250th Anniversary of America's Foundation/Honor Ceremony

{Author's Note:  The original intent was to hold this ceremony on July 3rd, 2026, but the extreme heat (97% and high humidity, the third day of record temperatures in Portland, compelled us to re-schedule to the following Saturday, July 10th.}

    

    

    The Harold T. Andrews Post 17, of the American Legion offered to commemorate our 250th anniversary by conducting a ceremony at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery  at 3 PM on Saturday, July 10, 2026 to honor those Veterans whose service contributed to the founding of our Nation. Some twenty members of the Post, their wives and friends participated.  

There was a presentation of the flag, an invocation, and the singing of the National Anthem by Gwen Basinger.

    Former State Representative, Southern Maine Community College professor, and well known historian, Herb Adams delivered  this speech which I will include in its entirety,  as a formal record of this day.  Herb is also a friend, a mentor to the young women who initiated this project of recovery of the Grand Trunk Cemetery, and a continued supporter throughout these sixteen years.

    Fluttering Flags of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.            

 

 

    The ceremony continued with a presentation of a wreath, the reading of the names of our deceased Veterans, a final benediction, and concluded with the playing of Taps.

    I am most grateful to the Harold T Andrews American Legion, Post 17 for affording this honor to our ancient Veterans and recognizing the significance of this small, sacred, and final resting place. 

     I was happy to know that two of the members grew up in this neighborhood, attended Presumpscot School, and remember playing in the cemetery as children.  They also remember that many of the memorial stones lay flat, and broken on the ground.

    I had the opportunity to share a few brief thoughts and I will end with this.  The renowned Scottish actor, David Macallum died in 2023.  He played the character of Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, the Medical Examiner on NCIS.  When he died, the cast honored his memory in an episode by repeating his own words to his young assistant:

    We die twice.  Once, at our physical death, and second, when no one tells our story.

    These words resonnate for me.  By continuing to come to this cemetery, caring about its condition, planting daffodils and flowers with new generations of Girl Scouts, neighbors and friends, we continue to remember to honor those who lived long ago, and whose stories it behooves us to tell. 

 

Annual Spring Cleanup/Pre Memorial Day Ceremony

     Saturday, May 9th was a less than stellar day, weather-wise for  the annual Spring  Cleanup at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery sponsored by the Machigonne Service Unit of Portland Girl Scouts of Maine and Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery.  However, it was outstanding because of the  participation of more than thirty volunteers from Girl Scouts of Maine Troops 1547, 1061, 1816, 5033, 1429, their families, and neighbors and friends. 

     Despite the showers that turned into soaking rain, piles of leaves were raked up and bagged, and a service was generously provided to beautify and care for this special and sacred burial place of folks who died long ago.

    In preparation for Memorial Day, it has become customary to honor the Veterans (those known to us; there may be others unknown among the 197  souls interred here) of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, by reading their names aloud and placing flags and wreaths near their graves.

    

    This year, in commeration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our Nation, I thought it appropriate to have special flags representative of those wars. 

The names of each Veteran was read by children and adults and the flags an wreaths laid.    Here are two short videos of a poem and the reading of a few of the names.

    We ended our little ceremony with the children scattering wild flower seeds around the cemetery.  Here is a photo of all the participants.

    The volunteer Leadership of the Machigonne Service Unit has continued to honor their adoption of the Grand Trunk Cemetery in 2015,  and the legacy of Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault who undertook this recovery project in 2010.  Since that time, new crops of Girl Scouts have given their time and effort to care for and remember.  We are so grateful to all!

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    Since the pages of this blog are kind of a historical record,  I will share something personal that also happened on this day.  I was honored to be presented with the Juliette Gordon Low Spirit Award for my service to Girl Scouts over 50 plus years.  It was a total and over-whelming surprise.  I am very grateful to all who nominated me and contributed to the lovely celebration under the tents that kept us out of the pouring rain!

    Finally,  I have heard it said, 'We die twice; first our physical death.  The second time when no one remembers our name."  So for as long as we are able to pass on this tradition of reading the names of those interred here, we know that they will be remembered:

Joseph Lunt, Pvt.  Revolution, amuel Blake, Pvt. War of 1812, Joseph Merrill, Pvt. Revolution and War of 1812, William Blake, Pvt. War of 1812, Andrew Grave, Pvt. War of 1812, John Sawyer, Jr. Pvt. Revolution and War of 1812, Williiam Sawyer, Pvt. War of 1812, Simon Davis, Pvt. Revolution,Crispus Graves, Leut. Revolution, James Moseley, Pvt. Civil War, Francis Smith, Pvt. War of 1812, and Joseph Merrill Sawyer, Pvt. War of 1812.

Fifteen Years and Counting!

  In the fall of 2010, A Girl Scout Junior Troop  met to conduct the first  Cleanup project at the Presumpscot/ East Deering Cemetery behind Presumpscot School.  These girls were lead by Senior Girl Scouts, Kayla Theriault and Samantha Allshouse who endeavored, through this Girl Scout Gold Award project, to recover the ancient and neglected cemetery,  and to restore elements of dignity to this sacred burial ground dating back to the 1740's and is a final resting place of nearly 200 souls.

    

    Over the course of now, 15 years, since the recovery project was initiated by Kayla Theriault and Samantha Allshouse,  Portland Girl Scouts of the Machigonne Service Unit have continued the legacy by adopting the Presumpscot/ Grand Trunk Cemetery as an annual service project. 

    They do this by holding Cleanup/Planting Parties in the Fall and Spring.  The Girl Scouts, their friends and families, together with the informal, 'Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery' have gathered, to rake leaves, and plant daffodil bulbs, or flowers in the spring.  

    The cemetery has also been, and continues to be,  a place of gathering for other activities to celebrate Girl Scout events like their Founder, Juliette Gordon Low's Halloween birthday.

    This past Sunday, twenty-two Portland Girl Scouts, their families, neighbors, and friends gathered to honor those long ago citizens of what was then little more than a village of Back Cove and East Deering, by engaging in an activity to keep the small burial site looking good.

    As a matter of record, I choose to report on these activities  and those who participate,  through this blog, as a means of encouraging readers to want to know about the history of the cemetery and to encourage others to continue to regard this sacred place with interest and care.

    Although I have posted this "Thank You! in Facebook, I will include it again:

    Many thanks to the Girl Scouts, their families and friends who came to the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery this afternoon to honor those interred here with their presence, their work to rake and pick up lots of leaves, and by filling 20 large garden bags.

    Some bulbs were planted and will add beauty to the burial ground in the Spring. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Joel's work to leaf blow made the raking so much easier. Since all five of the gardens were turned over, there is still a lot of planting to be done!

    In total, twenty-two folks particpated today, marking the 15th year of the recovery project initiated by Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault.

    Today, Kayla herself a Girl Scout Leader, continues to participate, along with her children.

Many Thanks to All!

    Here are pictures for your enjoyment!

    We look forward to the Spring when the daffodils are in bloom and to our next opportunity to come together again!

A Notification of An Upcoming Event

     I realize that it has been a while since I have been in touch, but I am still here,  and I just want you to know that our wonderful Portland Girl Scouts plan to hold the annual Fall Cleanup/Planting Party at our Grand Trunk Cemetery. You, of course, are invited to participate if you are able. 

     It hardly seems possible that this is the 15th year since the project to recover the ancient burial site was initiated by two Girl Scouts, Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault, in November 2010.

    It is gratifying to know that Machigonne Service Unit, the volunteer leadership for Portland Girl Scouts of Maine who adopted this project in 2015, continues to support and sponsor this event and encourages families to participate.

    Here's a notification from their recent Leader meeting:

Service Team News - Cheryl

·         Family & Friends Service Project: Sunday October 26^th from 1 – 3pm Grand Trunk Cemetery (behind Presumpscot School) bulb planting & clean-up – Machigonne adopted Service Project! All invited—please share widely! (Rain date: Sun Nov 2, same time & place.) * Please bring gardening gloves, bulbs/planting tool if you have, rakes will be provided but feel free to bring one, esp child size ones. Snack will be provided but feel free to bring something to share.

    I personally wish all of you a wonderful Fall season and hope to see at least some of you on October 26th.  In case we have bad weather, we will hold the event on the following Sunday, November 2nd at the same time and location.

Best wishes and good health,

Marianne

Memorial Day 2025 at the GTC

    Monday, May 26th, is Memorial Day.  It has become our tradition since the recovery of the ancient Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery, to place wreaths and flags to honor the dead; the Veterans and the early residents of this East Deering area of Portland.  

    Although these are but a few of the nearly two hundred souls interred here from c. 1740 to 1894, it is important to preserve their memory in some small way.  Here are some photos for readers to enjoy:

    Wishing each of you a Happy Memorial Day 2025.