The Isles of Shoals: Beauty, Mystery, Intrigue

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE ISLES OF SHOALS: BEAUTY, MYSTERY, INTRIGUE

I had just learned of the death of my aunt and uncle, Marion and Gene Stegner. Marion died at March 28, 2007. Gene died June 2, 2007. I’m posting this New England article in their memory.

      Last year my aunt, Marion Stegner of North Tonawanda, N. Y., put me in touch with one of her friends, Roy Webber because we had something in common: an interest in the Isles of Shoals.
     I wanted to take a boat excursion to the islands, something I’d seen only in the distance during childhood and adult visits to Wallis Sands Beach. From the beach they appear to be

THE SPECTACULAR PENOBSCOT RIVER A Natural Wonder in Maine: Part 1

Last week, I presented a program to fifth grade students in my granddaughter’s reading class, which had been reading The Sign of the Beaver. I had picked the book up when she was visiting, and discovered its setting was on the west side of the Penobscot River. My research has been mostly on the east side of the river, but I had viewed the river from the Penobscot Narrows Observatory in September, and, using the pictures and the results of much of my research, I believed I had something valuable to share with the class. To read my experience in the observatory, click on: THE PENOBSCOT NARROWS BRIDGE AND OBSERVATORY
     The Penobscot River, in Maine, is as spectacular today as it was when David Ingram, Samuel de Champlain and Alexander Baring first explored it centuries ago.
     David Ingram, the first European to sail up the Penobscot River, did so about 418 years ago, in the late 1500’s. In the early 1600s, either 1604 or 1605, Samuel de Champlain also sailed up the river that the “savages” called Pematig, or Pematiq, which later lead to the waters of the bay and river, westward, being named Pematigoëtt, and, finally, “Pentagoët.” 
     “The Penobscot is one of the finest rivers in America and its banks will become the center of

SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS: Brief Meetings with People #4

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS: Brief Meetings with People #4

 

As we traveled along the New England coast (a journey that began by way of Philadelphia) I periodically posted Snapshots of meetings with people we meet along the way. I will continue to post these Snapshots as I post additional “journals” of our vacation.

WARNING! CHECK YOUR DRIER LINT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!
BLUE ROOF MOTEL IS FOR THE DOGS
COFFEE AND BETS AT THE BLUE ROOF MOTEL

WARNING! CHECK YOUR DRIER LINT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!

     Undated, prior to September 16, 2008: The news media reported that a Lexington, Massachusetts, mother of three died in a fire. She’d gone to bed that night not knowing that a fire was brewing in her drier lint. According to the news, a thousand deaths a year can be blamed on fires caused by drier lint.
     I hope each and every one of you are

DOING HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN PHILADELPHIA

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

DOING HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN PHILADELPHIA

In September, my husband Monte and I spent twenty-eight days traveling along the northeastern seacoast. My journaling began in Philadelphia and ended in the mountains of New Hampshire. As I look back, three strands braided themselves together, forming the story of our travels: first, research, second cemeteries and third, people— family, old friends and new friends. The post below relates our experiences doing research in Philadelphia. It will be followed with posts on research in Maine, cemeteries and people.

     Our research journey began in Philadelphia, where I’d seen a reference listing the Historical Society of Pennsylvania as being the repository of the Bingham Papers. In the 1790s, William Bingham had purchased the Penobscot lands in the Maine territory of what was then Massachusetts. When Henry Knox and William Duer, the previous land proprietors, had gone “belly-up,” the land was returned to the state, freeing it as a land speculation for Bingham.
     However, the Bingham purchase wasn’t my only interest. I’m writing a historical journal article profiling a female French émigré, Madame, whose goal it was to create a French colony in

THE PENOBSCOT NARROWS BRIDGE AND OBSERVATORY

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
THE PENOBSCOT NARROWS BRIDGE AND OBSERVATORY

    The Penobscot River, Penobscot Bay, and Cadillac Mountain were aglow, beautified by the brilliant October sunshine. Viewed from five hundred and fifty-five feet above water level, the views were, well, spectacular.
     My husband Monte and I were traveling from Kittery, Maine to Ellsworth, Maine, on Route 1. To cross the Penobscot River, we would travel across the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, about one hundred and thirty-five feet above water level.
     Just before crossing the bridge we stopped at a scenic pull-off to admire the new bridge that had been under construction the last time we had been to New England, in 2006. What a wonder!
     The new bridge replaced the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, which

SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS: Brief Meetings With People #3

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS:

Brief Meetings With People #3  

 

     SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS profiles some of the interesting people we meet during our travels to New England, by way of Philadelphia.
     Today, September 3, 2008, is our wedding anniversary. My husband Monte and I had decided not to celebrate until tomorrow, since the Historical Society of Pennsylvania was open a long day today, from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All our “people sketches” in this piece occurred today.
~~~   
     When we arrived at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, there was a line extending to the end of the block—perhaps a half a city block in Philadelphia. Although I had been told that there was a national genealogical meeting in Philadelphia this week, I’d forgotten. It seems a number of attendees were lined up to do what I was doing—research. Fortunately, during my brief time in the research room yesterday, I had ordered several items to review, and all Monte and I had to do was collect them, one item per each of us at a time.
     As we reviewed the folders holding the William Bingham papers from the 1790s, Monte and I would discuss what I needed to photograph (a preferred way of documentation during quick research trips). The man across from me and in the seat next to Monte heard us discussing Henry Jackson and the Scioto (Ohio) Land Grant. He informed us that he had a silhouette of

IT WAS MEANT TO BE: A Meeting with Travelers from the Netherlands

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

IT WAS MEANT TO BE

A Meeting with Travelers from the Netherlands

 

     The weather was perfect for driving over and through the white mountains of New Hampshire, although the downhill drives were intimidating with their S- and hair-pin curves on step grades, and their signs “moose…. 40 miles per hour.” The leaves in many patches were at their peak, and we laughed about being among the early “leaf-peepers” in New England.

     The views were so fantastic that we frequently stopped at scenic overlooks. My husband, Monte, noted that, although most of the mountaintops were in clear view, the top of Mt. Washington, noted for foggy heights, was enshrouded in a cloud. We stopped at a pull-off to admire the view and to add to our photography record.

     I crossed the road, snapped the camera, and returned to the car, watching as a white van pulled up behind our car. Several persons had already exited the van as I reached our car, and I smiled at the one holding a camera, saying, “It’s a great day for photography.”

     He smiled and asked me if I knew the motto for the state of Pennsylvania. I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t pull up this piece of trivia, which I should know (later my daughter told me Pennsylvania’s motto is “The Keystone State.”)

     “It’s written on the license plate of some states,” he noted, pointing to the plate on the van he was driving (I forget the state and the motto).

     Noting his obvious accent and friendly nature, I asked him where he was from.

     “The Netherlands,” was his response, which caught my attention. I had just been reading some of my research materials to Monte before we stopped, and two of the historic persons we were discussing were

THE WOES OF A DIFFICULT DAY’S WORK

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE WOES OF A DIFFICULT DAY’S WORK

It’s Friday evening. Following a ferocious Friday day. This is a day that makes our vacation not a vacation, and our work day a real strain.

We spent the day in the Ellsworth, Maine, courthouse, researching deeds and attempting to figure out plots of land. I worked hard, finding important deeds and photographing them. At the end of the day, I set up my laptop to download my pictures, so that i could check what pictures needed to be redone. When I opened my digital camera to take the disc out, I discovered that

FROM ELLSWORTH/LAMOINE, MAINE

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

FROM ELLSWORTH/LAMOINE, MAINE

We made it to Hancock County, Maine, where there has been much research to do. We have already spent time in the courthouse and library, uncovering some details. We now need to overlay maps with land proprietorship purchases (sounds like fun, eh?). However, we are expecting to do some fun stuff. Tonight we will be at Lamoine Beach for the evening low tide. Hopefully there will be a good sunset. Perhaps we will have a picnic there. Watch for a description of the beach there!

If any of you are also in this area, E-mail me at beaneryblog@yahoo.com with “Lamoine” in the subject line. Perhaps we can meet!

Hopefully

SNAPSHOT ENCOUNTERS: Brief Meetings With People #2