Not much to write about this week. Evidently, the neighbors are just enjoying some of the beautiful days or they are just keeping to themselves.

The Gilead Fire Department has been called out this past week with a couple of accidents on Rt. 113. Bethel Rescue responded to both scenes. They transported a couple of patients to the hospital from one of them.

Gilead Historical Society

The GHS opened up the buildings last Saturday, May 23^rd, for the summer. They will be open on Saturdays from noon to 3pm. There were nine people (from Maine—Rumford Point and Bethel, from NH—Nashua and Shelburne), who stopped by to check out the buildings. There is coffee available and usually a snack, such as brownies.

Christopher Stewart, a Peabody descendent, stopped by a couple of weeks ago and dropped off some items for the GHS collections. He had a couple of school desks and some chairs. The chairs, which were made in the early 1800s, have been handed down through the Peabody family through the years. He said that they were made at the Peabody Tavern in the wintertime when the people had more time on their hands and could be more creative. During the summer, they were much busier with farming and maintaining the homestead.

On one wall of the schoolhouse, there is a Peabody Family display with photos of the family and the “Old Red House” throughout the years. There used to be a big barn and some other outbuildings.

There is also an original painting by John Francis Richardson, a member of the Peabody family who resided in Gilead from 1838-1849. John was the eldest son of Henry and Eunice “Thurston” Richardson. Henry was the Congregational minister for both Gilead and Shelburne, NH. It was donated to the GHS in 2007 from Robert and Joanne “Peabody” Stewart.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

The summer birds are showing up. They may just be passing through but some of them do stay…

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We were saddened to hear of the passing of our neighbor, Alfred Leighton. He worked as a foreman for the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad for many years. After retiring, he served on the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Gilead and when his term was up this year and he decided not to run again, his wife, Sharon, stepped in and filled the position. Condolences to the whole family.

One day last week, it was windy and rainy. It was so loud, we could hear the wind and downpour coming down our street. The wind made a left turn between the Town Hall and our house and into our backyard. Which would have been no problem if it had not lifted up our metal storage shed and put it on its roof. Luckily, there was nothing of great value in there.

Hugh and I went to Tim and Michele’s to celebrate both Mother’s Day and Sidney’s graduation from Franklin Pierce University the day before. Sidney graduated with high honors in the health science degree. Of course, proud parents, Tim and Michele, attended graduation along with William Chapman and Ajay Landry and Jenna Edwards.

The hummingbirds came to our feeder on Mother’s Day like they have for the past few years. There were at least two of them fighting over the feeder. There was a hummingbird at Pete and Claudia Risbara’s a few days earlier and Tedd Brown spotted one about the same time as they did.

There are not too many different birds at the feeder, but there was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak out looking for some sunflower seeds the other day. The lone turkey has come back, too.

Gilead Historical Society

While some of the stages and then the railroad went through Gilead, the only large facility in Gilead with 50-60 rooms for visitors was the Bennett Tavern on Route 2, not far from the railroad depot. The Tavern at the head of the Androscoggin Bridge Road was built in 1898 and burned in 1909 with complete loss of the tavern, livery stable, and “tenement.” The Peabody Tavern predated Bennett’s by almost 100 years and was a major stopping place for the stage travelers for many years. It is still standing and is being used as an antique shop.

Quite a few of the Gilead farmers rented rooms to hunters and fishermen. Many of them returned and built their own small camps. An 1880 map shows camps on almost every one of the brooks in Gilead.

Early on, these people arrived by train and were driven to their camp or room by a farmer and his team. One camp built in 1901 had fish and game tallies written on its doors and inside walls. Regardless of the season of the year, many weeks they totaled 70-80 trout, a moose, usually a bear and a number of deer, partridge, and other small game!

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Our granddaughter, Sidney Chapman, who is currently a student at Franklin Pierce University, attended the Track and Field Northeast-10 conference (which is a collegiate athletic conference affil…

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Not too much happening to write about. It seems nice to look out and not see any snow. People have gotten out and started their spring cleanup. Got to rake up all those leaves and dead grass.

I talked to Judy Bishop from Yarmouth the other day. We were discussing the upcoming GHS planning meeting. She said that she had recently seen Phil House. I would like to send out a big Howdy to Phil.

Town of Gilead

Work in the cemeteries has begun. Ivan Tilton, the town’s buildings and grounds man, has started getting the four cemeteries ready for Memorial Day at the end of May. Once he finishes with them, he turns to other areas in town, such as between the railroad and Route 2. Keeping this area mowed makes the town look so much better during the summer. He also keeps the National Forest Picnic Area cleaned up and mowed, too. He does an excellent job getting things all cleaned up for summer. Ivan also does other projects for the town like doing minor repairs and building maintenance.

Gilead Historical Society

Reminder: The GHS will meet Saturday, May 2, at the Gilead Town Office at 1:00 p.m. to make plans for the summer events and projects.

Since the 1883 Gilead Town Hall is getting some much needed work done, we thought it would be nice to include some photos of the building through the years. First of all, the foundation needs to be fixed and then the windows can be replaced.

The hall was used a lot for social events. There were weekly dances that several people from Hastings came down to attend. At one point, it was rented out to be used as a roller skating rink. Now there are a few people in town that use the Hall but it is mostly used for voting and town meetings. The GHS uses it for events held during the year.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

There have been a few different birds at the feeder this past week. There were some Purple Finches and some Northern Flickers. the Flickers were having a great time searching through the leaves in the backyard. Mary Tyler reports that the Phoebe family appears to be thinking about nesting under her porch roof again this year.

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There are a few Happy Birthday wishes to go out this week. My husband, Hugh Chapman and our daughter-in-law, Kym Chapman (Chris’ wife) share a birthday on April 22^nd, and Jason Steigerwald, our granddaughter Mariyah’s husband, has one on April 20^th. Also, anniversary wishes to our son and wife, Tim and Michele Chapman. on April 18^th.

Judy Bishop, from Yarmouth, ME, stopped by last Saturday for a visit. She was in West Bethel to attend the funeral service for Maureen Swain and decided to stop by here to say hello. She had a chance to visit after the service with a few relatives that were in attendance.

Hugh stopped by Pete and Claudia Risbara’s the other day. He was gifted some of Pete’s maple syrup that he has been making. Claudia also sent home some delicious cookies that she had just baked.

Again, not too much to report on the bird feeder. The hawk is still visiting and bothering the other birds. There were several Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles out there over the weekend.

I found this newspaper clipping that my mother, Millie McLain, had saved along with a few others. This is just a little excerpt from it-

“When the first three months of a year have plodded through their days, and a man tears the third sheet from the big Feed Store calendar on the kitchen wall, he knows that true spring is still some distance away. April is a heady filly, not broken to the harness. There are periods when the Weather Man cannot make up his mind, and blue skies and dark clouds take turns as the hours pass. But each day means one day nearer to the time when true spring will come. You can feel, smell and hear the voice of change, and the heart responds when eyes and ears see and hear the SIGNS. The banks of the creeks begin to show green and the red maples’ blossoms are bright pennants in the woods.

Then comes the morning when a man is certain. On the way to the barn to do the chores, he stops in the yard and savors the day. The sun is a golden platter in a blue sky; mountains are blue-green against the horizon; the bluebirds and robins are giving their morning concert. The air is soft against one’s face and the smell of warming earth is heady in the nostrils. A man breathes deeply and inhales the fragrance of a new season. Suddenly, he knows. This is the day he has waited for. Spring has arrived.”

Gilead Historical Society

Historical Note: Excerpt from GHS publication, {Hastings, The History of a Maine Lumbering Town that Emerged, Flourished and Vanished within 25 Years - - - (1892-1917) by Howard Reiche and Hugh Chapman, 2006}-

The winter was challenging for the people in Hastings, but the spring brought a whole new set of problems. The maintenance of the railroad and bridges was a constant challenge. The water coming from the melting snow and spring storms rushed down the mountain side and washed out the railroad and bridges causing a lot of damage. Bridges over the river had to be rebuilt after each storm or replaced completely.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Hugh and I went to Gorham, N.H. to have Easter dinner with Tim and Michele Chapman. Most of the usual attendees were at other places but our granddaughter, Sidney Chapman, was home for the day from college. Michele’s mom, Ann Croteau, from Berl…

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The little chipmunk that lives out in front of our house appeared even though it was rainy. He or she will wait and stare into the window until seeds are delivered to the front step. The one that lives out back of the house just shares seeds with the birds.

We had several Evening Grosbeaks at the feeder this week. The hawk showed up again for a while and scared the other birds away. There was a Cowbird spotted in with the Grackles, Starlings, and Red-Winged Blackbirds. Most mornings there is one turkey that shows up for breakfast. On Tuesday, the lawn was covered with a large group of Robins.

With the cold nights and kind of warmer days, the sap was running well. Buckets were filling up fast. Pete Risbara has been working hard boiling down the sap to make some maple syrup.

Condolences to the family of Robert Taylor, who passed away last week.

Gilead Historical Society

Hugh and I attended a meeting hosted by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, and facilitated by Will Chapman, that was held at the West Parish Congregational Church. The meeting was moved to accommodate all the historical organizations that responded that they would be attending. There were more than 50 people who attended and represented over 30 local history and preservation groups from western Maine and northern New Hampshire. A few people, who could not attend in person, joined remotely.

Plans were made to meet again at a later date and also to possibly have small groups that would meet to discuss certain topics and bring their ideas to that meeting. There were a lot of great ideas on how to get people involved and increase the membership.

Town of Gilead

The Annual Town meeting was held on March 28^th. According to Patsy Cox, Town Clerk, all articles passed as written. Congratulations to Sharon Leighton, who was elected to the three-year term for selectman. Sharon’s husband, Alfred, has been a selectman for many years. She has attended the meetings and become very involved in how the town is managed.

The two positions for school board members were not filled. Action to make this happen will be taken at a later date. There were fourteen registered voters that attended the meeting and six non-residents. There are 161 registered voters.

Before the business meeting began, Spencer Williams from Mahoosuc Land Trust made a presentation on the progress of the property on the North Road known as Tumbledown Dick Mountain. They are in the process of acquiring the land and have had several meetings that were attended by some residents of the town. They are planning on creating hiking trails for the public to enjoy. Spencer thanked the residents who attended the meetings and for their input on the project.

A few members of the Gilead Historical Society attended a couple of meetings. The purpose was to inform Mahoosuc Land Trust of the location of what has been known as The Three Stone Cemetery. Written material was provided and a trip to show them the location was included in one of the meetings.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Our grandson, Benjamin Chapman, called us last weekend. He is stationed in Mobile, Alabama and is a pilot with the USCG. We haven’t talked to him for a while so it was great catching up. Part…

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Monday: We woke up to rain. At 9:30 AM, it was about 35 degrees and the rain was fairly heavy. The good thing was that the snow was melting!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Lise McLain on March 20^th.

There was a strange bird that stopped by for only a minute. It was brownish, had a long bill and looked something like a Woodcock. It was gone before we could really identify it.

Pete Risbara reports that his collection of sap to make maple syrup has not gone very well. The weather is not cooperating with cold nights and warm days.

Gilead Historical Society

Even though the GHS buildings have been closed this winter, there is still a lot to do to get ready for when we open up this summer. First of all, there is a meeting of area historical societies at the West Parish Congregational Church in Bethel, hosted by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, on Tuesday, March 24, at 6 p.m. An email from Will Chapman included the following information: “The goal will be to discuss some of the shared challenges our organizations face and ways we might potentially collaborate. Last March about 15 historical societies from Oxford County met and all in attendance agreed that it was a great meeting and that we should pursue further collaboration. This year we want to extend the invitation to some towns from our neighboring counties in Maine and New Hampshire and to small history museums and other historical organizations as well.”

Historical Note: The Gilead Cornet Band — From the archives of the GHS

There seem to be more pictures than written records of the band. In the early 1900’s, Gilead and some of the other towns had a coronet band. They were quite popular and played in many of the neighboring towns. The Gilead band made several trips to Shelburne, NH to play at local functions. They were also the featured band in the 1904 Gilead Centennial Celebration. These are a few of the photos of Gilead’s band.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal showed up early for breakfast the other day. They wanted to be sure they got there before all the Blue Jays showed up and devoured everything they could. Earlier in the winter, we had a Robin that showed up almost every day. We hadn’t seen him for quite a while, but last Monday, late in the day, Hugh looked out and there was a Robin looking for something to eat. The Evening Grosbeaks and the Red-Winged Blackbirds have shown up now. It was nice enough on Tuesday, so the little chipmunk came out to replenish his seed supply. We have seen them in January and February if the weather is really warm.

Pete and Claudia Risbara have won the bird spotting award for this week. The Bluebirds have come back early this year. They like to check out the birdhouses and get first dibs on them before the swallows take over.

Gilead Town Office

Just another reminder to pick up a Town Report at the Town Office to look through and be ready for the Annual Town Meeting on March 28^th. The Registrar of Voters will be there at 6:30 PM to enroll Gilead residents who have not registered to vote yet. Bring proof of residency. The meeting will start promptly at 7:00 PM.

Gilead Historical Society

We were sorry to hear that Dennis Wheeler had passed away. Condolences go out to his family. Denny painted both of the GHS buildings after they were moved onto the corner lot.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

There hasn’t been a lot of excitement at the bird feeder lately. Just the usual birds-Blue Jays, Chickadees and a few other small birds.

I want to be sure to wish my nephew, Bradley McLain, a Happy Birthday on March 11^th. Brad is the son of Stephen and Lise McLain from Gilead.

We were sorry to hear that Maureen Swain passed away on February 27^th at the Swain farm in Bethel. Maureen was a member of the Gilead Historical Society and attended several of the events held each year.

I saw in Amy Chapman’s Locke Mills column that Eli, the Wonder Pup, was no longer with them. That is very sad and since our Chapman family had just gone through the loss of our family member, Chloe, we know how they feel and send them our sympathy.

Gilead Town Office

The 2025 Annual Report for the Town of Gilead is available at the Town Office. Office hours are Tuesdays, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Office is closed from 2-3:00 PM for lunch break. Thursdays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Town Meeting will be held on March 28^th at the Gilead Town Hall.

Gilead Historical Society

This is the season that the tree sap should be running. Trees need to be tapped and buckets set out. Unless one is lucky enough to be able to run a dropline system where the sap flows through tubing that runs downhill to a container. The sap is cleaner and it is less work than emptying buckets. Sap flows best when the nights are really cold and the days are warm. It takes somewhere around 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. It is a lot of work but well worth it.

Historical Note: Photos from the Collection of Emeline V. Heath. Currently in the GHS Archives.

(Excerpts from the writings of Emeline V. Heath. She lived on Butternut Farm with her parents, Archie and Mabel Heath)

“It took several members of the family to cut and process the wood to be used for the fire to boil down the sap to make maple syrup. It was a family affair. Josiah Heath and his son, Archie, along with a few friends and relatives worked in the sugar house.”

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Last week I got a call from a company that was replacing a light pole at the…

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Happy Birthday wishes to our son, Chris Chapman, on February 21^st. Happy Belated Birthday to Mike Stowell.

We still have plenty of Blue Jays, small birds and squirrels at the feeder. The Hawk shows up every few days to check things out. The little birds still do not mind his presence but the other ones head for cover.

Our granddaughter, Sidney Chapman, called and chatted with us last Saturday. She has another big track meet coming up this next weekend. This is her last semester at Franklin Pierce University and graduation is in May.

Our granddog, Chloe, spent last Friday night with us. Sadly, it was for the last time. Tim and Michele picked her up Saturday afternoon and she passed away at home that evening. She had 16 wonderful years with many, many people who loved her.

Gilead Historical Society

Sharon Leighton stopped by last Saturday to drop off a book that her husband, Alfred Leighton, wanted to donate to the GHS. Alfred worked for the railroad for about forty years. The book is called Standard Practice Circulars. It will become part of the display in the station this summer. Many thanks to Alfred for the book and to Sharon for dropping it off and staying to visit for a while.

Historical Note: Photos from the Collection of Millie McLain. Currently in the GHS Archives.

Elmer “Bo” Bean, Sr. was a local character from Gilead’s past. He and his wife, Bessie, ran a small store on Route 2 in Gilead. The US Post Office was located in the back of the store. One of Bo’s jobs was to hang up the mail bag for the train to pick up as it went through and to get the mail it left off.

A little background on the process is as follows:

“A railway mail catcher pouch was hung on a trackside “mail crane” to be snagged by a passing train without stopping, a method known as “mail on the fly.” The specialized, durable canvas bag was attached to the crane, and a clerk on the train used a metal catcher arm to retrieve it while simultaneously throwing off incoming mail.

• The Process: The mail pouch, often tied in the middle to form an hourglass shape, was hung by top and bottom metal rings on the station crane.

• The Pickup: As the train passed at high speed, a postal clerk inside the Railway Post Office (RPO) car would extend a steel catcher arm to snatch the pouch.

• Safety & Design: The bags had to be tough to withstand the force and were limited to roughly 50 pounds. If the crane was not properly positioned or the bag hung incorrectly, the pickup could fail, sometimes resulting in the mail being destroyed by the train wheels.

• Purpose: This system allowed fast, non-stop mail service to smaller towns that the train did not stop at, keeping the mail moving efficiently.

This method was phased out as train speeds increased, diesel locomotives allowed for easier stopping, and highway transport improved.”

The building is no longer there but it was located across from the entrance to Bridge Street. I remember spending time at the store as a child and picking up our mail from the box and buying the occasional popsicle or comic book.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

My brother, Steve McLain, had a visit last Saturday from his son, Brad McLain. Brad stopped by to pick up something and helped his dad with a …

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There were a few days that the wind was really blowing the snow from the last storm around. Hugh had to get out the snowblower to get rid of some of the drifts in the pathways. My brother, Steve McLain, has a driveway that is mostly open at the end and drifts in quite a bit, so he was dealing with that, too.

I spoke to Judy Bishop from Yarmouth the other day. She had a chance to catch up with Phil House. She got to hear him play one of her favorite pieces on the organ, “There is a Balm in Gilead.” The following is a few lines from the lyrics-

“There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul

Sometimes I feel discouraged
And deep I feel the pain
In prayers the holy spirit
Revives my soul again”

I try to update the visitors at the birdfeeder each week. The only excitement until Sunday was the Red-bellied Woodpecker stopped by for lunch. On Sunday, the Hawk showed up. The little birds like the Chickadees seem to pay no attention to him other than the occasional sideways glance. The bigger birds like the Blue Jays are much more wary and try to hide out in the nearby bushes. Not sure if the hawk had any luck but he disappeared and the birds returned for their breakfast.

We received word that on January 31^st our granddaughter, Sidney Chapman, participated in a Track and Field event for Franklin Pierce University. The team broke the University’s record for the women’s 4x200m relay.

Gilead Historical Society

Pete and Claudia Risbara donated a 1913 Grand Trunk Railway System Time Table that they found in their house. They own the former Ed and Maude Gillander house and Ed worked for the railroad for many years. The chart gives information on westbound and eastbound trains such as the names of the crew, the train and engine numbers and the names of the towns on the route. A few years ago, they graciously donated a conductor’s hat that belonged to Ed. The hat is on display in the 1851 Railroad Station, and the chart will join it when the buildings are opened this summer.

Historical Note: Photos from the Collection of Emeline V. Heath. Currently in the GHS archives.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

On Monday, just about everything in the state was shut down. By Tuesday, there was over a foot of snow that had fallen. After a day off on Monday, SAD 44 had a two-hour delay on Tuesday. Everyone…

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We still have no new and exciting birds showing up at the feeder. There are lots and lots of Blue Jays and Mourning Doves. We have not seen the Robin lately.

Since I haven’t been feeling well, I have not had too much contact with anyone for news. I did speak to Judy Bishop, who lives in Yarmouth, and she told me that she had attended a birthday party for a little four-year-old relative. The party was quite exciting since Mr. Drew and His Animals Too from Poland, ME were there to entertain the children. He brought several species for the children to look at and learn about. His visit was not only interesting but educational. The children (and adults) enjoyed the presentation and the chance to get up close to some of these animals that one would never get a chance to see. The location in Poland evidently is a great place to visit.

Gilead Historical Society

Historical Note: Excerpt from the GHS publication, {The Patent, by Howard C. Reiche, Jr. and Hugh G. Chapman, Fall 2005}-Harvesting Ice on the Androscoggin

“Back in the 1800’s, keeping the family warm and fed kept a Gilead farmer pretty busy. Most of what fed them was raised on his farm, and a lot of it was perishable: milk, butter, meat, etc. The vegetables and fruits could be kept a while in the cool “root cellar” under the house. Much of this food was preserved or dried in order to keep it longer. There was no handy refrigerator, or deep freeze.

The warm months had an impact on what was on the table. However, this could be changed if ice was available to the farmer. Most of the farmers had an icehouse on the farm. Very few of these have survived because they weren’t strongly built in the first place.

Usually, they were built with upright poles sheathed with rough boards. Often there were two walls about a foot apart. This space was filled with sawdust or hay for insulation. The roof was just enough to keep out the rain. As the layers of cakes of ice were built up in the winter, they were covered with sawdust or hay along the edges and between the layers, again, for insulation. It was amazing how well this kept the ice through the summer. Digging a block of ice out of the pile in the summer was always a pleasant experience.

Ice was “cut” on the Androscoggin River, millponds and on small brooks dammed for that purpose. For instance, Ingall’s Brook had a small, dammed area, which filled three icehouses. Probably, these were built by Tallyrand Lary and were used later by O. B. Brown.

Cutting on the river must have been difficult. It had to be on an eddy where the thick ice could form uniformly. Also, it had to be easily available to the oxen and horses that were used to scrape away the snow, score the ice into cakes and haul them to the farmer’s icehouse. An open winter, or one with repeated “ice-outs” must have been a serious hardship to the farmer. Also, if he sold ice to his neighbors, he had lost a cash crop. In reviewing old Gilead town records, we found no mention of people selling ice. However, the large number of Gilead boarding houses with vacationers and mill workers must have used a lot of it.

Imagine how things changed when the first refrigerator came through that farmhouse.”

(Photos from the collection of Hugh & Linsley Chapman--originally from the Emeline Heath collection)

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

There are always lots of birds at th…

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