodgdon were born here. Some came afterward. In 1918 my parents, Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant, lost their only son, Cecil Eugene Grant. He was a victim of Spanish Influenza at Camp Devons. Seventy-nine people fell victims of that dread disease the night he died. Thousands of other young men and women lost their lives, too, but the tragic part of it was for his family, we saw him off at the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Station on August 28 and on September 28 we buried him. It was my parent's only son and they felt the gap of having no young man around the farm. So my Aunt, Mrs. Nettie Burden, was working in Augusta, Maine, to place boys, before their teen years, in homes. Not as A.D.C., but to become a member of a family. The first boy they took was eleven year old, Henry O. Higgins. Henry was born in Eden, Maine, and mother had died and his father was in poor health. Henry fitted right in. He did chores around, went to Sunday School and Church, and to day school. He lived with my parents until his marriage to an East Hodgdon girl, Emma Duff. They had a family of six girls and one boy.
After he left to go on his own, another youngster arrived at the Grant home. Irvin Hammond. He was a protegee of Mr. Haws, who was himself a bachelor. He loved young people, so Irvin arrived and did chores and the things Henry had done before him. Irvin was a small boy and was a small man, not able to do the farm work that boys larger could do with ease. So at eighteen, my mother took him down to Mr. Haws, who took him in, fed and housed him until he got adjusted to city life and finding work starting with painting and etc. He eventually was in U.S. Service at Washington State as Civil Air Patrol and Mechanic. Coming home, he trained and got his license as Certified Plumber, a Certified Electrican and worked 35 years nights as fireman at an Augusta Fire Station. Irvin married Reta Mitton and they had one son, Dana, and three daughters, Donna, Barbara and Debbie.
Next boy to enter the family home was Austin Huntley, a big husky boy. He served later on in U.S. Army overseas in Philipines. He was the first man to be drafted from East Hodgdon, I have been told on good authority. He was an intrepid soldier, adventurous, daring and skilled at bayonnet type combat. He was married to Miss Hazel Decro, a teacher from Brooksville, Maine, and they settled there. They had no children.
LARGER POPULATION FOR EAST HODGDON
John London and Hannah Grant:
Mansfield Charles C.
William E. Percy L.
William H. Clarence E.
John Fred G.
Ella Mae Herbert L.
Alice Maud
Fred A. Barton and Amanda Atherton:
George Sadie
Harold Miles
Claude Ralph
Fred Ruth
Ruby Roy
Benjamin Carl
Llewellyn Cora
Tumey White and 2nd wife (unknown to me):
Fred Mina
Tumey White and Hannah Harrington:
Lester Amos
Mable Bertie
Martha Cora
Stella Thomas
Ralph Miles
Thomas Callnan and Mary McCarthy:
William Elizabeth
James Catherine
Minnie Albert
Leo Lewis
Gertrude Thomas
Benjamin Duff and Jemima Miller:
Ethel Kenneth
Maurice Blanche
Donald Emma
Thomas Lloyd and Harriet Drew:
Thomas William
James Lessie
Clara Grover
Anna
Edward Henderson and Isabelle Lloyd:
Edith Lucy
Floss Elizabeth
Isabelle Robert
George Emery
Lewis
Herbert Crane and Sarah Brown:
William Jasper
Clara Clarissa
Elsie Flossie
Weldon Gildard and Mary Eagers:
Ruby Dora
Leland Elwood
Vernald Vina
Leonard Lincoln and Annie Retallic:
Bessie Harry
Mable Allie
Elspie Mildred
J. Blaine Garfield
Earl
Alvin Benson and Janey Duff:
George Laura
Blanche Claude
Verna Clayton
Morris
Barney McAtee and Ellen McElhinney:
Barney John
Hughie Kate
William Ellen
Charles Annie
Edward Mary
Inside forty years:
Robert Henderson, Jr. and Helen Gallop
Children: Twin sons, Dallas and Edward
Louise Duff and Paul Weston ~
Children: Daniel, Ellen, Philip and Peter (twins), James, Ann, Rachel, Thomas .
Emery Lincoln and Lois Henderson
Children: Terry, Randy, Brent and Sheryl
Grace Barton and James Ellison
Children: Edith and J. Barton
Douglas Sloat and Marion Estabrook
Children: Arthur, Richard, Carol, Cathy and Andrew
Gloria Crane and John Bishop
Children: Amy, Evin and Brian
John Lincoln and Nancy Wright
Children: Debbi, Blaine and Craig
Larry London and Myrna Hughes
Children: Stephen, and twin girls, Jill and Jody
Robert Smith and Margaret Duff
Children: Wanda, Gregory, Sheryl and Herbert
Sylvia Smith and David Quint
Children: Cindy, Matthew and Jodi
Marilyn Smith and Virgil Farrar
Children: Nancy and Vaughn
LeRoy Crane and Irma Hare
Children: Clara Alice, Mark and Kevin
David Barton and Lydia Loveland
Children: Joanne, Ray, Donna and Benjamin
Robert Duff and Gail Foster
Children: Roberta, Bruce, Lisa and Clifford
Audrey Duff and Ted Cravan
Children: Teddy
2nd marriage to Donald Anderson, no children
Muriel Dickinson and Warden Boone
Children: Barbara, Evelyn, David, Lois, Helen and Majorie
Alice London and Oland.Duff
Children: Diana an4 Michael
Gerald Duff and Elaine White
Children: Diane, Susanne and Leanne
Linwood Smith and Doris Carson
Children: Wayne, Connie, Lynette and Evan
Dale Clark and Myrna Hauser
Children: Rebecca
Richard Aucoin and Marjorie Graham
Children: Gretchen and Robert
Irvin Hammond and Reta Mitton
Children: Dana, Barbara, Donna and Deborah
Austin Huntley and Hazel Decro
No Children
Robert London and Pearl Grass
Children: Dennis
Evelyn Duff and Paul Hovey
Children: Bonnie
2nd marriage: Raymond Robinson
Children: Judy and Raymond
Arnold Duff and Viola Cassidy
Children: Lucy, Suzie, Mary, Molly, Polly, Julia, Michael and Joseph
Donna Duff and Robert Higgins
Children: Sally
2nd marriage to Vonal Tracy, no children
Dana Dickinson and Rowena Taylor
Children: Sylvia, Linda, Allison; Karen, Ann and Carol
Kenneth Neal and Bunny Toner
Children: Roderick, Richard, Randall and Russell
Ruth Neal and John Cummings
Children: Robert, Leonard and James
Herman London and Norma Wright
Children: Sandra and Rachel
Melvin Duff and Cheryl Fast
Children: Robyn and Joel
Patricia Sjoberg and Kenneth Foster
Children: Marvin. Wendy and Nathan
Janice London and Ralph Wilcox
Children: Nichole and Stephen
More recent marriages:
Otis Smith and Michele Bouchard
Children: Amanda
Joanne Smith and Hank Spegner
Children: Jeffrey and Mellissa
Carolyn Smith and Rick Stamper
Children: Jennifer and Stephanie
Rachel Weston and Terry Lincoln
Children: Tracie
Mary Duff and Ronald Murray
Children: Darren and Heidie
Jerry Duff and Rev. George Stouffer
Children: Sean, Craig, Nathan and Alan
Barbara Boone and Russell Heinselman
Children: Craig and Lauri
Evelyn Boone and William Jack
Children: Andrew, Danny and Brian
Lois Boone and Karl Kartse
No Children
Helen Boone and David Cooper
No Children
Ellen Weston and Reggie Williams
Children: Sarah and Katie
Dennis London and Vickie Suitter
Children: Daniel and Matthew
Arthur Sloat and Marion Montgomery
Children: Kristin and Bradley
Richard Sloat and Leslie Grady
Children: Michele and Laura .
2nd marriage: Jean Tibbetts, one daughter, Ericks
Carol Sloat and David Smith
Children: David A. Jr. and Shannon
Andrew Sloat and Patricia Blanchette
Theodore (Teddy) Bell and Sherry Nason
Children: Thomas and Staci
Randy Lincoln and Sue Tidd
Children: Robin Lee
Roberta Duff and Timothy Boutilier
Wayne Pierce and Jacqueline Crone
Children: daughter, Christina
Christine Pierce and Brian Nightingale
Children: Stephen, David and Andrew
David Boone and Jean Tedesco
Children: Kerry and Stephanie
Linda London and Royce Quint
Children: Clay, Amy and Aaron
Dallas Henderson and (1) Joan Pettit
Children: Robert D. and Corey
Dallas Henderson and (2) Christine Putnam
Children: Sammy and Aaron
NURSES:
Martha White, married a Bither
Stella White, never married
Dorothy Turney, married a Ayer
June Turney, married Gerald Perkins
Velma Crane, married William Lyon
Gloria Crane, married John Bishop
Lena Sloat, married George Quinion
Audrey Duff, married Donald Anderson
Barbara Bickford, married Kenneth Knowles
Donaline Bickford, married James Blackie
Inez Turney, married Irvin Rhoda
Louise Duff, married Paul Weston
Margaret Duff, married Robert Smith
Louise Griffin, married David Smith
Geneva London, married Lawrence Russell
L.P.N.:
Sylvia Smith, married David Quint
NURSES WHO MARRIED EAST HODGDON MEN:
Hope Melvin, married Charles Turbill
Mary Conners, married Fred London
DOCI'OR:
Raymond A. Duff, married Joyce London
MINISTERS:
Rev. Fred W. Barton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton
Rev. Harold Barton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton
Rev. Lewis Barton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Barton
Rev. Harold Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff
Rev. Guy Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff
Rev. George Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff
Rev. Edward Henderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henderson, Jr.
Rev. Darrell C. Moran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Manley Moran
TEACHERS:
Edith Henderson Lowery, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Henderson
Almeda Weston Atchenson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Weston
Nathan Weston, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Weston
Florence I. Grant Dickinson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Grant
Cora Barton Nicholson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton
Joyce London Duff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence London
Ethel Turney Sloat, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney
Bessie Turney Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney
Thelma Turney MacPherson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney
Flora Smith Duff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Smith
Evelyn Smith Duff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Smith
Sharon Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Smith
Mansfield London, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence London
Ethel Duff Barton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Duff
Ruby Smith Sjoberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Smith
April Duff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Duff
Eva Grant Moran, daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant
Leon Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff
Harold Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff, organized a Christian School in Glen Cove, ME
Muriel Dickinson Boone, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Dickinson
MISSIONARIES:
Rev. Guy Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. Duff, with his wife
Lois Mae and their three sons, were Missionaries in Philipines.
Rev. Darrell C. Moran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Manley Moran, with his wife Carolyn and four sons, served
in Rio Negro, Argentina.
Rev. Ronald Holmes, he himself not a native of East Hodgdon but his wife Margaret Scott, who attended
East Hodgdon Union Church, and their four children did Missionary work in Buenos Aires, South
America.
Rev. Richard Benoit, of New York, married an East Hodgdon girl, Norma Duff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Maurice C. Duff, did their Missionary work in Ecuador, South America.
Wayne Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Linwood Smith, serving at New Tribes Mission.
Gregory Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith, also at New Tribes Mission as student training for
Missionary work.
Connie Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Linwood Smith. is studying languages in Panama, Central
America.
BUSINESSMEN AND WOMEN:
Dallas Henderson, Insurance and Car Dealer
Mansfield London, Real Estate
Gerald Duff, Insurance
Weldon Smith, Potato Broker
Glenn and Melvin Duff, plowing roads
Louise Rhoda Smith, Beautician, graduate of Golden Beauty School in Portland
Weldon Smith just recently had his "Smittle's Best Original American Dressing" qualified for Marketing
at Washington, D.C. His Trade Name is "Smittie's Best Dressing" and is on the market and in
various restaurants in this area.
Richard Riley, Cattle Dealer
Terry Lincoln, Plumbing and Heating
Hemingway's Plumbing and Heating
EAST HODGDON PEOPLE WHO GOT THEIR ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION HERE BUT SOME WENT ELSEWHERE TO LIVE
We have had one doctor, Raymond A. Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff. Ten nurses: Martha and Stella White, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White; Louise Duff Weston and Margaret Duff Smith, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff; Audrey Duff Anderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Duff; Louise Griffin Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Griffin; Inez Turney Rhoda, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney. All these nurses graduated from Eastern Maine General Hospital in Bangor, Maine, as Registered Nurses. Gloria Crane Bishop, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Crane, graduated from Baltimore Hospital and Velma Crane Lyon, also daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Crane, graduated from Aroostook General Hospital in Houlton. Lena Sloat Quinion, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sloat, graduated R.N. from Bridgeport University, Bridgeport, CT.
Other R.N.'s who married local residents were: Hope Melvin Turbill, graduate of Aroostook General Hospital; Mary Conners London, served in World War II and Marjorie Polleys Crane, graduated from Waltham Hospital.
Bessie Turney married Harold Smith and they had five children. Linwood, graduated from New Brunswick Bible Institute and his wife, Doris Carson, also graduated from N.B.B.I. Marilyn Smith married Virgil Farrar and Marilyn worked as a telephone operator at Houlton Regional Hospital. Marilyn and Virgil have a son, Vaughn and a daughter, Nancy. Robert Smith graduated from Southern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute, was employed by Northern Electric Co., Ohio and New Jersey. Robert married Margaret Duff and they had four children: Wanda, Gregory, Cheryl and Herbert. Sylvia Smith, graduated from Hodgdon High School, Northern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute as a Practical Nurse. She married David Quint and they have three children: Cindy, Matthew and Jodi. Kathy Smith attended Bob Jones University and is employed at a Credit Corp. in Houlton, Maine.
Robert Henderson, Jr. married Helen Gallop and had twin sons, Edward and Dallas. Both sons graduated from Ricker Classical Institute and Dallas attended Bob Jones University. Dallas went into Real Estate and Insurance and Edward became an ordained minister and is pastor in Great Village, Nova Scotia.
Glenn Duff married Flora Smith. Glenn is a farmer and Flora graduated from Bob Jones University. They had a family of six children: Jerry, Mary, Medley, Bryant, Melvin and April. Mary and Jerry graduated from Bob Jones University; April from Cedarville College in Ohio; Melvin attended Glenn Gove Academy and became a farmer and dairyman.
Weldon Smith married Louise Rhoda. Weldon is a farmer and potato broker and he and his wife had a son, Otis who graduated from Bob Jones University and Northeastern University, N.Y. and is President of Tater Power Corporation that handles the stock name Garden Best potatoes; and three daughters: Joanne and Sharon are Bob Jones graduates and Caroline became a Dental Technician.
LeRoy Crane married Irma Hare and they had a family of one daughter, Clara Alice, and two sons, Mark and Kevin. Clara Alice graduated from Hodgdon High School and from University of Maine in Animal Husbandry and married Timothy Beaulieu. Kevin Crane had two years at U. of Me. in Presque Isle, studying to be a veterinarian and now is attending U. of Me. in Orono majoring in Civil Engineering. Mark Crane took one year at U of Me. in Orono and now farms and is in dairy business with his father.
Ella Mae Thwaites, born here, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Thwaites and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Henderson, early settlers of East Hodgdon. Ella Mae attended Ricker College and Bob Jones University, then graduated from Husson College in Bangor and is now a Business teacher at Hodgdon High School. She married Fred Pierce and they had two children, Christine and Wayne, both born in East Hodgdon. After separation, Ella Mae remarried to Kenneth Bell and they had two sons, James and Theodore. James graduated from Hodgdon High School, and Mass. Institute of Technology, majoring in Engineering, is now employed with John Hancock in Energy Management as Building Manager. Theodore "Teddy" Bell graduated from Hodgdon High School and served in U.S. Air Force three years, attended Northern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute two years. After the death of Mr. Bell, Ella Mae married Clifford McQuarrie.
Maurice Duff married Ruth Barton and they had a family of ten children: Louise, Harold, Raymond, Glenn, Norma, Margaret, Guy, George, Leon and Oland. Six of the children graduated from Hodgdon High School, four graduated from Ricker Classical Institute. Harold, Guy, George and Leon graduated from Bob Jones University also. Norma Duff graduated from a two year course at Ricker College, married Richard Benoit. Norma and Richard became Missionaries at South America for several years. Leon Duff became a High School teacher at North Haven, CT and is now Supt. of Schools in Waterbury and Bethlehem, CT. Harold Duff, George Duff and Guy Duff are ordained ministers. Guy Duff and family were missionaries in the Philippines. Glenn Duff is a farmer and a dairyman here in East Hodgdon. Glenn's wife, Flora, is a school teacher. Louise Duff served overseas in World War as a Nurse, later married Paul Weston of this town. Oland Duff had two years at Southern Maine Vocational Institute, Portland, and is now employed by Western Electric. Raymond Duff attended University of Maine and
went on to study for a doctor and is now Professor of Pedriatrics and writes medical articles for papers and travels extensively lecturing. He practices at New Haven, CT. Margaret Duff graduated from Eastern Maine Medical as a nurse and married Robert Smith.
George Griffin married Agnes Bolger, came to United States from Canada, and bought the Margaret Finnegan farm. They are parents of a son, Daniel, and a daughter Louise. Daniel married Bunny Mason, who graduated from Eastern Maine General as an R.N. and they had a family of six children: Dennis, James, Catherine, Jeffrey, Stephen and Douglas. Dennis graduated from U. of Me., Orono, with a Degree in Agriculture. James graduated from U. of Me. Orono with a B.S. in Agriculture and Resource and is Service Manager at Peabody's Farm Machinery. Catherine graduated from U. of Me. Orono with a B.S. and is employed at Western Electric, Mass. Jeffrey graduated from U. of Me. Orono with a B.S. in Electric Energy and is also employed at Western Electric. Stephen graduated from Eastern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute in Automotive Engineering. Douglas is still in Hodgdon High School.
At one time there was a large Business College in Houlton, known as Houlton Business College. Some of the young people from East Hodgdon who attended were: Clara and Claressa Crane, J. Blaine Lincoln, Edna Brown, Maurice Duff, Fred Barton, Benjamin Barton. Ruth Barton, Ralph Barton, Llewellyn Barton, Miles Barton, Roy Barton, Carl Barton, Jasper Crane, all graduated.
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Weston family: William Weston graduated from Ricker Classical Institute, married Dorothy Victory and had two sons. Dorothy Weston, graduated from Ricker Classical Institute, never married, worked at Wellesley College until retirement. Shirley Weston married June Graham. He is a farmer and railroad man. Paul Weston graduated from Ricker Classical Institute, married Louise Duff and has been a farmer. too.
I think I (Florence Grant) was the first person from East Hodgdon to graduate from Ricker Classical Institute, graduating in 1912. Hodgdon had no High School and those of us who wanted to go to High School or Ricker had our tuition paid by the town of Hodgdon. Our Ricker graduations were held at the Court Street Baptist Church. My class had twenty-five graduates. Others from East Hodgdon who graduated from Ricker Classical Institute were: Cora Barton, Joyce, Arlene and Mansfield London, Ethel Turney) Sloat, Bessie Turney) Smith and Eva (Grant) Moran. Also, Weldon Smith, Flora (Smith) Duff, Evelyn (Smith) Duff, Floyd Smith, Ruby (Smith) Sjoberg, Dallas and Edward Henderson, Leon Duff, Margaret (Duff) Smith, Oland Duff, George Duff and Guy Duff.
Other Ricker graduates were: Dorothy Weston, Douglas Sloat, Lena Sloat, Barbara Sloat, Doris Turbill and Ann Turbill.
Later, those who went on to Bob Jones University were: Harold, Guy, George, Margaret and Leon Duff, Ruby (Smith) Sjoberg, Evelyn (Smith) Duff, Flora (Smith) Duff. Also, Dallas Henderson, Otis Smith, Joanne Smith, Sharon Smith, Mary Duff and Jerry Duff.
Leslie Dickinson married Florence Inez Grant on October 7, 1915. They had three children: Winston, Muriel and Dana. Winston James Dickinson was born August 1, 1916, went to Union Corner School, graduated from Woodstock High School June 1937. He went to Teacher's College in Fredericton, N.S., taught school three years and then enlisted in Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. While serving in England, his plane was shot down during the Umbrella Raids over Germany. By Umbrella Raids, I mean from England 100 planes at a time would fly over German cities and drop bombs, when that 100 got back to England (what did get back), another 100 planes would be sent over. Winston bombed, Essen, Colone and Bremen, Germany. His bomb drop was 99% perfect. On his way home from Bremen, anti-aircraft in Holland hit his plane and all eight crewmen were lost. The Dutch Red Cross recovered the bodies and the Germans let the Dutch people have their bodies and craftsman in Steinwick, Westerling, Holland, made a casket for each man and they had a church service and flowers. A common grave was made and the caskets were laid side by side, and buried with dignity. Each grave has a family who looks after it and they are decorated every Dutch Holiday. A part of the downed plane has been made a monument setting on top of a large granite or marble base. Each stone exactly alike, has the names of family mention. Winston graduated from Teacher's College, First Class Superior.
Muriel Cecile Dickinson, only daughter, went to school at Union Corner, then to Woodstock High School and on to Teacher's College in Fredericton. N.B., known at that time as Normal School. She graduated First Class, taught school and later married W. Warden Boone and they had a family of six children: Barbara, Evelyn, David, Lois, Helen, and Marjorie. Barbara, graduated from Hodgdon High School, served seven years in U.S. Army which two were in Japan. She married Russell Heinselman and had two children, Laurie and Craig. Evelyn graduated from Hodgdon High School and New Brunswick Bible Institute, and went to Chicago to work for TEAM Mission where she met her husband, William Jack and they have three sons, Andrew, Daniel and Brian. David Boone was also a Hodgdon High School graduate, served three years in U.S. Army, attended Jefferson Community College and is Asst. Manager at Farm Credit Service in Watertown, N.Y. David married Jean Tedesco and they have two girls: Kerry Jo and Stephanie. Kerry Jo is a wizard in mathematics. Lois Elaine Boone, third daughter of Warden and Muriel Boone, graduated from Hodgdon High School, joined the U.S. Air Force, served five and one-half years of which three and one half years were in Zwerbrecken Germany. She married Karl Hartse, also an Air Force man who served in Germany with her. On June 13, 1981 she graduated from Montana State College, a Major in Business Administration. Helen Boone graduated from Hodgdon High School and was very active in basketball there. She went on to College of DuPage in lllinois where she met and married David Cooper, who is graduate of Diesel Automotive School in Denver, Colorado as a Master Diesel engine mechanic and is presently at Schroon Lake at "Word of Life". Marjorie Boone is also a Hodgdon High School graduate and is a graduate of Northern Maine Vocational and Technical Institute.
Dana Allison Dickinson, youngest son of Leslie and Florence Dickinson, attended Hogdon High School, married Rowena Taylor and they were the parents of six children: Sylvia, Linda, Allison, Karen, Ann and Carol. Dana farmed with his father and later went into the woods work.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN EAST HODGDON DURING MY GENERATION
John W. C. Grant - Phebe T. Smith
Havelock Grant - Carrie Wright
Percy Parks - Julia Crossin
Thomas Henderson - Ella McGachey
Bertram (Berchie) White - Sadie White
Willard Weston - Suzie Victory (Willard married three times)
Bird Sisters, maiden ladies - Susan and Selina
John Thomas, the man that worked the Bird Sister's farm on Cross Road
Perry Brown - Emma White Jock Ertha - Frances Taylor
Turney White - Hannah Harrington
Leonard Harrington - Mina White
William Henderson
Edward Henderson - Isabelle Lloyd
James Victory - Mary Ellen ____
William Moore - Florence Logan
George Neal - Helen Hanson
William Atherton - Maria O. ____
William Berry - Maggie Victory
McAttee - Four or five brothers lived at Homestead
Mrs. Margaret Atherton, widow
Leonard Lincoln - Annie Retallic
George Finnegan - Margaret (Maggie) ____
James Buckley
Herbert Crane - Sarah Brown
Aaron Nevers - Anna McFarlene
Charles Green - Nellie Crane
Fred (Babe) Furse - Helen McNerlin
Bert Taylor - Clara Manuel
Sam Curran - Annie Kirkpatrick
Jim Lougee
Lloyd Sisters and one brother:
Thomas Lloyd - Harriet Atherton
Kate Lloyd - Milton Green
Isabelle Lloyd - Edward Henderson
Susie Lloyd - Columbus Grant
Mary Ann Lloyd - Winslow Grant
Alexanders
Benjamin Duff - Jemima Miller
Fred Barton - Amanda Atherton
John London - Hannah A. Grant
Ellsworth Family
A THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO
HELPED MAKE OUR COUNTRY SAFE
It has been on my mind for some time to tbank the young men and women from the community of East Hodgdon for their part in the war effort. World War I and World War 1I, Korean War and Vietnam Conflict.
East Hodgdon is just a wide place in the road next to the Canadian Boundary Line with three miles of cross roads with no stores or shops and with a population of one hundred. more or less. Yet we have made. what seems to me, a wonderful contribution to the war effort, no matter where. They served in Germany, France, Korea, Italy, Japan, England and so on. Most of the Veterans came home, luckily.
There were eleven from East Hodgdon in World War I and thirty-four in World War II, one in the Korean War, three in the Vietnam Conflict and four Enlistees who served in Peacetime Service. More than there are stars in our flag. Fifty-four in all who helped make our Country safe.
I'm enclosing a list of the names of the Veterans from East Hodgdon and I'm proud of everyone of them.
Cecil E. Grant, son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant, died at Camp Devons of Spanish Influenza.
Maurice C. Duff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Duff, sent home from Camp Devons due to flu.
Claude Barton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton, saw service overseas, was wounded in leg.
Benjamin Barton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton, returned home, died as Missionary to Bolivia.
Charles R. Barton, lived with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Green, wounded but recovered.
Stella V. White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White died caring for influenza patients.
Ralph White, son of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White, fatally wounded while in battle, died instantly.
Amos White, son of Mr. and Mrs. Turney White, served overseas but returned home safely.
Stanley London. son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin London, returned home unhurt.
George Curran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Curran, served overseas, returned home disabled.
Albert Slater, husband of Hazel Slater (daughter of Thomas Lloyd. Jr.)
Winston J. Dickinson, RCAF, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Dickinson, shot down in Netherlands 1942.
Harold Duff, Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff
Louise Duff Weston, Army Nurse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff
Raymond Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff
Guy Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Duff
Floyd Smith, Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Smith
Ruby Smith Sjoberg, Navy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miles Smith
Arnold Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Duff
Willis Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Duff
Leonard Lincoln. Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Blaine Lincoln
Robert Henderson, Jr., Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henderson Sr.
Edward Henderson, Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henderson, Sr.
Richard McQuarrie, Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert McQuarrie
Edward McQuarrie, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert McQuarrie
Keith Barton, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Barton
David Barton, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Barton
Eugene Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Duff
Robert Duff, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Duff
Llewellyn Barton, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Barton
Carroll Graham, Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Graham
Velma Crane, Army Nurse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Crane
George Benson, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Benson
Clayton Benson, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Benson
Morris Benson, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Benson
Elden Brown, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Brown
Charles Barton, Jr., Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barton, Sr.
Gordon Barton, Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barton, Sr.
Donald Barton, Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barton, Sr.
Austin Huntley, Army, Ward of Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant
Irvin Hammond, CAP, Ward of Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant
Linwood Smith, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Smith
James Rush, Jr., Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Rush, Sr.
Margeret Tumey, Army,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Turney
Wendell Brown, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Brown
Henry Liston. Marines. Ward of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Dickison and son of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Liston,
Canada. Henry was American born, enlisted in the Marines, served in Korea two years during that
conflict. Henry came home unhurt but died in a fire at his home Nov. 1981. Henry was well known here where he worked for us and other farmers on the farm as a carpenter.
Wilbur White. Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. Miles White, served 20 years and retired.
Raymond (Micky) White, Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. Miles White, served 20 years and left the
service.
Charles McAttee. Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph McAttee, served in Korea
Barbara M. Boone, Army, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone,
served seven years in Army of which two years was in Japan.
David W. Boone, Army, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone,
served three years part of which was repairing rifles of National Guard at Camp Drum.
Lois E. Boone, Air Force, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warden Boone,
served five and one half years in Air Force as supply personnel, three and one hall in Zwerbrecken, Germany.
Randy C. Lincoln, Air Force., son of Mr. and Mrs. Emery Lincoln,
still in service at Mt. Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Theodore Bell, Air Force, son of Kenneth Bell and Mrs. Ella Mae McQuarrie,
serving at Loring Air Force Base at Limestone, Maine.
I, Florence Grant Dickinson, am 91 years old and these are some of the stores in my girlhood, in the Houlton Business Center.
Starting from where Elks Building is the Frank Sincock Block. Mr. Sincock was a painter and paper hanger. He sold wall paper and his wife operated a Millinery Shop in the first store, called by tradename, Sincock's, and run by Gillin sisters.
The next store was a grocery store operated by a Mr. and Mrs. Dyer, where my folks took in eggs for 15 cents a dozen and bought molasses for 20 cents a gallon and kerosene for 9 cents per gallon.
I'm quite sure the next store was a millinery store operated by a Mrs. Newell. Annie also sold wedding gowns, -a tiny woman.
Then Almon H. Fogg Co. The man I remember who ran that store was the late Clarence Pierce, who bought grass seed in bulk carload lots. There is a story that goes with that, -Mr. Pierce always wore a Panama hat summer and winter. Great old fellow.
There was a grocery store across from Fogg's. Hallett & McKeen ran it tater on.
The Farmers Bank was here where J. R. Harvey Ins. is now. There was something else there and I forgot.
What is now S. L. White Drug Store was formerly Hathaways Drug Store.
There was a "dry goods" store operated by Berry and Taylor, later Berry and Gellison. Mr. Berry lived on Charles Street. We bought calico for 12 cents a yard. Mr. Gellison has a daughter now living in the Maher Apts. in Houlton.
Vic Halloway had a meat market where Sherman Williams is now. But I can't remember who had it before him. Mr. Halloway furnished and barbecued the beef on November 11, 1918 in the Market Square Armistice Day.
Then came John Watson Hardware store. On the corner where Big L is now, a pair of Jewish men called Fox Bros. operated a Men's Store. They would sell a hat to my father for $2.50 and the same hat to Governor Powers for $15.00.
Around the turn on Water Street was another Drug Store called "Cochran's." The man who I knew ran it was the late Mr. Ormsby, a lame man.
Then came McPartland's Plumbing and I guess perhaps the First National Bank was always there. A small 5 &: 10 cent store was along there somewhere in Manser Building. Then there was a little old lady, Mrs. Cook, who ran a Book Store and sold wallpaper, next to the Snell house and then a barber shop next to that. A Livery Stable was out back of the Snell House.
Bryson's Photographer, a picture taking man. He was good, too. I have a picture of my Dad, Mother and I taken when I was two years old and it's sepia and perfect yet. Picture, not us.
Farther on was a Barber Shop owned and operated by "Ike" Thomas. Mr. Thomas sold mileage for B &: A and the C. P. R. I've used them 62 years ago myself.
Then Pond's Harness and Repair Shop, and in back of that was another Livery Stable known as Emerson's and a boarding house and bowling alley there somewhere.
Down under the hill next to the Meduxnekeag, was a grist mill. To my recollection, Merritt's Mill ground wheat and buckwheat. Then later bought and run by Mr. Berry who later sold it to Wilbur Carr.
The Houlton Savings was on the square and Buzzell's Furniture Store next to the bank. Also Mr. Buzzell was a mortician and funeral director and had a horse drawn hearse. I used to wish more people would die for I loved to see those nets on horses with the fringe and tassells on the bridals. Weird, right?
The store on the comer may have been Gillen's Store, but down the slope was a fish market and grocery store run by several generations of the Riley Family known as Riley's Market. Farther down toward the bridge, two harness shops, one run by Anthony Carroll and the other by Dennis Shean, who later was postmaster at the old Postoffice on Water Street. Then came Knox Bros. Grocery and Kitchen
Barber Shop.
Starting on the opposite side of the Main Street, across from Sincock's was the Thibodeau Block and not the present 5 & 10 Store. The Dunn Furniture Store, owned and operated by the late Frank Dunn came later, too. Seems to me the block burned and the Lafayette Hotel was rebuilt there. Mr. Dunn was a mortician and funeral director and he operated the furniture store. There was a music store where Edythe's is now, Astle's Music Store. Nate Weston owned a Ladies Select store Named "Fashion."
There was a tiny shoe repair shop in Rice Block, operated by a Mr. Hughins where one could go in, take off ones shoe and have it half soled for 50 cents while you waited.
Then Lou Dalton's Barber Shop. My Uncle Wilfred Burden worked for him.
Next a plumbing business operated by Grant and Hamilton. Rankin Grant was the Manager. There was a music store along here and I think it was P. S. Berry Music Store.
Then J. A. Browne Company, "Vine" was his nickname, ran a dry goods store. Bridal satin for wedding gowns at $2.00 a yard.
French's Drug Store was on the corner as long as I can remember. Around the comer, on Court Street, was the Exchange Hotel, Avery's Pool Room and Tobacco Store. Then, Campbell's Restaurant, a real small place.
Beyond that, a shop where the Pioneer Times was printed. There was a walk going up through the Court House and Jail yard, and we would stop to watch the girls set type by hand.
Across the Court Street was John Miller's Store. They made and sold candy-striped candy sticks with rings for 1 cent. Robinson's had a music shop along here. Mr. Joseph Robinson had an orchestra and I think he was the grandfather of the present Joe Robinson. He played for High School "hops" and dances.
Overhead in the Hayward Block, there was a theatre, Hayward Theatre, where shows would come in and perform. High School and Ricker plays were presented here, too. I was in two Ricker plays and tickets were 50 cents.
On upon the comer to the Purington Block, Spurgeon Purrington ran a haberdashery. Next store to that was a Sweet Shop, run by Mr. Palmer. He made homemade icecream and catered to the young folks.
Perry's Jewelry Store started in 1893. Feeley's Drug Store was next where the Law Offices are now. There was a Palmer Shoe Store on this street, too.
Then G. W. Richard's Dry Goods and Shoe Store. I think the Boston Shoe Store and then a Men's Shop by Irvine Bros., -Rupert, Gray and another brother.
Arthur and Fred Putnam owned and operated a hardware store called Putnam Bros. A Skillin Tobacco Store was there, too.
Over the Richard's Store was a movie theatre, Bijou Theatre, sixty-five years ago. A man named Dal Luther used to sing. It was a silent movie and the man who played the piano always wore two different colored shoes.
Across the walk, was a store operated by Lane and Pierce, a Dry Goods Store. They bought home knit socks and mittens and sold them to lumbermen.
Osgood's was always there. Then a meat shop run by two men. One man stuttered and the other always weighed his thumb.
Then Taggett & Gartley Men Store. They also bought homeknit garments, even men's knit shirts and drawers for men working in the woods. Smith's Plumbers was on the comer.
Over that block was a restaurant run by a Mrs. Atherton where we got many a good meal for 25 cents. Mr. Nealey, a photographer. had a shop over Smith's on the Comer. He developed films, too.
By the steps was a fish market. I don't remember who ran it but they used to give 13 fish for a dozen, I heard my folks say.
The old woolen mill was where the C & G Foodliner is now. The Union Square Hotel was where Top Gas is sold now. McCluskey's Livery Stables were down back. Across the street was a bakery operated by McGary Bros. Best cookies you ever ate and big as saucers! They sold groceries, too.
Down further, beginning where Sampson's Market is now, was a Foundry owned and operated by Shea's, known as Shea's Foundry. They did custom making of articles.
At one time Houlton had, in my recollection, five hotels. To name some Snell House; Union Square; Exchange Hotel; Clark's Hotel; Cottage Hotel that I remember of. There are lots more memories but likely boring to you.
Dr. Fred Nevers Dr. P. L. B. Ebbett
Dr. William Gibson Dr. T. S. Dickison
These M. D..'s all are Canadian born and practiced in Houlton and surrounding towns.
Dr. R. W. Perkins, Veterinary Dr. Frederick Mann
Dr. Fred Innis Dr. John Potter
Dr. Frederick Mitchell, Optomitrist Dr. W. F. Manuel Optometrist
Anthony Carroll, Harnessmaker
Frank Sincock, Painter and Paper Hanger
Fox Bros., Clothing Store at corner of Maine and Water Sts.
Spurgeon Purington, Clothing Store
Putnam Bros., Hardware Store, corner of Maine and Court Sts.
Perry's Jewelry Store, organized in 1893
Richard's Store, Clothing and Shoes
Boston Shoe Store, Allen Smith, Prop., later George Haskell
Mrs. Annie Newell, Hat Shop.
Mrs. Frank Sincock, Hat Shop
McGary Bros., Grocery and Bakery Store
Shay Foundry, This foundry ran from Kendall St. along Bangor St.
O. F. French, Drug Store and Stationery
Buzzell's Furniture and Funeral Director
Cochran's Drug Store, Mr. Ormsby, Prop.
Astle's Music Store
Rankin Grant, Furnaces and Household and Kitchen Appliances
Nathan Weston, Nice Ladies Dress Shop
Riley's Meat Market, Down by Bridge
Dennis Shean, Harness Shop and later Postmaster (old Post Office)
Smith Bros., Furnaces and Tin Shop
Lanes Dry Goods Store
Charles Osgood, Jeweler
Frank Blethan, Jeweler
Almon H. Fogg Co., Hardware, built up after the big fire on 1906
Byson's Photographer
Nealey's Photographer
John Watson, Potato Starch Factory and Hardware Store
Joseph (Vine) Brown, Dry Goods Store
George S. Gentle, Insurance
Moses Burpee, Lawyer
Frank Dunn, Furniture and Mortician
Aaron Peabody, Insurance
William Perk, Drug Store
James K. Plummer, Money Lender and Lawyer
Bert McIntyre, Post Office Clerk
Simeon White, Drug Store
Harry Briggs, Lawyer, his wife Dame Briggs was French Teacher in Houlton 40 years.
Michael Clark, Clerk of Courts and Registrar of Deeds
Ransford Shaw, Lawyer
Charles Barnes, Lawyer and later Judge
Memories of our Mother,
Mrs. John W. C. Grant
When my mother married my father in 1890, she came to a different environment. As Phoebe Smith she came from a deeply religious family in Millville, New Brunswick, but she was born in Caverhill, York County, New Brunswick. Each morning was started with family altar, that is, reading the Bible and prayer and each evening before retiring. My father's family were also a religious family with the traditional family altar.
My mother's family were farmers but farmed in a leisurely fashion with cows, sheep, pigs and grain. Not in the hustle and bus- tle of our farm life today. When mother married Dad she had to give up and accept for herself the routine of her own family. My Dad used to say, and there were a family of six sons and four daughters, that his father prayed longer when there was hay ready to go in or when chores needed immediate attention. Both families had the old fashioned way of putting meat, potatoes, vegetables and etc. in front of the head of the family at mealtime. The father dished out the portions and no one ate until all were served. His wife was always served first and in a family of ten, that took time and there were very few excuses for leaving the table until all had eaten.
It was a new world for Mother. The only person she knew was Dad and he had been a bachelor for two years. It was a custom, English fashion, that a bride had her appearing-out dress for church and one afternoon a week to greet new friends and serve the wedding cake and tea. She got ready. No one came. She didn't understand and thought she hadn't been accepted by Dad's friends. So she took off her pretty rose cashmere dress and put the wedding cake away weeping. However, Mrs. White, her nearest neighbor came down one afternoon and they got acquainted and Mrs. White told folks how nice Mother was and in no time she had lots of friends, like Mrs. Herbert (Sarah) Crane, LeRoy's grandmother, Mrs. Nellie Green; Mrs. Will Moore (Florence, and I was named for her); Mrs. Berchie White; Mrs. Thomas (Ella) Henderson, Ella Mae McQuarrie's grandmother, and a friend in Canada just across the boundary line, Mrs. Gordon (Eva) Neal.
Years ago it was the custom for a bride to bring a dowry to her husband's home. No bridal showers then. Mother brought her several handmade and quilted quilts, six I think; sheets and
crocheted edge pillow cases; all sorts of fancy runners, some felt and I have one yet, it is 93 years old in June; lace doilies and four all wool blankets she had woven herself. I'll explain this, Mother's father kept sheep. In the spring the sheep were sheared, the wool washed, spread on the ground and when dry it was taken up and "picked," that is, every bit of wool was handpicked to be sure no thistles or timothy was left in it. Then it was what was called "carded." This card or two cards were like a horse card, if you ever saw one of those, about 18 inches long and the wool was put on between these cards and rolls were made. Then came the spinning of the rolls into thin wool threads and warp was bought at the store, I think 2 yards or 72 inches wide and about 84 inches or 21 ½ yards long, and those wool threads were woven in and out until a blanket was made. No fool of a job, right?
Then she had her 12 piece set of dishes, white with a real gold band about them. There were two sizes of plates, cups and saucers, porridge dishes, sugar bowl, milk pitcher and tea pot that would hold 8 to 10 cups of tea. I have it yet, spout broken but it's there.
She had water sets, one I would bet if the tumblers were all there, would bring 50, 75 or 100 dollars. I gave it to one of Muriel's daughters, Evelyn. Mother had a sixpiece set of knives and forks (tea size) and a silver cake basket so called, and I have one yet and my sister has the other. This cake basket we used for fruit and perhaps Mother did. It stood 6 or 8 inches high with pedestal from the bottom or table and was carved beautifully and had a handle similar to a pail. Another thing I remember real well was what was called a silver butter cooler. It held round pats of butter with a high 4 or 5 inch cover with a butterfly on top for an ornament.
Mother kept them in one of her trunks. The other trunk held goose feather pillows and a goose feather bed. I think there was two. I remember real well it was such fun to ask my girl friend in for a visit and get Mother to show us the fancy things in her trunks.
Then as time went on, she was invited to the quilting and knitting bees. But something was missing. Sundays with no church was a long day. So one week she had me ask the girls (my friends with kids anyway) if they would like to go to the empty church on the main road to have Sunday School and read the Bible. We went: Eva Brown; Mable, Martha and Stella White; Lily Brown; Clara Henderson; Mable Parks and of course me, Florence. The girls loved it and we went all summer until Eva came along when I was ten. Somehow I don't really know, we got Bible Cards and Sunday School Papers from David C. Cook for years.
The Fred Barton family went to the Union Comer Church, also the Benson and London families and did not come up until later but the seed had been sown by a very devoted Christian woman who, as she used to say when they had testimony meetings when the pastor came out from Houlton for $5.00 a Sunday, "I love the Lord with all my heart," and would be so full of love for the Lord she would back down and cry and my brother Cecil and I would cry because she did. I did not mention my only brother Cecil, he was quite young, pro- bably six or seven years old then.
Through her efforts the Church once again came alive and is very active today with a regular pastor. It had several Missionaries go to foreign fields. My Mother started that by having the Sunday School adopt a "China" girl and they sent $50.00 during the year and this Church has grown way beyond her expectations and continues to grow.
My Mother's funeral was the last one held in the Church for 34 years. She chose her own text, "She hath done what she could."
When my mother married my father, she was thirty-five or forty miles from home, horse and wagon wise. She knew no one except her brother-in-law and his wife. She came from a musical family where evenings and Sundays the young folks would gather at different homes and sing. The only organ was at Mother's parents, but that made no difference. They would gather at the Palmers, the Johnsons, the Applebys with a tuning fork to set the tune and those people, Mother told me, could find tenor and bass just naturally without knowing a note. Mother played the organ but not well, she said.
After getting acquainted, one of the neighbor's dogs had a litter of puppies. All were cute and various colors but this little black puppy no one seemed to want so Mother took him. He was the "runt" but he grew and grew and grew until he was a big black dog half as big as a pony with a big head and nice dry mouth. He loved my mother and she returned his love. He followed her every where picking berries and so on. When I was born two years later, he took me on, too, as my bodyguard (so to speak) as well as Mother's.
At the farm near the Canadian Border where I was born, there was a railroad track, A. C. P. R. Train. We could see it from home, probably a mile as the crow flies. In the fall of the year, men came to Aroostook County from the city, followed the railroad tracks and begged for food from the people door to door. They had long full beards and not too clean. I was afraid but Mother wasn't. When one came to our door, Beaver would walk to the door with mother and when she went for the food, Beaver stood by the door. No tramp would dare cross that doorstep. When Mother came back with the food and often milk and the tramp would leave, Beaver relaxed and would jump and wag his tail as if to say, "I protected you." 1 have heard since that many of those tramps went native to get material for books.
When 1 was about three years old, in the summer the men had come in to the house at four o'clock to feed the horses and have supper as was their custom. The men had gone back to the field, Mother did her dishes and chores and went to get me to put me to bed. But I was no where to be found or old Beaver either. Mother called us both by name, no answer or bark from Beaver. She looked through the house and barn and finally called the men in the field nearby.
It's getting late now so Dad unharnessed one of his horses, got on it's back and raced through the field and down to the brook. Finally he heard two sharp barks but could not tell where they came from. The woods was nearby too. After some more calling, Beaver gave some more sharp barks and they found both of us two farms away on a flat rock in a rock pile. We often wondered, mother said, why Beaver didn't come when called. Some thought he didn't want to leave me. Something might come along and get me, others thought he just waited until I woke up and would walk me back home. Time passed. 1 was ten years old. Now my brother Cecil was seven. Beaver is getting a little lame and grey around his eyes and mouth, mother said.
So one evening (I forgot to say that Mother had taught him tricks and to shake hands or paws), when we had company, Old Beaver came in the door, walked to the neighbors and shook paws, then to my father, brother Cecil and me, walked to my mother and looked up at her for a minute, shook paws with her, put out his tongue and licked her hand and went outdoors.
Next morning he was found dead by Mother's flower garden. Beaver had bid us all farewell. He had done his share to protect us.
I wonder if anyone living remembers what the railroad track we have to cross going to Houlton was called11t was called Parks Crossing or some called it White Settlement Crossing. Beside the track was a mailing room for passengers going to Houlton and East to Debec, New Brunswick. It was a Canadian Pacific Railroad. In early days there were potato houses where buyers brought in potatoes in barrels and dumped them down in bulk. Men were hired to fire the cars to Boston or wherever the potatoes were going. There was a wood heating stove in each car and one man could "heat" several cars. No insulation then, I guess.
A Tender Little Story
How many of you, as you drive by the.. East Hodgdon Union Church, notice the beautiful tree on the edge of the cemetery?
When 1 was a child around eleven years of age, there were other girls that age, Clara Henderson (Ella Mae McQuarrie's mother,) Martha White (Miles White's sister,) Edna Brown (Elwood Scott's mother.)
We used to spend an afternoon visiting and we often went to the cemetery. One afternoon a hearse drove into the cemetery, drawn by two pure white horses and with white nets and deep tassels over the harnesses. Inside the hearse were draperies with heavy tassels in white, too. A few other carriages drove in and four men opened the door of the hearse and took out a white casket. A woman followed them from another carriage. We were fascinated. We had never seen any like that before. We had not even noticed the open grave for it was covered with green boughs. The men lowered the casket into the grave, filled it and left, but the woman and person with her remained. She was weeping and as she lifted her black veil, she noticed us. She smiled and beckoned us over and this is her story.
Her daughter had died. She had consumption, as they called it, and they tried to save her life but she died when the season of spring came. It was believed when people had consumption (T.B.) they died at the change of seasons.
When she came over after going back to her carriage, she carried a box and what looked like a switch to we girls. She called the man over, he spaded out a small hole and she put the "switch" in the hole. Then she opened the box and took out four or five plants which looked to us like dandelions or plantin. She scooped places on the grave and placed the plants in them.
She told us, "I am going away and 1 want you girls to look after these flowers for me in memory of my daughter, she was sixteen."
We promised and we were crying now. Well, those plants she planted were Lily of the Valley sets and they grew and grew and year after year we girls felt we had to go back to that grave, and the perfume of those Lily of the Valley blooms were out of this world. So fragrant and they spread until anyone could pick some.
When 1 took Botany at Ricker, 1 was the only one who had Lily of the Valley flowers to press, but I shared them. It seemed I had to as I lived across the road from the church Cemetery and could pick them more often. The other girls married and moved away.
Now for the "tree." Isn't it beautiful? It, too, grew and grew and it was left for it is beautiful. When the cemetery was leveled, the Lily of the Valley lost out. The place where they grew is paved for parking cars for the Church, but the tree remains a tribute to a loving mother for a beloved daughter. It's shade is available for anyone to rest if they want to and I have seen many people rest beside or under the tree while walking.
The first dairy started in East Hodgdon by a Mr. William Moore and his wife, Florence Moore, on the farm now owned by Herman "Mike" London, in the early 1900's. Mr. Moore had a fine herd of Jersey cows.
Mr. Moore milked his cows by hand and his wife helped with the glass bottles with special caps. He delivered his milk and cream with a horse-drawn wagon, later on with a buckboard as his customers continued to buy his milk.
Mr. Moore got older and he needed help so he hired a young man (who lived in) named Joseph Aucion. He got the name of "Joe" always. Mr. Moore wanted to retire or get out of the business that now had a big line of satisfied customers, so Joe had an Uncle, Frank Chaisson. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Chaisson and their two children from Nova Scotia. bought Mr. Moore out. After a few years, Mr. Chaisson sold to Joe and it was Aucion's Dairy for years.
At this point in time, after milk was bottled, it was put in big tanks with ice to keep it cool Mr. Moore's plan.
Later after Aucoin's had the dairy, a tank with electric cooling was installed but the milk is now put in five gallon cans and dropped into the electric cooled tank. No more ice to cool the milk. There was a "boiling" spring that ran constantly into the tank or tub Mr. Moore used.
Joe's customer usage was so great, he had a "milk cart" so called, to deliver his milk. Joe's son, Richard, carried on the business after his father's death. but later through a business deal. the farm was sold to Donald London and after Donald's death, his son Herman bought the farm and now owns and occupies the farm which was once East Hodgdon's First Dairy.
I have often wondered if the young farmers of today with all their modern equipment ever heard how the late 1800's and early 1900's farmers lived and farmed. Let's begin at the beginning and hear the "first of the story," not like Paul Harvey's "rest of the story."
I have to tell this around my father's activities, but all the farmers were about the same. Four o'clock in the morning, Dad was up, called the hired man. They dressed and tbe hired man went to the pasture for cows. Dad went to the barn to feed, clean out the stable and harness the horses. With this done, they washed their hands, grabbed the milk pails and milked the cows, took the milk to the house where there was a strainer pail to strain the milk into creamer cans. A creamer can was a tall galvanized container, probably twelve inches in diameter with a glass in front to tell when the cream was done. This glass front was like a thermometer and had a faucet-like thing to tell when the milk was drained and cream came in sight.
That done, it's about 6 o'clock now so out to the field (I'm talking about springtime) with three or four horses on a spring-toothed harrow with the man driving and following behind the horses.
Now it's eleven o'clock and the horses are unhooked from the harrow, taken to the barn, bridles removed, halter put so they can eat their hay and oats, and the men go into dinner of potatoes, vegetables, lamb or real homemade bread and perhaps rice pudding.
Then the horses are hooked on and the men are back on the job harrowing. It's four o'clock now. The horses are brought in and fed again and the men eat a four o'clock supper of perhaps pancakes and eggs or honey or cold meat or hot biscuits and preserves with hash browns and sometimes fish hash. Someone stays in now to do the milking but the driver and horses go back out until dark.
Potato Planting Time. There was a one row planter and someone had to operate it for seed, but the fertilizer, which in my youth came in barrels, was in a box-like affair. We will let them grow awhile but pretty soon the potato bugs will arrive. I remember Dad had a bellow sort of thing with paris green inside and would walk up and down the rows to see where there were eggs. Later I remember he had a sprayer, a two wheeled affair with a platform on which was a barrell and a handpump. When the blue vitral was soaked and lime added, the barrel would be filled with this mixture and a man would pump and out of the nozzle would come a spray, probably eight sprays or nozzles. This was done three or four times a season.
In the fall, out came the sluvan wagon with low body, holding perhaps eighteen or twenty of those barrels the fertilizer came in. No digger now, just manpower. A man used a hack digger, like a handhoe but five or six tines, and the men dug two rows at a time. A digger would reach over with that hack digger after he had pulled the dead stocks and out would come the potatoes and he would scratch some more dirt to see if he had them all. Then reach out and do the same to the other row. They dug until early afternoon and then grabbed their baskets to pick them up. Men got $2.00 a day, a good digger. The potatoes were stored in house cellars, some were sold in the fall in bulk, but not bulk trucks like today, and shipped in box cars on both B &: A and C. P. R.
Now back to haying. Still early rising hours, milking and chores. My father had a mowing machine and mowed forenoons. When dry enough, out came the raking machine drawn by one horse with a hand trip to make a minrow. Later on there was a foot trip.
If the weather was just right, and a little breeze, the hay was sometimes put in the barn the same day. Now we have the hayrack, made by the farmer the size he wanted, put on a high crank axle body with four wheels. Men pitched the hay into the hayrack and when it was full they did what they called building the load high and a man tramped it down so as to get more on. There were big loads, too. The best hay (timothy) was put in a mow or scaffold. The mixture and clover went to the cows and the second best timothy and clover went to the scaffold over the horses in horse barn to feed and bed down, in a place made to lower the hay to the barn floor then to be pitched in the mangers. Nothing more to do to the haY until the hay pressers come. No baling hay in the field those days!
The haypress was a machine that pressed hay into bales. One man jumped into the press to put enough hay in until there was enough for a bale. A man called a tier, threaded wires through the bale and tied a knot, so to speak, in the wire. Another man took the bale away and piled it. I think there were five men on a haypress crew. One man particularly drove the horses round and round in a circle. He seldom swapped off jobs as the others did. It was his team and he saw that it was fed, bedded down, watered and etc. Could those hay pressers eat! My mother used to board men from other farmers homes who had pressers, and even as a child I wondered where the food all went to. Baked beans, baked potatoes, beef and pork roasts and stews vanished like magic and those pies, lots of apple and homemade mincemeat pies.
The haying over now, the grain is ripening. My father and other farmers, too, I guess had what was called a reaper, drawn by two horses and it cut and threw out the sheaves. Then he later bought a
binder which had twine, called binder twine, that tied the bundle of sheaves. When there looked like enough stocks, the bundles would be stooped or piled so that the grain heads would be on top of the stack.
Before Dad had a binder, the wheat he raised was tied by hand. The grain was put in barns and later on was threshed. My father had a horsepowered machine which was built of pieces of lumber, very strong, divided in center for two horses to tread. There were lags made of strong lumber, like planks, and they were set on rollers so when the horses were on the horsepower, they tread at a 45 degree angle and that power was attached to the threshing machine by belt and those horses loved that power. My father had one horse, ugly and mean, and no one could handle him but Dad, but that horse would go to sleep treading those lags.
Besides the man pitching grain to the table where another man fed the grain into the beater, there was a man who measured the grain up. He had two half bushel measures and one foul seed measure. The grain would be put by two bushel measures into burlap or linen grass seed bags and the grain was tolled for every so many bushel the threshing owner got. Each man was paid separately. I nearly forgot the tail end man, who took away the straw. He was covered with dust.
There are so many things I have left out. We had a big orchard, in fact, two. We had Tolman Sweets, Alexanders, Dutchess and Red Astrocans, New Brunswickers, Crab Apples, Yellow Transparents, Plum and Cherry trees. My mother would sell a 10 quart pail of cherries for $1.00 and a 10 quart pail of plums for 75 cents.
In my girlhood in my early teens, there was a family of rich people who lived on what was known as the "New Road" to Houlton. The Old Road, so called, was the one that ran straight through East Hodgdon to Gillens Comer, Houlton, and someone got the idea that this "New Road" was shorter. It turned to the left going north at, what was known in my youth as, Weston Comer. Now Duffs and Smiths live on all three comers. On this road, a quarter of a mile off the main road, was a family of maiden ladies in their late 40's or early 50's, known as the Bird girls. I don't know how they got there, moved there or always lived there, as I paid no attention at that time. I wish I had.
The names of these sisters were Sue, a slim woman, and Selina, a plump woman. They must have farmed for they had hired men. Their brother, Mr. Bird, was said to have dealt in spices and made a fortune. I seem to remember a pickling spice and other spices with a big bird on the box. One of these hired men was a widower named John Thomas, and he had a daughter, Hazel, who lived at the Bird sister's while he worked for them. Hazel went to the same school, the Stone School, as we other girls did. She would tell of these beautiful gowns the sisters had. We really didn't believe her but I got the idea I would like to see them. So I asked Hazel to ask the ladies if I could see them if I got Mother's permission to visit her. To make a long story short, I got the chance. The sisters seemed to be pleased that I was interested. So they took me up to the spare room. Never in my girlish dreams had I ever seen anything in clothing so beautiful. Brocades, satins, silks, and lace. The brocade satins would almost stand alone, with numerous lace trimmed petticoats, longsleeved, high collars trimmed with "beads," crystal likely. Sequins on the flounced skirts and then the lace and silk dresses, low necked, sleeved, with tier after tier of lace, some eighteen inches wide and a short sunshade (umbrella) of each with lace ruffling in edge for all the
summer gowns and hats with ostrich feathers and shoes to match each gown. There is no adjective that can record my emotions. I was enthralled for I had never seen beauty like that. Such rich beauty! We had no call to have.
I think I saw those gowns three times but the other girls, my school friends, never got to see them. I wonder why. This Mr. Thomas was a horse fancier. He has a spirited race horse he used to race at the 4th of July race. He stuttered and when someone asked him what breed he was, he would reply, "he is a purebred, half V-V- V-Vasser and half S-S-Standard." He was a straight trotter but he said, "when I put the h-h-h-hobble on him, he is a g-g-g-good p-p-pacer." Mr. Thomas would harness him, put him in the gig, a two wheeled sulky we call it today, and drive him up and down the road to show him off.
I have been told, on what I think is fairly reliable information, that the Bird sisters, Sue and Selina, died within a week of each other and they were buried in the little Catholic Cemetery adjoining the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Houlton.
The farm went to a nephew who sold it to a Mr. Gardiner and later acquired by Mr. Oscar Wilson, who was owner and manager and is now owned and operated by Rush Bros., James and Robert.
Fourth of July was our big day for the East Hodgdon folks. No one stayed home. There was the parade in the morning with horse drawn floats and even the Fire Dept. vehicles. Then the horse races at the old park in the afternoon for the men.
Downtown was the organ grinder with his music box and the little grey monkey. She collected money for her master.
I think three times a day one year a Mr. Morrell did a high wire act. A wire was attached to the then Smith Building and to the Ludwig Building. This Mr. Morrell walked across that space with no protection from his fall (if any). He carried a long balancing rod but he never fell and never failed to please.
How many remember when the fire works on the 4th of July were set off from the Nake's Travel Service (what is now the Saving Bank)? But years ago they were set off in front of Buzzell's Furniture Store. Mr. Buzzell was a mortician, too.
The fireworks were better and lasted longer then. After the fireworks we all came back to earth and home to do farm chores.
When I was a girl, there was a family whose last name was Ellsworth. They lived on a farm where the Christian Hill School is now located. One of the family was a man named Albert Ellsworth. He was blind, but somehow he made a linament called Ellsworth Oil or Ellsworth Golden Oil, and it certainly was an excellent linament and golden in color. He put it in bottles with corks and peddled it from door to door. No home hereabouts was without it. It was especially good for children's croup, burns, bites and on and on, they told me.
He was blind but when the fall of the year came around, he followed the threshing machines when grain was put in barns and threshed later. Although blind, when once he was shown the place to put the straw from the tailend of the threshing machine, he would pitch that straw to wherever he was to put it and never missed a step. It was a mystery to all the men how he could do it blind as he was.
In the early nineteen hundreds to nineteen hundred seven, a mill was run on the Herbert Crane farm, located on the boundary line (American side) on what was known as Crane Brook. Mr. Perley Stevens was the millwright and owner. He employed quite a few men. My folks had all the lumber that went into our house on main road sawed at the Steven's Mill.
The other mill was on McAtee Brook and was owned and operated by Mr. Dresser, who bought the Wm. Atherton farm that was loaded with cedar which he used to supply his fertilizer factory in Houlton. The farm is now owned by Robert Henderson.
In the early nineteen hundreds, a fertilizer factory was stationed in Houlton near the Bangor and Aroostook tracks. It was called the Buffalo Fertilizer Plant or Factory. The contents of the fertilizer came in by train and was mixed at the factory. My father was an agent at one time.
Fertilizer, at that time, was always sold in barrels so it was thought the Superintendent who owned and operated the factory needed barrels. He bought a tract of land in East Hodgdon from Mr. William Atherton and put a mill to saw cedar for barrels on the so called McAttee Brook, on the left side of the road going south.
The man who managed the fertilizer plant was a Mr. Dresser. He sawed the lumber to make the barrels and it was hauled to Houlton where he had a "Cooper Shop" and employed a big crew of men making the barrels for his fertilizer of many different grades.
All fertilizer was purchased in barrels in my youth until bags came in. The Buffalo Plant employed quite a staff of clerical workers, office and so on. I know Ruth Barton, later Mrs. Maurice Duff, was one of the office girls. The plant burned down in 1911, I think, and was never rebuilt.
Harold and Bessie Turney Smith 1937
Kenneth and Hazel Woodcock Duff
Weldon and Louise Rhoda Smith 1946
LeRoy and Irma Hall Crane 1953
Glenn and Flora Smith Duff 1960
Kenneth and Pat Sjoberg Foster 1977
Melvin and Sheryl Fast Duff 1977
Ronald and Mary Duff Murray 1978
Charles and Joan McAttee 1978
Terry and Rachel Weston Lincoln 1978
Reggie and Ellen Weston Williams 1978
Robert and Margaret Duff Smith 1981
Dale and Myra Hansen Clark 1981
Dallas and Christine Putnam Henderson 1983
Robert and Pearl Grass London 1983
In 1907-8, John W. C. Grant built a new home on the Main Road. The same year Fred A. Barton built a new home beside the old home on his farm.
Not in the order they came I guess, but the first Pastor to occupy the new parsonage was Rev. and Mrs. Melvin Moody and they served six years. Rev. and Mrs. Thompson served six years, Rev. and
Mrs. Linwood Putnam perhaps served eight years, Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Courtier served nine years, Rev. and Mrs. Paul Noxon served in 1981, and other men who served the local church as Pastors were Ashton Nickerson, Richard Benoit, a Mr. Clark and a Mr. Hatch.
A group of neighborhood men were threshing oats and decided they were going to thresh a different grain. Maurice Duff got up on top of the threshing machine to change the Bonnet so they could thresh the other kind of grain and his foot broke through the table and other foot and leg went into the beater. Irvin Hammond threw the belt with a peavey, that was handy, to stop the machine. Maurice's leg was mangled to the knee. They took him to the hospital by ambulance and Dr. Ebbett was called. Maurice was in the hospital three weeks. He lost only one leg but the quick reaction on the part of Irvin Hammond saved his life.
Maurice was a young man, a worker and with wife and family to maintain. Some of his neighbors thought they could help by taking up a gift of money to help out. I am not sure of this, and no one else seems to know, but I think there was $1,000.00 or perhaps more given to him.
He and his family wanted no charity but a gift freely given was acceptable. East Hodgdon neighbors came through again.
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In 1952, friends of Seth Humphrey saw his arthritis condition would soon make him a cripple. Someone heard of a "Gold Treatment" said that if a patient went to the hospital and for $750.00 cash beforehand, a certain Dr. would give the treatments.
In no time at all the East Hodgdon neighbors of Seth Humphrey had gone and presented the money for the treatments. There may have been more money given, but I can not say for sure as I am not familiar with the amount given.
Just one more instance of East Hodgdon's outstanding benevolent people.
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While Henry Higgins was working on a car in his garage, he suffered a stroke or a cerebral hemorrhage. He was taken to Aroostook Houlton Hospital and was there five days. The Doctors in Houlton Hospital said they could do no more for him. He would need to go the Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Word got out of the need. Henry was a working man and could ill afford the expense of going to the hospital let alone expense of operations.
Once again the East Hodgdon friends came across! The phone call at noon telling the needs, the men got going and when the B & A train pulled out of Houlton that evening, Henry was on it, in a sleeping compartment accompanied by his wife, Emma and their daughter, Ethel.
He was met by Police Ambulance and taken to the Maine Medical Center where the doctors immediately took over. Henry was in the hospital in Portland five weeks and when he came home all expenses were paid and money left over.
I know his gift was $1,000.00 and perhaps more. He recovered and lived a long and useful life.
In 1971, Sheridan Frasier decided to organize a home for delinquent boys. When first organized, there were three directors local men. He started with three boys but when the fourth boy came in, the State said it was a Boarding School and discontinued surplus foods. The Christian Hill Faith Home has run for eleven years and has kept 383 young men and women. There have been young men in every branch of the service, Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines, 62 in all, who have left the home to serve their country. All told, 383 of there so called delinquents, have been helped by Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan Frasier. Girls were allowed the last few years and they often come back to the Home to thank the
Frasier's for their help.
There are eleven directors now and from different areas, as it is State supported now.
After World War II there were a lot of surplus housing units at the Houlton Airport. So a group of men from East Hodgdon got the idea that it would be a good idea to buy one of the surplus housing units for a Community House where folks could get together for their card parties and social affairs, like bridal showers and going away parties for the young people going into nurses training and college and so on. It became a very popular place to entertain with minimum of effort and even small wedding receptions were enjoyed there.
Soon the Ladies' Aid of East Hodgdon began to hold their summer meetings there and they entertained the Iota Sigma Club of Houlton once a year. Also big farmer suppers, chicken pie suppers were held there to raise money for the Aroostook Hospital and all sorts of charitable goings on. It lasted more than twenty years and the building began to go down. Once all the silver, soup plates, cups, plates, pepper and salts, bowls, pots and pans were stolen. But we replaced them and carried on.
When the Community House was dissolved and sold, the tables and chairs were bought by some of the members. I don't know what became of the curtains the Ladies' Aid bought for the windows. The second set of dishware, which included silverware, tumblers, cups, plates, soup bowls, and etc. were given to the East Hodgdon Union Church to use in the Church kitchen.
When George Griffin offered the land to place the Community House on, he said "no dances," and there never was one.
Philip Bickford was one of the prime persons in getting the building moved and going. To my knowledge, this is the list of men who contributed to the Community House and there may have been more:
Philip Bickford Donald London Harold Smith
Ralph Sloat George Griffin Teddy Griffin
Charles Turbill Jasper Crane Horace London
Herbert London Guy Turney Donald Duff
Kenneth Duff Bob Henderson
Blaine Lincoln Leslie Dickinson
Now was the time that the Aroostook Hospital was building it's new wing. We had a delegate come out one afternoon at Aid to tell us of the needs of money and any contribution we cared to make, would be helpful.
It was unanimously voted to furnish a room in its entirety and we did. We bought bed, spring, mattress, dressing table with glass top, stuffed chair and plain chair, five-way switch floor lamp, venetian blinds and drapes for windows, blanket and floor covering. Mr. Cedric Osgood made a plaque for our door. Food sales, suppers and quilts were now on the go to pay for these items. Before I forget it, we pledged $300.00 as cash payment and we paid that.
There was a scarcity of sheets and pillow cases, so being the buyer, I contacted Mr. Steiler of Penney's Store asking if we could get some sheets for the hospital. He said he would look into it and I got a call saying he had 12 sheets and 24 pillow cases we could have. Were the hospital people ever glad to get those! We later gave 12 sheets and 24 pillow cases more.
Our Aid had been going to the hospital once a week to mend sheets and johnnys or whatever needed mending, and we enjoyed a dish of ice cream before leaving.
Now there was a shortage of towels, we heard through an East Hodgdon Nurse, Hope Turbill, so the Aid members voted to buy some towels. In fact, we bought dozens of pure white towels, no colored towels were used at that time.
Later we were informed that there was a need for diapers cloth ones were used then, so we bought and gave several packages of diapers and added plastic covers for pillow cases for the men's and women's wards.
I had a call again from Mr. Steeler. He asked if I thought the Ladies' Aid would like another dozen sheets and pillow cases. I said "Yes" without asking the members for I knew they would want to buy them. One day, Dr. Ebbett, a very observing man, picked up the edge of a sheet and said, "This sheet is new. Where did it come from?" He was told the Ladies Aid of East Hodgdon gave it and he replied, "I might have known, they are great hospital workers."
I had a son in the Royal Canadian Air Force and he was sent to England later in the war. He was a member of the Umbrella Raids. They flew planes one hundred at a time over Germany, Essen, Colongue, and the night his plane was shot down, it was Bremen, he wrote me he pitied those people running for their lives to bomb shelters. He met a young lady whose mother was in Red Cross work in Oxford, England, where he was stationed. I corresponded with her for twenty-four years. In her letters she mentioned the shortage of toilet soap and wash cloths, so I brought it up at the Ladies' Aid and we voted to each of us send a bar of soap wrapped in a wash cloth and we did send the box of other small things like silk stock- ings. It cost us $17.00 to send it and the grateful letter we received was certainly worth the effort. Mrs. White, to whom we mailed the box, distributed the gifts. Only one small item we could do, and we did.
Then along came the war years of 1940's. We went all out to collect for Red Cross. One year we contributed from East Hodgdon, (with an inhabitant of less than one hundred people,) five hundred fifty dollars. I know for I collected that year. Only one man did not give.
We again began to knit, sew and do whatever was asked of us. We would have food sales and suppers and buy War Bonds. When the young men from the community left for service of their country, gifts of money were given them and it was agreed we would send cards and letters to those in the Armed Forces. We sent a man or woman in the service for every star in the flag.
There was only three losses of life, my only brother Cecil E. Grant, son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. C. Grant (and the Mrs. Grant who started the Ladies Aid) in 1918 died from Spanish Influenza at Camp Devons; Ralph White, son of Turney and Hannah White, lost his life in European Theatre and his sister, Stella White, Nurse, who died caring for the influenza patients at Camp Devons.
In my childhood, about eight or nine years old, we had the Rural Route No.2 mail service. I think it was in 1903.
We lived on a back road so we had no mail box, but a Mr. White put a steel mail box, which at that time had a lock and key. No one ever used the locks I guess, but Mr. White's box was right by the school house and it was quite a novelty to us. Once he locked it and was our mailman mad! He had to hunt through so many keys to find the right one. He said he wouldn't leave the mail if it happened
again. Of course, it was the kids doing, not Mr. White's.
Mr. Dow drove a horse and wagon in summer and he had no problems, but come winter, especially along Christmas time, it was a real problem with all the packages of gifts and orders. When he left the Post Office, at that time the brick building on Water Street and now used as St. Mary's School, he really looked like St. Nick.
He drove a bay mare for years that no one but he (Mr. Dow) could handle. She would kick, bite and strike. He had a metal something attached to her tail and the britchen, that kept her from kicking the wagon or sleigh to pieces that he drove in winter. He had one of the longest routes out of Houlton. I've been told by Donald Duff and by other families, too, that they would take out their double team sleds and break the track or road for him to follow.
I've known my mother, Mrs. John W. C. Grant and perhaps other families would invite Mr. Dow in to get warm and have a bite to eat. His health began to fail and he wanted to get through driving the mail, but there was a technicality, I am not sure of, that he could not get his pension until he had driven the mail two more years. He drove the mail in failing health.
The East Hodgdon family had a party for him on his retirement and gave his a gold pocket watch. I think the party was held at my parents home. The tears rolled down Omar's face and we all shed a few with him. A faithful servant of the Post Office and the Community from R. F. D. No.2 that he served so faithfully for so many years.
When I was a child of seven or eight, probably around the turn of the Century, 1900 or 1901, one of the greatest thrills of the summer was the visit of the I-tal-ian Peddler. Emphasis was always on the I. I think now he was a Jew, not an Italian. We would hear he was on his way from the kids at school and would hurry home to be there when he came to our house.
The man carried two canvas packs, about the size of suitcases today, and in that pack you wouldnt believe what it held. The first one he opened up was the novelty one. It contained pins, needles, safety pins, hair pins, side combs, pencils, and dozens of other small items like the 5 & 10 cent store carried later on, also lace, braid and thread were in that pack. In the other pack was dry goods so called, like womens wrappers, petticoats, some yard goods so called, like womens wrappers, petticoats, some yard goods called calico. All I can seem to remember for the men was braces and stick shaving cream, but there were other articles, too.
I was told when I grew older that these men would have these articles brought in by stage and later one man, I won't mention his name, started a small store with knick-knacks and it developed into a store and in later years he owned a brick block.
One peddler always planned to stay at our house for supper and over night and for breakfast. He would give my mother something from his pack, which my brother and I thought was wonderful. Probably it was a yard or two of lace or some braid to trim my dresses.
Next morning he would shoulder his packs and start on another day. He was a welcomed visitor, especially to children of the community.
In our community, when I was a small girl of eight or ten years old, a man by the name of Jim Buckley bought sheep. There was no duty or else he ignored duty, for he bought sheep and lambs everywhere on both sides of the boundary line. He kept them in a big pen at his home or barn, or pastured on the Lincoln-Crane Road, third farm on the left side of the road from Lincoln Comer. When he got enough sheep and lambs, he would have a "drive" or "drove" as he called them. After the sheering, and I presume fattening, he would get men on foot, a dog or two, and himself on horseback, and between them the sheep would be driven up the road on foot to Houlton seven or eight miles where they were slaughtered at the local slaughter house. Most were shipped to Bangor where his son- in-law, a Mr. Eaton took it from there.
When, by word of mouth, news got around that the Buckley Sheep Drive was on, it was a big day for we kids. Those sheep seemed to be just wonderful to us. They would follow the road as if they knew it was the best path. When even one sheep went astray, the dog (I only remember the one, a black dog,) seemed to know just what to do. Mr. Buckley had only one eye and that was a big puzzle to us, but his voice could be heard for miles.
We were allowed to go to the window at school while the drive was going by, then it was back to multiplication tables and geography.
I was just a child, probably eight or ten years old and I'm telling this story from memory and childhood memory is not always accurate, but here it is.
East Hodgdon has it's full length of miles on the Canadian Border. The place I'm writing about is Union Comer and we called Union Corner in Canada and Union Corner in U. S. A. There was no marked boundary line only one imaginary line but we all knew where it was.
It was in the early 1900's that a right of way cut all the way north and south and monuments set every so many miles apart were needed. There were two farms south of Union Comer on the American side and those farmers traveled the Canadian road nothing said, but later the farmers had to make a sort of right of way to their property and farms. Now here is the story.
A man named Mr. Kelly who lived in Elmwood, N. B. had a wife and a large family. He did all he could do to feed and take care of his family. He used to, what they called smuggle potato, grain and cattle to U. S. for the prices were better here.
One night while delivering some potatoes to an American customer (so-called) he was caught by the Customs Officers. Mr. Kelley, although he knew he was breaking the law, felt he had to get away and back to Union Comer, N. B.
Mr. Kelley was a big man, large bones and strong, so he did all he could to protect himself and his only weapon was his fists and a sled stake. So that resulted in Mr. Kelley beating up real well the U.S. Customs Officer. Well, after that they were really after him. There are two different stories, but I'll tell the one I remember best. Mr. Kelley swore he would never cross the border, as it was called, ever again. However, in Canada, two men were buying cattle and they came to Mr. Kelly to see if he would deliver them to the "Boundary Line." Mr. Kelley said, No, no way! I'm in trouble with the law over there and I will never cross that line again." But the men insisted that if he would just bring them to the line, they would pay him and it was good for the times when he delivered the cattle. It sounded good and he had need of money so after much persuasion, he agreed.
The cattle were delivered to the line. I might add here that there were three families who lived at the Union Comer on the American side who claimed they heard or saw it all, one man who often had flights of imagination. When they got to the line, one of the buyers just stepped the team up a little. Mr. Kelley, being cautious said, "Not on your life," but this is where the imagination came in. He said one of the men took the horses by their bridals and all at once Mr. Kelley was on the American side and he was seized on Line Counts, smuggling and beating up a U.S. Customs Officer previously.
Mr. Kelley was not allowed to go home, in fact, the story goes, he was given a quick hearing and the Judge gave him 20 years in Federal Prison in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Kelley served his full twenty years, no time for good behavior then. All the years he had been brooding over his problem and no communication was allowed with family, so when he was allowed out of prison, his wife had died, his family had grown up and scattered and he was alone.
He lived with his wifes sister, I believe, but he was mentally off balance. He would take his knife and file and sharpen that knife day after day until the family became afraid and also of the things he muttered. So finally things came to a head and before he did damage to himself or others, he was taken to a mental hospital in St. John, N. B. where he died.
Those two men who bought the cattle were actually Custom Officers or men hired to lure Mr. Kelley across the boundary so he could be caught and punished, all for spite. Their names were anathema for years after the episode, on the American side of Union corner, too, and elsewhere. A lot left unsaid.
This is a true story, told in my hearing many, many times and it made such an impression on a young girl and I never have forgotten it. I know for a fact the details so speak of the male side but do not know the mother and son.
It seems during the time of the Aroostook War or the Spanish American War that young men were called to service in Army. A young man in our community was called to the service. It was one of the better-off families, in fact, the wealthiest family. So he did not want to go. It seems as the story went, if a man could get someone to go in his place, it was all-right as long as the place was filled. This young man had heard of a widow with one son in Canada, who was having difficulty making a living. So he got in his carriage and went to see the widow and her son.
The son was willing to go for the man had offered the widow $400.00 when her son got back from the service, but nothing until then, unless the deal was made, but a few groceries and feed for her cow, like hay and etc.
Time went on and a few years after the son took the rich mans place in service, the mother got word her son had been killed. She was saddened, but as long as she had lost her son, she thought she would have the $400.00 to live on hard as her loss. It was fifteen or twenty miles to the rich mans house who promised her the money and she started walking the road. People helped her by the way,
keeping her overnight and a ride now and then. She arrived at the man's home and after the greeting, she asked the man for the $400.00 he had promised her son to be his substitute. When she first asked for the money, he turned pale. "I was told" he quickly replied, and said, "But you know, Madam, I said when your son comes back I'll give you the money but he hasn't come back, so I can't give it to you." The mother could not believe her ears. She had lost her only son and now lost the money the son had earned by going to war for this rich man.
But I was told the woman quickly rallied and said to the man, "Mister, (calling him by name,) when you are married and if you have daughters, you will never have grandsons, and if you have a son, he will be an imbecile and no one to carry on your name." Then she turned away to walk the long trip home without the money.
The man did marry, he bad three daughters but no grandchildren. He had one son who was an "idiot" as the woman prophesied. They kept the son at home until he was in his 20's but he got so ugly (a big, big fellow) and vicious, that it took four men to take him to the insane hospital in Bangor where he died. I do not know where he was buried.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnathan Ertha lived in East Hodgdon, from my childhood until their deaths. Mr. Ertha went by the name of "Jock" as a nickname. Mr. Ertha's parents were a product of the Civil War days. They, or as far as 1 know or what was told to me, fled to Canada and settled in Springhill, Canada quite near Fredericton.
I have heard that Mr. Stone, the man who owned a lot of property around here, (the country school I attended was called the Stone School and the brook near by was called the Stone Brook, but I digress) Mr. Stone took an interest in "Jock," but I do not remember the details there. Mr. Ertha, "Jock" married Miss Frances Taylor. She always went by the name of "Fanny." Jock and Fanny were the parents of three children. Warren. who never married to my knowledge; Blanche, the daughter who married a Mr. Barrows. Mr. Barrows was a railroad man and he and Blanche left this area and I did not know any more until I heard this, Blanche was a "par excellent" cook, very, very, good. She went from one thing or type of work to another and then she landed a job as display clerk at Macy's and did part-time modeling. She was a very beautiful woman. Blanche Henderson told me this as Blanche Ertha Barrows always called on Blanche Henderson while in the area. William Ertha, the youngest son of Jock and Fanny Ertha, was nicknamed "Bird." Kids at school called him "Black Bird" which resulted in fights quite often.
Mrs. Fanny Ertha's mother came to East Hodgdon in 1900. She was a selftrained nurse and she was good in sickness she knew about, but she had a shock around 1908 and that ended her nursing
career.
Mr. Jock Ertha had a nephew called "Hod" Weary. He was a hostler and followed race tracks as a care taker after he left here. All the above people are now dead.
Just to add a touch of humor
Mr. and Mrs. Ertha had friends in Houlton named Mr. and Mrs. Wallace. Mr. Wallace was a barber and Mrs. Wallace was a self-trained Chiropodist. She was good at fixing, or I should say, helping people with ingrown toe nails, corns and bunions. Her husband had planters wart and she could not help him. Planters wart is a wart or hardness in the bottom of the foot. So he limped to work as long as he barbered. A Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre were another family of friends.
Another bit of fun
We at the Stone School got our water at the Ertha's dug well which was stoned up. It was deep so there was a long pole with a wooden hook on the end to hold the pail as we drew the water for drinking. I bet there were 40 pails in that well to my recollection. When the state came to inspect the water, the well was condemned. No one ever suffered!
Floats put on by East Hodgdon women and young people were exceptional. One Sunday afternoon after Church. I asked a group of teen agers to come over to the house as I'd like to ask them something. Over they came with young men and women anxious to know what I wanted.
I asked them if they would like to put on a decorated and theme float for the 4th of July Parade in Houlton. What a response I got! Interested and enthusiastic! I said. "How about a wedding float, full dress, bride, groom and all with guests?" It surely caught on and we went to work. Of course, the mothers were called on to help get the float ready as well as the young folk getting dresses and etc. We made a double skirt for that big Ford Truck around the body. Sewing white crepe paper (3 rolls of 25 cents) cut up and crimped white crepe paper for the hood and cab.
You won't believe this but they let me choose the bride, and groom and all the attendants. No argument at all, but I am ahead of my story. The mothers and women that worked afternoon after afternoon, of course, we worked at my place Blanche Henderson, Olive Duff, Dot London, Alice Crane and Ethel Sloat and perhaps others, but not men.
Now for the float members: LeRoy Crane was the groom, Lena Sloat was the bride in white; Douglas Sloat, best man; Gloria Crane, bridesmaid; I guess I should say Maid of Honor, and the bridal attendant was Audrey Duff in blue; Dorothy Sloat in yellow. All in floor length gowns and they sure made a beautiful picture with Emery Lincoln with his Bible performing the ceremony. We had a group of young folks in chairs on the floor of greenings and baskets of flowers. Oh, we did the whole bit!
Dana Dickinson drove the truck with his girlfriend, Rowena. I worried with the bridal party standing, they might feel a jerk and teeter, but Dana said they will never know when I start and each one verified that.
Now for the wedding guests all on white chair: Leonard Lincoln, Donaline Bickford, Ruth Neal, Louise Griffin, Joanne and Hope Barton, Daniel Griffin, Barbara Sloat and Donna Duff.
We got second prize. The only one better than our was Dunn's. $35.00 in cash prize money paid off the crepe paper and we had money left over for the next year.
Hodgdon had a grand and wonderful celebration of July 3rd, 1982, when they observed one hundred fifty years of steadfastness and strength. It occured to me that many may not know of East Hodgdon's contribution to Hodgdon's welfare and left aside from taxes.
I have said in former comments that East Hodgdon is just a wide place in the road one church with a community of wonderful and friendly neighbors. It's bounded on the North by Houlton, on the East by Canada, on the South by Jackin's Settlement and on the West, including the Cross Road, by The Calais Road.
We have sent fifteen young men and women to World War I. Cecil E. Grant and Ralph White lost their lives, one on the battlefield and one at Camp Devons. Stella White died caring for the influenza patients at Camp Devons. World War II saw twenty-one enter the service. One lost his life as an Airman over Holland, my son, Winston J. Dickinson.
During the last forty years, fifteen nurses have trained and are R.N's. We have several L. P. N.'s three Lab. Technicians and too, have produced one doctor, Dr. Raymond Duff. who is also author and commentator. Six ministers and missionaries. .
The East Hodgdon Union Church was moved, rebuilt and an annex built on, a parsonage built and well dug. The Church has a regular Pastor.
The Ladies Aid of East Hodgdon organized by my mother, Mrs. John W. C. Grant. in August 1910, was in continued operation helping and seeing the needs of people and things in every walk of life.
The Duff family, Maurice and his son Glenn and Glenn's son Melvin, have plowed and kept open our East Hodgdon roads for 42 years as of 1982.
Mrs. Leslie Dickinson (Florence), has written the East Hodgdon news for the Houlton Pioneer Times for the last 42 years, as of 1982. Her mother, Mrs. John W. C. (Phebe) Grant wrote the East Hodgdon News 25 years, before she took over for her.
We had the only colored family in Hodgdon during my girlhood and their was no discrimination.
During the World War II years, a very unusual thing happened for a small community. The Canadians were not able to cross the United States border without a passport which many did not have. Canadian people had to go to St. Stephen to procure the passports and as there was gas rationing, many could not afford to make the trip, so this plan was devised.
On the American side of the border, we had the Ladies Aid of East Hodgdon. On the Canadian side there was a Women's Missionary Society. We decided since we couldn't cross over (I was Canadian at that time) we would have our picnic for both organizations on the Boundary Line Road in front of the Hodgdon Custom House. It worked out perfectly. The men set up improvised tables, plank seats, and the women cooked up the Banquet, for a Banquet it was! Feeding nearly one hundred people, children and of course men. We had a guest speaker, Mr. Fred Squires, a Lawyer and resident of Woodstock, and a member of Parliment in Fredericton. There were other speakers locally and singing of Star Spangled Banner and 0 Canada. We made the Boston paper because I suppose Mr. Polleys, who was head of Immigration and Customs in Houlton at that time. I do not recall and I can not find the name of the Head Custom at Boston or Baltimore, who also spoke.
East Hodgdon Memorial Float No.1
Floats got into our blood, I guess, for we put on a Memorial Float with East Hodgdon on back of a truck which was covered with greening we borrowed from Dunn's, and on the panel back of the cab we put "LEST WE FORGET" and I was able to get some silver tinsel 1/2 inch wide and Olive Duff cut out the letters and sewed the tinsel on. It was outstanding and a lot of work, It showed up very well and the flag below the Memorial was also made of cutouts or shall I say "poppys," Blanche Henderson with George Henderson cutting them out to make hundreds and hundreds of red poppys with the center of some dark bead. A lot of work and a lot of patriotism went into that Float for on the body with floor of green, rested hundreds of poppys to simulate a mound with which represented "Flanders Field" as best we could. Four children were supposed to be playing there. A T cross and a helmet was on the back. The children were Nina and Maxine McQuarrie, Mike London and Teddy Moran. Quite effective with limited means and we got a prize and Honorable Mention for that effort. Dana Dickinson drove that truck,
Our Memorial Float for the second year was a Tribute to the Unknown Soldier.
With greening on the floor of the truck and on the back of the cab, we had silver letters: "LEST WE FORGET" and the flags, on a mound of poppys, red and white stripes and silver stars on white background.
In the center of the platform was what we designated as the tomb. It was represented by four members of what could be a soldier family. My sister, Eva Grant Moran represented the mother, Dorothy London represented the wife, Wrenna Barton the sweetheart and Mike London the child. Each person knelt at each of the four corners of the tomb.
Keith Barton was the uniformed soldier on guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A Memorial Cross and the metal headcovering, called the helmet, were at the foot of the tomb.
This float for the Dairy Queen was our second effort. After considerable choosing by ballot. Audrey Duff was chosen Dairy Queen. This float was decorated in blue and white crepe paper. Hood of truck was white with blue streamers. Body side of truck, blue with white in center. Audrey, dressed in blue with crown of silver and bouquet of flowers, sat on back of the truck. Six girls with umbrellas sat on the body, dressed in both long and short gowns, but each had an umbrella that matched, three in blue and three in yellow. Baskets of flowers decorated front and back of the body of the truck. The Queen's attendants were Dorothy Sloat, Gloria Crane, Margaret Duff, Louise Griffin, Donna Duff and Donalene Bickford, Dana Dickinson drove the truck with Rowena Taylor riding with him.
We got Second Prize on that float.
The boys or young men wanted to get into the act so they got a truck with a low body, got a motor and pretended they were working on it. All the boys wore comic make-up. Emery Lincoln, Carl Duff, Kenny Neal, Henry and Keith Liston were the mechanics. Leonard Lincoln drove the truck.
The men bought crepe paper and did their best to decorate the body and the cab was very elaborate with blue red and white. They won a prize of $15.00 for Ken Duff. It was called Ken Duffs Garage.
I wonder who wrote me this letter. Some lunatic hath written me this letter. He hath written it upside down. I wonder if he thought I was going to read it standing on my head. Oh! Oh! from Sam. Oh yes, I see I had the letter upside down. America! Who do I know in America? I am glad he hath given me his address anyway. Yes sir, I see it's from Sam; I always know Sam's handwritting when I see it. My Dear Brother Sam always says, Sam always calls me brother, I suppose it's because his mother and my mother are the same woman and he never had any sisters. When we were lads we were boys together. They used to get off and old Proverb when they saw us coming, it was very good if I could only think of it. I never can recollect anything I can't remember. It is, t is-it is a wise child that knows his own father. For what nonsense that is for how could a child know his own father. There is another saying. It's the early child that gets the worm. What confounded nonsense is that! For what father would let his child gather worms and then there's fish of a feather, no, that's not right for fish don't have feathers. I know it's a rhyme. It's Birds of a Feather flock together. Birds of a feather just as if a whole folk of birds had only one feather. Why, they would all catch cold if only one bird had that feather and it would fly sidewise. Why, of course, they would flok together. Who ever heard tell of a bird being so foolish as to go off in some corner and flock by himself. I wrote you a letter some time ago that's a lie! He didn't write me no letter for if he'd written it he would have posted it and I would have got it. That's easy. Oh yes, I see but I dropped it into the office and forgot to direct it. I wonder who in the world got that letter. I wonder if the postman is running around asking for a fellar without a name, and if there is a fellar without a name. How does he know who he is anyway? I wonder if there was such a Cellar, could he get married? How could he ask his wife to take his name if he didn't have any? I have made a startling discovery! Sam's always doing something. He said I have discovered my mother is not my mother, that this old nurse is my mother and that I was changed at birth. How can a fellar be changed at his birth if he ain't himself? Who is he if Sam's mother is not his mother if the old nurse is his mother and if I am not his brother, who am I? That's one of the things a fellar has to find out. He says I have purchased an estate somewhere, don't the idiot know where he has bought it? On the banks of the Mississippi! Who in the world is Mississippi? I guess it is some mother-in-law. Sam got married. He was always a lucky fellar getting things he didn't want and hadn't any use for. Speaking of mother-in-laws, a I had a friend once who had a mother-in-law and he didn't like her pretty much and she felt the same about him. They went away in a steamer across the ocean and they got shipwrecked cast away in raft, and they floated around with their feet in the water, living on such things as they could pick-up like sardines, oranges, ice cream and other canned goods, and then when that was all gone, everybody went to eating everybody. Pretty soon only him and his mother-in-law was left and they played a game to see which one would be eaten. The mother-in- law lost. He used her well, he strapped her down and covered her gently and he said that was the only time he ever really enjoyed his mother-in-law.
More next time _____
Unknown Author
My Dear Sir:
In reply to your request to send a check, I wish to inform you that the present condition of my bank account makes it almost impossible. My shattered financial condition is due to the federal laws, state laws, county laws, corporation laws, and mother-in-laws and outlaws.
Through these laws I am compelled to pay the business tax, amusement tax, head tax, school tax, carpet tax, income tax and excise tax. Even my brains are taxed. I am required to get a business license, car license, hunting and fishing license, truck license not to mention dog license and marriage license.
I am required to contribute to every society and organization which the genius of man is capable of bringing to life," and society or John The Baptist Women's relief, unemployment relief and stomach relief also every hospital and charitable institution in the city, including Red Cross, Blue Cross, Black Cross and Double Cross.
For my safety I am required to carry life insurance, property insurance, burglar insurance, accident insurance, business insurance, earthquake insurance, tornado insurance, unemployment insurance, old age insurance and fire insurance.
My business is so governed that it is no easy matter for me to find out who owns it. I am inspected, suspected, disrespected, rejected, defeated, examined, reexamined, summoned, fined, commanded, and compelled until I provide an inexhaustable supply of money for every known need of the human race.
Simply because I refuse to donate something or other. I am boycotted, talked about, lied about, held up, held down until I am almost ruined.
Just a line to say I'm fine
That I'm not among the dead,
Tho' I'm getting more forgetful
And mixed up in the head.
For sometimes I can't remember
When I stand at the foot of the stair,'
If I must go up for something
or I've just come down from there.
And before the 'frig so often
My poor mind is filled with doubt,
Have I just put food away or
Have I some to take out.
And there's the times when it's dark outside
With my night-cap on my head,
I don't know if I'm retiring
or just getting out of bed.
So if it's my turn to write you
There's no need getting sore,
I may think I've written and
Don't want to be a bore.
So remember I do love you
And wish that you were here,
But now it's mail time
So I must say goodbye dear.
There I stood at the mail box
With my face so very red.
Instead of mailing you my letter
I've opened it instead.
-Unknown-