Christmas Wreaths at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery 2023 /Remembering December Deaths and Burials

    It has been our custom to place wreaths  in four locations at the GTC to honor the dead of long ago.  It occured to me, as it may have to followers of this blog, that the earliest residents of this cemetery probably did not celebrate Christmas; at least those who were born of Puritan stock,  in the early 18th century.  

    However, the wreath is a symbol of hope and unending connection, and so we choose to remember those men and women who lived and died in this East Deering area of Portland, and remain connected to us who live here and now.

     We also remember the six men and women who died during this month of December by re-posting the article from January 2023.

I wish each and everyone a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for a peace-filled and hope-filled New Year 2024.

Remembering MaryAnn Barbour's Death

    There is only one recorded death and burial at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery in the month of October.  Mary Ann Barbour died on October 7th, 1855, at the age of 27 years, 11 months, one month before her 28th birthday in November.

    Mary Ann Barbour was the oldest daughter, one of twelve children born to JohnBarbour, (1801 - 1869) and Jane Moses Morse Barbour, (1806 - 1881).

Her paternal grandparents were:  John M. Barbour, (1773 - 1850)  and Anna Huston Wilson Barbour, (1774 - 1881).  Her maternal grandparents were:  Capt. Ephraim Morse, (1764 - 1843) and Rachel Noyes, (1771 - 1849.)

    Unfortunately, I could not find an obituary for Mary Ann, nor does  the early death record indicate the cause of her death.  The actual location of her grave is unknown.  We do know that her father John Barbour was probably buried near his young daughter.

    The Barbour family has a long history in the city of Portland dating back to 1718.  The first were James and John Barbour  listed among the 15 soldiers who were charged with re-settling the town after the French and Indian Wars.

    We commit to keeping the memory of these early inhabitants alive despite of how little we are able to glean from sparse records.

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    Sunday, October 29, 2023 was the date chosen for our Annual Fall Cleanup and Planting Party at the Grand Trunk Cemetery.  It was re-scheduled because of bad weather from the previous week, which probably limited the number of people who could participate.

    We were hoping for a bright, sunny day.  This was not the case!  It was raining at noon, drizzling still at 1 PM when the first participants walked across the wet soccerfield.

    None-the-less, eight stalwart ladies arrived ready for the task at hand. A lot of bags were filled with leaves, and well over two hundred bulbs were planted at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery.

  One of the intentions of this blog is to publish a record of the continued attention paid to, and care of, the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery and those who provide it. Here are pictures from the event.

  Joel and I, and the city of Portland are grateful to Sarah Sweeney, Leader of Girl Scouts of Maine Troop 1061 and Abby S., Abby A., Halina O, Emma S.., Ava C., and Page S. Also, thank you to Monique Prevost, Leader Troop 1423. Your service today honored those people who lived long ago and are interred at this historic burial site.

September Deaths and Burials at the Grand Trunk Cemetery

 WEAVING THE THREADS OF MEMORY

    There were eight deaths and burials during this month of September of residents of 'Back Cove' or East Deering over the course of 89 years from 1804 to 1893.  Although this may seem a small number, it is but a reminder that these few names that have survived in record, are among 47 out of the nearly two hundred  people who were interred at this cemetery.

    Three of the deceased are very young children: two toddler boys, and a five year old girl, the daughter of the Irish school master who once lived in a small house with a shop on what is now, Veranda Street in Portland.

    *Harriot Galvin was the second oldest child to be born  to Timothy (1766 - 1836/8), and Joanna Illsley Galvin (1769 - 1840) in July of 1800.  She died on September 21, 1805.  The original monument erected in her memory read:  "Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

    *John Gould/Goold Blake was the son of Samuel (1793 - 1846) and Martha Gould/Goold Blake (1783 -1857).  John was born in August 1824, and died on September 25. 1827 at the age of 3 years and one month old.

    *Joseph Merrill Sawyer, Jr.  was born on October 10, 1832 to Joseph M. (1795- 1875) and Dorcus Whittam Sawyer (1801 - 1856.)  The little boy died on September 27th, 1835, 13 days prior to his 3rd birthday.

    Unfortuately,  there isn't any recorded information about the cause of these children's deaths.

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    A husband and wife, married by the Rev. Samuel Deane on February 22nd, 1785, died in the same month of September but thirty years apart.  She, Jane Lunt, never remarried.

    *Joseph Lunt, a veteran of the Revoultionary War, owner of merchant sailing vessels, including one named for his wife, "The Jane", was born on April 3, 1757, the youngest  son of James (1718 -1799) and Hannah Noyes Lunt (1720 - 1761.)  He was described as a 'charitable friend to anyone in need ',who died at the age of 48 on September 15, 1804.

    *Jane Noyes Lunt, was born in 1764 to Col. Peter Noyes (1731 - 1796) and Hannah Merrill Noyes (1728 - 1803.)   The couple had one son, Peter Lunt.

    The Lunt and the Noyes families resided on farms along what is now Ocean Avenue but their property boundary lines extended down to, and including land where the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk  Cemetery is today.  The division of property was drawn up by Timothy Galvin around 1831.

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    The last three deaths are those of three women, wives, mothers and grandmothers who died between 1849 and 1893.

   *Elizabeth Webb Sawyer was born on September 3, 1782 the daughter of John (1754 - 1846) and Sarah Leighton (1758 - 1830).   Elizabeth  was the wife of Brackett Sawyer (1775 - 1851).  The couple were married by the Rev. Caleb Bradley on January 10, 1805.  During their 46 years of marriage, five children were born to the couple.  Elizabeth outlived her husband by 13 years.

   *Tabitha Cutter Graves, was born c. 1782 , a daughter of Ebenezer and Tabitha Cutter who records show,  lived in North Yarmouth and Falmouth.  On May 1, 1808, the Rev. Caleb Bradley married  Tabitha Cutter and Andrew Graves (1774 - 1860.)   Five children were born to the couple.  In their older years, Tabitha and Andrew sold property to their son, Crispus Graves who agreed to care for them until their deaths.

    *Frances Baker Boothby, was born on March 23rd, 1815, the daughter of John and Mariam Sawyer Baker (1783 - 1869).  On April 3, 1839, Frances married  Silas Boothby (1815 - 1867.)   Frances and Silas  brought six children into the world during their 28 years of marriage.  Frances Boothby outlived her husband by 26 years, dying on September 20th, 1893 at the age of 78 years.  When Maine finally achieved statehood in 1820, Frances Baker  was five years old.

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    I have heard it said, that repeating the names of those who died long ago, assures that their memory will not be lost.  I hope by sharing a little bit about these people, that they will not be forgotten, at least by readers of this post.

August Deaths Remembered

    A year ago, when I published a piece on the three citizens of East Deering who are interred at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery, I was recuperating from back surgery.  The reconstruction project for the Presumpscot School prevented easy access to the cemetery.  I am pleased to report that accept for work to replant the grass on the soccer field before the children and staff return to a new school year, the cemetery is more easily accessible, and available to visit.  On the weekend, parking is available.

    At least once or twice a month, Joel and I go to the site to check on the cemetery's condition and fo a bit of cleanup of garden waste.  Once in a while, we have picked up other items which may be a sign that someone camped out nearby.  I am pleased to report that there has been no visible damage in general.

    With Fall just around the corner, I am hoping to schedule our annual  Cleanup and Planting Party with the help of our Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery and the Portland Machigonne Service Unit.  We generally shoot for October when we can celebrate the birthday of Juliette Gordan Low, the founder of Girl Scouts with a service project at the cemetery and Hallloween activities.

    I will keep followers of this blog posted about any upcoming plans for the Cleanup Party.

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    Please check this blog for articles about Benjamin Sawyer, Crispus Sawyer and John Barbour who died during August.

Remembering Deaths in the Month of May

     On this last day of the month of May, having just celebrated Memorial Day on Monday,  it is appropriate to remember two women and two men who lived in the East Deering neighborhood of Portland, and died during this month . 

   For families, here on the East Coast, and particularly in New England, the month of May and Memorial Day is for remembering and honoring  our dead;  certainly our War dead, but also family members whose graves we decorate appropriately with flowers.

    Since the beginning of the project to recover the remnant that is the Back Cove/Presumpscot/ Grand Trunk Cemetery, setting out American flags to honor the Veterans of Revolution, War of 1812 and the Civil War has been a priority.  Additional flags are also placed here for the unknown soldiers, who probably lay in unmarked graves in this burial ground.  

    Remember, only 47 names survive in record, of the 197 burials thought to have taken place between the 1740's and the final burial which took place in 1894.

Flags decorate the graves of Francis Smith, War of 1812, and
Simon Davis, Revolutionary War.

Honoring the Unknown 

The Grand Trunk Cemetery Veterans Memorial

        Remembering the dead for me, is a way of connecting to history, both on a personal and communal level.  It's true, the dead to be remembered today,  lived a long time ago. However,  their lives, though unfamiliar to most of us, laid the foundation for the generations that followed, not in monumental feats perhaps, but by the everyday-ness of their existence.  

        William Sawyer, was the forth child of thirteen children born to Anthony (1735 -1804) and Susannah Marston Sawyer (1738 - 1819).  He was the third  son, and was born in 1763.  

    On January 3rd, 1793, he married Tabitha Graves (1768 - 1857), the daughter of Lieut. Crispus Graves.  The couple were married by the Rev. Caleb Bradley.

    

    Sadly, William and Tabitha  lost two children in the winter of 1800:  

a daughter, age 2 years, born in 1798, died on February 1st, and her brother, William Jr. age 6, born in 1798, died on February 2nd, just on day later.  

    William and Tabitha Sawyer did have other children who survived into adulthood,  Until recently, I found evidence of two male children:

Joseph Merrill Sawyer (1795 - 1876) and Crispus Sawyer (1804 - 1873). Both brothers are interred at the Grand Trunk Cemetery.

    Recently, another child appeared in  several family trees:  a Hannah Sawyer (1810 - 1859).  I wonder if she is named after her sister who died at the age of two, or her grandmothers; both  named  Susannah /Hannah?

    William Sawyer was a farmer who lived in close proximity to his brother John Sawyer and his wife Abigail Graves Sawyer and his brother-in-law, Andrew Graves and his wife, Tabitha.  William and John inherited land through their wives originally belonging to Lieut. Crispus Graves.

    The Grand Trunk  Cemetery Memorial is an enclosure containing the government issued markers of those Veterans we were able to identify, but whose actually grave sites are unknown.  William Sawyer, War of 1812, his brother John Sawyer, Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and his father-in-law, Lieut. Crispus Graves, Revolutionary War, and, his brother-in-law, Andrew Graves, War of 1812,  are memorialized  here.

              William Sawyer, died on May 14, 1825, at the age of 62 years.

    Emeline Blake was born in June of 1823 to Samuel (1793 - 1846) and Martha H. Goold Blake ( 1783 - 1857) in what was then considered part of  Westbrook.  Emeline was one of six children born to the couple.

    There is no record of what caused Emeline's death on May 15th , 1842 at the age of 19 years and 11 months.  There once was a gravestone lovingly erected in her memory which has since been lost,  it read:

    Lucy Hodsdon or Hodgton was born in Kittery, Maine , c. 1769 to Benjamin Hodsdon (1702 - 17740.  Her mother is unknown.

    Very little is known about Lucy  prior to her marriage to William Blake. In the Rev. Caleb Bradley's journal, we know that Lucy married William Blake (1774 - 1853.) on March 23rd, 1805.  Unfortunately, Lucy Blake died just two years later on May 26, 1807,  at the age of 38 years, and is buried along with William Blake  and his second wife, Sarah Blake.  Their graves are unmarked.

Copy of Death Notice for Mrs. Lucy Blake

      Isaiah L. Frank, born on December 18, 1809 to William ( February 11, 1774, born  in Gray, Maine - February 11, 1836, died  in Windham, Maine) and Nancy Lara Frank ( November 29, 1785 - January 14, 1878  died in Windham).

    On November 15, 1840, Isaiah Frank married Elizabeth Ann Sawyer (1819/20 - 1890).  The couple resided on Lunt's Corner, Ocean  Street, now Avenue,  on a farm.  They had four children during their marriage:

Seward Frank (1845-1918), Albert H. Frank (1848 - 1929), Orin Frank (1850 - 1881), and Mary E. Frank (1853 - 1931).

    Isaiah L. Frank is the last person to be buried at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery . He died at the age of 84 years and 5 months on May 27, 1894.

    Before ending this post, I want to extend an invitation to visit the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery.  Now that warmer weather is here and the cemetery is more accessible because  the school building project is nearly completed.  I understand that some work on the grounds will be finished once school is out in a few weeks.  On the weekends, parking is available behind the building and walking across the soccer field is easier.

    

    On May 21st, Joel and I, along with  special assistance from Lynda Allshouse, Patti Theriault, and Norma Sawyer spent time, raking leaves and debris from winter, cleaned out the garden beds, put down mulch and planted some annuals to prep for Memorial Day.  We placed the flags and wreaths to honor our Veterans as you noted earlier in this post.  

Our Friend, Norma Sawyer

Lynda Allshouse Planting Flowers in Zoe's Garden

    

    The mulch and flowers were purchased with donations we received from our Friends, Steve and Nancy Sawyer and Ron Romano.  We always appreciate the continued support for the cemetery and hope that those of you who plan to visit Maine this summer will stop by and spend a quiet moment.

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    Finally, over the course of this project, it's been my pleasure to meet many people, some only through communicating through this blog and on Facebook.  One such person is Ryan Noyes who has shared his on findings and research on the Noyes and Lunt families . Ryan has been very supportive of my attempts to share the stories of these early residents whose final resting place is this cemetery.   

    It was a delight to meet Ryan Noyes in person and , for Joel and I to have the opportunity to tour the cemetery with him before he returned to his home in Michigan.

    Ryan was here doing research and visiting the graves of relatives.  He also was fortunate to be present for the unveiling of the sign for the Noyes Park.  Here are a few photos taken at the cemetery.

    

    

April DeathsRemembered/Spring Blossoms at the GTC 2023

Author's Note:  My apologies for this very brief post.  We have been away for two weeks and I'm still re-acclamating to being home.  I do, however want to call to mind the four individuals who died in the month of April and are interred at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery.  It is said that simply saying their names aloud, assures they will be remembered always!

Agnes Wilcox:  was born c. 1820 in Scotland and came to the United States with her first husband John Dixon and three children.  Sometime later, her husband died and she re-married George Wilcox.  Agnes Wilcox died at the age of 44 years old on April 2, 1864.  Her memorial stone is still intact and made of white marble.

Joanna Ilsley Galvin:  was one of nine children born to Jonathan (1738 -1809) and Dorcas Ingersoll Ilsley (1738 -1809), on February 14, 1769.  She married Irish School Master, Timothy Galvin shortly after his arrival in the United States.  Joanna was the mother of five children.  After her husband, Timothy's death, it appears Joanna went to Calais, Maine, probably with one of her sons until her death on April 4th, 1840.  There is some evidence that she may have been brought home to Portland, and laid to rest near her husband Tim and daughter Harriot Galvin.  A remnant of the grave site exists in the broken monument to Harriot Galvin.

Joseph Merrill:  was a resident of what is now East Deering, born in 1757 as one of the many Merrill's who settled in Maine.  Although his government issued monument memorializes his service in the Portland Rifle Company during the War of 1812 when he was about sixty years old, the truth is, he also served during the Revolutionary War when he was a much younger man.  Joseph Merrill was a farmer and apparently had a close relationship to Joseph Merrill Sawyer who became the executor of his will when he died.  Joseph Merrill died at the age of 65 on April 8, 1823.  The inscription on the monument has unfortunately started to fade.

Brackett Sawyer:  was born on March 19, 1775 to Zachariah (1732 - 1805) and Sarah Knight Sawyer (1735 - 1784).  He was the husband of Elizabeth Webb Sawyer (1782 - 1862), and the father of five children:  Brackett, (1817 - 1890), Almira, ((1801 - ?), Martha B., (1810 - 1887), John Skilling, (1815 - 1898), and Joel, (1804 - 1874).  Brackett Sawyer died on April 21st, 1851 at the age of 76 years.

Thomas Sawyer, Jr. : was the young twenty-two year old son of Thomas Sawyer who was a ship's captain, who died on April 21st, 1807.  Both he and his mother Susanna Sawyer are interred at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery.  Thomas Jr.'s monument was carved by the artist Bartlett Adams, and is still intact.  Visitors to the Cemetery who stop by the interpretive sign will recognize it as a marker on the map.

     Spring has finally arrived and the daffodils and spring hyacinths are in full bloom at the Presumpscot/ Grand Trunk Cemetery.  Each year since the beginning of the project to recover the ancient cemetery, Girl Scouts, their families and Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery gather to cleanup and plant bulbs.  This year, the array is so lovely.  Here are pictures to enjoy!  

     For those of you who live in the greater Portland area, I hope you will take the time to visit the cemetery and enjoy the spring blossoms.  Now that the school renovation and building project is nearly completed, there is parking in the back of the Presumpscot School on weekends.  During the week, and during school hours, it's best to use the walking path beside the playground to access the site.

    I am hoping to schedule a Spring Cleanup next month to prepare for Memorial Day.  We usually, schedule a time to lay flags and read the names of our deceased Veterans of the Revolution, War of 1812 and the Civil War.  I will keep followers of this blog posted! 

                                               Happy Spring to All!