Since Urban Renewal changed the look of downtown Westbrook in the 1970s by demolishing many buildings, it’s always nice to look at the history of some of our long-standing structures.  694 Main Street is one such building, dating back to the turn of the 20th Century.
The 1909 Illustrated Souvenir  booklet of Westbrook, Windham, Gorham, a Board of Trade magazine, described  A. A. Morrison & Co.,   at 694 Main Street, Westbrook, as a “modern up-to-date grocery house which is attractive and completely stocked”.  It carried a ‘select line of groceries, provisions and meat at  moderate prices and employs six assistants.’  The store comprised  2,000  square feet of floor space which included the first floor and basement.  Mr. Angus A. Morrison was reported as having been born and educated in Nova Scotia but  had become one of “our city’s most progressive and up-to-date citizens, interested in the welfare of the city’s people and much esteemed as a Masonic Fraternity member”.  The 1900 Westbrook City Directory lists the store as originally being at 173 Main Street before moving to 694 Main, across from Dunn Street, by 1909.
Mr. Morrison’s food legacy lives on. The following is a list of the building’s businesses over the ensuing years:
              1900: A. A. Morrison & Co. (Angus) Groceries & Meats (173 Main St.)
              1909 A. A. Morrison  Groceries & Provisions,  694 Main
              1915- 1926 M. D. Capeless (Michael)   Groceries
              1926-1950  Pride Bros. Grocers (Ralph & Willis)-
              1953- 1961  Bi-Wise Grocers (with an apartment upstairs)
              1963-1965 Whitlock’s Used Furniture & Antiques
              1967-1978  Vacant
              1979  ME Chapter National Sclerosis Society
                  Raceway Car Racing & Westbrook House of Pizza were also in this location before it became in
             1999, Casa Novello Italian Restaurant
So, although it is no longer a market, with the advent of Casa Novello, a popular Italian Restaurant, it is still food related.

Capeless Market, c. 1920s

According to the Westbrook City Directories, the name KNIGHT has been connected to Westbrook's plumbing business since the turn of the 20th Century.

In 1895 Walter V. Knight had a bicycling repair shop at 68 Main Street. The shop was listed as carrying a large, complete stock of hardware and a full line of oil and paints. Walter was born in Windham but had lived in Westbrook for twenty years. By 1910 he was listed as a dealer in hardware at 883 Main St.and Leland Knight was listed as being employed there.

In May of 1904, J.W. and Arthur Knight opened Knight Bros. Co. at 901 Main Street.,next door to Walter's shop. The 1909 Souvenir Illustrated magazine described the business as a "modern and spacious store..and is one of the most up-to-date and progressive stores to be found in any town or city....with the most desirable and improved features of plumbing." Brothers J.W. and Arthur were born and educated in Westbrook.

In later years, Leland and Robert Knight operated what was by then called, Knight’s Hardware, at the 883 Main St. location. As seen in the photograph above, it was west of Vallee Square, in the location of today’s Saccarappa Park. (You can make out the "Knight & Son", painted on the side of the building.)    The store was a success for over sixty years.  This writer remembers going in with her father and wandering through the narrow, dark aisles, piled high with boxes and barrels holding all kinds and sizes of bolts, screws, latches, nails, etc.

The Knights sold the store in the 1960s. It was sold again in 1970 to the Sandersons who changed its name to Sportsman Hardware.  By the mid 1970s the urban renewal craze had hit Westbrook and all the old homes/stores/buildings of downtown began to disappear.   WUR seized the building in 1976 and it was on the slate for demolishment.  The first floor was in very poor condition but the top two floors, with their massive timbering, where salvaged and dismantled by Earle Ahlquist of Scarborough.  He moved the floors to Beechridge Rd in Scarboro and reconstructed them as a home and garage. (The gargle was made by removing the back twenty-five feet of the building, and moving it to the side.) The recent photographs below, show that the building lives on!

This aerial photograph of Dana Warp Mills, on Bridge Street, reminds us how much this area, once called Saccarappa, has changed over the years. Even the bridge has been repositioned and the dam has been removed. Can you identify the other changes? Are there other sites that you can identify? See the list below.

References: S.D. Warren Collection, A Presence in the Community, The Warren Legacy

Speir's building with Opera House on top floor

When the original photo and story on the Westbrook’s Opera House was published on the ‘Photo of the Month’ page, only an old tattered newspaper picture of the building was available. Since then a less damaged newspaper has been donated to the Society. I felt it might be advantageous to do an update of the photographs of this building which once stood on the corner of Main and Speirs Streets. 

The article accompanying the photos reports that the fire  probably  “originated in apparatus used by Mr. George W. Collins for his moving pictures, which were exhibited Saturday night before an audience of 200 people. The probable cause was a short circuit near the electric plugs connected with the machine…”

See the original posting, now on the ‘Photos Archives’ page, for more details…..

This great old photograph shows a parade at Main and Carpenter Streets, in Vallee Square. In the background is the Scates Building. It was built in 1903 and demolished in the 1970s during Urban Renewal;  the  City Hall offices were on the second floor.   But what is more interesting is the number of businesses that can be see on the south side of Main: Westbrook Star Laundry, Central Maine Power Co., LaChance Drugs, Porell’s Appliances, Watkins Cleaners, and LeTarte’s Tailor Shop.

The Historical Society is always interested in gathering any photos, items, or ephemera relating to Westbrook businesses.  You can scroll through the Photo Archives to read about Woodbury Store, B.C. Pride Co., Paper City Lunch, Saunders Bros. Dowel Mill, and S.D. Warren Co., to name a few.  The Society also has notebooks full  of articles and photos regarding old businesses and industries. More information can be gleaned from some of our 100-plus, indexed, scrapbooks.

If you or your family grew up in Westbrook and have old photos of long-gone shops, stores or workplaces, please consider sending copies … along with any personal reminiscences… to the Westbrook Historical Society.   Better yet, bring them into the Society and take a look around!

This lovely photo from the Society’s collection shows Cumberland Street, the old bridge over the Presumpscot, and part of S.D. Warren Mill. Judging from the automobiles, it was probably taken sometime in the 1920s. 

S.D. Warren’s gleaming white smoke stack was then an area landmark and could be seen from miles around. Even through the 1970s you always knew you had reached home when you caught sight of it or its billowing smoke.     

On the left side, through the trees, can be seen the “White House” which was later replaced by No. 9 paper machine building.

The steam pipe, seen running from the left side of the last window on the  mill building and over the street, was supplying heat to the Warren Congregational Church and parsonage. Today that area comprises the Maine Health Partners building and parking lot.

Scenery and times may change, but photographs maintain the memories!

See ‘S.D. Warren Stack’, ‘Other White House’ and ‘Warren Congregational Church’ on the Photos Archive’s pages, for more detailed information.

Writer Henrik Ibsen (1828 – 1906) is credited with being the one who first said "A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed." This has been plagiarized and para-phrased into what we now know as  “A picture is worth a thousand words”.   The Internet defines this old adage as meaning  that ‘complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image.’  This editor thinks that a picture is worth a thousand questions:  …who took the picture?… where/when was it taken?... what is it a picture of? …

The above photograph, taken from The Historical Society collection,  was taken on “the corner of Main and Seavey Street”, obviously during some celebration as depicted by the banners and buntings.
The building, which is still standing,  is easy to recognize, but when was the photograph taken and what is the history of the building?   The photograph sparks the questions… and we must do the research.
Westbrook tax records shows that the building was erected in 1855.  The name on the front of the building is ‘Ansel H. Porter’ and it’s easy to see that the business sold Moxie!     Westbrook City Directories of that era report that Ansel H. Porter’s business at 424 Main Street, supplied groceries and provisions.  The building would remain the home of a market for many years. Mr. Porter resided at 95 Main Street. 
The carriages tell us  that the photograph was taken in the early to mid-20th Century, before the automobile became the preferred mode of transportation.  The bunting decorating the building shows that it was taken during a patriotic holiday, i.e. the Fourth of July,  Westbrook’s Centennial (1914), WW I Armistice Day (November 1918), or even Maine’s Centennial (1920).

On the peak of the building can be seen a sign stating “Council No. 4, Q.U.A.M. “  The Order of American Mechanics was an organization founded in PA in 1844.  It began as an anti-Catholic nativist organization which campaigned against the hiring of cheap foreign labor and proposed the patronization of American Businesses. At its beginning, membership was restricted to native born citizens. The organization later abandoned its nativist politics and became the standard insurance society “United American Mechanics”. The Order offered sick, death and funeral benefits along the lines offered by The Oddfellows. It never acted as a trade union or took part in labor disputes.  S.D. Warren workers would probably have had a Council of Q.U.A.M. with meetings held in this location.

The building later housed the Clover Farm grocery store which was sold in 1939 to Albert and Elizabeth Mathieu and became Mathieu’s Red & White Food Market.  The Mathieus lived on Forest Street with their two sons and a daughter. The store remained a neighborhood market until the early 2000s.  It now contains businesses on the first floor and six apartments on the upper floors.

166 years after its erection, the building remains a Cumberland Mills landmark. And of note: the house seen on the left of the store in both photos, also remains well cared for and a treasurer of the area.

424 Main Street, 2021

Children of Westbrook have always looked forward to winter… and this photo shows why.  Taken on Speirs Street (as written on the back, along with the names), it is easy to imagine the local children gathering to build this great snowman, with his pointed hat and old broom.  Sleds have been put aside in order to accomplish this feat.

Oh, the joys of winter … when you were young!

In 1870 George T. Springer opened a store at 7 Bridge Street in Saccarappa Village, now Westbrook.  Originally a dry goods store, it offered a wide range of optical goods, stationery, artists materials, "fancy goods," and of course, fine jewelry.  It also served the public through its circulating library.

George T. (1849-1937)  lived at 37 Brackett St  with his wife Lida and after her death, with second wife Lizzie. They are all buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

The Springer building was erected at 128 Main Street in 1894. Mr. Springer never moved his store there but the building was occupied  at times by F.D. Andersons, a drug store and soda fountain, R.C. Boothby which sold meats and provisions, and later by Westbrook Hardware, Parker’s Dress Shop and WLOB on the second floor. The building was demolished in the mid 1970s, during the Urban Renewal movement.  Today the site is a parking lot next to TD Bank ..

At the turn of the 20th century Springer’s Jewelry Store, as it was then called, moved from Bridge Street to 515 Congress.  Edmond Beaulieu Sr. acquired the store from the Springer family in 1925 an ultimately moved it to its present location on Congress Street in 1947.  Today the store has been in business for 150 years and is a well respected jewelers…. And it all began on Bridge Street!

The Edwards Dry Goods Store was established in 1859.  Its founder was Lewis W. Edwards who was born in Westbrook and educated in its public schools.   In 1890 Mr. Edwards built the large brick building at 869 Main Street, on the corner of Bridge Street.
  
The ILLUSTRATED SOUVENIR of 1909, a magazine representing area businesses and merchants, described Edwards Dry Goods as the most modern and up-to-date store …  "centrally located and stocked with lines of dry and fancy goods, carpets, draperies, paper hangings, curtains, trunks, bags, furnishings of all kinds of corsets, gloves, notions, oil cloth and linoleums."   It covered three floors and employed five.

Mr. Edwards died sometime between 1910 and 1915 and F. W. Woolworth's moved into the building.  Warren Furniture occupied the site from around 1928 until the mid 2010s.   The building, called the Edwards Block, has also housed a telephone exchange, a meeting hall for churches and other organizations, Haskell Silk Mill offices, a driving school, a computer shop,  a bakery and a candy store.   The Portland Pie Co. occupies the corner space today (2020).  Various small businesses occupy smaller areas within the structure.  

In the early 2000s, the building was refurbished and the building and area continues to be a hub of our city. 
Not only is the building centrally located but it also has striking views of Saccarappa Falls and the Presumpscot River.

The Dairy Queen soft-serve formula was first developed in 1938 and the first Dairy Queen store was opened in 1940 in Joliet, Illinios.  It became a popular dessert and quickly this shop branched out to other locations.  The chain soon started to use a  franchise system to expand its operations, going from ten stores in 1941 to one hundred by 1947, 1,446 in 1950, and 2,600 in 1955.  

In 1951, the Dairy Queen arrived in Westbrook!  I believe it was one of the first  DQs in Maine at that time.  It was owned by Marie and Milo Vacchiano and quickly became  a popular meeting place on hot summer evenings and after ball games.  It  only offered  walk-up service and was open only during the summers; during the winter the owners went to Florida.

Bob & Arline Patten later bought the business and the building was remodeled in 1967,  and again in 1980 after a fire swept through the upper part of the building. At the time of the 1980 remodeling, the Pattens created a small eat-in area and in  2001 it became a DQ Chill & Grill where hot foods are served.  It is now open year round and continues to be a very popular spot after Little League games.

The first few Scots who came to Westbrook are believed to have arrived as early as 1852 and a few more trickled in during the 1860s and 70s and worked in the paper mill and on farms.  However, the first large  immigration occurred in 1881 when 42 Scots were recruited as experienced weavers. They arrived with machinery brought from Scotland for use in the Westbrook Manufacturing Company. The Scots left their homeland in the hope of improving their economic lots.

These 1881 weavers were subsequently followed by other native Scots who came to Westbrook in groups both large and small. These fine people lived in homes built for them by the Westbrook Manufacturing company. The homes were situated on a rise of land near the mills, on Walker and Pike Streets. The neighborhood soon became known as  “Scotch Hill” and is still called that today by older Westbook citizens.

The homes were laid out to form a horseshoe around a central field where rugby was played. Old timers would tell of the Scotch soccer and rugby games, when Westbrook teams played against crews of the English Steamboats docked in Portland Harbor. Often the people of Westbrook were treated to the novel sight of a brawny Highlander in kilt, plaid, bonnet and sportan, marching around the center field,  playing “stirring war marches, lively jibs and reels, and weird, doleful laments of his native land.”   These events carried on Scottish traditions while giving the people a sense of belonging here. The Scotch Caledonia Flute band played for all the parades in town. They also played at Scottish gatherings on the hill when lovely old ballads were sung from “Bonnie Scotland”. [See Photo Archives for an early article about the Cairns and the Kimond families.]

Over the years these families moved on to other places and the neighborhood became more diverse but descendants of the early settlers can still be found within our city, with names of Graham, Smith, Bell, Adair, MacNair, Millions, Burgh, Quinn, Bryson, and Hendersons, giving evidence of this once-fine community.

Saccarappa Cemetery is Westbrook’s oldest city (public) burial grounds.  The land, on a hill at the end of  Church Street, was purchased in 1827.  Seventy-five Saccarappa citizens paid Nathaniel and Sarah Haskell $200 for this parcel of land located near the Village. 
 
The earliest marker is for Albion Haskell who died in 1825 at the age of two months. Whether the marker was there at the time of purchase, or placed there after the cemetery for laid out, is anyone’s guess.
Over 100 veterans of U.S. conflicts can be found here; such as Revolutionary War veterans  Joseph Quinby and Nathaniel Hatch;  Spanish American War veterans  James Morris and  Marshall Merrill; War of 1812  veterans Henry Wheeler and Joseph Small; and Civil War vets  Royal Kollock and Enoch Wescott.  Since the cemetery is still active, veterans from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, are also interred here.  Many familiar Westbrook names can be found in Saccarappa Cemetery: Conant, Trickey, Quinby/Quimby, Cloudman, Haskell, Edwards.

In 1914 the cemetery was given over to the care of Woodlawn Cemetery Trustees and is now under the care of Westbrook Public Services.

Because of the isolated location of the cemetery - on a dead-end street on a hill above William Clarke Dr. and next to Beaver Pond, it has become a popular place for partying, and it has been vandalized many times, leaving stones broken and tipped over.  The weather and large trees in the area have also taken their toll on the condition of the stones; many are no longer readable so we thank those who, in the past, have documented the stones and their epitaphs.

Note: The Saccarappa Cemetery’s stones have been transcribed at least three times: in 1962 by Mrs. Lottie B. Clark Gorrie, in 1978 by W Nash Davis & Dorothy Quinby Davis, and in 2001 by Donna & Norm Conley.  Each transcription found that many of the previously listed stones were missing or severely damaged due to weather or vandalism. Thus, we are losing much of our City's history.

Henry B. Walker was a prominent Westbrook (Pride’s Corner) citizen in the 1800s.  He was a brick maker, farmer, Selectman, Justice of the Peace and a member of the Democratic Party.  His came from a family     of  brick manufactures who operated at least 3 brick yards in Prides Corner. Bricks from the Walker brick yards were used to build many local homes and  many of the downtown sidewalks and  businesses.

Henry and Mary Ann Lunt*, daughter of George Lunt*, were married in 1847 and Henry bought George Lunt’s house at Pride’s Corner.  He tore down the wooden house in 1889 to erect  the beautiful brick mansion, on the corner of Brook and Bridgton Road, still standing over 100 years later. The bricks for this Italianate-style home were hand pressed in his brick yard. The house had granite lintels and a widow’s walk.  Parties and dances, with local fiddlers providing the music, were held on the second floor, rear.

After the death of Mary Ann Lunt, Henry married her sister Zelia Lunt.  The home remained in the Walker family until the 1940s when it was sold and turned into the Bishop Nursing Home.  In the 1970s it was sold again and had a succession of owners before falling empty and into disrepair and deterioration. In the 1990s it was bought by a private family who beautifully restored it; it remains privately owned and is a residence and AirBnB.

*G.W. Lunt (1794 – 1871) is buried at 355 Bridgton Rd (302) in the Lunt Cemetery, behind the Community of Grace Church. His daughter, Mary Ann Lunt WALKER  (1834 – 1861) ,  wife of H.B. Walker  is also interred here.
Henry B. Walker (1819-1900) and his second wife, Zelia A. Lunt WALKER (1825-1899) are buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery, inside Evergreen Cemetery on Stephens Avenue

And so the writer's memories go, giving us a wonderful taste of days gone by!

References: Scrapbook Collection

References: History of Westbrook by Leroy H. Rand for the Centennial of Incorporation of Westbrook; notes from Ernest Rowe and Hon. Fabius Raye

ED: The Cornelia Warren Pool, off Main Street, was completed in 1949 and replaced the old swimming tank that was in the Presumpscot River; see Photo Archives.

The next owner was the C. Sam DiBiase family, who lived in the house and used the barn to pre-construct many of the home now seen in the DiBiase housing development, Colonial Acres.  Colonial Acres Development now surrounds the farm and stretches to the Presumpscot River. At the completion of the DiBiase construction in the early 1980s, the Wilson-Boody home was purchased by a local physician and his family.

Spring is here, date-wise anyway. This is the time of year when we all think of heading outside and enjoying nature. Here are two photographs from the Westbrook Historical Society collection, which show outings in the 'new automobile'. There is no information on these photographs, so if you have a similar one in your family collections, please let us know! In the meantime enjoy a peek into the past.

The Second Congregational Church of Westbrook was built on Main Street in 1834. The First Congregational Church was on Capisic Street, Stroudwater, in what was then, part of Westbrook. (See Collections Page: Churches).

This interior photo was an early one, since the new church was described as having the choir and the pipe organ in the “singing seats in the rear of the church”. As seen in a later photo (below) the choir and organ was moved to the front of the church, thereby doing away with the practice of the congregation turning it back to the preacher during the singing of hymns. The original stereoview belonged to Mrs. Otis Wyer, a long-time member of the church.

During Urban Renewal in the 1960s, and due to deterioration of both this church and the Warren Congregational Church, those buildings were demolished, and the resulting merger of the congregations erected the present day Westbrook Warren Congregational Church.

"Second" Westbrook Congregational Church ...................Later view of interior, with choir and organ in front of congregation

In 2014, a man came into the Historical Society asking if there had ever been any ski slopes in Westbrook. After sending out queries to our members, we discovered this photo of the Lamb’s Hill ski slope, and the following memories about the slope:

George H. remembered skiing here. “They had a rope tow.  Ray Letarte ran the slope.”

Norm W. used to work there. His job was to make sure that the ropes stayed on the car wheels. It was called Lamb"s Hill Slope in the late 1950s. 

Ann B. remembered skiing in Cumberland Mills. Her Dad would drive her and her friend to the slope, then they would walk home.

Sally K. remembered sliding/skiing on Lamb’s Hill which was part of the Lamb Farm.  She and her friends would slide toward Main Street, or the rock ledge drop-off, until the horses were let out of the barn.  Those large draft horse frightened the girls…so they would decide that it was time to get back to the fence and go home.

Tom D. remembered the hill well!  “One memorable day in 1944 my Boy Scout troop spent a Saturday tobogganing there and later engaged in a monumental snowball fight. I remember being in the subgroup which defended the fort that we had constructed at the top of the hill. This was a troop attached loosely to the Warren Congregational Church, ? Troop #84?, with the minister Mr. McDonald as our Scout leader. It was a long hill and one got the longest ride down in town on toboggan, skis, or sled. I remember it was close to a house rented by the Rolfe family at the time”

Polly H. related that “in the 1930s we would walk down Main Street to Bill Lamb’s house and ask to slide down Lamb’s Hill…no ski slope there then. We would take shovels to cover the S.D. Warren rail road tracks with snow before sliding…and then clear them off when done, so the trains could use them. It was on the back side of hill where Larrabee Village is now.  Also, when I was in Miss Wyer’s class at Forest Street School, we walked down to Warren Library to the 3rd floor where Redman’s Hall was, and met Adm. MacMillan and his Eskimo…shook hands with each. Also met Charles Lindbergh in Old Orchard Beach where my grandparents lived.”

With today’s availability of books, newspapers and easily obtainable news, both on paper and via TV and Internet, we often forget about how things were with our ancestors.

The first club for Westbrook women was formed in Cumberland Mills in December, 1892.  It would be named the AMMONCONGIN LITERARY CLUB, and would welcome any woman of Cumberland Mills who was “accepted by unanimous vote of the Advisory Board, and upon payment of an admission fee.” The Club would be limited to 50 members.

In its Constitution it stated that the Club’s purpose was to   “create a center for mutual improvement of its members in literature, science, art, and the current events of the day.”   The Constitution also stated that there would be no unkind criticism among members, and that partisan politics and sectarian religion would not be discussed.

Programs were presented by members at each meeting, and the topics of the programs reflected the statue of women in that day.  Authors such as Tennyson, Whitter, Longfellow, and Shakespeare were discussed and compared; readings were given of The Merchant of Venice; there were also papers presented on  Psycical [sic] Research, Domestic Science, Hygiene, and Scientific Discoveries.
But, as an example of  ‘what goes around, comes around’, in 1893 their minutes report that there were reports given on the use of medications and abuse of medicine; immigration, “not so much the numbers as the quality of our immigrants, some restrictions must be made. Capitalists responsible for the undesirable element in immigration”…subjects that are still being discussed in 2017!
The Ammoncongin Literary Club became recognized as the oldest woman’s club in Westbrook and continued to be active up until 1969.  Aside from the regular course of study, the club also responded to may calls for charity and was identified with civic betterment.

Westbrook has long been known for its love of music and its great bands.  One of Westbrook’s earliest bands, the Westbrook American Band, was incorporated by D.W. Babb.   Its first leader, as listed on a small newspaper announcement of the incorporation (date unknown), was Nelson Mayberry. Howard Babb later became its long-time leader.  The band played at parades, fairs, veterans’ functions, and other public gatherings. It was a popular attraction right up until it was disbanded in 1894 because of 'hard times'.

The Salaberry Band, organized in 1884 by The Reverand Father A.D. Decelles, soon took over as the Westbrook Band. The band was named for a  French Canadian folk hero, Charles de Salaberry.

In the 1860s Tony Clark organized Tony Clark’s Juvenile Band. The band was where young people received a music education which prepared them for joining the city bands as they got older.

In 1889 Tony Clark organized another band in Cumberland Mills and called it the Presumpscot Band. It became a popular parade band and was known throughout state.  As membership in this band dwindled, the S. D. Warren band, organized in 1936 by Samuel Guimond who had once led the Salaberry Band, became the City Band.

A very popular youth group was the Crusaders Drum Corp, organized in 1947.  S. D. Warren Co. supplied the drums and the Catholic Action Organization provided its uniforms. Their spectacular uniforms and snappy marching made them a hit with the spectators.

The 1896 Maine State Register, lists four Westbrook bands under ‘Associations’: American Band, H. S. Babb leader; Westbrook City Band, Jerry T. Tourangeau leader; Tony Clark’s Juvenile Band in Cumberland Mills, Tony Clark leader; and the Cumberland Mills-based Presumpscot Juvenile Band.
The Rotary Boys Band, the American Legion Juvenile Band, and, of course, the Westbrook High School Band are also parts of our music background.  Westbrook also has a glorious history of violin makers. Come into the Society to see more information and photos of Westbrook’s musical history.

This great 8X10 photograph was recently donated to the Society by the granddaughter of Harold Summer Winslow, the photo’s original owner.  

It is identified as a picture of  “IPM [International Paper Makers] Strikers of Warren Paper Mills, Westbrook, Maine 1916.”  But one of the most interesting points of the photo is where it was taken… in front of the Brown Block in Cumberland Mills.   In 1916 the block, and the land around it, was owned by the S.D. Warren Co. and, according to the booklet A Presence in the Community, The Warren Family Legacy, it was reputed to be the oldest building in Cumberland Mills. 

In 1876 the S.D. Warren Mill established a library/reading room for its mill employees and their families. This Cumberland Mills Library, as it was then called, was housed in a single room above the Mill Agent’s office.  Because of its popularity and the increasing size of the book collection, the library was moved to the Brown Block , 479 Main Street, in 1908.  When this photograph was taken, there was no sign for the library because it was not opened to the general public until 1929. At that time its name was officially changed to the Warren Memorial Library.

At one time the three story Brown Building housed William and Walter Stevens’ Barber Shop on the 1st floor and the Red Men’s Hall and Saccarappa Grange on the 2nd.  Apartments were on both the 2nd and 3rd floors. A lodge room and storage area occupied part of the 3rd floor.

In 1933 the Warren Memorial Foundation purchased the building and the property for a public library. In the 1940s, due to increased library usage, a growing collection, and limited space, the library foundation undertook a study to improve the facilities.  As a result, the entire building was remodeled; the roof was lowered, eliminating the third story, and the library took over the entire first floor in 1949. 

the the early 2000s the building was lifted and moved back from Main Street, where it sits today.  The Warren Memorial Library has closed, but this building, well over 150 years old, still stands, and now serves as the home of the Northern New England Conference for the Seventh Day Adventists.

[ED: This page usually contains OLD photographs, but this editor feels that the topic of Maine lumber in Texas, bears posting.]

If you ever visit Galveston Island, on the east coast of Texas, be sure to check out the houses made from Westbrook lumber.  (See Activities page for information on the Samuel May Williams house). 

The MENARD HOUSE is located at 1605 33rd Street, Galveston, Texas. Michel B. Menard arrived in Texas in 1829. With Samuel May Williams, he formed the Galveston City Company and helped found the City of Galveston, in 1839. He was also a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas.

Mr. Menard built his Greek revival-style home in 1838 and it is the oldest, still standing, house in Galveston.  A good part of this house was built with lumber shipped from Saccarappa, Maine.    The original house consisted of the central portion, built with lumber ordered from Maine and brought to Galveston  on ships.  In those days there was a great lack of proper materials, tools and skilled workmen in the area,  so it was more economical to bring lumber from Maine than from the few mills that were at that time in Texas.   Therefore, Menard had the pine lumber and Ionic columns for this house shipped from Maine. 

By 1837, two years before Galveston became incorporated as a city, 1,000 people had settled in Sacarrap (i.e. Galveston, first named Saccarap). As mentioned on the Activities page, the settlement was named after Saccarappa, the place which furnished Galveston with its building supplies and some of its citizens.

References: WESTBROOK MAYORS: A Brief History of the Village, the Town and the City of Westbrook
(see Gift Shop to order a copy)

Westbrook 5th Mayor was Francis A. Cloudman. He was born in Westbrook on June 16, 1839, in the so-called old Fitch house which stood on the site of Jordan's Foundry at 907 Main Street.

Mr. Cloudman was married to the former Annie Bodge, who was born in 1843.  Their children were Frank and Andrew Cloudman and Mrs. Felix Barrett.  Their grandson, Francis Harold Cloudman, son of Andrew, lived at Newcomb Place and operated a hardware store in downtown Westbrook. His great grandson, Francis Harold Cloudman, Jr., a graduate of Westbrook High School in 1938 and of West Point in 1943, was killed in an accident in 1945 while serving in Czechoslovakia during World War II.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Cloudman joined the 5th Maine Volunteers and played in the regimental band.  It was in honor of his older brother, Capt. Andrew C. Cloudman, born October 4, 1834, that the Cloudman Post #100 of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Cloudman Relief Corps were formed.  Captain Cloudman enlisted as a private in 1861, served in the First and the Tenth Maine Regiments, and was killed at Cedar Mountain in August 1862.

Mayor Cloudman was elected to serve two years on the City Council, and he was appointed a member of the Committee on Streets.  He played a large part in laying out new streets to accommodate a growing population which stood at 7,000 in 1897.

Francis Cloudman was employed as a millwright and superintendent of the pulp mill by S. D. Warren Co. and worked there for 33 years.  He lived a long and active life and died on April 15, 1926, at the age of 87. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.  He had lived in Westbrook all his life, first on Cumberland Street in his younger years and later at 582 Main Street near the Warren School.

[A footnote to Westbrook history:  The old Westbrook Hospital at 537 Main Street in Cumberland Mills was established by Dr. Felix Barrett, the son-in-law of Mayor Cloudman.  This hospital, commonly referred to as "Dr. Barrett's Hospital", is now an apartment house. Mrs. Barrett was the former Cora I. Cloudman.]

Copied from WESTBROOK MAYORS: A Brief History of the Village, the Town and the City of Westbrook
(see Gift Shop to order a copy)

Anyone who grew up in Westbrook during the early to mid 1900s, remembers the LaFond Department Store in the Brackett Block*, on the corner Main and Brackett Streets.  The store had large window displays which tempted everyone to stop, and at least look.

Sifroy Lafond was born in Canada and was educated there.  He worked ten years in small business in Canada, before immigrating to Maine and opening this store in Westbrook.   His son, Hormidas A. LaFond, was born in Westbrook, and was a graduate of Bod Institute in NYC, a  famous window-trimming school….I did mention the great displays at the store, didn’t I?  Hormidas was employed by his father during his school years and became a partner in the business in 1905.  Both men were known for their honest methods and fair dealings.  “Everything reliable and desirable in ‘dry & fancy’ goods, ladies furnishings, etc.”, could be found here. It was described thus: “entire lower floor is  department store, 2nd floor - dresses and hats,  3rd & 4th floors –apartments; 6 employees...  Extensive stock includes dry & fancy goods, linens, hosiery, gloves, corsets, wrappers, & furnishings …sold at moderate prices."

References: 1909 Souvenir Trade Magazine, Businesses and Industries Notebooks

References: Kinmond Family History, as compiled by Lillian Kinmond LaChance

This photograph was taken inside the Westbrook Trust Company on Friday, August 6, 1926, as we can tell by the calendar on the table. Also of note are the bars on the cashiers' stalls, the safe deposit entrance, the ink wells on the table...and the names listed on the back..

This City's oldest bank, Westbrook Trust Company was organized in 1891 under a special charter granted by the State Legislature of 1889. It's purpose was to provide banking service to the people and the businesses of Westbrook. At that time there was no law authorizing the organization of trust companies but, through the efforts of the Honorable Fabius M. Ray, a member of the legislature, the charter was granted. The first officers were: President, Leander Valentine; Vice President, John C. Scates; Treasurer, Russell D. Woodman. Mr. Valentine was the town's most prominent citizen , as its first Mayor in 1891, and a former customs official. Mr. Scates was a local druggist and Mr. Woodman was also a former customs official.

A large modern bank building was built on Main St in 1916 (interior seen in this photo) and  later branches were opened in Cumberland Mills and in Pride's Corner. Until 1928 the bank operated successfully and profitably under local management and ownership. In 1928 the bank and its business were acquired and taken over by Fidelity Trust Company which established a branch in this building. In 1930 a new, larger building was erected next door. The original building was demolished in 1955; it last tenant was Alice St. Pierre's Millinery Shop. When Fidelity Trust liquidated in 1933, Westbrook Trust Company was re-constituted as an active and independent bank under its original charter.

In 1969 Westbrook Trust Co. merged with three other banks to form the Northeastern Bankshare Association.

References: 1909 Souvenir Trade Magazine, Highlights Of Westbrook, Businesses and Industries Notebooks

References: Westbrook City Reports, Scrapbooks

McLellan Blacksmith Shop was in the area that is occupied, in 2016, by Presumpscot Place, next to Friendly Discount Store,

At the turn of the 20th Century, Byron G. Pride had a prosperous business in Westbrook, dealing in fuel and ice.  A native of Westbrook, Mr. Pride graduated from Westbrook schools and the Westbrook Seminary (Westbrook College or University of NE) on Stephens Avenue. He worked a few years for S.D. Warren Co. before starting his own business in 1885. He started the business with one cart and “Old Black Charley”, his long-lived horse (he died at age twenty-seven) who pulled it. From this meager start, he developed a profitable business selling coal, wood, and ice, that eventually required eleven teams and a large work force.

Mr. Pride was known for his fair business dealings and for selling the best grades of anthracite and bituminous coal, superior hard and soft wood of all kinds, Sebago and Presumpscot ice*, all at the lowest market prices. 

B.G. Pride Co. became a true father-son, or family, business when Merritt G. Pride succeeded his father as head of the business and his son, Byron G., joined the business in 1946. B.G.Pride Co. had offices at 547 and 922 Main Street and continued into the 1960s.

*harvesting ice from local lakes was a profitable occupation before the advent of electric refrigerators.

In 1864, John J. Knowlton arrived in Westbrook , or Saccarappa as it was then called, at the request of James Haskell.  Mr. Haskell wanted Knowlton to take charge of the repairs in the cotton mill where he was agent.   Thus began 125 years of Westbrook business history.
               
J.J.  Knowlton had been a general mechanic before coming to Maine from Gloucester, MA.  Mr. Knowlton, his brother Daniel, and brother-in-law Maurice Hodgkins, set up a small shop which they named Knowlton Bros. and the business quickly prospered.  By 1873 they erected a two-story brick building further up the river from the original shop, where the company’s  power was provided by a water wheel from the lower dam.

In 1882 the company advertised gear cutting and all kinds of mills work.  It is estimated that 9 employees made up the Knowlton Bros. staff  at that time, and the average pay was $8 to $10 per week. In 1888 J.J. Knowlton bought out his partners, and with his son John D., ran the business until his death in 1912.  John D. became President and remained so until his death in 1941.  John’s brother George, and George’s son Ralph, were also members of the firm.

Between 1890 and 1910 the company built water wheels and boring mills, also acetylene generators and stereopticon lanterns (the forerunner of the slide projector).  The shop became known for its metalizing, parts fabrication, hard facing, grinding and other services which required specialized equipment.  Knowlton Machine became internationally known for its looms that produced the plush seats of Pullman cars and automobiles. They also produced Konseal machines, which allowed pharmacists to encapsulate powdered medicines. This so improved the dispensing of medications that the machines were soon used in almost all drug stores .

During WW II the company was involved in the manufacturing of parts for ships and shipyards, machine tool parts, and 50-caliber bullet machine parts. They provided many contractors with gears, sprockets, special tools, and general machine work needed to maintain the plants.  Knowlton Machine Company  became one of the largest manufacturers of commercial industrial gears  in the State of Maine. 

The company continues to this day, but in 1989 they moved from Westbrook to Gorham. It is no longer run by the Knowltons and is now known as Marca Coating Technologies.

**As an aside, George Knowlton, son of John J., is credited with bringing the first motor car to Westbrook.

The house at 333 Spring Street was built in 1910 by William Bragdon. In 1919, speaking before a group of  supporters who had paraded up Spring Street to the house, the newly elected Mayor Bragdon made his mayoral acceptance speech from this front porch.

William Scribner and his daughter and son-in-law, Millie and Lee Clarke, bought the house in 1920 and moved in when the Clarke's son William was only a few months old.  The family named the house and land Blue Spruce Farm.  The farm remained in the Clarke family until 2014.  Long term City Clerk, William Clark (see People, Places, Events page for more information on Mr. Clarke) ran the Blue Spruce Farm Dairy from this location for many years. The house and lands were sold in 2015 and today are the site of the Blue Spruce Farm Housing and Apartment Complex.

...References: WESTBROOK MAYORS book, Tom Clarke (son of Wm. Clarke) who supplied some of the photos

Westbrook has always been known for its music, from our great fiddle makers to our marching bands.  However, when looking at this photograph in the Westbrook Historical Society collection, one must wonder what this was all about!!  Was it a skit, a party, or just a group of wild and crazy people!! 

An Internet search for 'O.M.H.A.' turned up 'Ontario Minor Hockey Team'. Maybe this photograph belonged to one of Westbrook’s Canadian citizens?  Along with music, hockey also had a great history in our City. As told by the person who donated the following photos,Westbrook used to have its own hockey rink and if the second picture is any indication, the games were VERY well attended!

Some of the old photographs in our collection certainly make for interesting stories and suppositions!!

With all the construction and changes going on in downtown Westbrook in 2016, it might be good for us to take a look at the past.. This is a photo looking down Bridge Street from Main. It shows the business area of Saccarappa in the 1800s. You can see the bridge in the background, as well as the old Bean House (with the two big chimneys; the building is now long gone) across the river. The Bean House sat across from the Dana Warp Mills. Stores lined this area of Westbrook.

And a third look at the same area in the 1950s. Stultz Electric is the red building on the right. The building was torn down and replaced by the parking garage.

This area now has a totally new look, with the upper end of Bridge Street cut off to make a pedestrian-friendly shopping area. Change is good....but memories should be preserved!

The Society recently received a scrapbook which contained the picture seen above. It was labeled "Store at the corner of Rochester and Seavey Street....Cleve Gurney had a great family neighborhood grocery store for many years."

When we researched the store, we found a reference to it being located at 6 Pine Street. Pine Street is the short street running between Rochester and Haskell Streets, and at the end of Seavey Street. Gurney & Higgins Market is listed in the 1950 and 1953 Westbrook City Directory; in 1957 there is a Kittridge Market listed at 6 Pine Street. Let us know if you can provide more information about this store.

“One spring day in 1925, the city of Westbrook closed for a baseball game. The paper mill shut down, signs on shuttered storefronts read, “Closed. Gone to the ball game.” The game was at Warren League Field between Catholic High School (now Cheverus) and Westbrook High. The pitchers were Husky Aube (a Westbrook boy) for Cheverus and Gene Hebert for Westbrook.  Local fan were upset that Husky was playing for the opponent that they picketed his house.  The outcome was a win for Westbrook and Aube returned to WHS for his senior year.

Homidas Joseph Aube, know by nickname Husky, was the youngest in a family of nine. He became a legend in Westbrook as a baseball player and as the city’s long-time chief of police. He was a graduate of Westbrook High (1927) and from Fordham University in NY where he made the college national all-star team in 1930.

In 1931, a local newspaper headline “Husky” Aube, Westbrook and Fordham Pitcher, signed by N.Y. Yankees”. Westbrook very own Yankee!!

Aube spent 4 years with the Yankee organization but an auto accident injury probably undermined a lengthy career. In 1934 he threw a no-hitter for a Yankee farm team, Binghamton, but the Yankees had other crack pitchers that year, Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez, so he was not able to break into their rotation.  Aube roomed with Cy Perkins, and later Lefty Gomez. To Babe Ruth, Aube was “The Kid’”. In later years Aube would tell his family many funny stories of Ruth. 

Husky returned to Westbrook after 1934 season and began a long career in Westbrook police work. He joined the WPD in 1935 and served as its Chief for 15 years, serving under three different Mayors. Following retirement in 1961, he worked as a security guard at Weyerhaeuser Co. and S.D. Warren until he retired two months before his death in 1973. One year later he was inducted into Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Husky still remains a hero in the minds of many Westbrook residents.

Husky in his Yankee uniform

This is a photo taken at the Warren League Ground, later named Fraser Field, on Stevens Avenue. The ball field is still in use but the home plate seen here, is today's right field and the bandstand is long gone.The grandstand had showers and locker rooms and backed up to the railroad tracks; railroad cars are visible in the background. Crowds of 1,000 often attended games and, as you'll read in an upcoming article, businesses sometimes closed for games..

This photo shows Mayor Eugene Cummings presenting honors to Harry Stanford, captain of the Westbrook High School 1925 baseball team which had won the Telegram League Championship.

Baseball, the great American sport, has always been popular in Westbrook, with churches, schools, businesses and neighborhoods supporting the teams. Below are photos of a couple of Westbrook teams.

Irish Hill team. [Irish Hill is the section of Westbrook from Saco Street to Spring Street...up on the hill.]

Yes, I know that you people who are in the north, have probably seen about all the snow you want to by now...but the Society has so many great photos of snow falls of old! [The operative words are: 'of old'!] The children seen above, are probably feeling extra special because they have a closed-in sleigh in which to ride to school...not the open school barge that is seen in our Photo Archives. It looks really cosy in this contraption!

Below are a few pictures of snow that we hope not to replicate any time soon!

“NRA, S. D. Warren Women” is the writing on the back of this photograph. There is also a handwritten note beside the photo saying: "Parade 1933, all abled workers, men & women, had to march in parade with I.D. caps & banners of where they worked..."  To some  “younger” people who notice this picture, their first thought may be of the National Riflemen’s Association … WRONG!!!

This is a picture of S.D. Warren workers, women, marching in a parade in front of Riverbank Park (note the rock monument in the Park, on the left of the photo).    Although we don't know the exact date or occasions when this was taken - it may have been at a Labor Day Parade,(which would have been fitting) - the people certainly are expressing their support of  President Roosevelt’s National (Industrial) Recovery Act.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated in March 1933, one quarter of the nation’s work force was out of work. This was in the midst of the Great Depression, and even those fortunate enough to have jobs worked under unfavorable conditions. Overproduction in the 1920’s led to inflation, and in 1929 the Wall Street Crash flattened the United States’ economy. This infamous catastrophe resulted in a level of production in 1933 significantly less than what it had been just four years earlier.

The National (Industrial) Recovery Act of 1933 (NRA) was one of the most important and daring measures of the President’s New Deal.  It was the centerpiece of his initial efforts to reverse the economic collapse of the Great Depression. That New Deal law was designed to promote recovery and reform, encourage collective bargaining for unions, set up maximum work hours (and sometimes prices) and minimum wages, and forbid child labor in industry. NRA was signed into law on June 16, 1933, and was to remain in effect for two years. It attempted to make structural changes in the industrial sector of the economy and to alleviate unemployment with a public works program. Under the supervision of the NRA, several hundred industry codes were rapidly enacted, but public support soon diminished. The codes tended to increase efficiency and employment, improve wages and hours, prevent price cutting and unfair competition, and encourage collective bargaining. However, they also tended to raise prices and limit production. Businesses found the codes burdensome. It succeeded only partially in accomplishing its goals, and on May 27, 1935, less than three weeks before the act would have expired, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

Even knowing the dissatisfaction to come, we can understand why these people were happy to be marching.

So beware that NRA stands for different things to different Americans !

An NRA Poster

Presumupskeg, [many variations of the spelling can be found in ancient documents] meaning “many rough places”, is the name the Aucocisco Indians gave the Presumpscot River. They called the two sets of falls along the river, Amoncogin, “high fishing places” and Saccarappa, “falling towards the rising sun”. The Aucociscos were proud of the river, not only because of its majestic beauty and pure water, but also because they depended on it for their livelihood, fishing and planting. With the arrival of early settlers in the 1700s, villages and businesses sprang up at each of the falls because of the energy it provided for the running of grist, saw, and paper mills.

As a result of the mills, three small villages sprang up at Saccarappa and Amoncongin and at Pride's corner where stages coaches traveled to New Hampshire. [See the Neighborhoods section on Collections page, to learn more of thes villages.]

The beautiful Presumpscot runs through the middle of our city and is spanned by three bridges: one at Saccarappa Village (Main and Bridge St. in downtown Westbrook), one at Ammoncongin (Cumberland Mills at Cumberland Street), and one at Pride’s Corner (U.S. Rte 302).   Three bridges, three settlements, one river and now, one city.

Photographs are often given to the Society because no one wants to throw them away and family members do not know who the people are, what the event was, or what to do with them! That is how we happen to have this unmarked picture in our collection. WHAT EVER WERE THEY DOING?! It's a professionally taken photograph, not a snapshot. Oh, the stories we can imagine!

In the past, Westbrook often held community events...could this 'family' have been participating? Or maybe they were moving away, too poor to hire a professional moving company so the family dog, with his straw-hat, is used to haul the family's possessions! Opps, the spinning wheel won't fit! But the family is all dressed up in their finest, which would lead to doubts of them not being able to hire a van.

Do you have a copy of this picture or know the history behind it? If so, contact the Society.

In July of 1976, Percy Conant and his daughter, Eleanor Conant Saunders, made a list of puzzlers for those who attended the dedication of Bicentennial Park, next to Hannafords Market on William Clarke Drive. The dedication program asked, 'Can you recall and identify the locations on the following list?'
A few years ago we asked Eleanor to help clarify, for future Westbrook generations, the locations of these long-lost neighborhoods and historical landmarks. They are as follows:

4 Corners - (1) Bridge & Cumberland Streets; (2) Spring & County Road
Little Canada - North Street, area of St. Hyacinth School
Hottentot- old name for Cottage Place
The Flats- lower Main Street, from City Hall to Riverside Street
Cellar Field - sunken field bordered by Conant, New Gorham & Saco Street
Scotch Hill- Bridge, Walker, Pike & Webb Streets
Irish Hill- from Saco to Spring Street; the hill area
Dagger Town- Polish neighborhood: Falmouth & George Streets
French Town - Brown Street, from Bridge to Cumberland Streets
"Pork" Hill- old name for what's now Park Hill; [this was a corruption of the name 'Park Hill' because the English garrison was situated there and the English ate a lot of pork, whereas the locals ate more beef
Lost Nation - area off to the left side of Longfellow Street (after 108 Longfellow) that was not passable in mud season
Duck Pond -US Rte. 302, Highland Lake region
Saccarappa - original name of village at west end of Westbrook
Pride's Corner-Rte 302 from Presumpscot River to comer of Brook & Bridgton Road (actual corner)
The Village - Saccarappa Center
Ammon Congin - old name for Cumberland Mills; original name of village at east end of Westbrook
Cumberland Mills - area near Sappi (SD Warren Paper Mill); old village at east end of Westbrook
Bird Land - development off County Road near Spring Street: Oriole, Cardinal, Finch, etc. Streets
Brickyard- Hawke's Brickyard, Hawkes Street (where Hannafords is now)
1 st Spring- on Spring Street (area of golf course)
2nd Spring - on Spring Street (area of golf course)
Old Car barns- (1) on Conant Street where bike shop is (2) at corner of Main & Saco Streets
Centerville- Riverbank Park; this was the division between Saccarappa & Ammoncongin
The "Star" - movie theater on Main Street & corner of Central Street (where Hub Furniture is)
Underground Railroad - Brackett House, later Lafond's Store corner Main & Brackett Street
The Sakokis- a river steam boat that went from Saccarappa Falls to Windham [another boat was
named The Washington)
1 st Saw Mill - Conant Mill on Pork Hill
Rialto - theater on Main Street, beside Star Theater; was on 2nd floor, later the Brook Theater
Coconut Beach - east side of the river upriver, up above the fall [the Danas had a cottage there]
Presumpscot - the river that divides the town; also the Presumpscot House, downtown Main Street
Site of Corn Shop - on the riverbank in Cumberland Mills, where the swimming pool is now
De clintons - local Hockey Team
Roosevelt Trail- US Rte 302, name used only on the Windham end now
King's Cove- Lincoln St, now skating rink; formed when Mr. King filled in the area on which to build
a house on his farm [Haskell bought land from Mr. King in order to build his Silk Mill]
Lamb's Hill- off Main Street as you enter the city; now called Deer Hill; the hilly area behind City Hall
The Island (2) - (1) foot of Ash Street .. Indians lived there; when people fell in the river, their bodies
washed up there (2) off the river bank below Fredette House
King's Orchard - Lovers' Lane: Chestnut to Lincoln Streets
Bean House - 3-story mansion built-by Joshua Webb, later converted into an apartment house by
Woodbury' Dana; torn down in 1970s; was on Bridge Street near Brown Street. [remembered for
its circular stairway & skylight J
North School- originally at corner of Bridge & Pierce Streets; moved closer to S.D. Warren Mill & made into a private home in later years
Christian Hill - Bridge St in area of old Bridge Street School; house at 146 Bridge Street was hauled from
King's orchard and used as the meeting house                                            .
Berris Pond - beyond Bermside (large white home on right side of New Gorham Road)
Bermside- Wise House, on New Gorham Road, beside the tow path
Danish Neighborhood- Haskell Street, Libby & Boothby Avenue

To add a few more modem terms that may be lost to the younger generations:
Crusaders - local youth Hockey Team
Silk Mill - Haskell Silk Mill on Lincoln Street, now condos
Poor Farm - on Saco Street at top of hill; now site of Public Works garage
Holy Ground - tenement house with a bad reputation; now Shell station on Main Street, across from
Profenno's
The Canal - The Cumberland & Oxford Canal; from Stroudwater, through Beaver Pond, beside
Bermside, to Conant Street, to the river
Grist Mill - on Pork Hill; only one north of Kittery
Colonial Acres_- DiBiase development (1960s) off E. Bridge Street: Colonial, Puritan, Mayflower Sts.,etc
The "Mill" - S.D. Warren, now Sappi, Paper Mill
Halidon, Tax Free Colony - homes on lower end of Halidon Road
Saunders - Saunders' Dowel Factory of I Forest Street, on left just beyond the railroad tracks
The Black Bridge - RR bridge across the river up river from the Elms; has a foot walk across the river
"Tit- ile" - petit ile, "little island" (in French); the island behind St Hyacinth Church used for skating

Well, will the "real" Parson Bradley, please stand up!

*A copy of Rev. Bradley's "Marriage records of 1799 – 1891", which lists marriages performed by him, can be found at the Historical Society.

While going through a box of photographs recently donated to the Historical Society, we came across this beautiful old photograph of the SAUNDERS BROTHERS. On the back is written:

"After Frank died, they had this picture taken about 1929 on a trip when Will Chadbourne accompanied them."

How wonderful that this photograph was preserved and that the date and names was included. Many of the other pictures in the box were unlabeled.

Joshua Saunders, father of the founders of Saunders Brothers Company, made his living in the Oxford Hills area, by lumbering, farming & coopering (making staves fitted for barrels). He also made dowels, since it was the only way he could find to use the white birch which grew on his timber lots. His first venture into producing dowels was in 1880 and one of his first markets was through Eben Fox, father of N.T. Fox, located in Lovell.  Joshua had six sons, William, Charles, Fred, Frank, Harry and Arthur. Fred, Frank, Harry and Arthur all followed in Joshua’s footsteps to some extent. Harry was born in 1871 and by the time he married in 1893, the family owned a small mill in Waterford, but had discontinued dowel making.

Harry started cutting timber with Fred and they began to cut and turn the oak and ash wood into dowels; they did not use birch at this time. The work was hard and the hours long, but the results was all profit…if you didn’t take into account their labor!  Company papers record that The Saunders Brothers firm was started on January 1, 1900, and was probably the business operated by Fred and Harry.

Arthur and Frank, meantime, were also working in the lumbering line.  In 1904 all four brothers decided to join up and start a business in Bingham, where they heard there was a large amount of white birch.  By this time they had a contract with L.L. Mason (later Mason Mfg. Co.) in South Paris. L.L. Mason’s Headquarters were in Portland and they were then the largest exporter of dowels in the country. When the business at Bingham ended, the brothers decided to go different ways; Fred and Frank went into a new line of work in another state and Arthur and Harry made plans to make dowels elsewhere.  They bought a mill in Bridgton and developed a good business, even branching out into Vermont where there were huge stands of birch.  

By now it was 1917, the country had entered into the ‘great war’, and they had no trouble selling their product.  But the brothers missed Maine, so they sold out their Vermont business and moved the business to Westbrook.  “Why we picked this particular place, I don’t exactly know except it was located at the intersection of 2 good railroad and not being far to a water port in Portland”, wrote Harry.  The business did well here and saw a healthy growth. By 1937 (when Harry’s article was written) it was still a small company, dowel concerns never get very large, but it employed 100 men and women and used 4,000 cords of birch yearly.

Harry and Arthur remainded the principles of Saunders Brother until their deaths, one in 1949, the other in 1950. The Saunders Brother continued to be run by Saunders family members up until the time it moved out of Westbrook in 2002.

Dowel Making (as described by Harry W. Saunders)... “a dowel is a piece of wood turned round and from a few inches in length to several feet. The diameters are from 1/8” to 1”, and sometimes larger. We make mostly small dowels from 3/16” to 1/15” and our way is to saw the birch into thin boards or slats. These slats are then fed through a sort of double surface molding matching which makes several dowels at once. Use of dowels is too numerous to tell, some are used in the making of furniture, some in toy making and a great many are returned into other articles.”  In later years there was increased usage for dowels: “We make many carloads of umbrella shanks…penholder blanks, arrows, small dowels for games… glue pins for making of furniture, to say nothing of the lowly lollypop stick which we ship in lots of some twenty-five million sticks."

. ”
........Saunders Brothers Feb 9, 1948 .......................................Dowel game sold by Saunders Brothers
......Sitting: Arthur L. and Harry W.
..........back: Donald K.,son of Arthur,
Hugh C., H. Warren and Robert, sons of Harry W.

If you are new to Westbrook, you may recognize the name Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union, which sits just off William Clarke Drive, near CVS, but did you know it was once our post office?

Mail service was established in Saccarappa (old name for down-town Westbrook) in 1797, when the town was still part of Falmouth, and the post office retained that name until 1891 when it became the post office of Westbrook.. Over the years, the post office was housed in various stores on Bridge and Main Streets before moving into the new Scates Building in 1903. The Scates building also housed City Hall at that time . [The Scates Building, on Main Street at the head of Bridge Street, was torn down during Urban Renewal in the 1970s.]

When the post office on Brackett Street was built in 1938, the building was the first to be built by the Federal government in Westbrook, and was Westbrook’s first post office building. As was typical of the times, the exterior was very art deco….something that gets forgotten until brought to mind by a simple request for information on the building’s cornerstone!   Over time, one forgets how beautifully constructed our buildings of yesterday were...how much craftsmanship went into their outside facades. Luckily, one request to the SocietyS made me stop and take a close look at this wonderful work of art.

Look at the detailed work on the outside of the building, and the work in the cornerstone which gives so much information.  With mail services declining because of the Internet, it is good that these beautiful old buildings are being maintained and rehabed for new uses.

It is always nice to discover information about Westbrook organizations We recently received this photo, along with 2 posters and a copy of the By-laws for the PLATINUM KNIGHTS of Westbrook, Maine. 

The By-laws state that the objective of this organization was “to promote safety on the highway and to create interest in various types of Hot Rod activities, and create an attitude of good sportsmanship and good citizenship among those members so dedicated to safety.”  Their headquarters was at 430 Bridge Street. 

It is our understanding that this group met in the early 1960s. If you were a member, or know anything about the group, please contact the Society at info@westbrookhistoricalsociety.org.

Carl B. Jensen, Director of Vocational Education at WHS in the 1950s, believed that the most beneficial vocational education course - one which would both educate its students and be of service to the community - should train students in subjects directly connected with practical, everyday thinking.  This training should immediately pay off for the students as they enter into the business world, and also be of tangible value to the community where the students live.

In 1957, with the support of Galen I. Veayo, Superintendent of Schools, Jensen proposed a project that would entail the building of a house - from start to finish - by high school students aged 16 to 19 years of age.   Local citizens became enthusiastic about this ‘pilot’ project ...a project never before undertaken in any U.S. school.   The Westbrook Rotary kicked off the project by donating a lot of land on which 20 boys would build a house.  With no financial support forthcoming from the school budget, Jensen secured supplies, services, and financial aid from more than 20 local firms.   More than 25 additional businesses contributed publicity, advisory and instructional aide. Local architects, plumbers, electricians and heating engineers volunteered to assist with supervision and instruction. High school students in the Home Economics course reviewed decoration schemes and those in the Business courses recorded construction costs. The quality of construction on this first home on Libby Avenue was high …if mistakes were made, they were torn out and redone, under the watchful eye of job instructor Carl Robinson. 

The Open House for the 1st student-built home was in June, 1958 and the subsequent sale of the house kicked off a very successful  program which continues to this day.  Each year, the profit from the sale of the house goes to support next year’s project.  

Thanks to Mr. Jensen’s vision, close to 50 Westbrook houses has been constructed and sold since 1958.  WHS Vocational school students also constructed the Home and Family Living Center at the high school (1973 – 1978) and portable classrooms in 1988.  Students and community continue to benefit from this project.   

Around 1895 Mr. S.D. Warren, whose father established the S.D. Warren Co., provide the means and
equipment for a manual training school to be held in the Warren School on Main Street. The training school was fashioned on the Swedish Sloyd System. The purpose of the Sloyd system was to make boys and girls skillful, both in the use of their hands and in the application of theories and principles. Both boys and girls were instructed on carpentry ad mechanics.  Along with regular school classes, the intermediate grade students spent two hours per week at the Sloyd school learning mathematical rules and applying them in the designing and manufacturing of household and decorative objects. [This later evolved into the high school ‘manual training course’.]

The above photograph was printed from a glass negative that was purchased by the Society. The seller
only knew that it was someone from Westbrook, ME; it took member Suzan Norton to realize that the sign the boy is holding: ‘W.S.S. – Westbrook, Me.’, stood for the Westbrook Sloyd School.

There is a Taboret (table) on display at the Society which was made at the Warren Manual Training School by Adele Rothgeb Makowski. It is designed and decorated in the Sloyd manner. For anyone interested in learning more about this type of system, Suzan Norton has compiled some articles which may be found at the Society.

Leander Valentine, Westbrook's first Mayor, was 77 years old the year he was inaugurated.   He had been a very active politician and business man, having served both in the State Legislature and Senate when Westbrook was still a town.  He had also been a member of Governor Hubbard's staff in 1850 and 1852.
               Mayor Valentine was in the grocery trade, first with T. B. Edwards, then with Valentine-Hardy & Co. and then, Valentine and Pennell.  He became the first President of the Westbrook Trust Co. in 1890.  Mr. Valentine had been a school teacher for nearly 20 years before launching out on this varied career.              
               Leander Valentine was born in Saccarappa (then part of Falmouth) in 1814 and spent his childhood in the Cape Cod style house that still stands at 543 Main Street.  His parents were Major William and Abigail Spring Valentine.   
              The Mayor was married to Margaret Coolbroth.  They had one daughter who died in infancy.
               In his inaugural address Mayor Valentine spoke of problems which he and the Council had to face in 1891. He pointed out that the bonded debt amounted to $109,500.00. When this amount was added to expected bills to be paid, liabilities amounted to $114,570.65.
               During his term he addressed the status of the schools, sewers, Poor Department, streets and sidewalks, as well as the status of the Fire Department.  At that time there were only two hose companies, one at Saccarappa and one at Cumberland Mills. The station at Pride's Corner was over thirty years away.
              The annual report for the fiscal period ending in February 1892 included, in part, the high school Principal’s  report which stated that nine teachers at the school had received salaries totaling $2,433.23 and the bill for fuel amounted to $32.00.
            An interesting observation by the Mayor in his address to the first Council was, "I think, as our plank sidewalks become unsafe, they should be replaced with more durable material.  I consider that such a policy would be one of economy."  It would seem that the ladies of Westbrook might approve this action, particularly at times when they walked along the street in their long skirts during the spring mud season.
            Mr. Valentine built the large white house which still stands at 99 Saco Street.  He died on July 23, 1895, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. He had lived in Westbrook and served its citizens all his life.

A few months ago the Society received a query asking if a certain person had ever been ‘Miss Westbrook’.   We were unable to find a list of people chosen for the title of ‘Miss Westbrook’, however our Scrapbook Collection gave us quite a bit of information!  (Our large scrapbook collection consists of donated, personal collections of ephemera and information on Westbrook people and events.)
One of the most exciting things learned during this search, was that Westbrook actually had a woman chosen as ‘Miss Maine’; Eleanore Fournier was selected as ‘Miss Westbrook 1938’ and went on to become ‘Miss Maine 1943’.
It appears that several organizations have been responsible for the contest over the years: the American Legion Stephen W. Manchester Post, the Westbrook Fire Department, and the Westbrook Police Department have all hosted the event.  There is even an article found in a scrapbook, about Rudy Vallée donating the cup for ‘Miss Westbrook 1930’.

For those readers out there who worked at the S.D. Warren paper mills, I'm sure they will remember the monthly company publication the Warren Standard. This 'newspaper' was printed on a beautiful glossy paper and contained a wealth of information about the paper industry, the employees and the city of Westbrook.

A couple of months ago, the Photo of the Month was about the Westbrook Inn, or White House, as some called it. For those with a mill connections, the photo seen above, is the White House they remember.

This photo, and the photos below, were in Vol. 19, No.7, 1969 Warren Standard. The title was "Then and Now". The script follows below:

"Then, the 130-year-old White House [seen above]-- known as the "Goodell" house -- served the Company for many years during which it was used for various office purposes.

During the summer in 1968, a new main-office building was completed, the former main-office building was renovated and given a new name -- The Gate House -- and down came the White House!

Now, a new guard station has been built where once the White House stood. [see photo below] The balance of the space has become a most welcome expansion of the office parking lot. Newly paved, with a raised blacktop foot walk, attractively planted with evergreens and vines, fenced in with wrought-iron fence and entrance and exit gates, the "now" approach to the main offices presents an attractive and functional look."

Standing, left to right: Rose Webber. Mrs.Edna Webber (daughter-in-law to Rose, sister-in-law to Geraldine), ?Hazel Chambers, Neta Fielding Manchester, Ella Sawyer Barber, Wilhelmina Scholl, Ada Hawkes (sister-in-law of Harriet Clark), Belle Wheeler, Harriet Clark, Marion Noiles, ??, Eva Aube
Seated, left to right: Mildred Chase, Mrs. Stewert, Kathy Dunfield, Geraldine Webber Bickford (her mother, Rose Belle Webber is standing in back), Katherine Thompson, Mrs Verna Jones, ??, Dorothy Gordon
[names updated Nov. 2014 thanks to Roland Hawkes & Nancy Curran]

Since last month was devoted to a men's club, it is only fitting that this month we look at a women's organization.

The Ap-a-sun-ta Club was started by Kathy Thompson Nichols Jones, for the purpose of getting the women of Pride's Corner together. Her daughter, Arlene Dunfield Bean, was a Camp Fire Girl and her campfire name was "Apasunta", which means "Greater Beauty". Kathy felt this was a fitting name for the women's club, which met in members' homes. [We do not know when the club was started or when it ceased to be. If you have any information, please contact the Westbrook Historical Society. ]

The picture of the Apasunta Club was sent to the Historical Society a few years ago by Geraldine Webber's granddaughter. She also sent a photo of the Grain & Feed Co. which was on the corner of Bridgton Road and Brook Street in Pride's Corner. It was owned by her great grandfather, Walter Webber. *The general store (larger building in the older photo) was destroyed by fire in the 1940s and was replaced by the building seen here on the right. The grain and feed building on the left side of the store, survived the fire and was later replaced by the current structure. * [later information supplied by Roland Hawkes]

Back: Harry W. Saunders, Richard J. Libby, Stephen E. Cordwell, Horace H. Towle, H.J.R. Tewksbury
Front: Josiah D. Winship, Luther Dana, Paul Huss Smith, Oscar A. Fick, Ralph W. Haskell
[NOTE: Photograph taken after the death of charter member Rev.Jonas Taylor, who died in 1921. Oscar Fick replaced him.]

Clubs, societies and organizations are in every area of the country, but the Westbrook’s Decemvir Club was a most unique organization. It was the 'brain child' of Joe Winship and H.J.R. Tewksbury, who decided to form a small business man's club. Its uniqueness lay in the fact that it consisted of ten members, engaged in ten different lines of business, and it met ten times a year.   The first meeting was January 13, 1921 and held at the so-called White House. [See last month’s article about the Westbrook Inn or “White House”.]

The charter members were: the Rev. Jonas Taylor of the Warren Church; Stephen E. Cordwell of S.D. Warren Mills; Luther Dana of the Dana Warp Mills; Ralph W. Haskell of the Haskell Silk Mills; Harry W. Saunders of the Saunders Dowel Mill; Richard J. Libby, Superintendent of Schools; Paul Huss Smith, Merchants; H.J.R. Tewksbury, Press; Horace H. Towle, Law, and Josiah D. Winship, Real Estate.  When the Rev. Jonas Taylor suddenly died, five months after the organization of the club, Oscar Fick was chosen to fill the vacant spot.

The Decemvir Club’s meetings were on the second Wednesday of each month, from September to June, and held in a member’s home. A different member entertained at the meetings by presenting a paper, followed by an informal discussion. Not much is found about the contents of these presentations, except for one newspaper article which mentions they were "of a very high order.”  It tells of a paper written by Rev. Jonas Taylor, and presented at the first meeting; its title was The Art of Conversation.  Subjects of other presentations were Daniel Webster, the Romance of General Knox, and an amusing sermonette given by Luther Dana.  If only these papers had been preserved for us to read today!

One amusing news article preserved at the Historical Society is titled Decemvir Ladies Dine.  It seems that club members expected their wives to provide a supper at each of the meetings. Apparently, after awhile, the wives got tired of this arrangement and announced that there would be “a strike next fall unless the men came across and gave them a good time this summer”.  Rather than see their club come to an untimely end, the men took their ladies out to Gray Rock, Dingley’s Island, and gave them a banquet and 'thank you' gifts.  Needless to say, the strike was called off and the club continued, at least through 1942 when Harry W. Saunders wrote a history of the club. It also seems that the 'Ladies' Outing' became a yearly event!

The "White House" at Cumberland Mills was once home to several generations of the Larrabee family. It later became the Westbrook Inn, a "public resort of ill repute." . There was a story that the Rev. Parson Bradley once stopped in and found a gambling game going on. He scooped up all the money and took it with him for his church. The life of this White House was short since the S.D. Warren Company bought it to rid the community of its bad influence. They moved the building to its present location at 36 Cumberland Street and converted it into a company boarding house. It later became a hotel and is now an apartment building. It still bears the Westbrook Inn sign. This old post card shows the railroad or trolley tracks just to the left of the building; a brick apartment building is now between the Inn and the tracks.

The Westbrook Inn (aka The White House at Cumberland Mills) was originally built on a tract of land on lower Main Street opposite present day City Hall. The original building was only one story and built by an early settler named David Small. Benjamin Larrabee of Portland acquired this house and sixty acres of land and he sold the house which was moved to Cumberland Mills. It is said that the S.D. Warren Company purchased the building and greatly enlarged it to serve as a boarding house for some of it’s workers. There are no dates given of when the house was built, moved or expanded. S.D. Warren purchased the Mill in 1854 so maybe 1880’s was when the Mill acquired it.  

In an old Trade Journal it was stated that the Inn "established in October 1905 in close proximity to the business center, is a most home-like hostelry, and has a good reputation for excellence of service ...There are 30 nicely furnished sleeping rooms, with hot and cold water, electric lights and steam heat. The dining room seats 60 people...The rates are one dollar and a half per day...Five people are employed."

In 2007, when the St. Hyacinth Historical Society disbanded, they donated the "Bell-Hop", (seen below) to the Westbrook Historical Society. This type of front desk bell was used in inns and hotels. By pushing on the flange at the base of the clapper, the clapper springs back and hits the bell. This would notify the hotel personnel that someone was at the desk.

The following information was supplied by Sally Percival Knigh regarding the above photo:  “Oh yes, the Forest Street School Cheerleaders - We wore red skirts & bows - All 8th graders, we cheered the boys’ basketball games, mostly against Bridge Street,  in Cumberland gym (no gymnastics back in ’49) and no girl’s games. I think Virginia could twirl the baton and became the leader”

Ever start one project and get side-tracked to something else? Well, that happened with this photo. The Society is always happy to receive school photos, especially with names attached, so when we received this one I started to file it in the appropriate Forest Street School notebook …we have 3 pertaining to this school! 

Lo and behold, I found more information about Forest Street School than I realized we had.  During its 8oth ‘Birthday’ Celebration, in 1974, Marion McFarland compiled a history of the school.  Marion had been a teacher at Forest Street from 1932 - 1972, so was well versed in the subject. [To see full text, click  HERE]

In 1984, Jr. High students at the Forest Street School Enrichment Center, came up with the following time line for the school:
            1894 - School was built
            1899 - Eight rooms completed and put into use
            1912 - First drinking fountains installed
            1914 - First piano purchased
            1917 - Electric lights installed
            1923 - Library started
            1927 - Rooms divided in two with barriers
            1952 - Dewey Decimal System set up for library
            1968 - Hot lunches offered
            1974 - 52 students transfer to Congin School
            1983 - School Closed
            1984 - Enrichment Center

Forest Street School, corner of Main & Forest Street, Westbrook, ME

When the area now known as Westbrook was set off from Falmouth in 1814, a new town named Stroudwater was incorporated. However, this name did not meet the approval of the majority of the inhabitants, so three months later the name was changed to Westbrook, in honor of Col. Thomas Westbrook. At that time the town boundaries included Woodfords, Stroudwater and Deering (which extended as far as the Forest Avenue entrance to Deering Oaks) and was in the District of Maine, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since Maine did not become an independent  State until 1820.

Archelaus Lewis, Justice of Peace, called the first town meeting, before the name was changed to Westbrook, at the meeting house in Stroudwater.  In 1820 town meetings were held in the First Parish Meeting House on Capisic Street, later known as the Parson Bradley Church.  In 1830 when the town was no longer allowed to use that facility they arranged with the Universalist Society to use their chapel on Stevens Avenue for town meetings. Soon it was voted to build a town house on Riverside Street near Warren Avenue, which at that time was the geographical center of the town.  Since the meetings were held in March when heavy snow often covered the roads, the town soon realized that this site was not ideal and the building was sold. Later meetings were probably held in the Saccarappa section of town.     

This information, as well as early maps of Westbrook boundaries, lists of Westbrook Post Masters and Town and City Clerks, can be found in the updated Westbrook Mayors book, now on sale at the Society and on our 'Gift' page.

On May 28th 1914 a clipping in a local newspaper reported that  “…a huge bowlder (sic), which will form the center of the entrance to Riverbank, the new park which will be dedicated during the centennial celebration, was placed in position. The bowlder was secured at Rocky Hill and hauled to Riverbank during the day yesterday. Before the centennial the bowler will be properly inscribed as a permanent monument to the centennial.”

That boulder can be seen in this beautiful old post card of Riverbank  Park. The Park was dedicated on June 9, 1914, the last day of celebration of the Centennial of the Incorporation of the Town of Westbrook.  One would think that the park site was selected because it was located midway between the east and west ends of the city.* The name of the park was suggested by the Honorable John E. Warren. Mr. Warren had a pathway built from the old swimming pool along the bank of the Presumpscot River to the grounds of Riverbank Park. In order that no building enterprise could destroy the plans he had made, he bought, and held for many years, the land which eventually became the park, paying the taxes and finally selling it to the city for the original purchase price.

In the 1915 first annual report of the Trustees of Riverbank Park, then under the management of the Cemetery trustees, they commented that the park was the “one spot in our city dedicated for the benefit and recreation of all our citizens.”

A Monument Association was formed as a result of the 100th year anniversary. Their purpose was to raise funds and plan a design for a monument to honor all of Westbrook’s veterans, at that time, the veterans of the Civil War.  On July 4, 1917, Mayor O.G. K. Robinson accepted the 8-foot bronze soldier in Civil War uniform, atop its 9½ -foot base of Barre granite.  Mr. & Mrs. Woodbury Dana donated the statue and it was designed by sculpturess Alice Ruggles Kitson of Quincy, MA.  The town paid $500 for the base, partly paid by school children who purchased shares in the Monument Association  at 10 cents a share.

Judging from this information, the post card must have shown Riverbank around 1915-1916, after the boulder was placed and before the monument was dedicated.  The Park has been changed over the years: new monuments to veterans and events , houses torn down, trees planted, but with such a history, it is no surprise that Riverbank Park is still a very vital spot and is probably the most used park in the City.

*One older Westbrook citizen remembers her father relating that the area where the park is now, then empty land, was the dividing line between Cumberland Mills and Saccarappa Village; a line that boys of the two villages hesitated to cross. 

A town or city is built on its citizens. So, during Westbrook’s bicentennial year as a town, it may be advantageous to take a brief look at a few of our early citizens.

W. K. Dana is one person who comes to mind when thinking of early Westbrook. “When one’s eyes fall upon the words Dana Warp Mills, the name Woodbury K. Dana instantly is spoken for he is the Dana Warp Mills”, so commented Judge Fabius M. Ray in an early article about Dana Mills.

Born on June 7, 1840 to prominent Portland citizens, Woodbury Kidder Dana attended private and public schools in Portland, then graduated from the Lewiston Falls Academy (later named Edward Little High School).  At this point he knew he wanted to enter into business, preferably one of his own.  After an early business adventure failed due to his lack of experience, he worked in Lewiston and Gray mills, gaining experience in the manufacturing of cod lines and bags and bunch yarn, 2 products which would later become staples of his Westbrook mill. He gave little regard to the stigma of the son of a prominent businessman becoming a laborer in the cotton trade.  He obviously felt he had to start at the ground level in order to learn his business. 

Mr. Dana was a religious man who read the Bible through at least once a year. It was written in a family biography that he spent several evenings a week going into homes of fellow employees and teaching them to read, write, and do arithmetic. He purchased books and supplies and taught them elementary studies.  This characteristic of caring  would be reflected in the treatment of his employees throughout his business career.

In September 1863 he enlisted in the 29th Me. during the Civil War. He served in Texas, Louisiana and Virginia.  He was discharged in 1865 and was named department commander of the Maine G.A.R. in June 1865. 

After the war Mr. Dana was ready to begin his life work as an independent manufacturer.  In 1866, with Thomas McEwan, he formed the Dana & McEwan Company at Saccarappa Falls; its purpose was the manufacturing of cotton warps. After a few years, Mr. Dana bought Mr. McEwan’s interest in the company and shortened its name to Dana Mills.    Within seven years, the mill had grown so large that it had to move into larger building on Main Street, then six years later it moved to the Island at the Falls.

The character of the man who made the goods was stamped on the goods themselves. They were made with honor and of a high standard; for years they sold themselves.  The quality of his product was due to the used of the best-known appliances, skilled labor, and intelligent supervision.  He valued his employees in an era when this was not always the case. He encouraged his employees to experiment in the Company’s machine shop and generously recognized the results of their efforts and their skills.

He served as an alderman in his adopted city, was President of Mallison Power Company, and a trustee of the Walker Memorial Library.

When interview in 1976, Miss Marion Dana, a niece, stated that “Mr. Dana was very much loved, and at…[the 50th anniversary of the founding of the mill]… in 1916, everyone turned out. Thousands of people came, and they celebrated by a parade….”  She relates that the mill employees gave him a diamond stick pin as a token of their affection.    

To read more about W. K. Dana and the Dana Mills, see: Highlights of Westbrook History; Interview with Miss Marion Dana; Woodbury Kidder Dana, a Biographical Sketch; Fabius M. Ray's History of Westbrook.

Let it snow…let it snow…let it snow!  Maybe we don’t feel this way in this cold winter of 2014, but “back in the old days”, when life was simpler and didn’t offer as many options as today, winter was seen as wonderful time for outdoor activities.  Ice skating on the pond, sliding down the local hill and going for a sleigh ride, were greatly anticipated events.  

The Historical Society has many old photographs of winter activities and snow cleanups.     

In this photograph, a group of young people are going on a sleigh ride…maybe an old time school bus?* Hopefully it was not too cold out that day since the boys are not wearing mittens and, even though most of them are wearing hats, their ears are bare.   The few girls in the wagon are wearing warm knitted hats and scarfs.   But the one thing they all have in common, they all seem to be enjoying a sunny, winter day.

        In this year of 2014, we will celebrate the Bicentennial of the Incorporation of the Town of Westbrook. In 1914 the celebration of the Centennial encompassed one week of festivities, and old photographs show the bunting decorated store fronts on the Westbrook businesses.   With the celebrating to come in June 2014, it is good to look back and try to imagine what life was like when Westbrook was in its infancy. 
       The years leading up to Westbrook’s Incorporation were filled with hardship, brought on by both National upheaval and primitive conditions.  The War of 1812 resulted in the United States being infested with British cruisers, from Eastport to Mississippi, and causing a state of blockade.  Provisions were so scarce that imported articles, even flour and bread, commanded extravagant prices. Without local harvests or imported foodstuffs, Westbrook must have suffered heavily.  Black markets flourished. Supplies were so dear that pork went for $50 a barrel. Coffee, molasses, brandy and tea prices skyrocketed in 1813, often doubling from the pre-war cost. Prices did not return to normal until 1815.
        The winter of 1815, the first for the Town of Westbrook, recorded heavy frosts throughout the area. Frost was reported upon the window panes in July and most all crops were ruined. At that time the people were so dependent upon the local soil for sustenance that they were obliged to resort to game meat and fish; other foods could only be purchased as a luxury.
       On the brighter side, paradoxically, while the blockade injured seacoast areas, it helped manufacturing grow inland.  Thirty new companies were incorporated in Maine in 1814. Westbrook could easily have enjoyed this manufacturing boom — thirty-one local business concerns were assessed that year.
          Adding to the hardships of this war was the fact that Maine's heart wasn't in it. In 1814 the    "United States" were not, in fact, united in spirit.  Massachusetts was thinking of seceding; and we must remember that at the time of Westbrook’s Incorporation it was a town in the District of Maine, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  On June 9, 1814, the very day of Westbrook's incorporation, proof of the sentiments of Massachusetts, appeared in an article in a major local newspaper, the Portland Argus:

         “Advices have been received .... of a proclamation issued by the
             government of  Massachusetts……
          “By this proclamation it is asserted that Massachusetts withdraws
           herself from all participation of the war, and declares her amity towards
           England. It is also said that English prisoners in that state have been liberated
           and means been taken to effect a perfect conciliation with this country (England)."

          If in 1814 the Nation was primitive politically, it was equally primitive domestically. "Chains, shackles and ring bolts" were standard equipment at the County House (jail). At home, "homespun clothing was generally worn by all classes. The girls were taught the art of spinning and weaving, and if they were adept in this art, coupled with that of cooking, it was considered their highest accomplishment to meet the duties of wife and mother."  
         1814 is a significant  year in Westbrook history; but it is also a year that will long be remembered in our nation's history. For it was after a night-long battle, when the haze and smoke of the cannons had finally cleared, that ...our flag was revealed intact at the battle of Fort McHenry outside of Baltimore, Maryland. On that September morning, in 1814, Francis Scott Key, a prisoner aboard ship in the harbor, dashed off most of the verses of our immortal Star-Spangled Banner!
          As these words shows, we have come a long way since Westbrook became a town.

Saccarappa Grange float

Machine Shop 1888
Front row, left to right: Ed Randell, H. Barber, Geo. Melcher
2nd row: Jim Fisk, Dana Plummer, Geo. Graham, Clark Morton, Frank Murray
3rd row: Ruben Holsten, Geo. Hallowell, Andrew Cloudman, Geo. Morrill (foreman), Ed. Richardson, Chas Morrill,
Simon Elder
Back row: Fred Naylor, Dave Hannaway, Sam Hallowell, Ed Hale, Ed Hamblen

This great photograph of the S.D. Warren Machine Shop crew of 1888, is from our S.D. Warren Collection. Throughout the years, the Warren mill preserved many of their workers and departments in hundreds of photographs. This was probably due to the fact that they published a workers' newspaper, in later years called the Warren Standard. Those of us who had family members working there, remember the paper printed on mill glossy paper, full of pictures and interesting article about the employees.

This picture is representative of most of the worker photographs ...the men proudly showing off for the camera, work tools proudly displayed ...notice the wrench and hammer, instruments of their trade.

Another good feature of the Warren photographs is that names are usually included,again, because of the printing of the photos into the newsletter. But whatever the reasons for the pictures and their labeling, they remain for our pleasure all these 100 plus years later.

NOTE: Names were copied as they were spelled on the photograph

Isabel T.Ray, in her Historical Sketch of Westbrook, commented that "it is not known with any degree of accuracy on what date the first white man settled within the limits of what is now known as the City of Westbrook….what settlers came did not remain …probably the earliest settler here of whom we have any record was Joseph Conant", who came from Beverly, MA with his brother Samuel. They were the great grandsons of Roger Conant, first settler and Governor of Naumkeg, now Salem.

The year of the Conants arrival in this area is not known but in 1728 two lots of land in the area were assigned to him. The Conants ran a saw mill & grist mill on the falls at Saccarappa and were also farmers. Some of Joseph's descendants settled in the Highland Lake area of Westbrook. Samuel married Mary Peabody and it is from this family that Conant Street was named.

This old photograph, from the Warren Library Collection, shows the old Conant homestead on Park Hill. It was built by Samuel Conant and at one time was considered to be one of the oldest houses in Westbrook. The renowned sculptor Benjamin Paul Akers, creator of the Pearl Diver, was born here.

The Warren family took title of the property from the Conant family and the property had several other owners before it became vacant and fell into a dilapidated state. The House was destroyed by fire sometime around 1915.

Presumpscot Elect Co. under construction in 1907 ...Park Hill and the Conant House can be seen in background

June 9, 2014 will mark the Bicentennial of the Incorporation of Westbrook.  In 1988, Mayor Philip Spiller (1922 - 2005) was contacted for information on the origin of the name ‘Westbrook’ and for some details about our City. Some of his responses, as well as information taken from “Letters of Colonel Thomas Westbrook”  give a history of our City and its namesake.

Westbrook was named in honor of Colonel Thomas Westbrook, an early Indian Scout in the Province of Maine (when Maine was still a part of Massachusetts) who in 1727 became Mast Agent for the Royal Navy at old Falmouth. It was named June 9, 1814, 70 years after the death of Col. Westbrook.   Col. Westbrook was remembered as being the first of the area's great Colonial entrepreneurs, a visionary businessman.  It has been suggested but not documented, that the name was brought to the attention of select­men by a member of the family descending from the Colonel's sister, Mary Westbrook Knight.

Although his home was in Portsmouth, NH, Col. Westbrook was an Indian scout and fighter in the Maine area as early as 1704.  He did not come to live in Maine until 1710 and  is recorded as living in Scarborough by 1719. His brother-in-law, Nathan Knight, an agent and contractor for Col. Westbrook, also lived in that town.

In 1727 Col. Westbrook permanently settled at Stroudwater and was admitted as a citizen and proprietor of the town of Falmouth. He had received an appointment as the King's Mast Agent and he found Stroudwater the place best suited to his needs because the nearby Saccarappa area was already deeply involved in lumbering.

In 1718 the Town of Falmouth had been incorporated and covered a very large area of land on Casco Bay, the Fore River and Presumpscot River; but as business community centers emerged, citizens chose to carve out separate towns with separate leadership: Cape Elizabeth in 1765; Portland in 1786; and West-brook in 1814. Westbrook was separated from the town of old Falmouth in 1814; and within its boundaries was the village of Stroudwater on the Fore River where Col. Westbrook had settled.

At the first town meeting on March 14, 1814, the name "Stroudwater" was chosen for the new town, but within 3 months the name was changed to Westbrook to honor the Colonel. (The Town of Westbrook became the City of Westbrook in 1891 when Leander Valentine was elected the first Mayor under a mayor-council form of government.) 

  During Col. Westbrook's military service he became well acquainted with, and joined into business ventures with Brig. Gen. Samuel Waldo. Waldo later took him to court and, through shrewd legal procedures, stripped Westbrook of his land and money.  The Colonel’s financial losses, combined with impaired health caused a rapid decline in his health and he died in debt in February, 1744, leaving a wife and daughter.

It was Col. Westbrook's family who decided to bury his body secretly because it was then the custom for any creditors to hold the body for settlement of outstanding claims. No one was sure for 232 years exactly where the old Colonel's body was laid to rest.                  

Roger Knight, a descendent of Nathan Knight, had been told that a rock framed mound located in the woods of his family farm was the grave of Col. Westbrook.  In 1976, the Country’s Bicentennial,  Mr. Knight invited the Westbrook Historical Society to excavate the site on the property and Col. Westbrook’s remains were found there along with a metal plaque with part of Westbrook's name showing and a hinge and small steel oval that could possibly have been a piece of his belt buckle. The stone and plaque shown here now marks the burial site which is located just over the Scarborough line on the Knight farm.

The Catholic Action Crusaders Club of St. Hyacinthe Church was comprised of male youth, 16 years old and up, from the Westbrook parish.  The Crusaders were formed on April 12, 1937 when a young curate, Father Adrien Casavant, encouraged  twelve baseball players to form a catholic action movement. Within four months the original membership of twelve rose to the astounding number of one hundred and thirty-six. The parishioners rallied behind their young men and patronized every enterprise of the new Crusaders.  These endeavors included baseball, basketball and hockey teams, as well as light dramatic presentations and minstrel shows. The Crusaders baseball team won the 1938 Westbrook Twilight League championship.

Upon joining, the young parishioners learned the purpose and expectations of the organization:
"This club is an organization of catholic young men grouped together in order
    to promote good clean social, athletic, intellectual, and religious activities.
"Of a Crusader, we expect one thing: to be a gentleman. We expect him to live
    a good clean decent lifeand to do nothing that will bring shame and dishonor
    upon himself, his family, his religion or his club.
“We expect him to be a man of honor and a good sport. We want him to be
    friendly with all his fellow members and to be courageous and gentlemanly…
“If you follow these simple rules of a Crusader, you'll be an honor to yourself, your country and your religion…..”

Within a few years of its formation, the church members decided that the boys needed a place of their own where they could meet and group together. The club president, Raymond Morin, and his aides found a suitable location and building, the old offices of the Haskell Silk Mill. Father Casavant and Armand LeBlanc took upon themselves the task of secur­ing the purchase money and a Corporation to oversee the adventure was formed from leading men of the parish.

Thus, by early 1940 the Catholic Action Crusaders were proud possessors of one of the best club­houses in the state. In a news article at that time, the building was described as such:
 “On the first floor of the 42 by 35 foot, two story structure, will be a large social room with a fireplace, a library with another fireplace, a trophy room, directors' office, a large reception hall and a pool and game room. The entire second floor will be given over to a gymnasium with a boxing ring and apparatus. The building will be completely air con­ditioned and indirect lighting will be installed. It will be finished in a modernistic style.”
Youngsters, by the dozens, flocked to the membership committee seeking admission, a comfort­ing fact for those who had labored hard to make their organization enviable to all catholic youth.

     By the fifties membership in the club was waning and the building was sold to the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1951. In 1958 a fire in the building greatly altered its outside appearance.

Ray Morin proudly shows off his Crusader
Drum & Bugle Corps uniform

Little did this team know that when they won the Telegram League and State Championship in 1951, that it would be FIFTY-THREE years before Westbrook would ever capture another such titile!

Below is the team information as it appeared in the Westbrook High School yearbook The Blue & White 1952:

This beautiful old, unmarked photograph…probably taken in the 1920s or 1930s, judging from the dress, hair styles and wrist watches… speaks to a time long gone.    A favorite afternoon activity for young ladies of the early 19th and 20th Century  was to gather with friends and do needlework; this group paused a moment to capture their handiwork on film. On close-up we can see lace-work (tatting), crochet, embroidery, cut work, sewing and hooking; what a variety of skills!  These pieces could be packed away for the bridal chest, used as gifts, or donated to the needier families in the town.

One early local organization dedicated to doing charitable deeds...such as sewing for the needy...was The Martha Washington Charitable Society of Saccarappa, Maine. The group was formed in 1846 and amended its Constitution from that of the Female Charitable Society developed on September 6, 1842.

For more information on the Martha Washington Charitable Society and on other Westbrook organizations see:
Fabius M. Ray's Story of Westbrook compiled by Karen Sherman Ketover
The M.W.C.S. Record Book at the Historical Society
Westbrook Historical Society's collection on Westbrook Organizations

This photo shows the interior of the old Dana Warp Mill. Smiling men stand beside bales of cotton which would eventually be made into warp for use in weaving cotton fabric. The process of making warp is described  as follows:
                             “ The process of making warp is most interesting. The bales of cotton are taken to the picker room where it is put into machinery from which it emerges in a wide white alt. It is now taken to the carding room and made into rolls, and from here to the doubling frames. Then the yearn goes through
four processes, making it each time a little finer. The next step is spinning, then comes the spooling and warping; the warps are dressed into beams and are ready for shipment.”

These workers had good reason to smile; Woodbury K. Dana, the progressive general manager of the mill for fifty-six years, was known for being generous and thoughtful toward the treatment of his employees.  The company insured the lives of all employees who had been with them nine months or longer and adopted a liberal policy in helping its employees own their own homes. By the 1950s fringe benefits were listed as: Accident & Life insurance, life insurance, a pension plan, six paid holidays a year, vacation pay, and workmen’s compensation insurance.

The mill was started in 1866 under the name of Dana & McEwen and was a simple  2-story wooden structure which stood on Bridge Street,  on the banks of the Presumpscot River overlooking Saccarappa Falls.   Under Dana’s management the Westbrook business, which started with a few spinning frames, gradually grew to a fair sized cotton mill of 56,000 spindles and over 600 employees. By then it was called Dana Warp Mill.  At one time it consumed 4,500,000 pounds of cotton and produced over 4,000,000 pounds of yarn per year. Due to the company’s growth and the need for more space, the large brick building which can be seen today, was erected on the same site as the original building. 

Even though the management of the company was always wisely progressive, the increasing use of synthetic fabrics, increasing government regulations and heavier labor costs forced the closing of Dana Warp Mills on January of 1957.

To read further on the Dana Warp Mills, see the following books at the Westbrook Historical Society:
Highlights of Westbrook History,
Woodbury Kidder Dana - Biographical Sketch
Fabius M. Ray’s Story of Westbrook
Westbrook, Maine, a History (booklet)
History of Westbrook by Westbrook Historical Society (booklet)
Dana Warp Mill Notebook containing articles & photographs of Dana Mill

The first electric street cars appeared in Portland in 1891 on the Deering line, and ran from Monument Square to Morrill’s Corner.  Horse cars had been operating in this area, which was part of Westbrook until 1871, since 1864.

On December 22, 1891 the Westbrook City Council discussed a proposed electric line extension into Westbrook. The line would operate through Spring (now Woodford’s) Street from Forest Avenue, then along Brighton Avenue, on through Cumberland Mills and Main Street, to the foot of Saco Street.  The Westbrook line would the first section to be built purposely for electric operation on the Portland system.

In January 1892 the Westbrook Council accepted the Portland Railroad Company’s offer of a 25 year franchise.  Certain rules and regulations were discussed and accepted: a 5 cent fare would be charged between Cumberland Mills and Saco Street; cars would be limited to eight miles per hour in the city and no more than fifteen miles per hour outside the compact area; the rails would be installed in the center of the street instead of on the side.   There were some concerns about the line coming too close to a Cumberland Mills church but the Council approved the location.

Two new electric cars being built at the new Bracket Street car barn would be finished in time for the opening of the June extension. The cars were described as being 32 feet long, furnished with an oak and South American red wood interior and the exterior was to be painted olive brown or wheat (then better known as Pullman car color) and decorated in gold and vermillion. The top panel was to read: SPRING, BRIGHTON & MAIN STEETS.  In the middle of the car WESTBROOK was to be painted in large letters with the lower panel reading NASONS CORNER & CUMBERLAND MILLS.

 The early cars were equipped with two twenty-five horse power motors, hand brakes, no fenders or vestibule. A brakeman was employed to help stop the train when passengers wished to get off, to announce the streets and to ring the signal bell to the motorman. The conductor of the train collected all fares and checked all railroad crossings

June 29, 1892 was the Official opening of the Westbrook Trolley Line. Two electric cars carrying the Directors of the company and guests arrived at the Westbrook city square. The American Cadet Band and a large crowd was in the square as the cars glided to a stop amid the music and the waving of handkerchiefs. As soon as the cars were emptied of the dignitaries, the band and the citizens boarded and were given a ride to the east end and return. It was a joyous occasion.

From then on cars left the head of Preble Street for Westbrook every half hour starting at 7:10 Am. By July it was reported that more than 1,000 people per day used the line.  In 1898 the Westbrook City Council approved an extension of the Westbrook line which would allow it to continue on into Windham and Naples. 

By the early 1900s electric street railroads operated in most large cities in New England. By changing cars several times it was at one time possible to ride on electric cars from Westbrook to Boston. Electric street cars were a convenient means of transportation and a lucrative investment for its owners. They also stimulated the building of suburban homes and businesses outside the now-expensive city limits.

But time and progress march steadily on and by 1939 some of  the trolley cars were replaced by  gas driven buses. The Westbrook trolley line continued until April 20, 1941 when it was reported on the front page of a Portland newspaper:

                                     “ Crowd Jams Last Trolley to Westbrook
                                             Buses Take Over Service Today
           The rumbling wheels of the trolley No. 175, described by company employes (sic)
           as a Saco car, wrote the last chapter in an era of Paper City trolley transportation
           that covered a 45-year period”.

To read more about the Westbrook street cars, visit the Society and ask to see Charles Heseltine’s collection on Westbrook Trolleys      .

The Haskell Silk Company, manufacturers of silk dress goods, was one of the foremost silk manufacturers in New England. Their product was supplied through retail houses in almost every state of the union and carried the name Westbrook throughout the country. The company was established in 1874 and was the only company of this type in Maine and was one of the oldest in New England. James Haskell resigned his position as Agent for the Westbrook Manufacturing Company to establish this business. James Haskell was the President of the company, his son Frank Haskell was the treasurer and his other son, Edwin Haskell, was the General Manager. Frank Haskell, was appointed to succeed his father as agent of the Westbrook Manufacturing Company. He served both companies until 1889 when he was forced to resign as Treasurer of Haskell Silk Company to devote full time to the Westbrook Manufacturing Company. He did however continue as a director and part owner of tie Haskell Silk Company until his death in 1896.

The first Haskell Silk Mill stood on the west side of Bridge Street, next to the bridge that crosses over the Presumpscot River [at the rear of the present day Portland Pie Company and on the land where the Bridge Street traffic spur is located.]

The Haskell Silk Company started off manufacturing spool silk and twist and six operatives were employed. The business grew at a rapid pace and in 1881 the company began the manufacture of dress goods. Black was the predominant color at first. The silks were woven from pure silk, dyed in the yam. In the next few years many beautiful colored silk and satin patterns were woven.

All of the silk used in the manufacturing was imported from Japan in the form of skeins and the following process of making silk material was used. The skeins were rewound, followed by a procedure known as "doubling", and were then ready for the spinners. Next, the silk was reeled, dyed and wound again making it ready to be warped and quilted and woven into yard goods. The inspection or "picking" followed and the material was finally ready for finishing. The "picking" of the silk was for many years done by women in their own homes, creating a flourishing home industry in the town. The Haskell taffetas, with black warps and colored filling, were manufactured in large quantities and were widely sold throughout the United States.

Due to the large demand for these Glace' Taffetas, it was necessary to expand still further and a new mill was built further up the river on Bridge Street. This new mill contained thirty-thousand square feet of floor space and employed from two hundred fifty to two hundred seventy-five employees. The dye department boiler house and repair shop were housed in a separate building. The Mattison Power Company, located at Mattison Falls in South Windham, supplied electric power for this mill. This power station was built at the same time as the mill by the owners of the Haskell Silk Company and Dana Warp Mills. The president of the company, James Haskell, retired during this period due to ill health. William Poole became the new president of the company and Lemuel Lane became the Treasurer of the company both of these men were family connected.

I am sure there is no one around who remembers The New Marguerite Lunch on Main Street near Vallee Square, but these two old photographs deserve more than just a passing glance, especially since they show both the inside and the outside of the business. The faint writing on the back of the photographs indicates that they were taken in 1912.  They were donated to the Society by the daughter of John Hay, a well-known Westbrook citizen and local ‘undertaker’ whose extensive collection of cabinet card photographs of Westbrook buildings and businesses can be seen at the Society.

In looking at the outside view we see, on the right, Rocheleau’s Clothing Store, a local landmark until the 1970s. Although there was no listing for Marguerite’s Lunch in the Westbrook City Directories available at the Society, Rocheleau’s was listed at 861 Main Street in the 1912 Directory. A barber (pole) can be seen on the other of Marguerite’s and a Moxie sign hangs in the window behind the man in the doorway. Obviously a celebration was in progress when this picture was taken ...maybe the 4th of July was the occassion for all the patriotic decorations?

Inside the lunch we can see a sign over the fountain which says: “Our Trusting Dept. is on roof…Take Elevator”…an early 'business' sense of humor? There is also a small sign on the top shelf which expresses: ‘Merry Christmas’ so this photographs was not taken at the same time as the exterior one but together they give us a real flavor of a small town business at the turn of the century.

The old railroad bridge which spans the Presumpscot River from Brown Street (across from Cottage Place) to just below Fraser Field, bridges more than the river that once brought life to the Indians’ corn and fish to the high fishing place called Ammoncongin. The “Black Bridge”, as it has been called by many generations of Westbrook residents, also bridges time. Just its name evokes many a memory in the hearts of Westbrook citizens. A 1988 news article found at the historical society states:

          “Many a boy, contrary to the instructions of his parents, has hurled himself from the bridge to
plummet into the cooling waters on a hot summer day. Thousands of cigarettes have been sneaked,
and thousands of kisses have been stolen, in the shadows of the black bridge… Upon the granite blocks that hold its steel girders are layers upon layers of paint, and upon its girders are splotches of paint as if some artist had gone mad. Yellows, blues, greens, whites, pledging love, immortalizing rock stars, cussing teachers and policemen, and publishing the politics of the day. They are all there. The hippies of the sixties, the Beatles, Nixon, Kennedy, AC-DC and Van Halen, Power to the People, and Hell No We Won't Go.  Yes, the black bridge has seen it all, and  recorded most of it.”  
[ED note: A walk across the bridge in 2012 found that the graffiti has been mostly painted over…but the bridge still remains a busy thoroughfare.]  

This black hulk of steel, (now red with age and rust), grows out of the skeleton of its wooden predecessor and remains today much as it did when our fathers and grandfathers yelled out in glee and leaped skyward, to fall into the waters below. It seems much the same as when a boy carved the name of the girl who would become his life's partner into the railing of the footbridge. Yet, the bridge does change.

The first bridge at this site was built in 1870 as part of the first 17-mile stage of the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad (completed to Vermont in 1875). For the first years the only people who saw the bridge were crews and passengers on the railroad, boaters on the Presumpscot, and those few who troubled to walk through the woods or fields that stretched unbroken along both sides of the river in that area.  That first bridge, built of wood, went out in 1896, victim of a raging ice-clogged river. It was replaced with a steel bridge standing on the stone piers of its predecessor.

By that time, settlement on the northwest side of the river had reached the point where there was a demand for more direct access to the commercial and cultural advantages on the Main Street side. The result was a wooden foot­bridge hung beneath the steel. Over the years this became many a youngster’s favorite route to Main Street, the ball field and swimming pool and to school. In 1989 a galvanized steel grating replaced the traditional wooden walkway of the bridge. Pipe rails were installed along inner sides of the walkway at 18 and 42 inches.  The cribbing that supports the Brown Street end was replaced with three hangers that clamp and are welded to the I beam girder.  In 1992 the City Council voted for two street lights to be installed at the ends of the bridge which had become an unsupervised center were teenagers and young adults hung out; underbrush was also cut back due to fires in the area. One year later, the Council decided to consider other ways to light the area since CMP costs for the proposed lighting would have been $5,000.

Today there are no trains traveling over the bridge. The through trains on the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad, which carried people across the bridge by the hundreds and thousands to Sebago Lake picnics and parties, to vacations in the White Mountains, and on to destinations in Vermont and Canada, are only memories. 
           
But the footbridge remains a vital piece of our history.  Maintained by the city of Westbrook, the walkway remains a thoroughfare for those who aren't old enough to drive a car or don’t own a car and to some who use it to reach the pathways that stretch along the riverbank. A well maintained walkway is on the Main Street side and goes from the Sappi Fine Paper Co. all the way to Saccarappa Falls and Vallee Square.

When my husband and I visited the bridge in November 2012, on a beautiful sunny fall day, people were walking on the bridge, both on the walkway and overhead on the rails, and families were walking the Main Street side foot path. It was a busy day for foot traffic. Yes, the people still come, probably now for exercise or as a shortcut, since there are cleaner places to swim. But the view along the river remains a beautiful thing to see. We did not see any lighting on the ends of the bridge nor did we see much graffiti. It appears that the huge blocks of granite supporting the bridge have been painted gray but there are still a few places where you can spot a person’s name spray painted on the blocks or on the bridge itself.  Two things of interest that we discovered on our walk, (1) there are two sets of tracks, one for narrow-gauge and one for wide-gauge trains and (2) there is a U.S. Geological Survey Marker on the bridge stating that the elevation is 69 feet above sea level.
           
In this era of growth, when we are losing more and more of our landmarks, historic buildings and farmlands, this great Westbrook landmark continues to serve Westbrook’s citizens.

In 1814 a new town of Stroudwater was incorporated. This name did not meet the approval of the majority of its inhabitant so three months later its name was changed to Westbrook, in honor of Col. Thomas Westbrook. At that time the town boundaries included Woodfords, Stroudwater, and Deering which extended as far as the Forest Ave entrance to Deering Oaks.

Archelaus Lewis, Justice of Peace, called the first town meeting, before the name was changed to Westbrook, at the meeting house in Stroudwater in 1814.  In 1820 town meetings were held in the First Parish Meeting House on Capisic Street, later known as the Parson Bradley Church.  In 1830 when the town was no longer allowed to use that facility they arranged with the Universalist Society to use their chapel on Stevens Avenue for town meetings. Soon it was voted to build a town house on Riverside Street near Warren Avenue. The town soon realized that this site was not ideal, since the meetings were held in March when heavy snow often covered the roads. so the building was sold. It is probable that later meeting were held in the Saccarappa section of town.

By 1868 Westbrook’s population had increased to the extent that management of municipal affairs of such a wide spread area were unwieldy. The town petitioned  the state to divide. In 1871 the town of Deering, which included Woodsfords, Morrills Corner and Stroudwater, was incorporated.  This left Westbrook with a population of less than 3000 but with industries developing and two railroads passing through the town, by 1880 the population had doubled.
 
By 1887 there was a  general consensus that the old government no longer suited Westbrook’s increasing needs and a town meeting was held at the Odd Fellows Hall in Cumberland Mills to discuss a City Charter. The state was petitioned and the legislature charter was granted that same year (1887) but was not accepted and put into operation until 1891.

The first official Westbrook City Offices were on the 2nd floor of the Scates Building, built in 1903 and located facing Bridge Street. The Municipal Court Room was located in the rear of the offices. During the years the court was held here (until about 1965) the Westbrook lawyers serving as judges were Judge Tolman, Fabius M. Ray, William Lyons, Frank Pride, Wade Brigham, Armand LeBlanc and Francis Rocheleau.   The Police Station and jail were behind the Scates Building on Carpenter Street.
This photograph was taken in the city offices in 1910. It shows Charles Moses on the left (listed as ‘real estate’ in the City Directory of 1910) and H.F.G. Hay, Mayor on the right.  It is interesting to note the cords going from the chandeliers to the table lamps..were the city fathers trying to save on expenses? And what a ‘great view’ out the window!

Due to urban renewal, City Hall moved to 795 Main Street in 1967..  The Offices moved to 1 York Street in 1995, where they remain today.

Here comes the milkman!  Do you ever wonder what those words mean to today’s young people?  To a lot of us it means the delivery of milk right to our front door stoops…fresh and oh, so cold in the winter months.   Remember how the milk would freeze in winter and the cap would pop off the bottle?  And how the cream separated from the milk and Mom would use it to make fudge…or chowdah?  And how you knew the milkman’s name since he walked to your door, milk bottles clinking, to pick up the empty bottles and leave the new order? This snapshot of “Mr. Landry, the milk man” was taken in 1943 when milk was still delivered in a horse-drawn wagon and came from local Westbrook farmers.  Who is it that complains about the ‘good-old-days’? 

The 1891 Westbrook City Directory lists sixteen people under the heading ‘MILK’: Isaac G. Babb (off Spring St.), Smith Babb (Stroudwater), George M. Cobb (listed as Methodist Rd, Rocky Hill District),James H. Gowen (Duck Pond Rd), Deering Colley (Brook Rd, Prides Corner), George E. Herman (Cottage Place, Cumberland Mills),George R. Johnson, (Buxton Rd), Alonzo Libby (Main St.), James Morris (Methodist Rd), S.F. Pride (Bridgton Rd), Albion Quinby (Saco St), John Roberts (Saco St.), Cornelius Small (Methodist Rd), John Tilton (Stroudwater), Woodbury Bros. (Bridge St. Duck Pond district), and Frank Woodman (E. Bridge St.).

Over the years there have been many small dairies in Westbrook which delivered milk in their own labeled bottles:  Westbrook Dairy (run by Mace Willis Messenger)*, Elm Maple Farm (Roscoe and Richard F. Libby), Blue Spruce Farm (William L. Clarke), Grondin Dairy (R.J. Grondin), Westbrook Croft Dairy (G.A. Smith), Maplehurst (F.D. Bachelder, R.B.Taggart), Riverton Dairy, Valley View Farm (I. M. Boothby), Walnut Crest Farm (Clinton Rines), Twin Falls (R.J. Grondin), Ledgemere Farm (J.A. Kimball and Sons), Green Acres (Clifford and Gorman Thompson), Old Acres (M. H. Waterhouse) and Pine Grove Farm (J. S. Gordon).  Today, I believe there is only one dairy farm in Westbrook, Smiling Hill Farm; and their milk, still in glass bottles, is delivered to the supermarket.

As years went on and the cause and spread of diseases became better known, larger dairies like Hood and Oakhurst were better equipped to sterilize and process the milk. Since the milk was consolidated, the delivery areas expanded and for many years the milk was delivered door-to-door from small trucks.  When the automobile became more prevalent and everyone could get to the market, that practice was stopped.  No one will deny that the milk is much safer now but some of us do not want to forget the Milkman and this piece of our history.

*ADDENDUM: Linda Messenger Stewart of Delaware sent a correction for this article in regards to the name of the owner of Westbrook Dairy, Mace Willis Messanger, her father, She also supplied further information on that dairy: "I am the first born daughter of Mace Messenger named in your reference to Westbrook Dairy. Please be advised that Daddy's name is Mace Willis Messenger ... there was no such person as William Messenger. Westbrook Dairy was established by my grandfather, Carl Harvey Messenger. My Daddy took over when his father passed away in the early 1950's (I believe 1951 or 1952)" .
3/11/15 Stephen Landry of Buxtonn adds the following information to this photo: "Mr. Landry the Milkman" is Alfonse Landry and the horse's name was 'Dick'.  Dick primarily did the milk runs but was occasionally used on the farm for light duty task such as raking hay."

We welcome any comments or corrections to our Photo pages.

When I first moved to Westbrook in 1951 it seemed as though there was a church on every corner.  When I came upon this (collage) postcard at the historical society it seemed to support my earlier thoughts. Recently I checked the City Directory for 1953 and discovered that there were 15 churches in Westbrook at that time, 10 on Main Street!!!  They were: Advent Christian at 677 Main St., Bethany Hall at 540 Main, First Baptist at 733 Main, Full Gospel Assembly at corner of Seavey & Oak, Highland Lake Union on Bridgeton Rd, Plymouth Brethren at 540 Main, Pride’s Corner Union on Elmwood Ave., St. Hyacinthe at 295 Brown St., St Mary’s at 631 Main, Salvation Army at 10 Fitch St., Trinity Lutheran at Main & School St., Universalist at 719 Main, Warren Congregational at Warren Ave. & Cumberland St., Westbrook Congregational at 852 Main and Westbrook Methodist at 755 Main.   The churches pictured on this card in 1909 were a few of our older churches.
ADVENT –The Advent Christian Parish, under the leadership of the Reverend William Mitchell of Kennebunk raised funds to purchase a lot of land and build a church in Westbrook.  Services were held in the Red Men’s Hall until 1886 when the church building was dedicated. The Church tower, stained glass windows and a new organ was installed in 1910-12.   The building still stands next to Riverbank Park and is being used for religious purposes but not connected to the Adventist faith.
DANISH LUTHERAN/ FIRST LUTHERAN - The first Danish family arrived in Westbrook around 1873. They brought with them the old family Bible, Luther's Postil, and their hymn books. Feeling the need of spiritual guidance, they called together other local Lutheran families for religious services. By 1876 Lutheran services were held in Westbrook homes nearly every Sunday afternoon.  With increasing attendance there was a need for a church building so on November 2, 1882 the First Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Westbrook, Maine, was organized.   By 1891 the land for the site of the present church building, on the corner of Main and School Streets, was purchased from John E. Warren. On New Year's day 1893, the church was dedicated. All services were conducted in the Danish language until 1905 when one English service a month was held. The church has been enlarged and remodeled but it still stands and maintains an active congregation.
CATHOLIC - In 1854 many catholic families arrived in Westbrook to work in the mills, on the railroad and clearing the river way. Originally Catholic settlers had to walk to Portland to attend Mass. Later it is claimed that they met in a brick house on Cumberland Mills before renting a chapel in Brigham Hall in downtown Saccarappa. As the number of families increased and after outgrowing their chapel, land was purchased on Brown St. in 1877 for a church building.  St. Hyacinthe Parish, seen on this card, was dedicated in 1879.  In 1941, due to an increasing congregation, a long-planned large stone church was erected to replace this old wooden structure. The last service was held in the old church in 1942 and services started in the new church across the street. Work continued on the new church until January 15, 1950 when a solemn High Mass and dedication took place in the completed church.  The 3 Catholic parishes of Westbrook, St. Hyacinth on Brown St., St. Mary’s (1916) on Main St. and St. Edmunds on Bridgeton Rd (in Pride’s Corner) merged in 2010.  Due to the overwhelming choice of the parishioners, the Catholic services still continue at the older stone church building on Brown St., now call St. Anthony’s Parish at St. Hyacinth.
WESTBROOK CONGREGATIONAL - There was a First Congregational meeting house at Capisic Street, now in Portland, as early as 1767. This church was where Rev. Bradley served for 30 yrs. It was quite a walk from Saccarappa to Capisic so in 1832 twenty-three members of Parson Bradley’s Church asked dismission to form the Second Congregational Church of Westbrook, later called the Westbrook Congregational Church. The Rev Joseph Searle was called as pastor and for two years meetings were held in Small’s Hall on the second floor of the Edward’s Block on the corner of Main and Bridge Streets.  In 1834 land was purchased on the corner of Main & Brackett Streets and a church building, modeled after the meeting house on Capisic, was built for $2300. The building underwent many renovations, additions and improvements over the years but it always kept its clean, simple beauty. When the Westbrook Urban Renewal was in full swing in 1974, the church building was demolished and the congregation merged with the Warren Congregational Church to form the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.  A new church building was then built on land further up on Main Street, next to the Walker Memorial Library.
WARREN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH - In 1865, under the Rev. Joseph Danielson, the First Congregational Church started prayer services in the Village of  Cumberland Mills. The meetings were held at different homes until the size of the group outgrew this arrangement. In 1866 the women of the village joined together into the Cumberland Mills Ladies’ Sewing Society with the object of raising funds toward furnishing the first Protestant church to be erected in the Village. Samuel D. Warren, owner of the local mills, offered to purchase a lot for the building and to contribute $5000 toward its erection. Any cost over that amount he would match dollar for dollar from pledges. The Cumberland Mills Ladies Sewing Society became affiliated with the church and helped raise funds. The Warren Parish was legally organized and incorporated in July 1868 and the church building on the corner of Warren Ave. and Cumberland St. was completed in 1869.  The first minister was Rev. Elijah Kellogg of Harpswell.  The congregation remained active until 1974 when structural problems, so severe as to be impossible to repair, were discovered in the church. With the news that the Westbrook Congregational Church would be razed and moved by urban renewal, the two congregations merged to form the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.  This congregation is still an active participant in our city.
UNIVERSALIST - Early in the nineteenth century about forty members of Parson Bradley’s Stroudwater Congregational Church “withdrew” because of their Universalist tendencies and formed a free meetinghouse on Saco St.  A church building was constructed on Upper Main Street in 1832 but it did not seem satisfactory to its members. Many years of inactivity followed its construction, with only occasional services, until 1887 when a new church ‘more centrally located to accommodate those living in Cumberland Mills’, was envisioned.  Construction on this church, seen on the postcard, was started in 1887 and in 1888 a 3-day celebration of dedication was held. In 1904 the Rev. Harry E. Townsend was called to the pastorate and stayed for over 40 years, a much beloved minister of the church and an active member of the community.    The Westbrook Methodist Church continued to be active until 2010 when a dwindling and aging congregation prompted it to close its doors and offer the building for sale;  the building remains empty two years later.
FIRST BAPTIST – “The Lord surely works in mysterious ways”, reports the Brief History of the Westbrook Baptist Church, ”and when, in 1885, there was still no Baptist Church in Saccarappa, He sent to Scotland for the one who would start the work to place one here. To accomplish this he made use of the needs of the Westbrook Manufacturing Company Gingham Mills for trained personnel from Scotland to instruct their people here in the textile process. Among those who came over at this time from Scotland was Mrs. Roger Hilton, a woman who loved the Lord and immediately set out to work for Him here. Seeing the need in Westbrook, she started a Sunday School Class of small children in her kitchen on Scotch Hill.”  Soon more than just the Scottish people were attending the classes. The class size grew rapidly and it became necessary to transfer to larger quarters; during the next few the years the Scotchmen’s Football club house, the Grand Army  and the  Odd Fellows Halls were all used for the Sunday School. Many at the school members also attended the Free Baptist Church in Portland. As the group enlarged the locals wished to establish a church in Westbrook. The present church, designed by architect John Calvin Stevens, was dedicated on Oct 28, 1888 and was fee of debt at its completion.  The church history relates that the local Press reported on November 2, 1888: “The Church starts out in its good work with twenty-eight members and a bright outlook for future growth.”  And how true that statement was; the church building has undergone renovations and improvements over the years but its congregation remains an active force in the City.
 METHODIST – According to tradition, Methodism  made its first appearance in Saccarappa (later called Westbrook) when Robert Fellowbee, a circuit rider came and preached in Mr. Conant’s house on Park Hill in 1799. The First Methodist Class was formed in 1814.  After the first town meeting house (later called “the Old Iron Works” ) was built on Saco Street in 1817, Methodist meetings were held there every other Sunday.  (Congregationalists met on the alternating Sundays.)  When conflicts arose among the users of the meeting house, the Methodist members withdrew to a variety of locations. First they built a vestry on Main Street but by 1841 they had outgrown it and built a larger church on the present Church Street (which thus acquired its name). This church was destroyed by fire in 1864. For the following two years the Methodists met in the Universalists church and then in Warren Hall. In 1866 the congregation took steps to erect a new building on the corner of Main and Foster Streets, the structure pictured on this post card. The church was dedicated October 17,1867.  Methodists flourished in Westbrook, holding the first Methodist conference here in 1871 and boasting the largest Bible Class in the state up to that time in 1916.  However, by the 21st Century the church’s enrollment was aging and diminishing so the structure was sold and in 2003 it became a Teen Center

            Sources: Highlights of Westbrook History and local church histories; all may be found in the Society’s research collection.

This photo shows two mid-19th Century houses on Main St next to the old junior high school. You can also see the Methodist Church on the far right. These houses sat on the site of the ‘new’ central post office planned by Westbrook Urban Renewal Authority.  

The house in the foreground, the former Douglass Wallace residence, was moved to 128 Spring St to become the home of Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Lefebvre. The house next to the school, also owned by Mr. Wallace, was offered for sale  ….but ended up demolished, along with the west wing of the school, in order to make room for the post office.

In the photo below, taken in 2012, you can see the post office and hidden behind the large tree, is the school. At the far right you can just make out the front of the Methodist church (sans part of its steeple) which now serves as a teen center.  The house that was moved to Spring St. is still serving as a residence.

Editor's Note (8/2013): A recent vistor to the Historical Society reported that the house next to the school was NOT demolished but was moved to Little Avenue..

According to AN EARLY HISTORY of PRIDE’S CORNER by John R. Lewis, the early religious affiliation for the settlers of The Corner centered around the Friend’s Meeting House in Riverton and the Parish Church in Westbrook.  Even though there  was a  Sunday School  meeting in the area by 1885, it wasn't until 1909 that it was felt that there was a need for a  church and church school in Pride’s Corner. An organizational meeting was held in John Clark’s store and officers were elected, teachers selected and the Sunday School was named the Pride’s Corner Union Bible Society.

Up until 1911 the school and preaching services were held in the Pride’s Corner school with the city’s permission, but the city began showing “a change of heart” in this setup.  In 1912 land on Elmwood Street was purchased and fund-raising was started for the construction of a  church building. With great pride, and lots of hard work, The Pride’s Corner Union Church Society dedicated the Prides Corner Church on June 20, 1915, free from debt.

The church has always been a strong influence in the lives of the people of The Corner. This picture of a Sunday School class was taken on the steps of the Pride’s Corner school so was taken before 1912. Many of the people in the photo were children of the original founders. The names are included on the back as well as a brief insight into the lives of some of the school members.

In 1905 Cornelia Warren funded a ‘swimming pool’ to be built in the river since this was the only swimming area available to the children at the turn of the century.  The pool was placed on the banks of the Presumpscot River, nestled between the Elms and S.D. Warren Paper Company. From early morning until dusk, boys and girls would swim, wade and splash at the ‘river bath’.

The pool was constructed by placing cement block bases in the river and building a ‘pool house’ upon the blocks. The area was surrounded with a boom, and slats placed around the blocks were meant to keep out most of the flotsam. The river flowed through the slates connecting the pieces of foundation, making the center a “fresh” water tank which formed a swimming area.

In one old newspaper article the pool house is described as follows:  “lockers ringed two sides of the pool. There were steps into the pool, and a wooden floor slanted downwards from one end; each year the river was drawn down and workmen from S.D. Warren Co. repaired or replaced the dryer felt (heavy canvas) that covered the floor. A rope in the middle warned swimmers of deep water beyond. On the opposite end were two diving boards, one on a platform.”  The center of the house was left open to the sky. 

This early photograph shows what looks like a full roof but everyone remembers the center roof-area being left open to the sky, and most other photos support this. The cement foundations are all that is left of the river bath and they can be seen along the east banks of the river.  This was a very popular summer spot for Westbrook children but there was no way to purify the water flowing through the pool. Remember, at that time there were many active mills along the river and above the swimming pool.  Despite being subject to pollution, it was long agreed by the Cornelia Warren Community Association* that the facility was still safer for children since they were under the eye of a life guard, than to risk a fatal accident in the river due to unsupervised swimming. However concerns for the children’s health and safety became a major concern when the polio outbreaks in the 1940s were thought to be spread via swimming. 

In 1947, the Association seriously considered the idea of building a new swimming pool. Once they were able to secure financial backing with funds provided by the Association, the S.D. Warren Paper Mill, the Warren Memorial Foundation, Dana Warp Mills, and funds collected through a city wide fund drive, the excavation for a the new facility was started in October of 1947.

The new pool, which would utilize Sebago Lake water, would replace the old tank operated by the Association. A wading pool was also made available on the playground before the season opened the following June. The swimming pool was eighty feet wide and 150 feet long and allowed 300 people to swim at one session. It was completed in 1949 and the ‘river bath' became history.

Did you ever swim there? If so, drop us a note to tell us of your experiences.

* Cornelia Warren Community Foundation was incorporated in 1925 from a trust left by Miss Warren who died in 1921. (She was the daughter of Samuel D. & Susan Warren.) Its purpose is to maintain the many gifts that Miss Warren gave to the City of Westbrook.

(Information taken from A Presence in the Community: The Warren Family Legacy.  2000)
Visit the Society to see interior photographs of the pool house and photos of kids jumping from the 2nd story into the river.

A recent query to the web page prompted a look at this old photo (c. 1900s) of the Warren Block in Cumberland Mills. Notice the horse and wagon…and the two-way streets. Today the block is a one-way triangle route.

In 1882 Mrs. S.D. Warren (wife of the owner of the nearby S.D. Warren Paper Co.) commissioned the construction of the Cumberland Hall. In later years the building has come to be called the Warren Block.  Francis H. Fassett and John Calvin Stevens of Portland were hired as architects and Stevens designed the building, considered to be one of his finest early designs. Mrs. Warren intended the building to be used for community services and activities and to benefit the citizens of the area, many of whom were employed by her husband. [See archived photo article about the Cumberland Gymnasium founded in 1904 by Miss Cornelia Warren, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Samuel D. Warren.]

Cumberland Hall was built in the Queen Anne style, one of the most sophisticated and complex style structures in Maine at the time. It portrayed the progressive trend in the late 19th century to let the inside use of the building dictate the outside design. Another factor in its design was the triangular piece of land on which it was designed and built, thereby making the three storied building an elongated shape. The roof is an irregular hipped style with a small domed tower.  The foundation is granite while the building is a mixture of brick and frame construction. The first two stories are of brick and the third is wood covered with shingles. Exterior decorations are made of brownstone and terra cotta.  Also reflecting the period style, the windows were designed with many small panes.

This photo shows the building as originally constructed, before the ‘nose’ building was added in the late 1940s, early 1950s.  Since its erection the block has been ‘rehabbed’ a few times but the outside original  style and flavor have been maintained.

The Warren Block has always been an active and focal part of the Cumberland Mills community. Over the years it has housed a branch of the post office, a pharmacy, a dress alterations shop, a cobbler shop, a book binders, a bakery, a laundry, KFC, as well as restaurants, bars and, today, a tattoo parlor. 

It may have been 1974 before the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places but it has always been a Cumberland Mills landmark.

In 1951 Westbrook High School’s basketball team became the 1st Westbrook team in twenty-four years to win the Maine Class L Championship title and bring the trophy home to the Paper City. The team marked up its 26th straight victory when it beat Bangor High 71 to 54 to win the final game of the tournament.

The Blazers headed off to the New England Tournament with high hopes. They were pitted against Worcester's St. John's High in the first play-off game and St. John's won, 69 to 61. Westbrook put up a good fight and ended its season with a 26 – 1 record.   Bill Cary was named to the second team of the Boston Garden’s New England Inter-Scholastic Basketball Tournament all-star team. The high school students and the entire Westbrook community gave the team a heroes 'welcomed home'.

This team photograph and two scrapbooks with clippings of the team members histories, going back to their grammar school basketball years, were recently donated to the Society by Manager Bill Palmer (seen in the photograph.) Bill still beams with pride when he speaks about those glory days. His sacrifice in donating the memorabilia for all to share is much appreciated by the Westbrook Historical Society.

The Westbrook Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, No. 87 was organized January 11, 1875.  In 1934 the name was changed to Highland Lake Grange No. 87.

Meetings were held in the upper room of the Duck Pond school until 1889 when this building (photo circa 1910) was erected on the corner of Hardy Road and Bridgton Road (Rte. 302).

The hall was used for church meetings during the winter months. A stable and storage building was added next to the hall in 1905.  Money for the addition was raised from a two day “Fair and Exhibition” which raised $75.10. Electricity was installed in 1926 and the first floor was leased from 1926 to 1937 to P.B. Burns for a store.

The Grange was an active member of the community. In 1934 their protests aided in preventing the proposed closure of the Prides Corner fire barn. Fire protection for the hall, however,  continued to be twelve pails of water.  The Welfare committee furnished a clock for the school and members set up playground swings.

In the 1960's the Grange was moved from its original location and placed on a new foundation, with an addition.  In the early 2000's the building underwent further improvements including new windows, insulation, roofing and electrical upgrades.

The Grange has been and continues to be a vital member of the community, from its founding to the present in the 21st century. In the early years the Grange supported local farmers with a store, entertainment programs, and agricultural fairs. In recent years public suppers are held to support various causes, and the  Grange opened the hall for use by other groups such as 4-H, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts

Thanks go to David Gowen for an update on this still vital facility.
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According to records in Washington, D.C., a post office was established in Saccarappa on November 1, 1797. Enoch Freeman was the Postmaster and the “town” was a part of Falmouth. The post office was named Saccarappa until the town of Westbrook was incorporated in 1814. (Westbrook was actually incorporated in February 1814 under the name Stroudwater but three months later the name was changed to Westbrook).

In the early years the post office was located in a store on Bridge Street and mail was distributed to patrons from a “merry go round”: all the mail was placed on the merry go round and patrons would twirled it about and retrieve their mail.

There were also post office branches in Cumberland Mills in the Warren Block (opened in 1870) and in Prides’ Corner.  [See Photo Achieves: A.D. Woodbury Store]

In 1903 the main post office was moved to the Scates Block on Main St across from Bridge.  At this time free delivery of mail was instituted  and Charles W. Munson, a local historian, was appointed as one of the four first City mail carriers. He later became a carrier in the Cumberland Mills branch. [Most of the information in this article was taken from Charles W. Munson's article History of Westbrook, published in the local newspaper. The full article may be found at in the Society's archives.]

In 1935 a federal post office building, seen here,  was erected on Brackett St. where the main post office remained until 1978 when the current building was constructed next to the old high school on Main Street.. The building on Brackett St. has been converted for commercial use.

            Paper City Lunch, owned by Chester Watson, used to set on the west side of  the Warren Library, on land owned by the S.D. Warren Co. When Cornelia Warren decided to close the old swimming tank on the river in 1945 and build a new one on higher ground, Mr. Watson was told that he would have to close his diner. When the diner closed George Barton (my father) bought all the dishes for $100, then in 1946 decided to buy the building for another $100.   Dad got Mr. Richardson from Gorham to help move the building to the other side of the library onto land owned by Charles Thompson.  This move was done at night so as to avoid all the public works and City hassles….the building was put on rollers, a rake was used to hold the power lines up, and the building was moved to its new home at 16 Warren Ave. [At that time Warren Ave ran from Portland, past the mill and met up with Main St. by the library.]  
            My mother worked at the paper mill then so it was up to Dad to run the diner. Since he did not have the know-how or the funding to run it alone, he entered into partnership with Bertha Laffin and renamed the place Friend’s Lunch. However, these two co-owners were not too friendly and Mrs. Laffin told Mrs. Barton that she was with going to either “kill her husband (Mr. Barton) or buy him out!”  But it came about that Mr. Barton, Dad to me, bought her out and changed the name to Barton’s Lunch in 1954. (By this time we were also running the greenhouse on Brown St. where we lived.) During the 8 years the luncheon as owned by our family, we paid rent for the land to Charles Thompson and, after his death, to his daughter Margie Doulin.
            It soon became too much to run both the luncheon and the greenhouse so Dad sold Barton’s Lunch to a Mr. Kenney. When the business closed in the 1960s it was known as Lynn’s Lunch and was run by Harlan & Evelyn Rounds.                                                                  

In 1657 Squitterrygusset traded a tract of land running from Capisic (now part of Portland) to the Ammoncongin falls to fisherman Francis Small for “one trading coat a year and one gallon of whiskey”. In 1666 George Murphy bought a tract of land on the opposite side of the river which ran from the area of the great falls (Saccarappa Falls) down river from the lower most planting grounds. These two transactions with the local chief Squitterrygusset are believed to have been the first to give a deed of land within our city to the white man speculator.

In the years to come the local tribes experienced some embittered resentment of the white man’s usurping of their lands and staged rampages and skirmishes resulting in the the exodus and then return of the settlers. The settlers prevailed and the city of Westbrook was created in 1814. As this photograph shows, all was peaceful by 1914 and the local native peoples joined in the festivities of Westbrook’s Bicentennial Celebration. The Aucociscos culture and influence on our city is still reflected in the area by its many Indian place-names:

Saccarappa, changed from Saccarabigg (original native name) means - “falling toward the rising sun”. This name was used as the “upper” village name for many years and is still the name of one of our grammar schools.
Ammoncongin, the name used for the “lower” village and falls means– “high fishing place”.
This was the area later called Cumberland Mills and was often shortened to “Congin”, the name of another of our grammar schools. 
Presumpscot River means “many rough places river” referring to the many falls.

 According to An Early History of Pride’s Corner by John R. Lewis, there were at least two major quarries in the Pride’s Corner area of Westbrook.

The oldest quarry was located behind the old Pride’s Corner Union Church.  It is thought that stone from this quarry was hauled into Portland by oxen to build Fort Gorges and other fortifications following the War of 1812. Also, stone from this quarry may have been used to build the 'Palmer House' at 295 Pride Street. 

The second quarry was located near 607 Bridgton Road (US-302) and started operation in 1868. Owned by Jim Pride, the quarry consisted of a stone shed, tool shed, a polishing machine and two cranes. The cranes were operated by hand winches and were used to lift heavy blocks of stone onto horse drawn wagons. Stone taken from this quarry was used for boundary stones, paving stones and curb stones for the city of Portland. The quarry ceased operation during World War II and is now filled with water, making it a serene looking pond beside the road.

Although both quarries have ceased to exist, the Westbrook Historical Society has a few beautiful old photos, such as the one above, which show the process of stone excavating in the late 19th century. Especially poignant is the proud stance of the workers.

 "A picture is worth a thousand words...."
That may be, but this beautiful old photograph is labeled only "Longfellow Street Westbrook, Maine circa 1890s." Who are these people standing in front of their lovely home and barn? Where is the house located? Is it still there? These are all questions asked each time an unidentified photo appears at a historical society. Certainly when this photo was taken these questions would have been easily answered but time goes by, people move and pass on, and buildings are modified or destroyed. These people are probably ancestors to some budding genealogists out there...if only the photograph had more information!

[Ed.: The Historical Society has many early memories of the Duck Pond/Highland Lake area which were written by local historian and life-long Westbrook resident, Edna Nye Gowen (1892 - 1981). Without these written accounts much of the area history and genealogy would have been lost. Articles similar to this would make wonderful, informative entries into the 1st Annual Westbrook History Contest, sponsored by the Westbrook Historical Society.  See Activities page.]

  As one stands by Gordon Grotton's home near Hill Pond [937 Duck Pond Road] it becomes morn and more difficult to imagine how it must have looked there when a factory occupied the east bank of Mill Brook for most of the distance from Duck Pond Road to the Dam.

From 1880 to 1900 the Portland Woodenware Co. was located there, employing a large crew of men making wooden pails; 12 qt. Water pails, 25 Ib. candy pails and small and large tubs. The official name of the factory was that given above but the local name was always the “Pail Factory”.

In Clayton’s History of Cumberland County I found the following: "At the outlet of Duck Pond there is an improved water power, of 50 horsepower upon a fall of 17ft."  This was written about 1870 and at that time or earlier the water power was being used by the Cumberland Bone Mfg. Co, producing bone manure with an annual product rated at $23,000.

About 1884 the factory burned and from then on it was under the management of the Portland Woodenware Co.

I have been told that loads of logs were dumped into the Mill pond and as needed were pushed into the saw mill atop the dam, and there, sawed into lumber.  There also was a stave mill.  Those operations used power from the Water wheel or from an engine house below the dam when the water was low.
Back on the hill beyond the dam was the lumber yard and drying shed.  Here many of the teen aged boys around the corner earned their first pay checks - One dollar for a ten hour day stacking lumber and staves.
Horses were used to haul the pails to market and somewhere in back was a building where the drivers stabled the horses.

On the west side of mill brook about where the Macomber house is now, was a storage building, 35’ X 50'.  The road to the lumber yard passed this building.

A.D. Woodbury Store was located at the corner of the Bridgton (Rte. 302) and Duck Pond Roads. It was operated by Dyer and Sadie Woodbury (Alvin Dyer Woodbury). The Woodburys lived at 1102 Bridgton Road opposite Ridge Road.

The store was heated by a wood stove with a base of sand around it to prevent a fire.  It was not only a store, but a post office and local gathering place. Dyer was the post master there for thirty years and at the time of his death was the fourth oldest in the state. After the R.F.D. service was established his post office was the only 4th Class post office in the state.

A dancing school was located on the second floor and community dances and event were held there.

The stage coach ran from Lower India Street, Portland (Grand Trunk Station) to Harrison. The stage
carried mail, freight and passengers. Despite bear skin robes, it was a cold trip from Portland in the winter! The stage stopped at Woodbury’s, one of several stops, to change horses. Woodbury had scales for weighing freight pick up along the way.

Sadie Woodbury was described as a strong willed person. She wore dentures that she would clack and in an argument they would not stay in place. She was reported to have changed the name of the post office from Duck Pond to Highland Lake, influencing the change of name of the area.

[Much of this information was received from Fred Gowen and recorded for the Historical Society records.]

Summer time is a time to be enjoyed...be it 2011 or 1900! This photo was sent to the Society by Michel Giguére, of Quebec City, the grandson of Anna Rose del Lima Labrecque Giguére (third from the right). It was taken on the rocks "near Portland around 1900 - 1905" . Anna was an elementary school teacher in Westbrook before marrying Conroy Giguére and returning to Quebec City to live. Three of the women are holding lobsters. Their dresses are all so sparkling white...it makes you wonder what was the nature of the happy occasion...graduation, perhaps?

**(See People, Places and Events page for more information on Anna Labreque)

In an 1982 article in the American Journal (the local weekly newspaper) Ione Barton (1902 – 1988) reminisced about Brown Street School. The school was erected in 1887, the year before her father built his house next door, and Ione attended Grades 1-5 there. She recalled that the parents of a lot of the children worked at S.D. Warren and that “Lots of French children were sent to the Brown Street School so they could learn to speak English.”   This only seems logical since it was a neighborhood school situated on the edge of the French speaking section of town and next to all the “mill-built” housing. (Located on Brown Street at the head of Garfield Street.) 

Ione remembered Julia Doyle as principal and teacher of Grades 1 and 2. (Miss Doyle would later celebrate 55 years as a teacher and principal at Brown Street.)  The photograph below is from Miss Doyle's collection; you can see her in the back row.  If you were able to enlarge this photograph, taken in the late 1890s, you would see that at least 10 of those pupils in the front row are without shoes!

The school was destroyed by a massive fire on March 23, 1958.  The school was never replaced and Barton’s Florist was built on the old school foundation, using the same sewer and water mains as the school.

Westbrook neighborhood grammar schools are now replaced with 4 area schools – Canal, Congin, Saccarappa and Pride’s Corner.

I

In 1873 the police force for the town of Westbrook worked under a constable style of policing. When Westbrook was incorporated as a city in 1891 an official police department was organized.

This great photograph of the Westbrook Police Department was given to the Society by the grand daughter of Willis Mitchell. The names and the date 1906 are listed on the back. However, a reprint of the photograph appeared in a local newspaper with the date of 1912. No matter the date, these men stand proud in their tall helmets and brass-buttoned uniforms ....ready to protect the citizens of Westbrook.

Before the advent of power companies it was necessary to build an industry close to a river in order to use the water power…via water wheels, pulleys and pipes… to work the machinery.  Power companies allowed factories to be located wherever it was most convenient since the power could be brought to the business over wires.

The Westbrook Electric Light & Power Co. was the first such company to supply electricity to Westbrook.  The name was later changed to the “Presumpscot Electric Company”. Their main office, seen here decorated for the 1914 Westbrook Centennial celebration, was located on Main Street.

The company had three power stations in Westbrook’s west end. Water was taken in at station No. 1 and transformed into electricity which was used for supplying the lights here and in Deering. Its power was also used for driving motors for various establishments. Station No. 2 transmitted power to the paper mills and Station No. 3 supplied power for operating the Westbrook, Windham and Naples road. There was also a station at the Lower Falls of the Presumpscot, which transmitted power to the paper mills. This electric power plant is owned by S.D. Warren Co.

The Company was described in a 1907 Trade Journal as follows:
“The company, originally established with 50 H.P., has today a 10,000 H.P. capacity and furnishes light and power for the city. That the company has been a great benefit to the city and vicinity goes without saying, always giving steady and reliable service. The plant is quipped with all the latest and most up-to-date machinery and is under the management of W.B. Bragdon, an efficient and practical electrician.”

The Presumpscot Electric Company continued in business until 1922 when the city lighting interests were sold to the Cumberland County Power and Light Company which is now known as the Central Maine Power Company.

The original power company may be gone but the Saccarappa Station still stands beside the Presumpscot River in Westbrook's 'west end' and there is still a sign over the doorway proclaiming its history.

Unless you live in Westbrook, MAINE, you’ve probably never wondered how Westbrook, CONNECTICUT got its name.  Well, some of the (Maine) society  workers wondered and they sent a query off to the “other” (CT) historical society.  The answer, kindly given by Margaret Buckridge Bock, was that “Saybrook Colony” was originally composed of the present towns of Old Saybrook, Essex, Westbrook, Deep River and part of Lyme. Westbrook (also known by the Indian name of Pochaug) was the West Parish of the colony. When it separated to form its own church, it was West Saybrook, the “Say” was soon dropped.”  So, Col. Thomas Westbrook had nothing to do with it!

            But more importantly, along with this information Margaret sent a copy of a photo of the Westbrook Cornet Band. She said that her group knew was not a band from their city and wondered if they ‘belonged’ to us. After searching our records and the internet, it was discovered (in an 1885-86 Maine Register) that this was indeed one of our bands. It was lead by Howard S. Babb and was located in Cumberland Mills. Thus we attained a lost piece of our local heritage along with new friends in Connecticut.

            This proves that there is still a lot of information to be learned and shared by our Societies...if we continue to ask the questions!

Front row (left to right)—Rudolph “Rudy” Anderson (Captain), Harlan ”Red” Shane '34 (pitcher), Robert “Pete” Tetrault '34 (3rd base),  Harold “Jack” Harmon, Henry “Buck” Cote '34 (centerfield), Lloyd “Shrimp” Spiller '35 (2nd base),
Forrest “Stud”  King.
Middle row—Paul “Ginger” Fraser (Coach), Roland “Rollie” Tetrault '36 (short stop), Edmund “Tud” Waterman,
Albert "Fat" Bernier (pitcher), Wyman “Jack” Foster, Lawrence ”Joe”  Farr, Armand  “Danny” Daniel '36 (sub, catcher).
Back row—Millard Chaplin (Ass’t Manager), Edward “Eddie” Mayo (Manager), Leo Cormier, Ronald “Ronnie” Jordan '33,
Philip “Harvey” Nelson '33, Joseph “Joe” Robichaud, Raymond “Buck” Cote, Neil “Neally” Leighton.
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The Westbrook Garage & Machine Co. was advertised in Motor Age Magazine, (Vol. 18, Sep 1, 1910) as a recently incorporated Westbrook business with “a capital stock of $10,000 to buy, sell, manufacture and repair motor cars and deal in all kinds of vehicles.” The incorporators were listed as John T Skill, Alexander Spiers and William Lyons. The business was located at 609 Main Street on the corner of Stevens Avenue, in the same building that now houses Mr. Bagel.

By 1921 Westbrook City Directory listed the company President as David L. Rowe, with Raymond B. Rowe as Treasurer and William J. Rowe as Manager. This is the same year that they became dealers of Ford automobiles. By the 1929 the name had been changed to Rowe Motor Co.

In 1966 the business moved to their current location at 91 Main St. A merger with the former Portland Motor Sales Co. created a name change to Rowe Ford Sales.

100 years in business...in the same town...is a record of which to be proud!

Walker Memorial Library, circa 1900

"Previous to 1814, Westbrook was a part of Falmouth... At the time of the incorporation of Portland, in 1786, up to 1814, Falmouth contained the present Falmouth, Deering District of Portland and Westbrook, as one town; even with the loss of Portland and Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth had become an unwieldy town especially in extent of territory. Its two parishes, the New Casco within the present Falmouth and the Stroudwater in this section, were the main cause of the division of the town in 1814. "
(Taken from the Official Program of the Commemorative Exercises of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town of Stroudwater Name Changed to Westbrook, June 9th, 1814.}

Just as the call for the first town meeting in 1814 must have been a time of celebration, so too was the 100th anniversary of that occasion! A forty page Official Program, complete with extensive history, and a Centennial Celebration flyer were printed by Westbrook's own H.S. Cobb Printer of Cumberland Mills; committees were formed on Church Observances, Music & Band Concerts, Children's Day & Exercises, Historical Matter & Exhibits, Parades (there were two), Bonfire & Fireworks, Decorations & Illuminations, Sports, Reception & Entertainment ...these are just a few of those listed in the Official Program.

The photograph shown here of one of Westbrook's shoe stores is representative of the wonderful job that the Decorations Committee did. Looking through the Society's collection, it would seem that every business along Main Street was decorated with banners and flags. It also seems that a photograph was taken of each establishment and most included employees proudly standing out front.

The Firemen's and the Civic and Trades Parades were also well covered by the photographers. There are many pictures of flag-draped horse-drawn wagons and automobiles filled with local merchandize and citizens. And, of course, the sidewalks were crowded with onlookers.

Let's hope that we're all as public spirited in 2014!! See you there!

Front row (left to right): Charles W. Bailey, Eugene M. Walker, John Wesley Bacon, Charles W. Mace, Joseph P. Ricker, Oliver Berry, Frank L. Parker, Calvin  S. Walker, William W. Hammond and Lorenzo Barbour.
Second row: George F. Hunt, Charles H. Hunt, Charles Hanscomb, Warren S. Flye, Howard Rice, Charles H. Leighton, George Dunnells, Bert Bailey, Neil Murray, Wendell Bailey and George (Grip) Hunt.
Third row: Leander Moody, Winfield Crowley, Walter Whitehouse, Fred Lord, Marsh Morris, Fred L. Leighton, Edward Rounds, Isaiah Staples, Charles M. Cobb and Henry Howe.
Back row: Samuel F. Wilkins, Edwin A. Barbour, Ernest F. Bragdon, Edgar A. Durrell, Ira T. Brackett, Louis Christian, Edward Fernald, Alphonzo E. Greenlaw, Frank W. Ricker, William E. Vanner, Frank J. Little and Almon N. Waterhouse. 

This picture was taken way back in 1885— one hundred fifteen years ago. It shows the crew of the old cutter and finishing rooms of the local paper mill, S.D. Warren Company.  At one time this company was the major employer in the area, employing close to 4000 men and women. The mill is still in existence, although much smaller, and is now known as SAPPI FINE PAPER.

Last year a relative of the Hunt men (seen in the 3rd row) requested a print of this photograph. She had a copy but it was old and faded.   Her old copy had come from the Portland Sunday Telegram of March 26, 1922.  The same photo again appeared in the Warren Standard, the Warren Co.’s monthly paper, in 1954, proving that you and your history do have immortality via the archiving of our local photos and information.

The captions included with each article give a wealth of information about these men.

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PORTLAND SUNDAY TELEGRAM    MARCH 26, 1922:
11 STILL EMPLOYED, 15 DEAD (heading of photograph)
[The name’s of the men listed as still working at SD Warren  are written in bold type under the photo]

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WARREN STANDARD March 1954

The man fourth from the left is the late Charles W. Mace who was superintendent of the finishing department when the picture was taken and who was succeeded considerably later by the late A. N. Waterhouse. Mr. Waterhouse was superintendent for many years until he retired in 1931 after fifty years of service to the Warren Company. He was the uncle of Leon E. Waterhouse, who recently re­tired after forty-five years with the Company, all of it in the finishing department.

We don't believe that many of these men have survived until now—but we are sure of one. He is Fred Leighton, the good-looking man sixth from the left, in the next to the back row. At ninety-two, Fred lives alone and does all his own shopping, gets his own meals and he still looks hale and hearty.

C.G. Gooding  Photographer  Saccarappa, Me.

This beautiful cabinet card, circa late 1800s, shows a view "looking down Mechanic Street" toward Main Street. It takes a while to get oriented to the location since the bare hill seen in the foreground of the photograph now contains parking lots and buildings. The railroad cars and tracks seen here have been replaced by Wayside Drive. The Armory, the tall brick building just at the end of Mechanic St., still remains and is an apartment building. The brick building to the left of the Armory is painted white today and Dana Mills buildings still stand in the background.

The white three-story house to the left of the street still looks about the same except dormers have been added and the white building behind it now houses a Chinese restaurant. All of the white buildings on the right side of the street were torn down during urban renewal. The old Universalist Church, with its pillared roof, can be seen just beyond the houses; that building, built in 1840, was torn down this winter to make way for an apartment building.

In comparing the scene of yesteryear with the scene of 2010, we find much has changed...but much has stayed the same.

In keeping with last month’s theme, and to enlighten those who believe that Westbrook was called a ‘mill town’ only because of S.D. Warren Paper Co. & Dana Warp Mills, here is a transcript of an article from the Society’s archives.  There is no notation if it appeared in a local paper but the photo that accompanied the article seems to have come from newsprint and was not of reproduction quality. (It is a photo of an “old Saccarappa Sawmill that was about 100 years old when it was torn down at the turn of the century” from its site near “Pork Hill”.) The mill scene photograph seen above is from the Ernest Rowe Collection which was originally photographed on glass lantern slides. The slides were digitized by the Warren Memorial Library and donated to the Society.   

THE MILLS OF SACCARAPPA IN 1858

This sketch of early Westbrook was written about the turn of the century by Mr. E. J. Haskell

Starting on the right bank of the river, the first mill on the upper dam was that of the G. & L. P. Warren Company. It was a saw mill and ran the year around. On the island was the thread mill, so called, filled with machinery for making cotton cloth. This mill was not operated in 1858. At the opening of the Civil War it was started as a paper mill, but ran only a short time because on a Saturday morning it caught fire and burned to the ground. There were also the ruins of another mill on the island.
On the mainland there was a grist-mill run by Mr. Bickford; next a mill for grinding plaster run by Mr. Allen, the father of Mrs. W. L. Knowlton; then the saw mill of Mr. Dana Brigham, and the saw mill of Mr. Samuel Clements. With that of the Warren's, these mills did a large business sawing logs into dimension timber and boards.
Next there was a shingle and clapboard mill run by Mr. Thomas Akers; then the old silk mill built by Mr. Vogel and run by him until it was broken into one night and all the stock and the silk stock taken. After that, the business was given up and the mill was used for making harnesses for cotton and woolen mills. This was operated, I think, by Mr. James Pennell.
On the other side of the river on the upper dam was a small mill making bats or batting from the waste of cotton mills, run by Mr. Stephen Cole and others. It was not operated much after 1858. Then came the mills of the Westbrook Mfg. Company, composed of one brick mill of five stories, a two-story building beside it, and a wooden building nearer the road, that was the duck mill, so called. This building was replaced in 1865 by a three-story brick building, the foundations of which are still standing.
The power for all these mills was generated by over-shot, breast, and under-shot wheels. I think the only under-shot wheel was used in the harness mill and that was run by the water discharged by the mills above.
The river was full of logs almost all the time. There was a main boom opposite the place where the house of Ovide Fredette now stands, a boom at Small's and one at Steep Ledge. There were side booms between these as well as below the main boom and between the dams.
The river was very uneven in its flow. In the late summer it was so low that men could go out into the bed of the river with rakes and hoes and clear out the channel so that the water would flow to their side of the river and keep the wheels turning. Then in late fall and in the spring it was so high that the mills were troubled with back-water.
As soon as it was sawed, the lumber was taken to the yards and stacked. One yard for the Warren mill was between Park Hill and the river. Another yard was the flat between Depot and Saco Streets on the south side of the railroad tracks.
The yards were well filled with lumber although teams of six and eight yoke of oxen with a span of horses as leaders, were hauling it day and night to Portland to be shipped.
The roads in the spring and fall were very bad. The wheels of the lumber teams would sink to the hubs even in the villages, and sometimes they were obliged to go into the fields to get out of a bad place…[area missing in article]…turbines. This meant taking out enough ledge at the end of the mill to make a flume eighteen feet deep and a raceway to the river below the falls.
The work of drilling and blasting, all hand work, was started in the spring of 1858. The agent being a stranger, did not know what wages to give the men. He called them together and asked what they thought they should have.  After talking it over, they said their work was worth 75 cents a day and they were paid that. These wages were not as low as might appear, as milk was 4 cents a quart, eggs 12 cents a dozen and butter about 15 cents a pound.  Everything was in the same proportion except sugar and flour, but as molasses and meal were quite generally used, it was not hard to support a family.
The hours of labor were about twelve in the saw mills and eleven in the textile mills.
This is a sketch of how mills of Saccarappa looked to a boy if eight in those times.

The Historical Society recently received this sepia-colored, cardboard-backed 8 X 10 photograph of the old Davis & Baxter corn shop of Cumberland Mills. The original owner of the picture was Samuel B. Ingersoll of 126 Forest Street.  Mr. Ingersoll had been employed as a sealer at the shop for many years and  he had made notes on the back of the picture... ”all cut by hand; women employees; now swim pool...”

An old newspaper article in the Society's collection shows the same photograph with the following inscription:

“...the corn shop, owned by Davis & Baxter, was located in Cumberland Mills on the    present site of the swimming pool...In those days the corn was cut by hand, women being employed for this task. On the opposite bank of the Presumpscot River on the present site of the “Elms”, ...stood the corn shop of J. Winslow Jones, believed to be the first man to pack corn in this vicinity.”

Westbrook's corn shop history is also  referenced in Fabius Ray's Story of Westbrook :

“...to Nathan Winslow...belongs the credit of having inaugurated what is now a colossal industry in most parts of the United States and Canada, the preservation of food products in cans by what is known as the process of hermetically sealing. In this connection it is worthy to mention that the first sweet corn ever canned for the market, was so canned by Mr. Winslow in what was then a woodshed at Cumberland Mills...”

Front row: Roland Pitres, Jean Rene Brochu, Raymond Hebert, Raymond Belanger, Jean Claude Audet, Robert Grondin, Phillippe Gagnon, Paul Levesque, Ronald Delcourt, Arthur Bonin, Paul Dufour & Laurent Landry.
2nd row : Gerald Delcourt, Robert Breton, Gerard Duchesne, Robert Landry, Amedee Chaisson, Robert Arsenault, Maurice Moreau, Aime Thibeault, Edgar Savoie, Aime Labrecque, Edmond Savoie, Leo Paul Pinette, Paul Bernard
Back row: Leo Pednault, Lt.; Leo Champagne, Cpt; Roland Gagne Lt; Willis P. Mitchell Patrolman