Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Caring for the poor – Part 2

Augusta city farm, circa 1932.

by Mary Grow

How towns cared for their poor

This article will continue the theme started June 14, how central Kennebec Valley towns took care of their poor residents, jumping across the Kennebec River from Augusta and Sidney to Vassalboro, Windsor, Palermo and China. The focus will remain – mostly – on the 19th century.

The excerpts about caring for the poor that Alma Pierce Robbins chose to quote from official records in her Vassalboro history are tantalizing. Although the first selectmen were elected May 22, 1771, it was not until 1793, the year after Sidney became a separate town from Vassalboro, that the selectmen were also titled overseers, presumably overseers of the poor.

The first mention of a “work house” Robbins found in town records was a discussion at a meeting sometime between 1807 and 1810. In 1811, she wrote, a blacksmith named John Roberts bid $140 to care for Vassalboro’s poor families – she did not say how many families or people.

In 1812, Robbins found, voters agreed to “hire a house for the Poor,” and the next year they paid Roberts $200 for a specified two acres plus “the premises now occupied as a Poor House.”

By 1829, Vassalboro’s paupers were again being bid off. That year, Robbins wrote, Alexander Gardner was the successful bidder, asking for $669.

In 1831, voters went back to providing a poor house. The Roberts farm having been sold, the town paid $1,371.50 to the heirs of Elihu Getchell, Jr., for a property that was designated the new “Town Farm.”

This building was called the Town House by 1845, when voters directed selectmen to buy “a stove and funnell [sic] to warm the Town House.”

In 1852, it was the town farm: town officials spent $2,282.27 for “a new ‘set of buildings.'” In 1867, records said Thomas S. Lang donated $150 of the $230.89 spent for repairs to the town house; and Robbins found another $100 appropriated in 1888.

An 1886 action that Robbins reported suggests where this poor house or farm was located. That year, she found, officials planned to lay out a road from Foster’s mill to the farm “on the west side of the Pond.”

Foster’s mill, according to Henry Kingsbury’s Kennebec Country history, was on Seven Mile Stream, the farthest upstream of several mills using the stream’s water power. Since Seven Mile Stream runs from Webber Pond to the Kennebec River, it seems probable that the town farm was on the west side of Webber Pond.

The farm was still operating in 1931, when Harold Taylor, of East Vassalboro (many residents will remember his daughter, Elizabeth “Betty” Taylor, and a few might remember him), repaired its windmill. It was sold in 1945, for $9,805.88, Robbins found.

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Linwood Lowden included a section on care of the destitute in his Windsor history. Examples he selected from the first half of the 19th century indicate that Windsor (the town that was named Malta from 1809 to 1820, Gerry for two years, and Windsor after 1822) alternated between providing a poor house or farm and bidding off paupers, with other measures taken intermittently.

The first report he cited was from a March 1813 town report at which voters were asked if they wanted to build a work house or choose another method. On April 5, they voted to turn the house described as “Joseph Linscotts Meiggs house at his mills” into a “work house for the poor,” with Linscott the overseer. Lowden believed the house was at Maxcy’s Mills on the west branch of the Sheepscot River, in the southeastern part of town.

On Aug. 3, 1815, town meeting voters moved the poor house to a house Joseph Norris owned near his “dwelling house” on the east side of the Sheepscot. Lowden located this house on the Cooper’s Mills Road, a little south of Maxcy’s Mills.

On April 1, 1822, voters moved the poor again, to “John Cottle’s old house,” with Cottle the overseer. Lowden located this house only by original and 1993 owners (Jabez Meiggs and Bernard Dow).

Another house that Lowden called “Linscotts Chadwick house” often housed paupers. In 1816, for example, voters said David Linn’s wife and children could live on the porch and their cow could graze on the Chadwick land, with the selectmen to determine how much to pay Linscott.

(Lowden did not explain, and your writer declines to guess, why the two houses had double names.)

Other town meeting decisions in 1816 and following years:

  • A widow named Betsey Trask and another woman named Molly Proctor were to be given half a bushel of corn every Monday.
  • Three of Molly Proctor’s sons were bid off, two to their uncle Jonas Proctor and the third to Robert Hutchinson.
  • In 1818, the Kennebec County Probate Court granted Calvin McCurda guardianship over five younger brothers and sisters. Lowden explained that their father died in the War of 1812 and “there were pension funds to provide a financial base for the family.”

On April 4, 1837, Lowden wrote, Windsor voters decided to buy a poor farm. They appointed a three-man committee, who bought Thomas J. Pierce’s 90-acre farm.

(Editor’s note:) The possible location of the town farm in Vassalboro, on the west side of Webber Pond. The large island is referred to as Town Farm Island, in an area that was farm land before the dam was installed to form the lake as it is today. The rock lined road to the farm still exists under water.

The farm, Lowden said, was on both side of Route 2 north of the Windsor four corners, partly on the south side of Choate Road, which intersects Route 32 from the east. The farm buildings were on the west side of Route 32.

Lowden surmised that the vote was hotly debated and close. At another meeting a month later, he wrote, voters approved selling the farm and contents; in November 1837, George Briggs of Augusta bought it for $135.

In following years, Lowden wrote, voters went back to bidding off the poor, apparently as a group. In 1848, he wrote, Richard Moody offered to assume the responsibility for $425. Part of the job was to send pauper children to school and provide their school books.

* * * * * *

In Palermo, according to Millard Howard’s history, there was a poor farm for many years, operated as “a private enterprise” rather than owned by the town. Other paupers were bid out; or a relative was compensated for providing room and board.

In 1846, Howard wrote, James A. Huntoon, who was supporting Malvina Huntoon at town expense, “received payment for large quantities of port wine and brandy (medicinal, I assume).”

Howard described the indenture system that Palermo, and other towns, provided for minors who fell into poverty. He gave an 1848 example: after Elvira Brown became a town charge, the Palermo overseers of the poor bound out her son Arthur as an apprentice to a farmer named Charles Hathorn. Brown was to work for Hathorn from March 8, 1848, to Oct. 13, 1865, when he turned 21.

(Your writer notes that these dates say that Brown was not yet four years old when he was apprenticed.)

In return for Brown’s labor, Hathorn agreed to train him as a farmer; to teach him to “read, write and cypher”; and to provide “sufficient clothing food and necessaries both in sickness and health.”

Another issue that Howard discussed at more length than other historians was disputes among towns as to which one was responsible for a pauper who moved around. The rule was that wherever the pauper established “settlement,” that town was responsible. Such disputes seemed especially numerous in the 1840s, he commented.

For instance, in 1843, Howard said, Palermo went to court against Clinton, claiming a family named Chamberlain was not Palermo’s responsibility. Alas for Palermo, the court found that in 1823, Palermo had assisted the Chamberlains, thus assuming responsibility. The case cost Palermo $149.24 in damages paid to Clinton and another $50.26 in legal expenses.

On the other hand, Howard found an instance of cooperation between two towns’ officials: in March 1857, Freedom overseers warned Palermo officials not to be generous if a “smart, healthy young woman in her teens” who “seems very willing, if not desirous, to be a town pauper” showed up on Palermo’s side of the town line.

* * * * * *

China, like neighboring towns, vacillated among methods of providing for paupers, according to the bicentennial history. From the 1820s, they were usually bid off, sometimes individually and sometimes with one bidder assuming responsibility for all the town’s poor.

After decades of discussion and brief ownership of a farm in 1838, a March 31, 1845, town meeting appointed a five-man committee to find a suitable farm and report back in a week. Committee members examined, they reported, between 20 and 30 farms and recommended paying $2,000 for the farm owned by Seth Brown, which the town had owned in 1838.

There were cheaper farms available, the committeemen added, but it would cost more to adapt them.

The history says the farm was on the east shore of China Lake a little north of Clark Brook “and was considered one of the best-situated farms in town.” Between September 1846 and Mach 1849, voters appropriated about $2,800 to pay for the farm (with interest); to provide livestock and equipment; and to pay a superintendent. In March 1850 another $200 was appropriated “to enlarge the farmhouse.”

The history describes the farm as having “a large house and several barns and sheds.” In the 1850s, there were usually 15 or 16 paupers, “most of them old and infirm.” The superintendent and his wife, the able-bodied poor and when necessary hired hands tried to keep the farm at least partly self-sustaining.

A March 1859 inventory listed “two oxen, six cows, sixteen sheep, three swine,” plus supplies of “hay, corn, oats, wheat, vegetables, beef, and pork.” Hens were added in 1867.

Other paupers were living off the farm by the 1860s; in 1868, taxpayers spent more on the farm – over $540 –than on off-farm support – about $400. The farm had sold animals and crops, but had failed to cover expenses; and, the selectmen commented, all of the buildings leaked.

Due to space limits, the story of China’s poor farm will be continued next week.

Main sources

Grow, Mary M. , China Maine Bicentennial History including 1984 revisions (1984).
Howard, Millard , An Intro­duction to the Early History of Palermo, Maine (second edition, December 2015).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Lowden, Linwood H., good Land & fine Contrey but Poor roads a history of Windsor, Maine (1993).
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971).

Websites, miscellaneous.

BHB&T donates to numerous nonprofit organizations

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees recently presented more than $19,000 in donations collected through the bank’s employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for a Cause, to nine nonprofit organizations serving Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont residents. The recipients of the donations are: Eastern Maine Community College Foundation, Kennebec Valley Community College Foundation, Lubec Community Outreach Center, Machias Area Food Pantry, and Schoodic Food Pantry in Maine; Dismas Home of New Hampshire and The River Center in New Hampshire; and BarnArts Center for the Arts and Village for Paws Rescue in Vermont.

Employees participating in Casual for a Cause dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a bi-weekly payroll deduction made to a pool of funds collected during each quarter. The employees then vote on which nonprofits will receive their contributions. Employees have donated more than $220,000 since the program begin in 2018.

“We often say that our employees are passionate about the communities where we live and work, and Casual for a Cause is a testament to that,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “The employees participating in the program give from their own pockets to support our neighbors and create better communities, and we are always amazed by their generosity.”

Local recipients of Q1 2023 donations include:

Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) Foundation invests in students, faculty, and programs to empower individuals and to build stronger communities. The nonprofit organization raises funds to promote and support all educational programs; provides state-of-the-art equipment and facilities; and ensures access through scholarship funds for students. Learn more about KVCC Foundation at www.kvcc.me.edu.

China planners hear two applications for self-storage units

by Mary Grow

China planning board members began their June 27 meeting with sequential public hearings on two applications for self-storage facilities on Route 3, from Chris Harris and Lucas Adams (see the June 22 issue of The Town Line, p. 3).

China codes officer Nicholas French had allowed half an hour per application. He was spot on: the hearings themselves took one and three minutes, respectively, and board members’ review of the criteria for approval brought the total time for each application to 25 minutes.

Both applications were approved unanimously with one condition: each applicant needs to submit to the town office a letter from the South China fire chief saying emergency access to the site is adequate.

Harris’ units will be in what is currently an open field at 623 Route 3. Abutter Joann Austin asked about potential run-off onto her property; Harris anticipated no problem, but said if there were one, he would dig ditches to divert the water.

Adams’ abutter, Jordan Giroux, who lives on Horseback Road, had questions about buffers and visibility. Adams said he had cleared what he needed, leaving as much wooded buffer as he could on Giroux’s side of his lot; he and Giroux consulted amicably over maps in the application.

Harris and Adams both plan to have the facilities available all the time. Both are installing downward-pointing lighting to keep access safe without illuminating neighboring properties. Both said the contract each user signs will prohibit storing hazardous substances.

Planning board co-chairman James Wilkens reminded them of the 30-day window during which the approval can be appealed.

In other business, board members postponed continued discussion of the proposed solar ordinance until they have more time to review the current draft.

Co-chairman Toni Wall reported briefly on the discussion of planning board districts with select board members at that board’s June 20 meeting (see the June 29 issue of The Town Line, p.3). She and Wilkens agreed the discussion was “really good.” Wilkens is pleased that the two boards are working together, after disagreements earlier this year over the board of appeals ordinance.

Because of the July 4 holiday, the China planning board’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, July 11. Board members agreed to meet only once in July and August, unless there are enough applications to require a second meeting. They scheduled the August meeting for Tuesday, Aug. 8.

French said he expects the July 11 agenda to include an application for an auto detailing shop in an existing building on China Road.

Erskine Academy third trimester honor roll (2023)

(photo credit: Erskine Academy)

Grade 12

High Honors: Carson Appel, Kassidy Barrett, Abigail Beyor, Eve Boatright, Katherine Bourdon, Breckon Davidson, Nicole DeMerchant, Lillian Dorval, Hailey Farrar, Loralei Frandsen, Lilly Fredette, Ciara Glidden, Alivia Gower, Carson Grass, Cooper Grondin, Nabila Harrington, Grady Hotham, Grace Hutchins, Olivia Hutchinson, Hallie Jackson, Kaiden Kelley, Jakob Kennedy, Casey Kirkpatrick, Siena Klasson, Meadow Laflamme, Emmet Lani-Caputo, Zephyr Lani-Caputo, Dale Lapointe, Dinah Lemelin, Brenden Levesque, Bryce Lincoln, Gwen Lockhart, Kendal Longtin, Malachi Lowery, Emily Majewski, Lily Matthews, Maddison Paquet, Timber Parlin, Kayla Peaslee, Jonathan Peil, Gabriel Pelletier, Sophia Pilotte, Kaden Porter, Alexis Rancourt, Cadence Rau, Samantha Reynolds, Ally Rodrigue, Conner Rowe, Jarell Sandoval, Gabriela Sasse, Zuriah Smith, Sophie Steeves, Daniel Stillman, Emma Stred, Paige Sutter, Mackenzie Toner, Emma Tyler, Katherine Williams, Damon Wilson and Joseph Wing. Honors: John Allen, Morgan Bergeron, Angel Bonilla, Kayleen Crandall, Grace Ellis, Brianna Gardner, Mallary Hanke, Alexzander Hoffman, Beck Jorgensen, Matthew Knowles, Noah Leeman, Brady Mayberry, Caleb McCaslin, River Meader, Gage Moody, Angelina Ochoa, Ethan Ouellette, Ezra Padgett, Hannah Patterson, Karen Potter, Paige Reed, Noah Rushing, Emmalee Sanborn, Kiley Stevens, Matthew Terry, Colby Willey and Aidan Witham.

Grade 11

High Honors: Jana Alfoudari, Tristan Anderson, Robin Boynton, Elizabeth Brown, Nolan Burgess, Makayla Chabot, Elise Choate, Simon Clark, Alexia Cole, Noah Crummett, Gavin Cunningham, Hailey Estes, Kaylee Fyfe, Aaralyn Gagnon, Caleb Gay, Trinity Hyson, Hannah Kugelmeyer, Aidan Maguire, Liberty Massie, Akela Mitchell, Austin Nicholas, Jeremy Parker, Nathan Polley, Jessica Pumphrey, Keith Radonis, Kinsey Stevens, Reese Sullivan, Haley Webb and Baruch Wilson. Honors: Abigail Adams, Lacey Arp, Duncan Bailey, Wyatt Bray, Dylin Breton, Kaleb Brown, Carol Caouette-Labbe, Nathalia Carrasco, Timothy Christiansen, Thomas Crawford, Caleigh Crocker, Brielle Crommett, Hunter Foard, Hailey Fongemie, Jackson Gamblin, Brayden Garland, Tucker Greenwald, Benjamin Hall, Nathan Hall, Tara Hanley, Natalie Henderson, Kameron Kronillis, Mackenzie Kutniewski, Logan Lanphier, Sophie Leclerc, Richard Mahoney III, Johanna Malitz, David McCaig, Holden McKenney, Lucas Mitchell, Alyssa Ouellette, Kevin Pelletier, Evelyn Rousseau, Giacomo Smith, Adam St. Onge, Lara Stinchfield, and Jack Uleau.

Grade 10

High Honors: Ava Anderson, Emmett Appel, Bryana Barrett, Geneva Beckim, Octavia Berto, Jayda Bickford, Brooke Blais, Olivia Brann, Carter Brockway, Keenan Clark, Paige Clark, Madison Cochran, Hannah Cohen-Mackin, Andra Cowing, Lauren Cowing, Gabrielle Daggett, Aidan Durgin, John Edwards, Ryan Farnsworth, Keeley Gagnon, Hailey Garate, Ellie Giampetruzzi, Kaylene Glidden, Jonathan Gutierrez, Serena Hotham, Ava Kelso, Rion Kesel, Sophia Knapp, Chase Larrabee, Shelby Lincoln, Owen Lucier, Eleanor Maranda, Jade McCollett, Abigail McDonough, Madison McNeff, Colin Oliphant, Makayla Oxley, Wallace Pooler IV, Elsa Redmond, Lillian Rispoli, Nathan Robinson, Laney Robitaille, Carlee Sanborn, Aislynn Savage, Zoey Smith and Katherine Swift. Honors: Daphney Allen, Haileigh Allen, Noah Bechard, Rylan Bennett, Kaleb Bishop, Lauryn Black, Dylan Cooley, Lillian Crommett,Trinity DeGreenia, Aydan Desjardins, Brady Desmond, Tristan Goodwin, Blake Grady, Brandon Hanscom, Echo Hawk, Emma Henderson, Kailynn Houle, Parker Hunter, Alivia Jackson, Walker Jean, Rachel Johnson, Bodi Laflamme, Jack Lucier, Justice Marable, Shannon McDonough, Elijah Moore, Kaeleigh Morin, Gavyn Paradis, Riddick Peaslee, Noah Pelletier, Ava Picard, Bronwyn Potter, Zeke Ramsay, Victoria Rancourt, Carter Rau, Justin Reed, Joslyn Sandoval, Kyle Scott, Jordyn Smith, Emily Sprague, Parker Studholme, Grant Taker, David Thompson III, Kaylee Tims, Grace Vashon and Clara Waldrop.

Grade 9

High Honors: Connor Alcott, Emily Almeida, Savannah Baker, Kylie Bellows, Landon Boynton, Addyson Briggs, London Castle, Nathan Choate, William Choate, Drew Clark, Lillian Clark, Madeline Clement-Cargill, Joshua Denis, Lauren Dufour, Madison Gagnon, Stephen Gould, Madison Griffiths, Mia Hersom, Halle Jones, Parker Minzy, Jack Murray, Elijah Nelson, Bayley Nickles, Jordyn Parise, Ruby Pearson, Abigail Peil, Elijah Pelkey, Isabelle Pelotte, Emily Piecewicz, Taisen Pilotte, Hannah Polley, Alexander Reitchel, Owen Robichaud, Leahna Rocque, Jackie Sasse, Edward Schmidt, Jaelyn Seamon, Kathryn Shaw, Nichala Small, Blake Smith, Haidyn Smith, Madelynn Spencer, Kayla Stred, Gentry Stuart, Abigail Studholme, Donovan Thompson, Finnegan Vinci and Addison Witham. Honors: Anders Bassett, Julia Booth, Brock Bowden, Kolby Caswell, Timothy Clavette, Claire Davis, Sylvia Davis, Audryanna DeRaps, Charles DeSchamp, William Ellsey Jr., Jacob Faucher, Brandon Haley, Aiden Hamlin, Benjamin Hanke, Willow Haschalk, Cadence Homstead, Aidan Huff, Jacob Hunter, Kasen Kelley, Timothy Kiralis, Savannah Knight, Kayle Lappin, Jacob Lavallee, Laylah Leach, Ava Lemelin, Brianne Libby, Hayden Little, Kloie Magoon, Tucker Nessmith, Phoebe Padgett, Gwendolyn Parker, Jackson Pelotte, Lilian Piecewicz, Desirae Proctor, Eli Redmond, Brynna Rodrigue, Kameron Rossignol, Autumn Sawyer, Briella Scanavino, Benjamin Severy, Eva Simmons, Benjamin Sullivan, Leah Targett, Phoebe Taylor, Kammie Thompson, Addison Turner, Charles Uleau, Oryanna Winchenbach and Brody Worth.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: The story of Independence Day

by Mary Grow

Local historians make some references to Independence Day celebrations

According to Wikipedia, celebrating Independence Day on July 4 each year is most likely an error.

The writer of the on-line site’s article on this national holiday says that the Second Continental Congress, meeting in a closed session, approved Virginia representative Richard Henry Lee’s resolution declaring the United States independent of Great Britain on July 2, 1776.

Knowing the decision was coming, a five-man committee headed by Thomas Jefferson spent much of June drafting the formal declaration that would justify the dramatic action. After debating and amending the draft, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 – having approved the act of independence two days earlier.

Wikipedia further says that although some Congressmen later said they signed the declaration on July 4, “[m]ost historians” think the signing was really not until Aug. 2, 1776.

The article includes a quotation from a July 3, 1776, letter from John Adams, of Massachusetts, to his wife, Abigail. Adams wrote that “[t]he second day of July 1776…will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”

Adams recommended the day “be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

And so it has been – two days late.

Wikipedia says July 4 celebrations began in 1777, in Philadelphia, where the observance included an “official dinner” for members of the Continental Congress, and in Bristol, Rhode Island. The Massachusetts General Court was the first state legislature to make July 4 a state holiday, in 1781, while Maine was part of Massachusetts.

Windsor historian Linwood Lowden mentioned the importance of the local Liberty Pole as part of Independence Day observances. Liberty Poles, he explained were put up after the Declaration of Independence as symbols of freedom. Many later became town flagpoles; Windsor’s, at South Windsor Corner (the current junction of routes 32 and 17), was still called a Liberty Pole in 1873.

The central Kennebec Valley towns covered in this history series have quite probably celebrated the holiday annually, or almost annually, since each was organized. As with other topics, local historians’ interest, and the amount of available information, vary from town to town.

James North’s history of Augusta is again a valuable resource. He described Independence Day celebrations repeatedly, beginning with 1804 (it was in 1797 that Augusta separated from Hallowell and, after less than four months as Harrington, became Augusta).

In 1804, North describes two celebrations, divided by politics. The Democrats, or Democratic-Republicans (the party of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and others) gathered at the courthouse, where Rev. Thurston Whiting addressed them.

(Whiting is listed in on-line sources as a Congregationalist. He preached in Newcastle, Warren and before 1776 in Winthrop, where he “was invited to settle but declined,” according to a church history excerpted on line. He preached in Hallowell in 1775 [then described as “a young man”], and in 1791 is listed in Hallowell records as solemnizing the marriage of two members of prominent Augusta families, James Howard, Esquire, and Susanna Cony.)

The Federalists (the party of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and others) began celebrating at dawn with “a discharge of cannon,” North wrote. They organized a parade at the courthouse that went across the Kennebec and back to the meeting house where an aspiring young lawyer, Henry Weld Fuller, gave a speech. The day ended with a banquet at the Kennebec House (a local hotel that often hosted such events), during which participants “drank seventeen regular toasts highly seasoned with federalism.”

(Hon. Henry Weld Fuller [1784-Jan. 29, 1841], born in Connecticut, graduated from Dartmouth in 1801, studied law and came to Augusta in 1803. He married Ester or Esther Gould [1785-1866], on Dec. 21, 1805, or Jan. 7, 1806 [sources differ]. They had seven children, including Henry Weld Fuller II [1810-1889], who in turn fathered Henry Weld Fuller III [1839-1863], who died without issue. North wrote that the senior Fuller served in the Massachusetts legislature in 1812 and 1816 and in the Maine legislature in 1837. He was appointed Kennebec County attorney in 1826 and was a Judge of Probate from 1828 until he died. His grandson, Henry III’s brother Melville Weston Fuller, was Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.)

By the summer of 1807, the Democratic Republicans had elected one of their number, James Sullivan, as governor of Massachusetts, and the Maine party members “were in high spirits,” North wrote. On July 4, they heard an oration by Rev. Joshua Cushman, of Winslow, and partook of a dinner for 150 people in lavishly decorated courthouse.

Cushman’s speech was published; North wrote that “it attacked federalism with more vigor of denunciation than truthfulness or discretion.”

(Wikipedia says Rev. Joshua Cushman [April 11, 1761 – Jan. 27, 1834] was a Revolutionary War veteran who graduated from Harvard in 1787 and became a minister, serving Winslow’s Congregational Church for almost two decades. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Massachusetts from 1819 to 1821, and with Maine statehood continued as a Maine member until 1825. He had just been elected to the Maine House of Representatives when he died. Wikipedia says “He was interred in a tomb on the State grounds in Augusta.”)

By July 4, 1810, the Augusta Light Infantry had been organized and paraded as part of the Federalist celebration, which North believed was held in Hallowell. He listed a parade including the Light Infantry as part of the 1810 and 1812 celebrations as well.

Because 1826 was the 50th anniversary of independence, Augusta officials organized an all-day celebration, North wrote. It began with a “discharge of cannon and ringing of bells” at dawn and continued with a parade, a ceremony, another parade, a dinner and fireworks set off on both sides of the Kennebec.

One of Augusta’s most prominent residents, Hon. Daniel Cony (Aug. 3, 1752 – Jan 21, 1842), presided at the banquet. Attendees included General John Chandler (Feb. 1, 1762 – Sept. 25, 1841), then in his second term as a United States Senator; Peleg Sprague (April 27, 1793 – Oct. 13, 1880), then a member of the United States House of Representatives and later a U.S. Senator; and “some officers of the army and navy who were engaged in the survey of the Kennebec.”

Also present, North wrote, was Hon. Nathan Weston (March 17, 1740 – Nov. 17, 1832), whom Cony introduced as the “venerable gentleman” who served in the Revolutionary army and fought at Saratoga with him. North wrote that Weston “briefly review[ed]…the events which preceded and led to the war of the revolution, noticing the severity of the struggle and the spirit which brought triumphant success, gave the following toast: ‘The spirit of ’76 ­ – alive and unspent after fifty years.'”

(North’s history includes two biographical sections on this Nathan Weston, whom he usually called Capt., and his son, also Nathan Weston, who was a judge and whom North usually called Hon. North did not write anything about Capt. Weston’s military service after the French and Indian wars. However, the younger Nathan Weston was born in 1782 and could not have fought in the Revolution.)

By July 4, 1829, Augusta had been designated Maine’s new state capital (succeeding Portland), and Independence Day was chosen as the day to lay the cornerstone of the State House, leading to “unusual ceremonies and festivity,” North wrote.

The celebration began, as usual, with bells and a 24-gun salute at dawn; continued with a parade featuring the Augusta Light Infantry, many speeches and a banquet; and was climaxed by fireworks set off on both sides of the Kennebec.

One more Independence Day celebration North thought worth describing was the 1832 observance. That year, he wrote, for the first time since 1811, the two political parties – by then the National Republicans and the Democrats – “each had separate processions, addresses and dinners.”

The Democrats got “part of” the Augusta Light Infantry and a band from Waterville for their parade and held their dinner in the State House. The Republicans’ parade incorporated “the Hallowell Artillery and Sidney Rifles, each with a band of music, and the Hallowell and Augusta band.” Their dinner was in the Augusta House.

The local Republican newspaper, identified by North as the Journal, claimed 2,000 people in the Republican parade. The Democratic Age estimated only 700 in the Democrats’ parade, but claimed 1,000 at the State House meal, versus only 400 or 500 at the Republican dinner.

North wrote that the Journal admitted the Democrats fed a larger crowd, but, North quoted, said snidely, “probably half of them dined at free cost.”

Windsor historian Lowden was another who described an occasional Fourth of July celebration, quoting from diaries kept in the 1870s and 1880s by residents Roger Reeves and Orren Choate.

In 1874, Reeves described “Bells, cannon guns, pistols, rockets, bomb shells, fire crackers” on Water Street, but “very little rum” and “no rows.” (Windsor no longer has a Water Street, and your writer failed to find an old map with street names.)

Two years later, Reeves’ family went to the Togus veterans’ home “to see the greased pig caught,” while Reeves himself intended “to celebrate in the hay field.” And in 1878 Reeves again worked all day, earning “a dollar and a pair of slippers” for whitewashing a barn. In the evening he went “up on the hill and played croquet by lamp light.”

Choate went to Weeks Mills for the 1885 Independence Day celebration (he was 17 that year, Lowden said), and wrote that it included races and a dance and he didn’t get home until midnight.

The next year, 1886, July 4 was a Sunday, so the celebration was on Monday. Choate got up at 2 a.m. to join relatives and friends for a trip to Augusta’s celebration, from which they got home at 3 the following morning. “We had a good time,” he wrote, without providing details.

Other local historians made occasional comments about Independence Day celebrations – for example, the Fairfield bicentennial history says that Fairfield’s Civil War monument was dedicated on July 4, 1868.

Your writer hopes that readers remember enjoyable, perhaps moving, ceremonies from years past and will have a safe and fun holiday this year.

Main sources

Fairfield Historical Society, Fairfield, Maine 1788-1988 (1988).
Lowden, Linwood H., good Land & fine Contrey but Poor roads a history of Windsor, Maine (1993).
North, James W., The History of Augusta (1870).

Websites, miscellaneous.

China select board again postpones decision on elected officials

by Mary Grow

China select board members again postponed a decision on whether some town officials should be elected from geographic districts, after a discussion with two planning board members who attended the June 20 select board meeting.

The select board’s agenda included numerous other topics. Two were related to the transfer station: a suggested new system for monitoring entering vehicles and a proposed contract with Albion.

Board members also scheduled a July 31 public discussion of the South China boat landing; approved contracts for cemetery fence work and with Delta Ambulance; gifted the old generator the town office no longer uses; and agreed on off-schedule meetings for the end of the fiscal year and the Independence Day holiday.

The district election system dates from 1986, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood believes. Ordinances say four members each of the planning board and budget committee are elected from four districts in town, mapped as northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest.

The six-member planning board has one member and one alternate elected from the town at large. The seven-member budget committee has one member plus the chair and the secretary who can live anywhere in town. All China voters vote for all members of both boards.

Hapgood questioned the usefulness of the districts at the June 5 select board meeting (see the June 15 issue of The Town Line, p. 3), sparking the first discussion.

When select board members and planning board co-chairmen Toni Wall and James Wilkens resumed the discussion June 20, an early point Hapgood made was that the planning board has had trouble getting members from some districts. Select board member Brent Chesley said after he lost his first bid for election to the select board, he tried to volunteer for the planning board and was turned down because he did not live in the district with the unfilled seat.

But, Wilkens said, assuming – as speakers did – that the purpose of districts is to spread board membership throughout the town, abolishing districts won’t solve the problem: the area that doesn’t have volunteers still won’t have them.

Three residents receive Spirit of America awards

Three China residents were honored with Spirit of America awards at the June 20 China select board meeting.

Ronald Breton, former select board member and chairman, former member and chairman of the planning board and member of other committees, was recognized for his many years of volunteering. Current select board member Janet Preston called Breton “very sincere and caring about the Town of China.”

Frederick “Rick” Fischer was commended by board member Blane Casey for his conscientious care of Memorial Park, in South China. Casey estimated Fischer had volunteered his time and labor mowing and trimming the grounds and shrubs around the monument for 30 years.

Trishea Story was recognized by Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood for her many years as an election worker for the town, as well as her membership on town committees.

The half-hour discussion canvassed other possibilities, including changing district boundaries and allowing temporary appointments from out of district. Wall volunteered to draft possible ordinance revisions as a basis for continued discussion.

The first transfer station issue was the proposed revised identification system, involving the current RFID (radio frequency identification) tags plus annual stickers on the tags, with vehicle license plate numbers on them (see again the June 15 issue of The Town Line, p. 3).

Hapgood said she is still trying to resolve one point that generated much discussion: the plan as proposed calls for charging China residents $10 for a RFID tag (she said the town pays about $7 to buy each tag, and invests staff time), but under the contract that lets Palermo use China’s transfer station, Palermo residents cannot be charged new fees.

The Town of Palermo makes an annual payment to China, and Palermo residents pay for colored bags for their mixed waste.

Transfer station committee members (there are two Palermo representatives on the eight-person committee) will continue discussion, Hapgood said, aiming for a system accepted as equitable.

A proposed contract to let Albion residents bring to China waste that is excluded from their curbside collection – metal, demolition debris, televisions, refrigerators and the like – was not controversial. The contract Michael Gardner, chairman of Albion’s select board, and Hapgood negotiated sets fees for each category that Hapgood said will cover China’s handling and disposal costs and provide a small profit.

Albion residents will need a pass, so a China transfer station staff member can collect the fees. Hapgood does not expect enough Albion waste to increase volume noticeably.

The contract is intended as an experiment, Hapgood said. It extends only to the end of 2023, and can be terminated on two weeks’ notice.

Select board members approved it unanimously.

Select board member Janet Preston reported on the survey of ways to use a community resilience grant, if the town were to get one. Of 274 respondents, 190 ranked addressing erosion and pollution at the South China boat landing a worthwhile project – the most popular of the seven projects offered, Preston said.

Select board members scheduled a public meeting to talk about options for the landing for 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 31, before that evening’s select board meeting.

Margot Crosman, who lives next to the landing, zoomed in to the board meeting to applaud plans for a public meeting. She said a group called the South China Neighbors Association is organizing around the topic, and pointed out that the landing is used by swimmers as well as by people launching boats.

Select board members made two more unanimous decisions:

  • They accepted a contract with Delta Ambulance service, at the fee previously discussed and included in the 2023-24 budget, for a year’s ambulance service. Hapgood said town attorney Amanda Meader had reviewed the contract.
  • They accepted the lower of two bids for cemetery fence repairs, from Triple P Fence Company, of Augusta. The bid is $11,205, with $400 to be added if Triple P personnel have to remove old fences because China’s public works crew have no time. Hapgood said the cemeteries to get new fences this year are Lakeview, China Village Extension and Stanley Hill.

The decision to donate the unneeded old generator to the building in the China School Forest was on a 4-1 vote, with Chesley dissenting. Board chairman Wayne Chadwick agreed that a generator is a less costly option than running electricity to the building, but was concerned about future costs. He nonetheless voted for the gift.

The next two China select board meetings are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, June 30, to approve any final FY 2023-24 payments; and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 5, to avoid the holiday weekend and let select board members get to work the day after the holiday. The preliminary agenda for the July 5 meeting includes only payment of necessary bills.

The China town office will close at noon Friday, June 30. All town departments will be closed all day Tuesday, July 4. A regular select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17.

Poll results

Results of the poll asking China voters to rank projects that might be funded with community resilience grants were as follows, according to Janet Preston, the town’s representative to the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.

Respondents were asked to choose three top priorities. Of 274 people who answered the survey, 190 checked addressing erosion and pollution at the South China board landing. Next most favored was providing transportation for senior citizens, with 133 votes, followed by improving and expanding Thurston Park (109); digitizing town records (101); building sidewalks on Main Street in China Village (92); adding solar panels on municipal buildings (83); and providing electric vehicle charging stations (37). Sixteen other ideas were written in.

Preston told the rest of the select board at the June 20 board meeting that this information lets her complete an application to become one of KVCOG’s community resilience partners. After KVCOG accepts the application, the town will become eligible to apply for grants.

An evening of fascinating history with China Historical Society

Members of the China Historical Society. (photo by Roberta Barnes)

by Roberta Barnes

Today is important, but have you ever wondered about the path that led to today? What challenges did those in the area face, and how did they deal with those challenges? How did China get its name? What were those amazing things done in the past that have been filed away in a diary? As you learn about the past of a community you can begin to feel the oneness of the community that blends yesterday with today.

The meetings of the China historical society, which wrote its bylaws in 1974, had stopped for numerous reasons. In October 2022 the China historical society began meeting again with the focus being on the oneness of the community. In April 2023 the society received its 501c3 non-profit status from the United States IRS.

During the colder months of the year the historical society members met in the accessible portable building behind the town office, but this last meeting was held in the unheated China Museum. Many things were discussed, including the July 13 meeting that will flow into elders of China telling interesting and fun details about the town’s history.

This July 13th meeting is open to everyone, so mark your calendar for 6 p.m.

Being at this evening meeting held in the China Baptist Church you might imagine yourself sitting around a campfire listening to elders of the community revealing forgotten details about those stories of the past that you have only heard bits and pieces.

A handmade wooden wheelchair. (photo by Roberta Barnes)

You might think the China museum as just having a lot of old stuff. Much of that old stuff comes with intriguing stories. One of the things in the China museum comes with a story that shows the creative initiative actions of people in China’s past to take on challenges. A hundred years prior to ADA people still had physical limitations, buying needed adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs on eBay or Amazon was not an option. One person, recognizing the challenges that faced her grandfather, built a wheelchair completely out of wood.

Many other things in the museum show the nature and actions of the people in past decades that formed the beauty we see in China today.

One of the challenges the China historical society faces today is finding what can best be described as a vault in which to store relics of China’s past in a way that can stop deterioration. Another challenge is deciding on the historical relevance of various building within China.

As one of the members described to me, China covers a wide area that includes China Village, South China, Branch Mills, and Weeks Mills. All these areas together can provide fascinating history, which everyone is invited to hear on Thursday July 13.

Elders from all this area will be present at the China Baptist Church Thursday July 13 2023. The society’s brief initial meeting at 6 p.m., will naturally flow into these elders revealing and explaining to all those attending much of China’s intriguing history.

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Society of Friends in Vassalboro

The Abel Jones House, on Jones Road, in South China Village, dates from 1815.

by Mary Grow

An address at the Vassalboro Historical Society

On Sunday afternoon, June 18, Joann Clark Austin, of South China, a semi-retired lawyer and self-described “fifth-generation China Quaker,” spoke on the local history of Quakerism at the Vassalboro Historical Society.

An Englishman named George Fox (July 1624 – Jan. 13, 1691) founded what became known as the Society of Friends, or Quakers, Austin said. Growing up in a multi-denominational society, Fox constantly questioned religious leaders, seeking a faith that was honest, non-commercial and peaceful.

He realized that the Bible, only recently available in English (the King James Bible was published in 1611), presented an image of Jesus as the exemplar of love, forgiveness, equality, cooperation and other traits he searched for. He felt Jesus talking directly to him, and “developed a personal relationship with a living, loving Jesus.”

Fox’s insight became the basis of the Society of Friends. He felt called to spread the news; Austin said his travels included visits to Rhode Island and Boston, where he confronted the Puritans.

Quakers were often persecuted, but persecution only made them more aggressive about preaching their doctrines, Austin said.

Their religious observances took the form of sitting together quietly, waiting to hear the inner voice. Sometimes, an on-line source says, “some participants would feel the presence of the Lord so strongly that they would begin to shake, or ‘quake'” – hence the name Quaker. It was intended as an insult, but Friends proudly claimed it.

Austin said that “Quakerism had a huge impact in Vassalboro and China,” more than in other parts of Maine. She explained that in 1771, British landowners, notably the Vassall family, had a surveyor named John Jones lay out lots in the wilderness that became Vassalboro.

Despite the difficulties of traveling to and in what was then a wilderness, and the further difficulties of clearing space to build a house, grow food crops and graze livestock, the lots sold, and there were Friends among the buyers.

Vassalboro and China Friends connected with Friends elsewhere. Doing title research for the Bristol Historical Society, Austin was amazed to find that a cemetery in Bristol with unmarked graves (typical of early Friends graveyards) had been deeded to Vassalboro Friends meeting.

By the 1750s and 1760s, Austin said, Friends were numerous enough in the American colonies to control governments in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (founded as a haven for the group) and North Carolina.

The Revolution was not a good time for them, however, because one of their beliefs is that war is not a solution to problems. Many were pacifists and therefore were accused of Tory sympathies; and many left colonies like Massachusetts for the Maine frontier.

One Friend who came to Maine in 1777 was a New Yorker named David Sands, Austin said. Reaching Vassalboro, he and his companion were invited to the spacious home of a magistrate named Remington Hobby (some sources spell the name Hobbie).

Hobby welcomed them in his warm kitchen, where, in Quaker fashion, they sat in silence. Thinking his informality had offended his guests, Hobby had a fire built in the best parlor – where again they sat silently.

As Hobby began to wonder if these men were trying to make a fool of him, Sands broke his silence. “Art thou willing to be a fool?” he asked. “Art thou willing to be a fool for Christ?”

Sands converted Hobby, and on future visits helped Hobby increase the number of Friends in Vassalboro.

Austin diverted from history to explain how someone like Sands would decide to travel. The person – not necessarily a man – would feel a call from that internal voice, she said, and would tell the other members of his or her local meeting about it.

Members would decide whether the call was genuine and should be approved. They could, and often did, appoint a second member to accompany the traveler.

Local meetings were held weekly in a member’s house, until the group became too large and built a meeting house. There were also quarterly (four times a year) meetings that brought together regional groups, and yearly meetings with an even wider geographic spread.

Meeting houses were simple and unornamented. If a Friends group outgrew a meeting house and built a larger one, the first one would likely become some family’s home.

A feature of Friends meeting houses was a panel that dropped from the ceiling to divide the room in two, women on one side and men on the other. Each group would discuss the day’s issues and come to its own conclusion, with the women not being overborne by the men.

The process of reaching a decision at such a business meeting Austin called getting “the sense of the meeting.” It is not consensus, and not compromise, but hearing and attempting to answer each person’s concerns. If after discussion one member still disagrees, there is no decision.

Holly Weidner, a Vassalboro Friend, explained from the audience that since everyone in the meeting has within him or her the same divine spark, the clerk of the meeting, who is leading the discussion, has to find the place where everyone is satisfied.

Austin mentioned another Vassalboro Friend, John Damon Lang (May 14, 1799 – 1879), a mill-owner who was appointed and sent West by President Ulysses Grant in 1870 as one of nine Indian commissioners. The commissioners’ mission, according to their report, was to “civilize, educate and provide moral training to the original inhabitants.”

A handout Austin had prepared included photos of three China friends known internationally, Eli Jones (1807-1890), his wife Sybil (1808-1873) and their nephew Rufus (Jan. 25, 1863 -June 16, 1948). In her talk she mentioned Eli’s sister, Rufus’ Aunt Peace (1815 – 1907).

“Her name was Peace?” an audience member asked.

Yes, and the Jones genealogy in the China bicentennial history records women named Comfort, Grace, Mercy and Thankful.

Quakers in central Kennebec Valley

Friends, or Quakers, are important enough in the history of the central Kennebec Valley and surrounding region to merit a separate chapter in Henry Kingsbury’s 1892 county history, a chapter written for the book by Rufus Jones, of China.

China’s first settlers, in the summer of 1774, were a family named Clark: Jonathan, Sr., and Miriam and their four sons. Jones wrote that Miriam and two of the sons, Andrew and Ephraim, were Friends; Jonathan and the other two sons were not.

In addition to books written by and about noted China Quakers and other documents, tangible reminders of their presence include five buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and seven Friends cemeteries.

Friends Meeting House, in Vassalboro.

Three of the buildings have long been private homes, and two still are. In the order in which they were built, they are:

  • The Abel Jones House, on Jones Road in South China Village, dates from 1815 and is one of several Federal-style houses still standing in town. Rufus Jones was born and spent his early childhood there. The South China Library Association now owns the building, barn and land.
  • The Eli and Sybil Jones House on the northwest side of the intersection of Dirigo Road and Route 3 (Augusta Road), dates from 1833 and was the home of the famous missionaries.
  • Pendle Hill, off the west side of Route 202 (Lakeview Drive) was built in 1916 and was Rufus Jones’ summer home until his death in 1948.

The older of the public buildings is the Pond Meeting House on the east side of Lakeview Drive. It dates from 1807 and was used for worship for years; it is now part of the Friends Camp,

The South China Community Church, built in 1884, began as a Friends meeting house, succeeding the Pond Meeting House. It is still a house of worship, now non-denominational.

According to the China bicentennial history, there are seven Friends cemeteries in China. The oldest is behind the Pond Meeting house; here is the grave of Jerusha Fish, daughter of Jonathan and Miriam Clark. Jerusha married George Fish, a British Friend who was lost at sea.

The next oldest China Friends cemetery is on the east side of Neck Road, near the site of a former meeting house. The earliest date in that cemetery is on the grave of Isaac and Nancy Jones’ son Isaiah, who died Aug. 27, 1836, aged eight months. Also buried here is Denmark Hobby, identified in the China history as “a former slave of the Vassalboro Quaker Remington Hobby.”

Two more Friends cemeteries are close together on the east side of Dirigo Road not far south of Route 3, again, the history says, near a former meeting house.

The other three are scattered around town. Jones Cemetery is just south of South China Village, on former Route 3 that runs south parallel to contemporary Route 3. Hussey Cemetery is on the east side of Pleasant View Ridge Road, north of the Bog Brook Road intersection. Lakeview Cemetery is on an eminence on the west side of Lakeview Drive, north of Friends Camp and the Pond Meeting House.

In Vassalboro, according to Alma Pierce Robbins’ history, a Friends meeting house for the “River Meeting” was built in 1786 overlooking the Kennebec River, where the Oak Grove chapel now stands. There is a Friends’ cemetery behind the chapel.

The second Vassalboro meeting house was built in 1798, for the group initially called the “12 Mile Pond” and then the “East Pond” meeting. (China Lake was originally known as Twelve-Mile Pond because it is 12 miles from Fort Western in what is now Augusta.) This meeting house on South Stanley Hill Road is still in active use; there is an adjacent cemetery.

Earlier articles in this series have focused on some of the people and places mentioned today, including stories about Rufus Jones (July 30 and Aug. 6, 2020, issues) and about historic buildings (July 1, July 8, July 15 and July 22, 2021).

Main sources

Austin, Joann Clark, Presentation at Vassalboro Historical Society, June 18, 2023.
Grow, Mary M. China, Maine Bicentennial History including 1984 revisions (1984).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971).

Websites, miscellaneous.

Lake Life Today: While planning for the future #4

RELAX: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed this loon as it sits in the lake, relaxing.

Submitted by Elaine Philbrook

Lake Life Today is a series of articles that are hoped will inspire you to see how, by taking just a few steps, you can make a difference and help preserve the quality of water in our lakes for future generations.

These articles have been collected and organized by LakeSmart Director Elaine Philbrook, a member of China Region Lake Alliance (aka “the Alliance”) serving China Lake, Webber Pond, Three Mile Pond, and Three-Cornered Pond. The Alliance would like to thank our partners at Maine Lakes and Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) for information to support this article.

Buffers

Our last articles included information about phosphorus, its sources and how it impacts our lakes whether it is from shoreline properties or sources found in our watersheds. The next several articles will be sharing actions you can take to “slow the flow” of water on your property to keep nonpoint source pollution (NPS) from entering our lakes. The first action is creating a “beneficial buffer” along the water’s edge. This area is the last but most valuable line of defense we can use to keep NPS and other pollutants such as phosphorous from entering our lakes.

A SHORELINE BUFFER ideally starts at the water’s edge and extends 75 feet or more into the upland area of your property. The best shoreline buffers are deep, wide, and continuous (with only a narrow path or other small break for access to the water). These buffers have many layers of vegetation, including tall trees (canopy), shorter trees (midstory), shrubs, perennials, and groundcover. A layer of duff (twigs, fallen leaves, and pine needles) also accumulates on the ground in a buffer.

Vegetation in a buffer intercepts raindrops so less rain impacts the ground. The uneven duff layer absorbs rain, and loose soils filters out pollutants. Tree roots help anchor soil in place and absorb water and nutrients. Buffers act like a sponge, soaking up rainfall, absorbing nutrients and runoff, and reducing the flow of stormwater into the lake.

But that is not all buffers do.

Buffers also provide habitat for insects, birds, small mammals, and believe it or not, sometimes even fish! Tree branches overhanging the lake provide cover for fish that need safe and cool places to protect themselves. Dropped leaves provide food for bugs and dropped limbs provide habitat structure for mammals. Ideally, shoreline buffers are composed of native vegetation, which is easier to maintain and better for wildlife.

It can be tempting to “limb up” trees in the buffer to increase lake views but most local ordinances allow only trimming the lower 1/3 of branches, and dead limbs can be removed. Remember, each branch left on the tree enhances the integrity of the buffer and provides more habitat value for wildlife. Let the trees frame your view!

Buffers are the last line of defense for a lake against NPS pollution and stormwater runoff coming from your property! You can make your buffer bigger and better by adding plants to fill in thin spots, even a few at a time. In fact, you can plant up to 24 plants along the shore each year without a permit from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Let leaf litter accumulate in the buffe, and limit the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides on your property. Note that pesticides and fertilizers are not allowed within 25’ of shore. With a healthy buffer, you are helping to ensure your view is of a clean, healthy, and blue lake!

One final point: buffers are not a one size fits all. The information shared above is for an ideal buffer. This information comes from The Lake Book A handbook for Lake Protection from MaineLakes. You can visit their site for more information about caring for our lakes in Maine at: https://www.lakes.me/

If you have any questions about what you can do to ensure the integrity of your valued lake or if you would like a free LakeSmart evaluation you can reach Elaine Philbrook by email at chinalakesmart@gmail.com and follow-up to read the next Townline newspaper.

Live lightly on the land for the sake of the lake (LakeSmart).

Erskine Academy final Renaissance awards for the year (2023)

Erskine Academy seniors of the trimester, ront row, from left to right, Paige Reed and Katie Williams. Second row, Beck Jorgensen, Samantha Reynolds, and Samuel Boynton. Third row, Jarell Sandoval, Carson Appel, and Kaiden Kelley. (contributed photo)

On Friday, June 9, 2023, Erskine Academy, in South China, students and staff attended the final Renaissance Assembly of the year to honor their peers with Renaissance Awards.

Recognition Awards were presented to the following students: Lily Matthews, John “Jack” Allen, and Emma Tyler.

In addition to Recognition Awards, Senior of the Trimester Awards were also presented to eight members of the senior class: Samuel Boynton, son of Sean and Jennifer Boynton, of China; Samantha Reynolds, daughter of Tonya and Benjamin Reynolds, of China; Beck Jorgensen, son of Jon Jorgensen, of China, and Alison Atkins, of Oakland; Kaiden Kelley, son of Kern Kelley and Michaela Clark-Kelley, of China; Katie Williams, daughter of Stacy and Preston Richmond, of Vassalboro; Carson Appel, son of William Appel and Suzanne Brown, of Windsor; Jarell Sandoval, son of Rachelle and Aaron Marable, of Windsor; and Paige Reed, daughter of Robert and Jessica Reed, of Vassalboro. Seniors of the Trimester are recognized as individuals who have gone above and beyond in all aspects of their high school careers.

In appreciation of their dedication and service to Erskine Academy, a special recognition award was presented to Chris Sementelli, Athletic Trainer, and Faculty of the Trimester awards were presented to Rod Robilliard, English Instructor; and Michael McQuarrie, Headmaster.

Erskine Academy faculty of the trimester, from left to right, Rod Robilliard, Chris Sementelli, and Michael McQuarrie. (contributed photo)