2007
200711 January 2007
Dues are coming in on a steady basis. There are three new Life Members: Robert & Judith Bishop and Joanne Peabody Stewart.
22 February 2007
The first meeting of 2007 of the GHS will be held on March 24th at the Town Hall at 1:00 PM. There will be several items that need to be looked at by the members. The Friends and Family Day to be held on June 23rd will be the biggest topic of discussion. Committees will need to be set up once the group has decided on what we will be offering. Information from last year will be looked at, and it can be determined what worked and what did not. So please plan on attending this meeting, but between now and then, start thinking of what can be done to make this day a success.
1 March 2007
Just a reminder that the first meeting of 2007 will be on Saturday, March 24th at the Town Hall at 1:00 PM. Plans need to get underway for the Annual Event coming up in June.In light of the upcoming work that is to be done on Route 2, the following is an interesting bit of information that Randy Bennett reminded me about. It refers to landslides on Peaked Hill, which will be one of the major obstacles that will be encountered. The excerpt is from Benjamin G. Willey's Incidents in White Mountain History (1856). Willey writes, "During the terrible storm of 1826, when my brother's [Samuel Willey] family was destroyed at [Crawford] Notch, slides also took place on many of the mountains in this town. From Picked Hill came rushing down thousands of tons of earth, and rocks, and trees, and water, destroying all that lay in their path. No lives were lost, but the consternation of the inhabitants was great. The darkness was so intense as almost to be felt. The vivid lightnings and long streams of fire, covering the sides of the mountains, caused by the concussion of the rocks, only served to make the darkness more visible. Amid the deluge of rain, the terrific crashings of the thunder, and, over all, the deafening roar of the descending slides, it was impossible to make one's self heard. The valley rocked as though an earthquake was shaking the earth. The frightful scene did not last long; but, during its continuance, more terror was crowded into it than during an ordinary lifetime. The inhabitants under these mountains alone can appreciate the awful scene through which my brother and his family passed on that terrible night."
8 March 2007
Bill and Gale Tout stopped by this past weekend to drop off the financial report for the newsletter. The Spring Newsletter should be mailed out in April. It will contain information regarding the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Plans will be finalized at the meeting on March 24th. Hopefully, members of the GHS will attend this meeting with lots of ideas for the event in June and other events for the summer. The Gorham Historical Society is celebrating the centennial year of the 1907 Grand Trunk Railroad Station on Saturday, August 11th. They are hoping to have display tables set up and would like the Gilead Historical Society to be present.
15 March 2007
Richard Fraser has donated a couple of newspaper clippings (pictures of the old and new Androscoggin River bridges) and a letterhead from Geo. E. Leighton Company, that is dated June 20, 1910. Leighton’s Mill was a manufacturer of "Spool Lumber, Dowels and Bobbins," and was located behind the present Gerard Dupont residence. The letterhead also lists that they were a dealer in "General Merchandise: edgings, slabs, cordwood, lime and cement, and hay and feed." The Society has pictures of the mill, but, as always, we are looking for any information, pictures or text, that is out there, and available. The GHS will be glad to make copies of any material, so the originals can be kept if the donor does not wish to give them up.
22 March 2007
The GHS will hold a planning meeting on Saturday, March 24th, at the Town Hall at 1:00 pm. Hopefully, there will be several members that can attend to help with the planning of the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. There will also be discussions on various other topics that need to be taken care of. Joanne Peabody Stewart sent a few pictures to the GHS for use in the Spring newsletter. They are pictures of "Aunt May" Peabody. The Fall newsletter featured some of the letters that May had written on her trip through Europe in 1905. The Spring newsletter will include the rest of these letters. The following is an excerpt from one of her letters: “Tomorrow we leave Rome and spend the night in Assisi. There is an old church there with some famous frescoes by Giotto, which our artists are anxious to see. Thursday we go to Florence stopping for a few hours at Perugia on our way. We have seen the Pantheon. Of course we have been to picture galleries, which I shall not attempt to describe. I hope to have some photographs of these to show you when I get home. We have done the Vatican Museum and the Borghese Picture Gallery. Miss Lester has had audience with the Pope. The rest of us couldn’t because we did not have black dresses.”
29 March 2007
There were 17 members of the GHS at the Planning Meeting held on March 24th at the Town Hall. The main topic of the agenda was the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd, but a few other items were covered. The Gorham Historical Society is having a celebration on August 11, 2007, and the GHS has decided to participate. The 100th anniversary of the Grand Trunk Railroad Station at Gorham is the reason for the celebration. It is an all day event, and there will be a variety of activities planned. As time goes on, there will more information made available in this column. The GHS has also decided to award a scholarship to a graduating senior from Gilead. A group will get together when the weather is warmer and plant flowers in the barrels in front of the Town Hall. There were lots of ideas for the Friends and Family Day. There will be a parade in the morning, games for the children, skillet-tossing contest, music, ice cream and pie. The Gilead Fire Dept will sell lunch at the Fire Station. The next meeting will be another Planning Meeting for the June event and will be held on May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall.
5 April 2007
The newsletter for the GHS is beginning to take shape. Hopefully, it will be out in a couple of weeks. Plans for the Friends and Family Day are coming together and the members are working on their assignments and will be ready for the meeting in May. There will be more specifics coming on some of the events taking place in June.26 April 2007The GHS would like to extend a thank you to Robert and Judy Bishop for their generous donation to the fund, and to Randy Bennett for a donation to help support the GHS attending the Gorham Historical Society’s event on August 11th. It is greatly appreciated. The newsletter for Spring will be out soon and plans are coming together for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day. The GHS is planning on having a Yard Sale that day, so start thinking about items that could be donated. They would prefer no clothing or very large items (refrigerators, etc.). There will be more information later on when and where to donate.
10 May 2007
The GHS will be looking for donations for the Yard Sale table on June 23rd at the Friends and Family Day. These should be items in good condition and not large items. One of the drop off days will be June 12th at the Town Hall. If anyone has items to donate and cannot drop them off that day, call Lin at 836-2987 and other arrangements can be made. The next meeting of the GHS will be on May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall.
17 May 2007
This is another reminder that the planning meeting for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day is this Saturday, May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall. The GHS is going to need lots of help to make this event happen. It is a great way to get together once a year and visit. There will be a parade, music, a clown and children's games again this year.
24 May 2007
The GHS met on May 19th at the Town Hall. There were ten members who attended the planning meeting for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day. Jill Bujnowski is working on the Schedule of the Day’s Events. The parade will be at 10:00 am on Depot Street. The theme of the parade is “Nursery Rhymes.” Bobo the Clown will be there again this year to entertain the children. The big tent will be set up for people to gather under, have lunch and listen to music. The popular Skillet Toss will return with three divisions: Men, Women, and Kids. There will also be kid's games going on midday.Some of the events going on throughout the day are a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, yard sale (items are needed), historical displays, non-profit and historical society displays, and a Fire equipment display. The Gilead Fire Department will be at the Fire Station with their famous hamburgs, hot ogs and fries for sale for lunch. The GHS will be set up at the Fire Station selling pie and ice cream. At 2:15 pm there will be a historical talk by Stan Howe of the Bethel Historical Society on the history of the Grange. The Grange in Gilead used to meet at the Town Hall.31 May 2007Items are arriving for the Yard Sale to be held on the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Besides the Stewart's donations, the Bethel Historical Society passed on some of the items they had left over from their sale over the Memorial Day weekend.
7 June 2007
Plans are moving along for the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Items for the Yard Sale can be dropped off on June 12th during the day when the Town Hall is open for voting.14 June 2007There is only a little over a week until the Friends and Family Day celebration on June 23rd that will be centered at the Town Hall from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone and the GHS would love to see a big turnout. The day will start off with a children's parade at 10:00 am on Depot Street. This year’s theme will be Nursery Rhymes, so get together a costume and come and join the fun. Last year the children had a great time and there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Ribbons. Bobo the Clown will be back again this year and will be in the parade and will entertain afterwards. The big tent will be set up again to have a place to sit and listen to music (“Richard Felt Band” from Bryant Pond and “Dear Claudia” from the Portland area), eat lunch or just visit. The Gilead Fire Dept. will be at the station selling their delicious burgers, hot dogs and fries. The GHS will also be set up at the station selling homemade pies and ice cream. The ever popular Skillet Toss and Gold Coin Search will also be held around midday. Some of the other things that are happening are a 50/50 Raffle, Yard Sale, Historical Artifact Display, and a historical talk on the Grange and Grange Halls through the years by Dr. Stanley Howe from the Bethel Historical Society. There is still a need for items for the Yard Sale. Please, no big items such as refrigerators or stoves. If anyone would like to make a fruit pie to donate, please give us a call.
21 June 2007
There were two Gilead students who graduated from Telstar on June 8th. Both of these students received the Gilead Historical Society’s Scholarship. This is the first year that the scholarship was given out. Congratulations go to Brittany Cole and Jacquelyn Coffin.There was a final planning meeting for the Friends & Family Day held at the hall on June 16th. Everything has progressed quite well, and we are ready to go on June 23rd. The day begins at 9:00 am with everyone gathering for the 10:00 am parade with Bobo the Clown. Music under the tent begins at 11:00 with the “Richard Felt Band,” followed by “Dear Claudia” at 1:00 pm. The “Richard Felt Band” is well known in this area. They play at the dances at the Legion Halls, Grange Halls, and have performed at local Fairs. “Dear Claudia” is a new band from Portland with a modern day Carole King sound. This trio is just hitting the scene with a new album just around the corner. Something for everyone!From Noon until 1:30 pm there will be games for the children and the Skillet Toss. A historical talk given by Dr. Stanley Howe from the Bethel Historical Society will begin at 2:15 pm. Throughout the day, there will be a Yard Sale, 50/50 Raffle, Silent Auction, hamburgs & hot dogs, pies and ice cream. Ken Cole, along with Kim and Brittany, will be on hand during the day for horse and pony rides. Ken also plans on displaying a couple of his Classic Cars. See you there, Rain or Shine!
28 June 2007
The Second Friends and Family Day was held on Saturday, June 23rd. Those who braved the dismal weather seemed to have a good time. It took quite a lot of manpower to get set up since there was also a Yard Sale in the Town Hall. Thanks to the Peabody Tavern Antique Shop in Gilead for the many items he donated and to the Antique Shop in the Steam Mill for items, too. Tim Chapman was an enormous help to us this year. He was here almost every day during the week before the event and made several trips to the antique shops. He did most of the heavy lifting for anyone who needed help. Thanks to the members of the GHS that helped set up on Friday, since there were a lot of last minute things to do. Thanks to Fred Corriveau for helping with tables and chairs and thanks to Gould Academy for lending some to us. Thanks to the Bethel Historical Society for loaning us their freezer. They even delivered it and Steve McLain returned it.The GHS was the lucky recipient of a painting of the Peabody Tavern, the barn and a few other little buildings that used to be there. Joanne (Peabody) Stewart gave it to the GHS, and said that it was done many years ago by one of her ancestors. The area across from the Tavern was an open field instead of grown up like it is now. There will be more detail on this later.The parade began at 10:00 and was led by Little Bo Peep (AKA-Cathy McGuire) and just one of her sheep (AKA-Norm Buttrick). BoBo the Clown was there again this year to keep the children busy. He walked with them in the parade and did a show for them afterwards. The First Place Ribbon went to Octavia Hooper (almost 4 months old), who was dressed as an angel and carried by her mother Bethany. Second Place went to the Yankee Doodle Trio, William Chapman, Annie Chapman and Ajay Landry. Third Place Ribbon went to Sidney Chapman who was dressed as Little Miss Muffett and was accompanied by her spider. It was great to see all the children who came out for the parade. The Coin Search game went quite well and all the wooden nickels that were hidden were turned in for a gold dollar. Bev Corriveau kept the kids busy with other games throughout the afternoon. Michele Landry helped with the face painting and I believe on one of my trips by, I saw Alicia McLean helping, too. The Skillet Toss was well attended again this year, but due to an unfortunate accident, the largest skillet will probably not return next year. One of the throws left it with quite a chunk broken out of it. The winners in the men’s division were: First Place-Chris Hooper, Second Place-Richard Saunders, Third Place-Eric Muchemore. The winners in the women’s division were: First Place-Bethany Hooper, Second Place-Darlene Corriveau-Levesque, Third Place-Cathy McGuire. The winners in the children’s division were: First Place-Fabian Corriveau, Second Place-Conner Muchemore, Third Place-Austin Corriveau. There was a Yard Sale going on in the Town Hall all day along with historical items out for display. Some of the items were from the collection of artifacts that were given to the GHS from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, and others were from Steve and Lise McLain, Norm Buttrick and Hugh and Lin Chapman. There were several children who enjoyed riding on the horses and pony that were there throughout the day. Thanks to Ken Cole and his crew. Ken also brought some of his classic cars for people to enjoy. Richard Fraser, from Poland, Maine, brought his antique car and Jack Corriveau came along with his car and several people stopped to talk and ask questions. There were two bands that played for those who braved the wind blowing through the tent. Richard Felt and his group started out playing many old favorites. As they were finishing up, they asked for requests from the crowd. Since my granddaughter, Sidney, loves the song, You Are My Sunshine, I requested it. The band played and Sidney got to join in and sing along. The second band was a trio from Portland called Dear Claudia. They did a great job and while they were here, they got a booking for another event. The event ended with a talk by Dr. Stanley Howe of the Bethel Historical Society on the history of the Grange. He showed slides of some of the Grange buildings in the area. After the Historical Talk, a presentation was made to two members of the GHS for all the work they did during the Bicentennial and since then for the Society. The certificate read that the two people were made Honorary Members of the Gilead Historical Society in recognition for his/her dedication to the Gilead Historical Society. The recipients were Howard Reiche and Louise “Stevie” Reiche. They were unable to attend the event, but Congratulations to the both of you! The event was a lot of work for everyone, but worth it, if those who attended had a good time.
5 July 2007
The GHS is wrapping up after Friends and Family Day that was held on June 23rd. The Town Hall has been open this past weekend to try to sell more of the Yard Sale items that were left over and will be open a few more times when someone is available to tend it. After checking through the guest book, it was noted that there were approximately 140-150 people who attended the event. Considering the weather, that was quite a good turnout. Besides people from Gilead and many towns in Maine (Bethel, Albany Twp., Litchfield, Casco, Yarmouth, Greenwood, Portland, E. Baldwin, Falmouth, Augusta, Auburn, Norway, So. Paris, Saco, and Poland), there were people from Massachusetts, Virginia and New Hampshire.
12 July 2007
The GHS has had the Town Hall open a few times to try to sell the rest of the yard sale items. A lot of the items have sold and hopefully the rest will have gone to a yard sale given by another historical society this week.
19 July 2007
Things are quiet except for some info on members. Howard and Stevie Reiche have called a couple of times to check up on how things are going with all the bad weather. They saw all the news footage on television and hoped that everyone is fine. Robert and Judy Bishop from Yarmouth attended the Mineral Show over the weekend and looked at the storm pictures that I had brought. Heide Munro stopped by to see if the Yard Sale had been successfully wrapped up. Hugh and I delivered the leftover items to the Paris Cape Historical Society in South Paris. Bill and Cynthia Immonen met us to help unload.
Another member who appeared to help was John Davis and we got to visit with him. He attended the Mineral Show also and hand delivered his membership dues to the GHS. Glad to have him on board.
16 August 2007
There were a few members from the GHS who attended the lecture on “Minerals and Mining in Oxford County” by Vandall T. King that was presented on Friday evening at the Bethel Historical Society as part of Sudbury Canada Days. Besides Hugh and I, there were Bob and Judy Bishop and Heidi Munro. The topic was the history of the Bumpus Mine in Albany.The GHS went to Gorham, NH, to attend the Centennial Celebration of the 100 year old Grand Trunk Railroad Station. They had a great spot on the Common across from the Station where most of the activity was. There were four train rides offered and every one of them was full. Several people stopped by our table and asked questions about Gilead. Some were quite familiar with Gilead and Hastings and others were visitors to the area and were not. Even though there were a few books sold, the biggest seller was the mugs that are printed with “Gilead Historical Society.” There are still several left, so anyone should call if they are interested in purchasing one.
23 August 2007
There were several people who stopped by to check out the Book Sale at the Town Hall last weekend. Some had read the ad in the Citizen, but there were a few who were just traveling by and noticed the signs. Alice Strait was on hand to greet them and help them look for a book if they had a particular request. Alice is hoping to have another sale on September 1st when she has had a chance to go through a few more of the old library books.
30 August 2007
This past week the GHS met with some descendants of the Bennett family that was in Gilead years ago. Linda Westleigh, who is a Bennett descendant, called and set up the meeting and accompanied the group to the Town Hall. There was Lawrence Bennett and his wife, Christine, Laura Bennett Giles and Arlene Bennett Lyon. The GHS has a few items of interest to them and since their ancestor was an engineer on the Hastings Railroad, they were looking for information on that area. Alice had such a great time with the Library Book Sale a couple of weeks ago and is going to have another one this Saturday, September 1st, at the Town Hall from 9:00-Noon. There will also be a Yard Sale held at the same time at the Hall.
6 September 2007
Since there were several items donated for a Yard Sale, the GHS set up over the Labor Day weekend and raised a little money for the general fund. The next event for the GHS is the Annual Meeting. It will be held on Saturday, September 22nd at the Town Hall. The potluck supper will begin at 5:00 pm and will be followed by the business meeting. The public is invited to the supper and the GHS is hoping for a big turnout. Everyone just needs to bring a food item to share, gather up the family and join everyone at the Town Hall. The business meeting will begin around 6:30 pm. One of the items to be discussed is what events will be held next year and to set the date for the 2008 Annual Meeting. Be sure to come with plenty of ideas and how to carry them out.
13 September 2007
The final event for 2007 for the GHS is the Annual Meeting. It will be held on Saturday, September 22nd, at the Town Hall. The potluck supper will begin at 5:00 pm and will be followed by the business meeting around 6:30 pm. The GHS is hoping for a big turnout and that several members of the community and surrounding area will attend. Everyone just needs to bring a food item to share, gather up the family and join everyone at the Town Hall. At the business meeting, dates will be set for events next year.
27 September 2007
The GHS held its Annual Meeting on Saturday, September 22nd at the Town Hall. Before the meeting, there was a pot luck supper. There were 41 people who attended the supper and then about 20 stayed for the meeting. It was great to see such a nice turnout for the supper. There was plenty to eat and everyone had a great time. The President, Linsley Chapman, called the meeting to order, and there was a recap of what happened in 2007. The GHS awarded scholarships to two Telstar Seniors (Brittany Cole and Jackie Coffin), presented two Honorary Certificates to Howard and "Stevie" Reiche, attended the Gorham Historical Society’s Centennial Celebration of the 1907 railroad station, hosted Friends and Family Day for the community, did a Book Sale and a Yard Sale. The Annual Meeting was the last event for the year. A big thank you goes out to the members for all their help throughout the year. Then it was time to plan what the GHS will do in 2008. The date for Friends and Family Day was set for Saturday, June 21st. There will be planning meetings on March 29th, May 17th and June 14th. At the March meeting, plans will be finalized for the June 21st event. The Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper was set for September 27th at the Town Hall. The slate of officers will remain the same and Tammy MacDormand was reelected as Trustee for a 3 year period. Other officers are President, Linsley Chapman; Vice President, Beverley Corriveau; Secretary, Linsley Chapman; Treasurer, Bill Tout. The last item that needs to be done during 2007 is the Fall newsletter. This will be going out near the middle of November. The reminder for dues will be included since dues are payable by January 1st. Mary Tyler was present at the meeting and announced that she is beginning work on a web site for the Town of Gilead as part of the Oxford County GenWeb Project. There will be more information on this as she progresses and gets the information on the site.
4 October 2007
Plans are underway for the fall newsletter. There has recently been some interest from people in the surrounding area in membership in the GHS. Those who have called recently have ties with the town since their ancestors used to live here. I believe that John Davis of South Paris is out recruiting.
11 October 2007
The GHS would like to welcome a new member, Peter Collette, from South Paris, Maine. His family used to own Kimball’s Store in Gilead many years ago. Here is a bit of history about the store from The Smile of Providence, A History of Gilead, Maine: “. . . J. W. Kimball general store 1856-1886 and then became E. E. Kimball 1887-1924. It was located on the westerly side of Route 2 opposite the road to the bridge across the Androscoggin. It operated from the first floor of the large Kimball House.”
25 October 2007
Hugh and I decided that we should take advantage for this great weather and take some more pictures of the road construction on Route 2. A short while ago we recorded what the area looked like before the construction began, and today we stopped at the site where the blasting of the ledges will be done soon. We feel that this is an important event to keep track of for the future. We also took a walk to look at the railroad protection wall. This is a stonewall that was built to reinforce the steep bank between the railroad and the old road which ran along closer to the Androscoggin River than the present Route 2 does. It was quite interesting to see and is another point of interest that should be recorded by the GHS. Here is a little bit of history from the town records: “To Parmenio Peabody, one of the surveyors of highways in the Town of Gilead. We the subscribers, Selectmen of said town, do hereby assign to you to make and repair the highway within the following limits: Commencing at William Peabody’s barn and ending at a maple stump near the protection wall so called. Given under our hands at Gilead this 28 day of April 1876.”
1 November 2007
The newsletter is beginning to take shape. Since the amount of time that I can do keyboarding is limited, this project may take a little longer than expected. Hopefully, it will still be out around Thanksgiving.
22 November 2007
Two members of the GHS are participating in the updating of the Town of Gilead Comprehensive Plan. Hugh Chapman will be working on the Historical section and Norm Buttrick will be handling the Archaeological section. They will be putting together a brief history of Gilead that will be used as an introduction. They will also be mapping the locations of archaeological sites that would be of interest and should be looked at before any construction would happen on that site.The Fall newsletter is finally done! It will be out in the mail this week. The feature article is on schools that were in Gilead over the years.
29 November 2007
The GHS is growing all the time and there is so much to keep track of. Besides the regular information such as dues and monetary donations, there are items and pictures that need cataloging. The newsletter went out and things should be quiet for a little while until the next meeting in March. Members should be thinking about the event in June and other interesting things that the GHS could be doing throughout the year. The Spring newsletter will come out after the March meeting and have more information on what will be happening during 2008.
20 December 2007
The GHS has once again decorated the Town Hall for Christmas. The large wreath was made by Audrey Brooke and her crew, and put up by Hugh Chapman. Audrey does such a beautiful job every year.
Dues are coming in on a steady basis. There are three new Life Members: Robert & Judith Bishop and Joanne Peabody Stewart.
22 February 2007
The first meeting of 2007 of the GHS will be held on March 24th at the Town Hall at 1:00 PM. There will be several items that need to be looked at by the members. The Friends and Family Day to be held on June 23rd will be the biggest topic of discussion. Committees will need to be set up once the group has decided on what we will be offering. Information from last year will be looked at, and it can be determined what worked and what did not. So please plan on attending this meeting, but between now and then, start thinking of what can be done to make this day a success.
1 March 2007
Just a reminder that the first meeting of 2007 will be on Saturday, March 24th at the Town Hall at 1:00 PM. Plans need to get underway for the Annual Event coming up in June.In light of the upcoming work that is to be done on Route 2, the following is an interesting bit of information that Randy Bennett reminded me about. It refers to landslides on Peaked Hill, which will be one of the major obstacles that will be encountered. The excerpt is from Benjamin G. Willey's Incidents in White Mountain History (1856). Willey writes, "During the terrible storm of 1826, when my brother's [Samuel Willey] family was destroyed at [Crawford] Notch, slides also took place on many of the mountains in this town. From Picked Hill came rushing down thousands of tons of earth, and rocks, and trees, and water, destroying all that lay in their path. No lives were lost, but the consternation of the inhabitants was great. The darkness was so intense as almost to be felt. The vivid lightnings and long streams of fire, covering the sides of the mountains, caused by the concussion of the rocks, only served to make the darkness more visible. Amid the deluge of rain, the terrific crashings of the thunder, and, over all, the deafening roar of the descending slides, it was impossible to make one's self heard. The valley rocked as though an earthquake was shaking the earth. The frightful scene did not last long; but, during its continuance, more terror was crowded into it than during an ordinary lifetime. The inhabitants under these mountains alone can appreciate the awful scene through which my brother and his family passed on that terrible night."
8 March 2007
Bill and Gale Tout stopped by this past weekend to drop off the financial report for the newsletter. The Spring Newsletter should be mailed out in April. It will contain information regarding the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Plans will be finalized at the meeting on March 24th. Hopefully, members of the GHS will attend this meeting with lots of ideas for the event in June and other events for the summer. The Gorham Historical Society is celebrating the centennial year of the 1907 Grand Trunk Railroad Station on Saturday, August 11th. They are hoping to have display tables set up and would like the Gilead Historical Society to be present.
15 March 2007
Richard Fraser has donated a couple of newspaper clippings (pictures of the old and new Androscoggin River bridges) and a letterhead from Geo. E. Leighton Company, that is dated June 20, 1910. Leighton’s Mill was a manufacturer of "Spool Lumber, Dowels and Bobbins," and was located behind the present Gerard Dupont residence. The letterhead also lists that they were a dealer in "General Merchandise: edgings, slabs, cordwood, lime and cement, and hay and feed." The Society has pictures of the mill, but, as always, we are looking for any information, pictures or text, that is out there, and available. The GHS will be glad to make copies of any material, so the originals can be kept if the donor does not wish to give them up.
22 March 2007
The GHS will hold a planning meeting on Saturday, March 24th, at the Town Hall at 1:00 pm. Hopefully, there will be several members that can attend to help with the planning of the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. There will also be discussions on various other topics that need to be taken care of. Joanne Peabody Stewart sent a few pictures to the GHS for use in the Spring newsletter. They are pictures of "Aunt May" Peabody. The Fall newsletter featured some of the letters that May had written on her trip through Europe in 1905. The Spring newsletter will include the rest of these letters. The following is an excerpt from one of her letters: “Tomorrow we leave Rome and spend the night in Assisi. There is an old church there with some famous frescoes by Giotto, which our artists are anxious to see. Thursday we go to Florence stopping for a few hours at Perugia on our way. We have seen the Pantheon. Of course we have been to picture galleries, which I shall not attempt to describe. I hope to have some photographs of these to show you when I get home. We have done the Vatican Museum and the Borghese Picture Gallery. Miss Lester has had audience with the Pope. The rest of us couldn’t because we did not have black dresses.”
29 March 2007
There were 17 members of the GHS at the Planning Meeting held on March 24th at the Town Hall. The main topic of the agenda was the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd, but a few other items were covered. The Gorham Historical Society is having a celebration on August 11, 2007, and the GHS has decided to participate. The 100th anniversary of the Grand Trunk Railroad Station at Gorham is the reason for the celebration. It is an all day event, and there will be a variety of activities planned. As time goes on, there will more information made available in this column. The GHS has also decided to award a scholarship to a graduating senior from Gilead. A group will get together when the weather is warmer and plant flowers in the barrels in front of the Town Hall. There were lots of ideas for the Friends and Family Day. There will be a parade in the morning, games for the children, skillet-tossing contest, music, ice cream and pie. The Gilead Fire Dept will sell lunch at the Fire Station. The next meeting will be another Planning Meeting for the June event and will be held on May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall.
5 April 2007
The newsletter for the GHS is beginning to take shape. Hopefully, it will be out in a couple of weeks. Plans for the Friends and Family Day are coming together and the members are working on their assignments and will be ready for the meeting in May. There will be more specifics coming on some of the events taking place in June.26 April 2007The GHS would like to extend a thank you to Robert and Judy Bishop for their generous donation to the fund, and to Randy Bennett for a donation to help support the GHS attending the Gorham Historical Society’s event on August 11th. It is greatly appreciated. The newsletter for Spring will be out soon and plans are coming together for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day. The GHS is planning on having a Yard Sale that day, so start thinking about items that could be donated. They would prefer no clothing or very large items (refrigerators, etc.). There will be more information later on when and where to donate.
10 May 2007
The GHS will be looking for donations for the Yard Sale table on June 23rd at the Friends and Family Day. These should be items in good condition and not large items. One of the drop off days will be June 12th at the Town Hall. If anyone has items to donate and cannot drop them off that day, call Lin at 836-2987 and other arrangements can be made. The next meeting of the GHS will be on May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall.
17 May 2007
This is another reminder that the planning meeting for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day is this Saturday, May 19th at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall. The GHS is going to need lots of help to make this event happen. It is a great way to get together once a year and visit. There will be a parade, music, a clown and children's games again this year.
24 May 2007
The GHS met on May 19th at the Town Hall. There were ten members who attended the planning meeting for the June 23rd Friends and Family Day. Jill Bujnowski is working on the Schedule of the Day’s Events. The parade will be at 10:00 am on Depot Street. The theme of the parade is “Nursery Rhymes.” Bobo the Clown will be there again this year to entertain the children. The big tent will be set up for people to gather under, have lunch and listen to music. The popular Skillet Toss will return with three divisions: Men, Women, and Kids. There will also be kid's games going on midday.Some of the events going on throughout the day are a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, yard sale (items are needed), historical displays, non-profit and historical society displays, and a Fire equipment display. The Gilead Fire Department will be at the Fire Station with their famous hamburgs, hot ogs and fries for sale for lunch. The GHS will be set up at the Fire Station selling pie and ice cream. At 2:15 pm there will be a historical talk by Stan Howe of the Bethel Historical Society on the history of the Grange. The Grange in Gilead used to meet at the Town Hall.31 May 2007Items are arriving for the Yard Sale to be held on the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Besides the Stewart's donations, the Bethel Historical Society passed on some of the items they had left over from their sale over the Memorial Day weekend.
7 June 2007
Plans are moving along for the Friends and Family Day on June 23rd. Items for the Yard Sale can be dropped off on June 12th during the day when the Town Hall is open for voting.14 June 2007There is only a little over a week until the Friends and Family Day celebration on June 23rd that will be centered at the Town Hall from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone and the GHS would love to see a big turnout. The day will start off with a children's parade at 10:00 am on Depot Street. This year’s theme will be Nursery Rhymes, so get together a costume and come and join the fun. Last year the children had a great time and there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Ribbons. Bobo the Clown will be back again this year and will be in the parade and will entertain afterwards. The big tent will be set up again to have a place to sit and listen to music (“Richard Felt Band” from Bryant Pond and “Dear Claudia” from the Portland area), eat lunch or just visit. The Gilead Fire Dept. will be at the station selling their delicious burgers, hot dogs and fries. The GHS will also be set up at the station selling homemade pies and ice cream. The ever popular Skillet Toss and Gold Coin Search will also be held around midday. Some of the other things that are happening are a 50/50 Raffle, Yard Sale, Historical Artifact Display, and a historical talk on the Grange and Grange Halls through the years by Dr. Stanley Howe from the Bethel Historical Society. There is still a need for items for the Yard Sale. Please, no big items such as refrigerators or stoves. If anyone would like to make a fruit pie to donate, please give us a call.
21 June 2007
There were two Gilead students who graduated from Telstar on June 8th. Both of these students received the Gilead Historical Society’s Scholarship. This is the first year that the scholarship was given out. Congratulations go to Brittany Cole and Jacquelyn Coffin.There was a final planning meeting for the Friends & Family Day held at the hall on June 16th. Everything has progressed quite well, and we are ready to go on June 23rd. The day begins at 9:00 am with everyone gathering for the 10:00 am parade with Bobo the Clown. Music under the tent begins at 11:00 with the “Richard Felt Band,” followed by “Dear Claudia” at 1:00 pm. The “Richard Felt Band” is well known in this area. They play at the dances at the Legion Halls, Grange Halls, and have performed at local Fairs. “Dear Claudia” is a new band from Portland with a modern day Carole King sound. This trio is just hitting the scene with a new album just around the corner. Something for everyone!From Noon until 1:30 pm there will be games for the children and the Skillet Toss. A historical talk given by Dr. Stanley Howe from the Bethel Historical Society will begin at 2:15 pm. Throughout the day, there will be a Yard Sale, 50/50 Raffle, Silent Auction, hamburgs & hot dogs, pies and ice cream. Ken Cole, along with Kim and Brittany, will be on hand during the day for horse and pony rides. Ken also plans on displaying a couple of his Classic Cars. See you there, Rain or Shine!
28 June 2007
The Second Friends and Family Day was held on Saturday, June 23rd. Those who braved the dismal weather seemed to have a good time. It took quite a lot of manpower to get set up since there was also a Yard Sale in the Town Hall. Thanks to the Peabody Tavern Antique Shop in Gilead for the many items he donated and to the Antique Shop in the Steam Mill for items, too. Tim Chapman was an enormous help to us this year. He was here almost every day during the week before the event and made several trips to the antique shops. He did most of the heavy lifting for anyone who needed help. Thanks to the members of the GHS that helped set up on Friday, since there were a lot of last minute things to do. Thanks to Fred Corriveau for helping with tables and chairs and thanks to Gould Academy for lending some to us. Thanks to the Bethel Historical Society for loaning us their freezer. They even delivered it and Steve McLain returned it.The GHS was the lucky recipient of a painting of the Peabody Tavern, the barn and a few other little buildings that used to be there. Joanne (Peabody) Stewart gave it to the GHS, and said that it was done many years ago by one of her ancestors. The area across from the Tavern was an open field instead of grown up like it is now. There will be more detail on this later.The parade began at 10:00 and was led by Little Bo Peep (AKA-Cathy McGuire) and just one of her sheep (AKA-Norm Buttrick). BoBo the Clown was there again this year to keep the children busy. He walked with them in the parade and did a show for them afterwards. The First Place Ribbon went to Octavia Hooper (almost 4 months old), who was dressed as an angel and carried by her mother Bethany. Second Place went to the Yankee Doodle Trio, William Chapman, Annie Chapman and Ajay Landry. Third Place Ribbon went to Sidney Chapman who was dressed as Little Miss Muffett and was accompanied by her spider. It was great to see all the children who came out for the parade. The Coin Search game went quite well and all the wooden nickels that were hidden were turned in for a gold dollar. Bev Corriveau kept the kids busy with other games throughout the afternoon. Michele Landry helped with the face painting and I believe on one of my trips by, I saw Alicia McLean helping, too. The Skillet Toss was well attended again this year, but due to an unfortunate accident, the largest skillet will probably not return next year. One of the throws left it with quite a chunk broken out of it. The winners in the men’s division were: First Place-Chris Hooper, Second Place-Richard Saunders, Third Place-Eric Muchemore. The winners in the women’s division were: First Place-Bethany Hooper, Second Place-Darlene Corriveau-Levesque, Third Place-Cathy McGuire. The winners in the children’s division were: First Place-Fabian Corriveau, Second Place-Conner Muchemore, Third Place-Austin Corriveau. There was a Yard Sale going on in the Town Hall all day along with historical items out for display. Some of the items were from the collection of artifacts that were given to the GHS from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, and others were from Steve and Lise McLain, Norm Buttrick and Hugh and Lin Chapman. There were several children who enjoyed riding on the horses and pony that were there throughout the day. Thanks to Ken Cole and his crew. Ken also brought some of his classic cars for people to enjoy. Richard Fraser, from Poland, Maine, brought his antique car and Jack Corriveau came along with his car and several people stopped to talk and ask questions. There were two bands that played for those who braved the wind blowing through the tent. Richard Felt and his group started out playing many old favorites. As they were finishing up, they asked for requests from the crowd. Since my granddaughter, Sidney, loves the song, You Are My Sunshine, I requested it. The band played and Sidney got to join in and sing along. The second band was a trio from Portland called Dear Claudia. They did a great job and while they were here, they got a booking for another event. The event ended with a talk by Dr. Stanley Howe of the Bethel Historical Society on the history of the Grange. He showed slides of some of the Grange buildings in the area. After the Historical Talk, a presentation was made to two members of the GHS for all the work they did during the Bicentennial and since then for the Society. The certificate read that the two people were made Honorary Members of the Gilead Historical Society in recognition for his/her dedication to the Gilead Historical Society. The recipients were Howard Reiche and Louise “Stevie” Reiche. They were unable to attend the event, but Congratulations to the both of you! The event was a lot of work for everyone, but worth it, if those who attended had a good time.
5 July 2007
The GHS is wrapping up after Friends and Family Day that was held on June 23rd. The Town Hall has been open this past weekend to try to sell more of the Yard Sale items that were left over and will be open a few more times when someone is available to tend it. After checking through the guest book, it was noted that there were approximately 140-150 people who attended the event. Considering the weather, that was quite a good turnout. Besides people from Gilead and many towns in Maine (Bethel, Albany Twp., Litchfield, Casco, Yarmouth, Greenwood, Portland, E. Baldwin, Falmouth, Augusta, Auburn, Norway, So. Paris, Saco, and Poland), there were people from Massachusetts, Virginia and New Hampshire.
12 July 2007
The GHS has had the Town Hall open a few times to try to sell the rest of the yard sale items. A lot of the items have sold and hopefully the rest will have gone to a yard sale given by another historical society this week.
19 July 2007
Things are quiet except for some info on members. Howard and Stevie Reiche have called a couple of times to check up on how things are going with all the bad weather. They saw all the news footage on television and hoped that everyone is fine. Robert and Judy Bishop from Yarmouth attended the Mineral Show over the weekend and looked at the storm pictures that I had brought. Heide Munro stopped by to see if the Yard Sale had been successfully wrapped up. Hugh and I delivered the leftover items to the Paris Cape Historical Society in South Paris. Bill and Cynthia Immonen met us to help unload.
Another member who appeared to help was John Davis and we got to visit with him. He attended the Mineral Show also and hand delivered his membership dues to the GHS. Glad to have him on board.
16 August 2007
There were a few members from the GHS who attended the lecture on “Minerals and Mining in Oxford County” by Vandall T. King that was presented on Friday evening at the Bethel Historical Society as part of Sudbury Canada Days. Besides Hugh and I, there were Bob and Judy Bishop and Heidi Munro. The topic was the history of the Bumpus Mine in Albany.The GHS went to Gorham, NH, to attend the Centennial Celebration of the 100 year old Grand Trunk Railroad Station. They had a great spot on the Common across from the Station where most of the activity was. There were four train rides offered and every one of them was full. Several people stopped by our table and asked questions about Gilead. Some were quite familiar with Gilead and Hastings and others were visitors to the area and were not. Even though there were a few books sold, the biggest seller was the mugs that are printed with “Gilead Historical Society.” There are still several left, so anyone should call if they are interested in purchasing one.
23 August 2007
There were several people who stopped by to check out the Book Sale at the Town Hall last weekend. Some had read the ad in the Citizen, but there were a few who were just traveling by and noticed the signs. Alice Strait was on hand to greet them and help them look for a book if they had a particular request. Alice is hoping to have another sale on September 1st when she has had a chance to go through a few more of the old library books.
30 August 2007
This past week the GHS met with some descendants of the Bennett family that was in Gilead years ago. Linda Westleigh, who is a Bennett descendant, called and set up the meeting and accompanied the group to the Town Hall. There was Lawrence Bennett and his wife, Christine, Laura Bennett Giles and Arlene Bennett Lyon. The GHS has a few items of interest to them and since their ancestor was an engineer on the Hastings Railroad, they were looking for information on that area. Alice had such a great time with the Library Book Sale a couple of weeks ago and is going to have another one this Saturday, September 1st, at the Town Hall from 9:00-Noon. There will also be a Yard Sale held at the same time at the Hall.
6 September 2007
Since there were several items donated for a Yard Sale, the GHS set up over the Labor Day weekend and raised a little money for the general fund. The next event for the GHS is the Annual Meeting. It will be held on Saturday, September 22nd at the Town Hall. The potluck supper will begin at 5:00 pm and will be followed by the business meeting. The public is invited to the supper and the GHS is hoping for a big turnout. Everyone just needs to bring a food item to share, gather up the family and join everyone at the Town Hall. The business meeting will begin around 6:30 pm. One of the items to be discussed is what events will be held next year and to set the date for the 2008 Annual Meeting. Be sure to come with plenty of ideas and how to carry them out.
13 September 2007
The final event for 2007 for the GHS is the Annual Meeting. It will be held on Saturday, September 22nd, at the Town Hall. The potluck supper will begin at 5:00 pm and will be followed by the business meeting around 6:30 pm. The GHS is hoping for a big turnout and that several members of the community and surrounding area will attend. Everyone just needs to bring a food item to share, gather up the family and join everyone at the Town Hall. At the business meeting, dates will be set for events next year.
27 September 2007
The GHS held its Annual Meeting on Saturday, September 22nd at the Town Hall. Before the meeting, there was a pot luck supper. There were 41 people who attended the supper and then about 20 stayed for the meeting. It was great to see such a nice turnout for the supper. There was plenty to eat and everyone had a great time. The President, Linsley Chapman, called the meeting to order, and there was a recap of what happened in 2007. The GHS awarded scholarships to two Telstar Seniors (Brittany Cole and Jackie Coffin), presented two Honorary Certificates to Howard and "Stevie" Reiche, attended the Gorham Historical Society’s Centennial Celebration of the 1907 railroad station, hosted Friends and Family Day for the community, did a Book Sale and a Yard Sale. The Annual Meeting was the last event for the year. A big thank you goes out to the members for all their help throughout the year. Then it was time to plan what the GHS will do in 2008. The date for Friends and Family Day was set for Saturday, June 21st. There will be planning meetings on March 29th, May 17th and June 14th. At the March meeting, plans will be finalized for the June 21st event. The Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper was set for September 27th at the Town Hall. The slate of officers will remain the same and Tammy MacDormand was reelected as Trustee for a 3 year period. Other officers are President, Linsley Chapman; Vice President, Beverley Corriveau; Secretary, Linsley Chapman; Treasurer, Bill Tout. The last item that needs to be done during 2007 is the Fall newsletter. This will be going out near the middle of November. The reminder for dues will be included since dues are payable by January 1st. Mary Tyler was present at the meeting and announced that she is beginning work on a web site for the Town of Gilead as part of the Oxford County GenWeb Project. There will be more information on this as she progresses and gets the information on the site.
4 October 2007
Plans are underway for the fall newsletter. There has recently been some interest from people in the surrounding area in membership in the GHS. Those who have called recently have ties with the town since their ancestors used to live here. I believe that John Davis of South Paris is out recruiting.
11 October 2007
The GHS would like to welcome a new member, Peter Collette, from South Paris, Maine. His family used to own Kimball’s Store in Gilead many years ago. Here is a bit of history about the store from The Smile of Providence, A History of Gilead, Maine: “. . . J. W. Kimball general store 1856-1886 and then became E. E. Kimball 1887-1924. It was located on the westerly side of Route 2 opposite the road to the bridge across the Androscoggin. It operated from the first floor of the large Kimball House.”
25 October 2007
Hugh and I decided that we should take advantage for this great weather and take some more pictures of the road construction on Route 2. A short while ago we recorded what the area looked like before the construction began, and today we stopped at the site where the blasting of the ledges will be done soon. We feel that this is an important event to keep track of for the future. We also took a walk to look at the railroad protection wall. This is a stonewall that was built to reinforce the steep bank between the railroad and the old road which ran along closer to the Androscoggin River than the present Route 2 does. It was quite interesting to see and is another point of interest that should be recorded by the GHS. Here is a little bit of history from the town records: “To Parmenio Peabody, one of the surveyors of highways in the Town of Gilead. We the subscribers, Selectmen of said town, do hereby assign to you to make and repair the highway within the following limits: Commencing at William Peabody’s barn and ending at a maple stump near the protection wall so called. Given under our hands at Gilead this 28 day of April 1876.”
1 November 2007
The newsletter is beginning to take shape. Since the amount of time that I can do keyboarding is limited, this project may take a little longer than expected. Hopefully, it will still be out around Thanksgiving.
22 November 2007
Two members of the GHS are participating in the updating of the Town of Gilead Comprehensive Plan. Hugh Chapman will be working on the Historical section and Norm Buttrick will be handling the Archaeological section. They will be putting together a brief history of Gilead that will be used as an introduction. They will also be mapping the locations of archaeological sites that would be of interest and should be looked at before any construction would happen on that site.The Fall newsletter is finally done! It will be out in the mail this week. The feature article is on schools that were in Gilead over the years.
29 November 2007
The GHS is growing all the time and there is so much to keep track of. Besides the regular information such as dues and monetary donations, there are items and pictures that need cataloging. The newsletter went out and things should be quiet for a little while until the next meeting in March. Members should be thinking about the event in June and other interesting things that the GHS could be doing throughout the year. The Spring newsletter will come out after the March meeting and have more information on what will be happening during 2008.
20 December 2007
The GHS has once again decorated the Town Hall for Christmas. The large wreath was made by Audrey Brooke and her crew, and put up by Hugh Chapman. Audrey does such a beautiful job every year.