Preserving The Broken Threads

History often involves picking up broken or dangling threads of the past.

     Only two names of early residents of the East Deering Village remain on the extant list of 42, at Portland City Hall.  Over the last five years, four more names have been discovered and added to the list, leaving another  151 souls interred at the East Deering/Grand Trunk Cemetery as dangling threads of a history lost. 

     Ever the optimist, I long for the day when someone finds those lost 347 grave forms compiled by the WPA survey team in 1936, somewhere in the vaults at City Hall.  For the present, we will continue to the work to weave together the broken threads, to tell the story of the early settlers of East Deering Village and to continue the legacy of Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault's endeavor:  "Unearthing the Roots of the East Deering and Back Cove Communities."

A simple white marble stone records:
Agnes wife of George Wilcox
died: April 2, 1864 AEt. 44 years.

This stone is one of the few originals, but was defaced by vandals
when the recovery project began.

     Little is known about Agnes Wilcox, but I will try to weave together what I've learned to tell her story.  It appears that Agnes was  born in the British Isles, probably Scotland around 1820,  and before marrying George Wilcox in 1858, she was married to a Mr. Dixon; possibly John.  There is a record of a John Dixon from Great Britain who was naturalized in 1847 and settled in Maine.  Sometime after,  he died leaving his wife and two children:  Alexander and John J. Dixon.

     Early City Directories from 1856 and 1858 contain the names and residences of George Wilcox and Agnes Dickson(Dixon) living apart.

George Wilcox resided at 18 Mayo Street and his occupation: Mariner

Mrs. Agnes Dickson, note the spelling change, indicates she was probably widowed by this date.

     Sometime after her first husband's death, Agnes met George Wilcox and they were married by the Justice of the Peace, Joseph Reed Esq. in Portland on September 27, 1858.

     Most of what I've learned about Agnes Dixon Wilcox has come from the Federal Census of 1860, four years before her death at the fairly young age of 44 years.  The document reveals the names and ages of her children from her first marriage,  and a new baby, George W., just 6 months old.

You will note that there are several George Wilcox men who lived at this time, including a George W. Wilcox.
  Is this the baby now grown?
     For now, the history of Agnes Wilcox remains just a thread of the past.  It is always my hope that readers of this blog who may have other bits of thread to add, will do so.  Agnes Wilcox story is incomplete;  but what we've learned, still needs to be told. She lived and remains a part of the historic record of East Deering and the city of Portland

A Poetic Break

     I found this poem I thought readers and genealogical detectives would enjoy.

     So much of the work to put together the story of the lives of these folks depends upon sifting through records, some accurate, some baffling; none-the-less, always an adventure.  This rings true as I record here what I've learned about Jonas Johnson.

     Jonas Johnson was born on February 3, 1783 in Pelham, New Hampshire to Amos and Bettey Pollard Johnson.  Jonas  appears to have been the only child of the couple. 

      In 1816, he married Charlotte Blake in Westbrook (Deering).  He was a Cordwainer, according to a city directory.  You will remember from my post about Francis Smith, that a cordwainer was a master shoemaker of fine boots and shoes.  Here's a photo to remind you.

      Jonas and Charlotte may have had a daughter, although the only evidence is from an 1830 federal census that lists a female child under the age of five years.  Prior to his death, it appears he was engaged in manufacturing and, even employed a seemingly, disgruntled apprentice, named Edward Sawyer,  who probably lived with the couple at their home.  There is an indication of this from the federal census of 1820.

     Jonas Johnson was also a man engaged in the community and in the politics of the day.  I found evidence of this in newspaper articles that I will include.  When he died on December 2, 1837, his wife Charlotte,  as administrator of his estate, offered his property for sale consisting of:

two acres of land, with a house and barn thereon;  five acres and a half of pinewood land, and a pew in the Universal meeting house, excepting the widow's dower, in the same; all situated in Westbrook in said county.

     Charlotte was seeking $180.  for all of this. What became of her after her husband's death?  I found a record of a widow named Charlotte Johnson in New Hampshire,  but it's inconclusive.  Again, more broken threads.

     I offer some of the pieces I found in the story of Jonas Johnson for your interest and curiosity.

Birth Record

The record list the mother as Bettey.  A search revealed her maiden name as Pollard.

I have not been able to trace Charlotte Blake's lineage to date.

I found this record to be confusing, but I do think that the young man listed may have been the apprentice, Edward Sawyer.

Apparently, Edward was not happy in his situation as apprentice!

I haven't been able to determine which bridge is being proposed here at this time.

It appears Jonas Johnson;s age is recorded as fifty-three.

      

     Jonas Johnson was an interesting man  whose life contributed to the fabric of of the East Deering community and the part it played in the growth of Portland and the state of Maine.  Again, if any followers of 'The Remnant" have threads to add to his story or to any of the other stories I've shared, please do so.

 Finally, please keep this date in mind:  Sunday, September 13, 2015 at or about 2 PM at the Grand Trunk Cemetery in Portland.  We have received a government issued replacement stone for Joseph Lunt, veteran of the Revolutionary War,  and will hold the ceremony of Dedication on that day.  

A formal invitation will be issued in August.  Look for details then.

Dear Ancestor, the place you filled

So many years ago 

Spreads out among the ones you left

Who would have loved you so. 

I wonder if you lived and loved,

I wonder if you knew 

Thant someday I would find this spot,

And come to visit you.

Broken Threads of History Lost

   

Carthage Cemetery, June 8, 2015

Etna Cemetery, May 15, 2015

     Vandalism affects us all!   

     This was my thought, as I continued my quest to find threads of evidence for people who lived over two hundred years ago, and were part of the fabric of the tapestry that formed  the city of Portland, Maine.  At the start, only forty two names of the 197 souls buried at the Grand Trunk Cemetery remained in record.  However, happily, I have succeeded in finding four more individuals who were interred in the old burial ground since beginning this project. 

     Recent incidents of vandalism to other cemeteries in our state, served as a poignant reminder of just how much has been lost here, as I set about the task of writing  about the four remaining people on that list of souls.  

     "Unlike most histories, graveyards record the lives of all, signify past existences, and recognize one commonality of us all.  The history of the rich and poor, famous and infamous alike, is recorded here.  Histories of entire  towns may be present only here, and elements of local history may survive here as no where else.
     Graveyards are often the only record, the only artifacts remaining to tell of the lives - of individuals and communities - struggled for, well lived in the face of sometimes tremendous odds, and finally given up reluctantly, or 'with peaceful composure."
From The Graveyard Preservation Primer, by Lynette Strangstad

http//www.moca-me.org/Vandalism

    Who was Nancy Morrill/Merrill?

     The only existing information about this young woman is an old death record taken from a tombstone, where her surname is recorded as Morrill.  In the city record, her name is listed as Merrill.  Nancy was born about 1801 and died on March 25th, 1824, at the age of 23 years. 

  
     I searched through several sources:  Ancestry, Maine Genealogical Family Search, census records, the Merrill Memorial, etc. in the hope of finding a connection to Merrill and Morrill families who lived during the period of her short life.

     Whose daughter was she?  Was Morrill or Merrill her given surname?  Could her last name be her married name?  She was twenty-three and could have been married at the time of her death.?   I even spent a great deal of time searching through marriage intentions and list of marriages for old Falmouth; to no avail. 

     The search for an obituary turned up nothing; no mortuary notice.  Why did she die at such a young age?  The city record indicates she was interred in section 3, row 2 of the Presumpscot/ East Deering/ Grand Trunk Cemetery.  Of course, there is so little remaining of how the cemetery was originally laid out;  it's nearly impossible to distinguish the actual sections and rows.  How sad! 

     Nancy died in March, 1824 and, as I discovered, so did, in the same month and year, another young soul: Warren Small.

Warren Small

     was the eldest child of James and Lydia Howard Small, born on April 21st, 1804 in Limerick, York County, Maine.  He died on March 1st, 1824.  According to his obituary, he was 18 years and ten months old.

          The city record indicates his age as 20 years?  I will include some of the records for your interest,  found from my search on Ancestry.  They raise a number of questions in the light of the obituaries.

Family Tree

Warren Father, James Small and his siblings.

     The 1820 Census record is interesting because Warren is not one of the children listed, although he would only have been about 14 or 15 at the time.   Was he mistakenly left off the list?  Was he living away?  Could he have been an apprentice; young boys often lived with their employers?  Where was he at this time? 

    

 Both  Nancy Morrill/Merrill and Warren Small died in the same month of March in 1824 prompting me to wonder what illnesses or maladies were predominate at this time.  I did find some evidence,  in Maine Historical Society documents,  that there was a rash of small pox outbreaks in the Portland area and in other parts of the state, resulting in the deaths of children and young people during the winter of 1824.  Was this the cause of death for these two young people? 

     Apparently, there were fewer cases after April of that year with the introduction of inoculations against the virus.  This was not without controversy, but none-the-less, effective, in lessening the outbreak of the virus and its deadly consequence on the communities.

     I began this post with "Broken Threads" because it was the underlying sentiment I felt, as I tried to recover bits and pieces of what little remains of the lives of two young souls interred at the Grand Trunk Cemetery. The title of this blog:  The Remnant, was purposely chosen since so little remains of the monuments to the early settlers who resided in East Deering Village; bits and pieces of slate and field-stone, white river rocks numbering the individual graves as they were found.  Vandalism affects us all! 

  I am including information from Maine Old Cemetery Association that I believe readers of this blog will appreciate and, is important to maintaining the health and welfare of Maine's cemeteries, as well as, to the preservation of historical memory, and the history of our state of Maine.

    

SPRING CLEANUP AND PLANTING AT THE GRAND TRUNK CEMETERY-MAY 17, 2015

A SERVICE RENDERED

     The day was perfect.  The sun was shining and the temperature was warm and welcoming.  About thirty of us gathered to rake and pick up fallen branches, weed the gardens and plant donated perennials and pansies.  The tradition begun five years ago, was carried on by Portland Girl Scouts, their Leaders and parents and faithful Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery.  

     Although this ancient cemetery is not like so many here in the state of Maine,  where there still remain well worn, but in tact memorials bespeaking a history of those long gone; this is not the case here.  Anyone lucky enough to find and visit the East Deering/Grand Trunk Cemetery will be impressed with how few of the 197 burials are marked by mere stumps of stones, save for 7 original survivors.  

     However, in the last five years, thanks to those courageous and committed young women, Samantha Allshouse (who by the way, just graduated with honors from the University of Maine, Farmngton with her teaching degree! Congratulations Sam!) and Kayla Theriault (mother of two beautiful children), we can boast of The Grand Trunk Veterans Memorial with eight government issued stones honoring men who served in the Revolution and the War of 1812, and also bearing a stone honoring Civil War veteran, James Mosley.  We can also be proud that last fall we were able to dedicate a memorial honoring all 197 of the early settlers of East Deering Village.

  So days like, Sunday, are important because they allow us to honor, in some small way, people who came before us and on whose shoulders we stand to build our own histories and share their stories.

I found this poem which seemed appropriate,

  Here then, are some photos to share of the day.  Please stop by for a quite moment of peace and reflection.

Emma Brackett and her Mom Beth.  Emma and two of her other Girl Scout sisters followed the legacy by designing their own Bronze award project for the beautification of the Grand Trunk Cemetery last Spring.

Ben and Norma Sawyer with Lynda Allshouse at Zoe's Bench.

Emma Brackett, Ella Pillsbury and Megan Cunningham 's Perennial Gardens 

Add caption

Ella with her Grandma

Janet Christopher turns the soil.

Ben Sawyer, Anthony Sawyer's descendant.

     A ceremony with the laying of flags for our Veterans completes the day with the singing of three verses of 'Taps.'

Two new markers have been placed to honor Simon Davis, Revolutionary War
 and Francis Smith, War of 1812

I received an unexpected gift and my 35th year Membership pin as a Girl Scout member.

  The cemetery is ready for Memorial Day!

     Thank you to all of the wonderful Girl Scouts, their Leaders and parents and the faithful Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery for your service to the Grand Trunk Cemetery and the city of Portland.