Thomaston Public Library Events

The following was submitted by Joanna Hynd of the Thomaston Public Library.

Diane Schetky, photo by Tim Arrada

Diane Schetky Poetry Reading

 and Book Signing at the Thomaston Academy!

On April 18^th at 2 pm Diane Schetky will be reading from her latest book of poems: Dancing Bear and Other New Poems. This new book reflects her penchant for travel to extreme locations and her concern for our endangered earth. Her poetry is accessible, poignant and often humorous. This is her second book of poems since her 2009 collection: Poems on Loss, Hope and Healing. 

This reading will take place in the Thomaston Public Library section of the Academy building on 60 Main St. in Thomaston. Public parking is located behind the Academy.

In celebration of Poetry Month, the Thomaston Public Library will house two poetry readings in addition to poetry related displays and themes. Contact us to find out more: 207/354-2453

This event is free and open to all ages.

Half of a Baker’s Dozen: A Poetry Reading Celebration

Sunday, April 29th at 2pm in room 208 in the Thomaston Academy.

Six local poets will read their original work at the Thomaston Public Library in celebration of the end of Poetry Month.

Carol Bachofner

Alan Clark

Chris Fahy

Ellen Goldsmith

Joanna Hynd

Kendall Merriam

Opening the program is well renowned local poet and founder of Rockland’s Annual Poetry Month, Carol Bachofner. Bachofner’s work has been described by Kathleen Ellis as "Imbued with an acute sense of place, drawn to rivers, finning across ponds, pulled to the sea, every poem welcomes both poet and reader as a long-lost relative."

Poet, playwright, and artist Alan Clark will follow Bachofner. Clark’s art work has been displayed at the Farnsworth Art Museum and Asymmetrick Arts. In 2006, new poems appeared in The Caribbean Writer and The Wolf Moon Journal. Clark and Goldsmith will be reading this year together at the Lunchtime Fireside Poetry chats.

Novelist and poet, Chris Fahy of Thomaston is the author of many novels, collections of short stories and poetry. In 1999 Fahy won a Grand Prize in the International Poetry Competition sponsored by the Atlanta Review.

Ellen Goldsmith is the facilitator of the “Poetry of Art” workshop at the Farnsworth Art Museum. She won the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center 1997 Chapbook Contest, and her poems have appeared in many publications, including: Bangor Metro, California Quarterly, The Kerf, Off the Coast and Wolf Moon Journal.

Joanna Hynd is the youngest of the poets reading. She has been published twice in The Maine Review in 2010 and 2012. She won 2^nd place for poetry in the Grady Awards at the University of Maine in 2011 and High Honors for her undergraduate thesis, Metastable Structure, a manuscript of original poems. This will be her fifth public reading.

Closing the program will be the highly prolific Kendall Merriam. Merriam is Rockland’s most recent poet laureate. During Merriam’s term as laureate, he distributed poetry throughout the city of Rockland to approximately 100 people every week.

This reading will take place in the Thomaston Public Library section of the Academy building on 60 Main St. in Thomaston. Public parking is located behind the Academy.

In celebration of Poetry Month, the Thomaston Public Library will host two poetry readings in addition to poetry related displays and themes. This event is free and open to all ages. Contact us to find out more: 207/354-2453

 Friday Night Film Series: 6:30 pm in the Thomaston Academy Building

APRIL 2012. –FILMS: Italian Neo-Realism

APRIL 6th - Two Women

1960 NR 99 minutes

Sophia Loren gives an Os-car-winning performance in director Vittorio De Sica's moving World War II classic. Loren plays widowed shopkeeper Cesira, who flees occupied Rome with her 13-year-old daughter as Allied bombs pound the city. When bombed-out tracks halt their train, they must make their way on foot amid numerous threats -- from strafing Allied fighters to soldiers who paw at mother and daughter.

APRIL 13th - Umberto D

1952 NR 89 minutes

Bankrupt and lonely, an old man (Carlo Battisti) considers committing suicide. Since he has only a devoted dog and a maid (Lina Genneri) as his companions, things look bleak -- until one day when the old man's luck changes, giving him new hope. Director Vittorio De Sica's touching portrait of one man's effort to retain his pride in the face of adversity is a treasure of Italian post-war cinema.

APRIL 20th - The Bicycle Thief

1948 NR 89 minutes

Dir. Vittorio DeSica

Poverty-stricken Antonio needs his bicycle to do his new job. But the same day he buys it back from a pawnshop, someone steals it, prompting him to search the city in vain with his young son.

APRIL 27th - Open City

1945 NR 100 minutes

Director Roberto Rossellini's unsettling drama portrays the harrowing struggle of every-day women and children as they try to shield resistance forces from the Nazis and to maintain compassion and self-respect despite Rome's de facto occupation during World War II's waning days. Rossellini's landmark film, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay, brilliantly depicts the Italian people's weary despair and collective resolve.

Friday Night Films are open to the public and free of charge, but donations are gratefully accepted. The Thomaston Academy Building is handicapped accessible from the rear entrance and light refreshments will be served. For more information call the library at 354-2453.


We welcome back Dagney C. Ernest, of the old Village Soup, now A&E Editor for Courier Publications, LLC, who was instrumental in bringing some of this material to you. Thanks, Dagney.

Fish and Chips--Guest Blog, Ted Sylvester

The Flashiest Place in Town

Who Cares If It’s Working

By Ted Sylvester

Rockland News Bureau

Ted’s column for August 27, 1971

What must be the ultimate in outdoor toilets has been built by a summer resident at Spruce Head.

A septic tank was installed at the summer home in anticipation of future improvements after retirement. It was decided to take advantage of the sewer system, so a conventional outhouse was constructed over the tank with one major change. This outhouse features a flush toilet. A hose was run from the house to the facility to provide a water supply.

The outside is tastefully decorated with an assortment of driftwood pieces. A pot buoy hangs from one corner, and a bird house rests on the roof.

Now these outhouses have been called various names. Some that come to mind are backhouses, privies, and even telephone booths.

This particular house is being called “The Stool Shed.”

PUC Ruling Expected

A spokesman at the Public Utilities commission in Augusta this week said that a commission ruling on the new rates for the Maine State Ferry Service is expected within a week or so.

You will remember that the rates were increased nearly 12 per cent across the board to defray the cost of an additional four-man relief crew. The action had been approved by the state legislature.

Robert True said that there had been discussion in Augusta this week on whether the President’s freeze on prices would affect the ferry rate increase in the event the commission decided to uphold them. Since the rates were allowed to go into effect July 11 it is felt the President’s order would not apply. (The president was Richard Nixon)

Contrary to the claims of some island people at a PUC hearing last month that increased ferry rates would mean a drop in overall revenue because less people would use the facility, a MSES official reported Thursday that from all appearances business was on a par with a year ago.

Marooned Sailor

The Coast Guard station at Rockland was called to assist a disabled vessel in Rockland Harbor this week. This in itself is nothing unusual as not many weeks go by when they are not called on for this specific duty.

However, the call in question involved a marooned 10-year-old sailor whose raft had blown offshore in the wind. Officials said the boy was not in any danger as he was not too far from shore; he was having a tough time though in trying to pilot his raft back to port in choppy waters.

 (I guess my old South End buddy, Bobby Lord, wasn’t the only boy sailor who tried to float a raft in our waters.)

Discover the Jewel of the Maine Coast

The latest publication from the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce is called “Discover the Jewel of the Maine Coast, The Official Guide to Camden, Rockland and Beyond.”

I always look forward to getting the latest Guide from this hardworking organization. Here’s what this year’s publication has to offer:

A tour starting at Waldoboro and winding along the coast to Rockland, including Friendship, Cushing, Tenants Harbor, South Thomaston, Spruce Head, Owls Head, and Rockland. The tour continues to Union, Warren, Rockport, Camden, Lincolnville, and Hope. That should be enough to keep any tourist busy all summer long.

Lighthouses and Museums, lighthouses along the coast as well as both historical and maritime museums to visit.

Outdoor activities and camping areas.

Local Wineries you can tour or visit in the mid-coast area.

Winter Activities to enjoy in Maine

Arts and Entertainment

Restaurants

Shopping Experiences available in the area including arts and crafts shops, hand-crafted furniture, art galleries, and other interesting shops to explore.

Historic Inns of Rockland ad and accommodations available.

Lodging

Islands off the mid-coast area.

Boating and Cruises

Recreation Activities

A “Living Here” Guide for people thinking of moving to Maine.

The magazine also came with some brochures including: Weddings at Berry Manor Inn; Windjammer Cruises; two lodging brochures; Monhegan Island mail boat experience; Nature or Lighthouse Cruises.

For more information see www.mainedreamvacation.com. You may also email PBRCofC at info@penbaychamber.com. There is also a phone number, 1-800-223-5459. The Camden office number is 207-236-4404. The Rockland office number is 207-596-0376.

Sonny's Sunshine Corner

I don’t have a single topic this week in which to write a featured blog for you. Therefore, I decided to borrow a concept from the old Courier Gazette’s Black Cat column and bring you my own “Sonny’s Sunshine Corner.”

Sonny, as seen in this photo, is brother to Butchie, seen in the lower left. I apologize for this picture as my scanner/printer is out of order right now. But I promise to bring you a better one later if I do this column again in the future. Here he’s sitting on the diner table, one of his favorite spots. This is the old diner. We still have this furniture.

We adopted these litter mates about nine years ago at a Pet Smart adoption day. They are both grey tabbies and we named them Butch and Sundance (Sonny for short). As Sonny was the lightest in color of the two we decided to name him Sundance. As it turned out, that name suits him as he has a sunny disposition, unlike Butchie, who likes you some days and some days he doesn’t.

Anyway let this column serve as a way to update you on my life and what’s been happening in that life of late.

Here in Georgia Spring has sprung with all its glorious flowering trees as well as the pollen they produce. We keep hoping for rain to at least wash our yellow cars off. The count was over 9000 last week. Not very good for breathing. I find myself wishing I could smell the fresh air of Maine and the lilacs that will soon bloom up there. Yesterday, in this mega-apartment complex I live in, I heard the call of a lone phoebe bird. My mother loved owls and the sweet call of the phoebe bird. I feel her presence whenever I hear one.

I am in a technological funk this week because my nearly brand new printer went on the blink. We’ve decided that the problem is the stupid firewall on the computer which is not recognizing the wireless printer. Therefore a USB cord has been ordered and hopefully it will fix the problem.

On another techy front, this week I received my new MP3 player in the mail which I got for free through my bank’s award program. I got their version of an Ipad earlier. I can work some features on the Ipad thingy, but this MP3 thing has me stumped. Yesterday I plugged the thing into the computer and downloaded everything they wanted me to. Well I came across an instructional manual and guess what? Most of the pages were blank. There is a message that came with the package that said, “Please call us at this 1-800 number before thinking about returning this device.” I guess they expect people to have problems with it.

Oh, and I downloaded ITunes also. It’s so complicated that they have a tutorial to tell you how to use the site. Ahhhh vey. I need to sit down with a twelve-year-old I guess to figure all this stuff out. Meanwhile, I’ll probably end up calling the dang 1-800 number.

On a happier note, I received email this week from Colby Swan, whose folks bought our house on Fulton Street in 1967. He grew up there and his folks still live there. I might stop by and say hi when I go home again. Colby now lives in Iowa.

Colby, like me, thinks that the EPA some people groan about has been a Godsend to Rockland. We think the environmental rules and regulations and laws have made it possible for Rockland’s revival to come about. Rockland is now known internationally as a nice place to visit.

Family-wise, we have two weddings to look forward to in the near future. One is my great-niece, Danielle Sylvester and the other is my great-nephew, Jon Peabody. Hopefully we will have new little ones in the family in the next few years. We only have three at the moment, great-great niece, Alyson Sylvester and great-nephews, Matthew Tavares and Nicholas Harlan Ruddy.

Jon’s mother, my niece, Brenda Peabody, sent me a packet this week containing our 84-page family tree. Some information is blank, but most of it is there. Brenda did a terrific job collecting all this info.

Brenda included a note with the package telling the story of one relative, Mary Bloom. She was born in 1714 in Pemaquid, Maine; and died in 1803 in Falmouth, Maine. The rumor is that she was a Native American woman who, while living on Matinicus, was captured and sold. She lost touch with her family. All but her son, Joseph, were massacred as retaliation for something her husband had done (he was white.) She eventually found her way back home. Think this would make a good historical novel?

Some of our family tree goes back to the 1500s in England. We also have Irish relations. On my mother’s side, we are mostly German.

I have to ask Brenda though if there is a typo on page 15 which makes Thankful Crowell 111 when she died. Many of the family lived into their 80s and 90s which was very unusual for those times. I also see many young women dying young, probably many from death in childbirth, which was very common.

Yesterday, I also received in the mail the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce’s new magazine, “Discover the Jewel of the Maine Coast”, The Official Guide to Camden, Rockland and Beyond. See the separate blog about this special publication which everyone interested in Maine can use as their Bible when they have interests concerning Maine.

So that’s Sonny’s Sunshine Corner for this month. Today I will find out the results of the MRI on my right knee. Wish me luck and thanks for listening.

Edward Hopper and Maine

We all love our Andy Wyeth as well as his talented artistic family. They are all responsible for increasing the tourist trade as they come to see their works and see where they painted a lot of them. We miss having Andy around in the summer time. But did you know that in the early 1900s there was another famous American artist who also did paintings of our area? Andrew Wyeth was a big admirer of this other famous American artist.

Edward Hopper, self-portrait

That artist is Edward Hopper and he did, in fact, create a painting from our very own South End. It is called “Haunted House” and was painted in 1926. The first picture below is the scene he took his idea from. You are looking up Atlantic Street in the South End, towards the Snow shipyard from the Cobb and Butler shipyard, about 1900. The house was the Atlantic House, on South Street, and was a boarding house which has since been destroyed. It is in the upper right of the picture with the chimneys. Whether or not it was really haunted is a question I’d like the answer to. If anyone has that story, please share it with the rest of us. (picture courtesy of Tim Sullivan from the Rockland History Facebook page)

The second picture is the actual painting which can be viewed at the Farnsworth Museum.

                                         

Another picture he did in Rockland is “Mrs. Achorn’s Parlor.” When Hopper visited Rockland with his wife they probably stayed at Mrs. Asenath H. Achorn’s lodging house at 17 Lindsey St as this is the parlor there.

Mrs. Acorn's Parlor, 1926, courtesy of Tim Sullivan of the Rockland History Facebook page

So who was Edward Hopper the artist? He was a realist painter and printmaker, who was born in Nyack, New York to a middle class family on July 22, 1882. His folks encouraged his early interest in art and supplied him with the essential tools to pursue his special talent. He ended up being a famous American artist before he died on May 15, 1967.

He modeled his style after Manet and Degas and was also influenced by Rembrandt. In 1905 he was working as an advertising illustrator and he hated it. Eventually he was able to cross over to his own art work.

He maintained a studio in Washington Square, NYC from 1913 to his death. Washington Square, in Greenwich Village, a cultural center of the city, has long been known as a meeting place for the artistic population, including artists, poets, writers and singers. New York University is located here and it now owns most of the buildings around the Square. It’s one of my favorite places in the big apple.

Many of Hopper’s work is urban related, most likely influenced by his surroundings in NYC.

Hopper’s work is shown in most major museums including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, and our own Farnsworth Museum.

Around the 1920s a friend suggested that Hopper visit Maine. He initially drifted towards the two art colonies in Maine at Ogunquit and Monhegan Island. When he got to Monhegan, he also discovered other areas of our coast. Many of his paintings depict our lighthouses, old houses, and sloops. You can find them on many sites online. It is impossible to show them all here, but I will give you some great references at the end of this story, so that you can discover him for yourself.

Some of the Maine titles include, besides those above, “Captain Upton’s House,” 1927; “Blackhead, Monhegan,” 1916-19; “Monhegan Houses,” 1916-19; “Lime Rock Quarry II”; “Pemaquid Light.”

If you want to explore the works of Edward Hopper, I suggest the following sites online:

www.yankeemagazine.com. Look for Edward Hopper Maine paintings.

www.downeast.com. Look for “Hopper’s Beacons”

www.bowdoin.edu/museum/exhibitions/2011 The college had an exhibit of Hopper’s work the summer of 2011.

Also check out the Farnsworth.

I always enjoy seeing through the eyes of famous people as they depict our corner of New England, especially the coastal areas. They soon learn what we’ve always known, that coastal Maine has a lot to offer and is a great place to live.

Thanks for listening.

Edward Hopper and Maine--Videos

There are many great videos of Hopper and his work.  Here are two of the best. The first video below is from the National Gallery or Art’s film on Facebook. It’s narrated by Steve Martin. The second video is from YouTube. There are more videos on Hopper on YouTube.

Lucy Farnsworth, another woman in our History--Guest Blog

I credit fully my friend Tim Sullivan for saving my blogging life and finding this video for me because I inadvertently forgot our own Lucy Farnsworth in my list of Women in History in our local area yesterday. Thanks, Tim.

The video can be viewed on YouTube. It is called "Lucy's Gift Trailer" and is very well done. It is available for sale at shop.farnsworthmuseum.org. YouTube will not let me upload it here. Go to YouTube or catch it on the Rockland, History Facebook page. Tim posted it there. However here is the type which also appears on YouTube with the video.

"Since its opening in 1948, The Farnsworth Art Museum has been a source of community pride and a beacon that draws visitors to Rockland each year.

"Told through first person interviews with Rockland natives and residents, historical photographs and footage, the film follows the museum's growth from the reading of Lucy Farnsworth's will, through the construction of the museum facility, to the internationally renowned institution that it is today."

By the way, I would show you a picture of Lucy, but as far as I know, none still exist because she was an eccentric person who scratched out her image on all the family photos. If you have or can find a picture of her I'm sure the museum would pay you good money for it.

Lucy gave us a wonderful legacy in the museum.  It is an asset Rockland truly appreciates. Folks come from all over the world to wander through the museum and also now to see the Andrew Wyeth museum and the Olson House. I think she would be very pleased. Thank you, Lucy.

Keeping up with the News

News about the news is happening so fast up in the old home town that I can’t even keep up with all the news about it. Today I saw the following story posted on the Free Press site and could hardly contain my excitement. I can’t wait to get the first paper in my hands.

Reade Brower to Purchase All Remaining Village Net Media Assets
3/12/2012 4:49:00 PM
by Alice McFadden On Monday afternoon, March 12, Reade Brower, founder and president of The Free Press, signed a letter of intent to purchase all the remaining assets of Village Net Media, including the Courier Gazette, the Camden Herald, the Republican Journal, Capital Weekly, Bar Harbor Times, and all Village Soup assets. Brower said he expects the sale to be finalized within days and expects to have newspapers back on the street in Rockland, Camden and Belfast as early as next week. He is meeting with some of the former employees this evening to begin to solidify plans and staffing. Brower, said on Sunday, "We consider it our responsibility as a community newspaper to figure out a way to fill the void left by Village Soup both in its news to the community and in helping as many of their former employees as possible." He said he is exploring the best way to quickly move forward. Brower also asks that we not continue to bash Richard Anderson, now the former owner of Village Net Media, but rather to look forward to the future of the written media in our area and asked for the community’s input and support. I for one am 100% percent behind Brower, and God Bless him, I say. Maybe all those employees who got email pink slips will have their jobs back soon. All I want to know is--how soon can I get a subscription to whatever our new Rockland area newspaper is being called?

Where to get your news...meanwhile

One day post Village Soup, the recovery of mid-coast media via online and off-line newspapers are in the works.

PenBayToday.com began its online newspaper today. It's still bare bones, but hopefully they will get a full head of steam soon.

The Coastal Journal, an offshoot of the Portland Press Herald is an online paper that covers some midcoast news of interest.

The Bangor Daily News has had a local section online for some time. Steve Betts, who was a former Village reporter, and who now works for BDN, has been able to infuse the printed paper with local news also.

The Portland Press Herald is also online and contains Maine obituaries and high school sports.

The Free Press posts its entire paper online in the same format as it appears in print.

The Rocktown Rag. Look for this new publication, now posting on Facebook, to morf into a printed piece. Our friend, Tim Sullivan, is working on that now. It is an arts-based and arts event-based publication from what I can see at present. It may evolve into other things in the future.

I offer all these alternatives to newspaper lovers, whether on-line or off, until we may eventually get a daily newspaper in town. Give these formats your support now and later, cognizant of the fact that they were there when we needed them.

News of a local nature is always looked forward to for those local people who have moved away. They depend on local papers to keep them informed of what is happening back home. Meanwhile we have these formats to look into.  I thank the people involved in the above enterprises. I'm still holding my breath, however, waiting for a more lasting and substantial paper to open and read here in Georgia.

Thomaston Public Library Movie

Goodbye Brian...We say goodbye to great-nephew and head librarian at the Thomaston Public Library, Brian Sylvester, as he goes forward in his career with a new position in New Hampshire. Thomaston, and especially Thomaston Public Library, will miss him. Good luck in your new position, Brian. Check out the new Facebook page for the library.

March 16 Movie at the Library

On Friday, March 16^th , the Friends of the Library will present “Song Catcher”, starring Janet McTeer and Aiden Quinn.  The film will begin at 6:30 PM in room 208 of the Thomaston Academy Building.  The film is the third in a series of five films hostess Erika Pfander has titled “Have you seen these?”  She will be showcasing forgotten and overlooked gems each Friday in March.

Song Catcher was produced in 2000 and is rated PG-13.  Run time is approximately 109 minutes.  During a visit to her sister in Appalacia, musicologist Lily Penleric (McTeer) stumbles upon a treasure trove of dozens of Scots-Irish ballads that have been preserved for generations by the local populace and are unknown to the outside world.  Intent on collecting the beautiful songs, Lily comes to admire the locals, who live a tough, hardscrabble life without complaint.

The Friday Night Film Series is presented to the public free of charge.  Light refreshments will be served and donations are gratefully accepted.  The Thomaston Academy Building, located on US Route 1, is handicapped accessable from the parking lot entrance.  For more information, call the library at 354-2453.

Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts

Today is the 100^th anniversary of Girl Scouting. I was a Girl Scout in Troop 6 in Rockland from Brownie Scouts all the way through high school. Our troop only missed one year because we couldn’t find a leader.

Below are two pictures of Troop 6 that were published in The Courier Gazette. The 50^th anniversary of Girl Scouting occurred in 1962, three years after we all graduated. I would like to ask the girls in these pictures if they remember celebrating Juliet Gordon Lowe’s birthday every year. She was the founder of Girl Scouting.

“Girl Scouts Working On Project For Togus Patients”

Circa 1953

Our troop was making nut cups to be used by the veterans at Togus Hospital. We met at St. Peter’s Church every Monday. The girls in front, Deanna Allard on the left, and Verna Studley on the right, are holding a photo album presented to the troop by American Girl magazine as a reward for the whole troops’ subscription to the magazine.

Pictured left to right going around the table are: Deanna, Gail Ladd, Harriet Ladd, Carolyn Bird, Lynda Goodnow, Nancy O’Brien, Judy Harriman, Priscilla Newbert, Mary Jean Rowling, Louise West, Algie Mazzeo, me, Rose Ann Small and Verna.

Our leaders were Leona Whitehill and assistants, Kathleen Harriman and Jeannine Annis.

“Eighteen Girl Scouts Awarded Curved Bar”

Circa 1955

Ten Rockland troops, a total of 125 Girl Scouts, met in the Rockland High School auditorium for our annual “Court of Awards.” Awards earned by each scout during the year were given out. This year we of Troop 6 all earned our curved bar, the highest honor in Girl Scouting. Remarks were given by Council President, Mrs. Dorothy Bird.

I don’t think all those pictured here were from Troop 6, but we all received our curved bars that night.

Front L to R: Mary Lou Cole, Sandra Rogers, Judith Smith, Rose Ann Small, Barbara Beal, Judy Harriman.

Second Row L to R: Sandra Minott, Deanna Allard, Sylvia Doherty, Janice Phillips, Josephine Vasso, Verna Studley, Dorothy Childs.

Back Row L to R: Judy Davis, Anna Coughlin, Earlene Sayward, me hiding, Judy Carver.

Juliet Gordon Lowe

Juliet Gordon Lowe was from Savannah, Georgia, which is where she began Girl Scouting. Her house is a tourist attraction. I was there a couple years ago but didn’t get the opportunity to view it. I hope to at sometime in the future. This is the picture of her home in Savannah.

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!

Our Women in History

March is National Women in History Month so I thought I’d bring some of our local notable women to light. The history of many of these women below can be found on the Rockland History Page in Facebook under “People.” I took a lot of them from there and credited the pictures to those people who entered the person. If the pictures aren’t credited, assume they were submitted by the host of the site, Tim Sullivan. You may also want to check with the Rockland Historical Society if you are interested in further information for any of these women.

Before we begin looking at some of the older women in our past, I’d like to recognize some of our local women who made a difference in our community. One such woman is still very much with us and she is a real asset to Rockland. Alice Crie Knight is involved in many community causes and organizations. She was named Community Person of the Year by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2011. She was also recently recognized by a national sorority organization.

Alice Crie Knight

We should also mention other community-minded women in our community: Mary Wasgatt, sister to Dr. Wasgatt, and aunt of my classmate, Roland, was involved in many civic pursuits in her lifetime. Two teachers also stand out, Doris MacDougal and Anna Coughlin. I’d also like to recognize Ruth Hoch, who was in charge of the Sea Goddess Pageant at the Lobster Festival for many years.

We must include Eliza Steele in this long list. What would we all have done without her in our lives. There is a great video of her on www.gemproductionsinc.com.

Eliza Steele

My great-aunt, Clara Sylvester Emery was also a woman of note in that she was a local historian and wrote many pieces of historical interest for The Courier Gazette. She was also a staunch teetotaler and I believe a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She may even be in this picture. I wouldn’t want to come up against any of these women, would you? Actually I don’t really know if these women are WCTU ladies, but if those spikes they have are any indication, I’d believe they were. Perhaps they were used to stave in barrels of that “demon drink.”

WCTU Ladies perhaps?

Doris MacDougal

Mrs. Doris MacDougal, a teacher in the third grade and principal of the McLain Grammar School in Rockland, Maine, ready to lead her class in a singing lesson (about 1954). Library of Congress

Our most famous women in local history are of course, Edna St. Vincent Millay, another family member of mine; Louise Nevelson, who I have recently written about; and the Elliott sisters, Maxine and Gertrude Elliott, who were nationally and internationally known actresses. Books have been written about Edna, ask your local librarian or check with your local book store for biographies and her works. Here’s a baby picture from the Rockland History site I’ve never seen before. There may also still be a plaque on a house up on Broadway where she was born.

Adelaide Hall Dermot

Adelaide Hall Dermot was born September 4, 1842 and was a relative of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Married Capt Thomas Dermot March 8th, 1863, a Master Mariner who was born about 1840 in England and came to Rockland at age 14 under the patronage of Capt David Ames. They had five children, including Jessie and May, famous stage actresses who later changed their names to Maxine and Gertrude Elliott. The family originally lived on Pleasant Street where the train station is now. As Thomas Dermot became a successful sea captain the family moved to larger house on Park Street, corner of Lisle Street. The house on Pleasant St. was moved to Halls Lane to make room for the train depot. Adelaide was a school teacher. She died March 13, 1888 and is buried in the Achorn Cemetery with her infant daughter. Their famous daughters are buried in France and England. Submitted by Wayne C. Gray

From Gordon Page: The photo doesn't do it justice, but here's the plaque recognizing the Elliott sisters birthplace, (the current site of the passenger train depot at 4 Union Street), which hangs inside Trackside Station. There are also photos of the site before and after the train station was built at the corner of Union and Pleasant Streets.

 Pictures of Maxine Elliott:

From Arnold A Brewer: I am quite certain that this is a young picture of Maxine Elliot, Rockland's famed Hollywood actress. She was my Dad's (Robert George Brewer) aunt. Her real name was Jessie Dermot. The story goes that she chose the name Maxine because it reminded her of Maine without the "x".

Maxine Elliott (1868-1940); a famous and frequently photographed actress, Elliott was born Jessie C. Dermott in Rockland, Maine. She made her debut with E. S. Willard in small parts, and soon after played leading parts in Rose Coghlan's company. Elliott was under Augustin Daly's management for two seasons. In 1898 she married the famous comedian, Nat. C. Goodwin, with whom she costarred in “Nathan Hale.” They divorced in 1908. She became the owner and manager of Maxine Elliott's Theater in New York. Some of her film credits are the silent movies, “The Fighting Odds” (1917) and “The Eternal Magdalene” (1919). She died in France. She was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. Submitted by Wayne C. Gray

Pictures of Gertrude Elliott

Gertrude Elliott as Ophelia in 1904
Born 14th December, 1874 - Rockland, Maine USA.
Died 24th December, 1950 - Kent, England.
Real Name Gertrude Dermot
Sister of actress Maxine Elliott.
Married actor Johnston Forbes-Robertson (1900).
1913 - became Lady Forbes-Robertson.

Maxine's sister, Gertrude Elliott, was also a great stage actress. Married to an English actor, Sir Johnston Fobes-Robertson, she grew up in Rockland. (1873-1950) Submitted by Wayne C. Gray

Abbie Burgess

Abbie Burgess (later Mrs. Abbie Grant; 1839–1892) was an American lighthouse keeper known for her bravery in tending the Matinicus Rock Light, in Maine, during a raging winter storm in 1856. She tended the light for nearly a month while her father, the head keeper, was away from the island. Her heroic actions attracted much attention, and she was soon a popular heroine.

Effie Crockett

Effie Crockett, also known as Effie I. Canning, also known as Effie C. Carlton, was an American actress. She is credited with having written and composed the lullaby "Rock-a-bye Baby". By some accounts she created the song in 1872 while babysitting. Because of "Rock-a-bye Baby", she is credited in over 100 films, many made decades after her death. Daughter of Edward and Jennie Crockett, she was born in 1856 in Rockland, Knox, Maine, and died 7 January 1940 in Waltham, Middlesex, MA.

Helen Augusta (Knowlton) Orne

Helen Augusta (Knowlton) Orne was Maine's first woman admitted to the Maine Bar, in 1899 at the age of 24. She was born April 1, 1874 in Rockland; her parents were Edward A. and Harriet Hewett. It took a special act of the Maine Legislature to make it possible for Helen to become Maine’s first female lawyer. At that time, women were not allowed to hold any state office and lawyers were viewed as officers of the state. When Chief Justice John Peters interpreted that the state law allowed only men to practice law, Knowlton’s advocates petitioned the Legislature to allow her to take the bar exam. She scored a 97.

Rockland High School Women's Basketball Team, 1922

1922 Rockland High School girls state champion basketball team. Finished 12-0 and outscored their opponents 430-20.

Pictured from top down, left to right; Agnes Flanagan, Dorothy Breen, Coach William J. Sullivan, Kathleen Blethen, Clemice Blackington, Helen Griffin and Eileen Flanagan. Submitted by Andrew Carpenter

Dolly Stewart

Rockland's Dolly M Stewart became the first Miss Maine in 1937.

Rita Willey

Rita Willey, the World's Fastest Sardine Packer at a 1970's Lobster Festival.

These women, all born in Rockland or its environs, are our Women in History. If you don’t see your favorite Rockland woman in history here, please let me know and we’ll recognize them at a later date.

Thanks for listening.