Kennebec Historical Society receives grant to preserve history

The Kennebec Historical Society emphasizes the collection of Kennebec County family and organizational documents and photographs. Twenty years ago, the society’s catalog was entirely on paper. At this point, however, it has been moved to a computer database available for interested researchers at their headquarters at 107 Winthrop Street in Augusta.

To stay current and useful to our clients, the Kennebec Historical Society believes that the next step is to move its database to the internet and offer not just indexes but also scanned images of complete documents, transcriptions of handwritten and printed documents, and images of photographs and other objects.

Although it will take some time and financial resources to get to that point, the KHS collections committee believes that now is the time to take steps in preparation. This means that as well as indexing documents using key words denoting subjects, locations, organizations, events, type of items, and names, so called this meta data, we need to start “digitizing” our items; that is, scanning photographs, using optical character recognition to convert printed items to text documents, and transcribing hand written documents. If we start doing this now, we won’t have to go back and do it later when we are ready to move to the internet. But this adds considerable time to the act of cataloging items. We have found that we are building up a backlog of uncatalogued materials as we purchase items and receive them as donations.

In February 2017, they applied to the Maine State Archives for a grant from the Historical Collections Grant Program, funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, to hire interns to help in the cataloging for the internet effort and therefore reduce or eliminate backlog. In March, they received notification that the request for $3,628.26 had been approved, in full. The request will cover hiring interns for the spring and fall and purchasing of supplies and computer hardware to support the “digitization” effort. Combining this with donations they receive to support summer interns should move them well on their way to elimination the immediate backlog.

Current researchers at the society will immediately see the results of this effort as records of newly cataloged items will contain full text transcriptions that can be read and/or printed at the society. Photographs will also be available for printing as will scans of documents.

Barbershop chorus elects officers

Maine-ly Harmony officers, from left to right, Cathy Anderson, of Jefferson, president; BJ Pellett, of Winthrop, vice president; Janet Dunham, of Belgrade, treasurer; Candace Pepin, of Augusta, secretary; Betty Avery, of Augusta, and LouAnn Mossler, of South China, members-at-large. Contributed photo

Mainely-Harmony women’s barbershop chorus held its election of officers for the 2017-18 season. The new board includes President Cathy Anderson, of Jefferson, Vice President BJ Pellett, of Winthrop, Treasurer Janet Dunham, of Belgrade, Secretary Candace Pepin, of Augusta, and members at large Betty Avery, of Augusta, and LouAnn Mossler, of South China. Officiating the ceremony was Dotti Meyer, of Jefferson, and representing the membership was Kathy Joyce, of Bowdoinham. The chorus, directed by Kathy Greason, of Brunswick, meets every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Salvation Army Church, 36 Eastern Ave., Augusta.

All women are invited to attend. For more information, contact Nancie at 293-4779 or email hugabook4@yahoo.com.

Area students named to Merrimack College fall dean’s list

Merrimack College, in North Andover, Massachusetts, has recognized two local students who have achieved dean’s list for Fall 2016:

Allison Leighton, of Oakland, and Leyna Tobey, of Augusta.

 

Area students named to Merrimack College fall semester dean’s list

Merrimack College, in North Andover, Massachusetts, has recognized two local students who have achieved dean’s list for Fall 2016:
Allison Leighton, of Oakland, and Leyna Tobey, of Augusta.

 

HCCA receives lead poisoning prevention grant

Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, serving southern Kennebec County, is delighted to have received a Lead Poisoning Prevention grant from the State of Maine Health and Human Services to reduce lead poisoning in Augusta and Gardiner. The grant, recognizing the interconnected nature of communities, provides support for a coalition with representatives from the cities of Augusta and Gardiner, landlords and organizations serving young families. This group will collaborate on ways to reduce childhood exposure to lead, and educate the public on best lead poisoning prevention practices. For more information, and to become involved, contact Project Coordinator, Karen Tucker at ktucker@mcd.org or 207.588.5012.

Isaac H. Gingras named to St. Lawrence University dean’s list

Isaac H. Gingras, of Augusta, has been selected for inclusion on St. Lawrence University’s dean’s list for academic achievement during the fall 2016 semester, in Canton, New York.

Gingras is a member of the class of 2018 and is majoring in government. Gingras attended Cony High School, in Augusta.

Kennebec Historical Society presents “Les Magasins” for March program

In 1952 there were at least 76 grocery stores in Augusta (Mannings). In addition, there were meat markets, fruit and vegetable stores, confectioneries, bakeries, fish stores and several drug stores. Most if not all were independently owned. Sand Hill, Augusta’s Franco-American neighborhood, had a larger concentration of neighborhood grocery stores – Magasins. Depending on the source, from 18 to 27 stores operated on Sand Hill at various times.

This 48-minute documentary explores the history of small, family-owned grocery stores located on Sand Hill in the early to late 20th century. Several former Sand Hill individuals whose families owned and operated neighborhood stores were interviewed to capture a representative sense of life on The Hill. The documentary uses historical photographs from the Kennebec Historical Society’s digital archive collection, as well as photos provided by the families themselves and St. Michael’s Parish. While the documentary focuses on Sand Hill, the broader story applies to the city as a whole, describing a close-knit community made up of shopkeepers in a time before big-box stores, malls and too many cars.

Speaker, Norm Rodrigue, was born in Augusta in 1949 and raised on Sand Hill, came from a family of seven children. His father and grandfather were classic Franco-American mill workers who worked at the Bates/Edwards Mill. He attended St. Augustine School and graduated from Cony High School. He earned a BA in English and a masters in public administration from the University of Maine at Orono and an MBA from Thomas College.

After a career in business, Norm retired and pursued his longstanding interest is still photography. His photos have been exhibited locally and have won several awards and his photo cards are sold at various local businesses. Recently, Norm took up videography and is using it to explore local history, another longstanding interest. Norm has produced two other videos including: Streams in the Seasons, a video depicting the sights and sounds of streams on Kennebec Land Trust properties spanning an entire year; and A Simpler Time, a video about three contemporary downtown Augusta tradesmen, showcasing early 20th century trades, including a milliner, cobbler and vintage audio/stereo repairman.

The Kennebec Historical Society March Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m., at Le Club Calumet, located at 334 West River Road in Augusta.

St. Lawrence University students study abroad

The following students will participate in an off-campus study abroad program for the Spring 2017 semester through St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Isaac H. Gingras, of Augusta. Gingras is a member of the class of 2018 and is majoring in government. Gingras graduated from Cony High School, in Augusta, and is participating in St. Lawrence University’s spring off-campus program in Washington, D.C., at The Washington Center.

Sydney A. Kahl, of Waterville. Kahl is a member of the class of 2018 and is majoring in environmental studies. Kahl graduated from Plymouth Regional High School, and is participating in St. Lawrence University’s spring off-campus program in New Zealand at University of Otago.

More than one half of St. Lawrence University students study off campus for a semester or longer during their undergraduate experience at either one its international or domestic study abroad program sites.

The Princeton Review ranked St. Lawrence seventh for Most Popular Study Abroad Programs in its Best 380 Colleges 2016 edition, while Best Choice Schools named St. Lawrence University one of the top-20 colleges in the nation for study abroad opportunities.

 

Beane Mount Ida College announces fall 2016 dean’s list

Eden Beane, a fashion merchandising and marketing major from Augusta, has been named to the Fall 2016 dean’s list at Mount Ida College, in Newton, Massachusetts, for achieving a GPA of 3.33 or higher.

Pages in Time: Growing up in Augusta…priceless! (Conclusion)

Pages In Timeby Milt Huntington

Conclusion (for part 1, please see Growing up in Augusta: Priceless)

Down at the other end of the street was the old Colonial Theater where Class-A pictures were shown. On Sunday, after week-long previews of coming attractions, we would be rewarded with musical extravaganzas starring Esther Williams, Bing Crosby or Jane Powell in living color or flicks like Casablanca, The Wolfman or war movies like Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. The Colonial played their movies continuously so we could sit through a good movie twice for the price of a single ticket.

Once in a cowboy thriller, an Indian chief, played by blue-eyed Jeff Chandler, stood in the middle of a pow-wow session, folded his arms and dramatically declared: “I walk away!” “Our Gang” had seen the movie once, but we stayed for a second showing to get back to that pow-wow scene again, when we stood in the theater, one by one, folded our arms and declared to the rest of the audience: “We walk away. People call them punks today. We were harmless “hooligans” then.

On the way home from the Colonial was Ed Houdlette’s Drug Store which was known to have a particularly vulnerable pin ball machine. We hung out there a lot because Mr. Houdlette was also nice to us.

Water Street is what I like to call a street of dreams because it conjures up so many memories of shops and businesses that vanished with our youth. Remember the five- and ten-cent stores that anchored the center of down town Augusta – McLellan’s, Kresge’s and Woolworth’s. We had ‘em all. I was a stock boy and soda jerk for the Kresge operation, but it suvived anyhow for awhile.

Then of course, we had JCPenny, D.W. Adams, Chernowsky’s, the Army-Navy Store, Lamey-Wellahan, Montgomery-Ward and Sears & Roebuck. A jewelry store graced the corner of Water Street and Bridge Street – A.J. Bilodeau’s. Another one sat on the corner between Farrell’s Clothing Store and the post office. It displayed a sign with a picture of a diamond ring. The caption stated: “I came here to talk for Joe,” a popular World War II love song. Speaking of Farrell’s, it once boasted just a single aisle between two counters with a little space downstairs where I bought all my Boy Scout gear and a tux for the senior prom. Nicholson & Ryan Jewelers was always there, it seems.

Near the bottom of Rines Hill was a liquor store where my father and grandfather liked to surreptitiously shop. They would always leave their change with the Salvation Army lassie who parked out front. Once, running an errand for my mother, I dropped some change into the lassie’s tambourine. When my mother questioned me about that, I replied: “That’s what Papa and Grampy always do.”

On the other end of Water Street were the beer parlors which gave the neighborhoods a shoddy reputation. Across the street was Allen’s Grocery Store. a fish market and Berry’s Cleaners. Depositor’s Trust Co. on Haymarket Square was on the ground floor of a six-story affair which is now the site of the Key Bank building. We’re talking ancient history, I know, but who can ever forget Stan Foster’s Smoke Shop next to the old Hotel North. He specialized in meals, smokes and some real great pin ball machines. Near the

Depot News was Al’s Barber Shop which took care of ducktail haircuts and crew cuts in the early years. His partner and relative bought him out and opened Pat’s Barber Shop at the other end of Water Street near the lights.

Swan Street and Water Street have undergone a lot of change in the last 60-plus years or so. Downtown was the main thoroughfare to all those movies, and it was the pathway to Cony High before the new bridge opened up. Most of those downtown places are now long gone, but the memories (some a little fuzzy now) will remain forever. I wouldn’t swap those memories for anything. Growing up in Augusta was as good as it gets.

Milt Huntington is the author of “A Lifetime of Laughter” and “Things That Make You Grin.”