Not a lot going on. There are a few of the usual birds that come for breakfast every day. The little chipmunks keep busy cleaning up leftovers and storing them for next winter. I have not seen any skunks for a long time, but there was…

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Our son, Chris Chapman, who works for Wreaths Across America, travels for all sorts of events. He lives in Virginia so a lot of them happen in Washington, DC. This past weekend, Wreaths Across America and Wreaths Across America Radio had the chance to set up at the Great American State Fair at the National Mall in DC and represent the great State of Maine. He met people from about every state and several countries that were in DC for the 4^th. There were thousands of people who braved the heat to attend. He said that he had a blast promoting what the Pine Tree State has to offer.

Gilead Historical Society

On the 4^th, the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society hosted a 250^th anniversary celebration, which included a concert by the Portland Brass Quintet, a parade and a few booths. Pete and Claudia Risbara and Hugh Chapman represented the Gilead Historical Society, and of course, Pierre, went with them.

A bit of history from a GHS publication: “School Days, A Brief History of the Many School Houses of Gilead, Maine~ One Room, a Wood Stove and Two Privies ~” Howard Reiche, Jr., Hugh Chapman

Emeline Heath, whose father kept a farm on the North Rd., wrote these memories below of attending school during World War One. (1914-1918):

There were six schools in Gilead to which the students walked. They had no grades and no required course of study. In summer, attendance was chiefly girls and little boys, for the big boys were needed on the farms. Those who wanted more education and had the means often attended Gould Academy, in Bethel, either boarding in private homes or renting rooms and “boarding themselves” with the help of food from home. My Aunt Ida attended Gould Academy and taught school a little while before her marriage and my father and some other young men from Gilead attended one or more winters about which I always like to hear the stories.

When I first began attending school during World War One, we had a shorter school year with a long winter vacation. After the community Christmas program, things were pretty quiet until about the last week of March. The children who lived in the village had a more exciting life, sliding on the hill, skating on the frog pond, building ski jumps, and so on. I never thought the winter would come to an end.

My Aunt Alma, who lived with us, did much to make my life happy. She would read to me and tell me about her own childhood. We would play games like “Flinch,” dominoes, and tiddley-winks and I would cut pictures out of old copies of a magazine called “Delineator.” She let me write with her fountain pen in a copybook until I did well enough to write a letter to another aunt. Also, I learned to knit.

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We have been quite busy this past weekend. Chris and Kym Chapman, along with our granddog Moxee arrived Friday night, in the Wreaths Across America vehicle that he drives, after a long road trip from Edinburg,…

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Our son and family, Tim, Michele and Sidney Chapman and our Granddog Charlie from Gorham, NH, attended the Community Friends and Family Day on Saturday, June 20^th. Our grandson, Ajay Landry and Jenna Edwards from Shelburne, NH, along with our Granddog Ollie, were there also.

My brother, Steve McLain, will be celebrating a birthday this weekend on June 27^th. Happy Birthday! Pete and Claudia Risbara celebrated their 55^th wedding anniversary last Sunday, June 21^st. Happy Anniversary! They are only 5 years behind us.

Gilead Historical Society

There were approximately 40 people who attended the Community Friends and Family Day on June 20^th. There were even some Daniels relatives that came from Connecticut. Most of the rest were Maine and New Hampshire. We would have loved to see more Gilead people stop by for a free lunch and meet some of their neighbors. Maybe next time.

There were two new members who signed up. Cynthia Ouillette from South Paris, Maine, and Kerrie Daniels from Gorham, NH. Welcome to GHS.

Everyone had a great time. The celebration is much smaller than years past. We never did have a big celebration like the Gilead Centennial in 1904. We came close at the Bicentennial in 2004. We try to celebrate with the Community Friends and Family Day as close to June 26^th as possible.

From Gilead’s Past:

Gilead was incorporated on June 26, 1804. There were noted speakers and a big parade. The following except is from information from newspapers and some McLain writings. Dad is referring to my father, Stephen McLain.

In 1904, the Town of Gilead celebrated its hundredth year as a town. Everybody came out to celebrate. Grandfather took the whole family, and Dad participated in the foot races that were held. Early in the morning the guests began to arrive. The train brought people from both directions into town. Many people came by team from the surrounding towns. The reception committee was kept busy seeing to it that everyone felt that they were among friends.

The exercises in the morning began with the formation of a parade after the arrival of the Portland train at 11 o’clock. President R. D. Hastings was master of ceremonies and acted as Marshal of the Day. He was in uniform and mounted and did honors with military precision. On account of the sparsely settled community, no attempt was made to form a big parade. First in the parade came the Gilead Cornet Band, which was led by Milan Bennett. They were followed by all of the school children of the town. There were some 70-75 in line dressed up in white. The invited guests were next in line, and these were quite numerous. Old residents of the town were there in numbers and marched as proudly as their sons and grandchildren did.

The Indian rangers and cowboys who were led by Possum Jack made up one of the big features of the day. They were all mounted and armed. The march led to Hastings’ Store. A platform was set up there and tables were arranged. After everyone was settled, Chairman Hastings called for order, and a blessing was given by Rev. Mr. Bosworth. Dinner followed this. The large crowd was fed baked beans, cold meats, and many other home-cooked foods. During the meal, the crowd began to reminisce. Old time stories and anecdotes were brought out. It was a full hour before the banquet was over and then another hour of social chat and games followed. The band played fine music and all were merry. In the afternoon a speech was given by President Hastings. Field sports, ball games, wheelbarrow and leg races were numerous and interesting. Many of the people visited the home of Mr. J. W. Bennett. There were 3,000 acres on the Mr. Bennett place. The greater part of the land was wooded. His house was like a museum. There were some old rare linens that were woven by his mother on a hand loam. There was old china, pewter ware and many other objects of interest to be seen there at his house.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

Sorry. Not much news this week, so I thought I would include a couple of pictures of the flowers in our front yard. The an…

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Not much to report on the bird population around here. The Catbirds are still around. We know where the nest is but do not know if they have any family yet because we do not want to disturb them. We have been noticing quite a few Swallowtail Butterflies. Claudia Risbara took a picture of a swarm of them when she was taking a walk. The shadows on the ground make it a little hard to see some of them, but thought it was interesting.

Hugh and I took a ride last Tuesday on Rt. 113 up to Hastings Campground. Besides the host, there were only a couple of campsites that were occupied but several had reserved signs on them for the weekend.

There are a couple of trees beside Route 2 across from the town buildings. The Town mows this area to keep things looking nice between Route 2 and the railroad tracks. A branch from one of the trees broke off over the weekend, so Ivan Tilton, who does mowing and repair jobs for the Town, tackled the downed limb and got most of it picked up. Next comes the big branch that broke off.

Town of Gilead

Today is Election Day. It looks like the Town Hall has been fairly busy with several voters coming in to cast their ballot. It is a long day to have to show up early to be there when the polls open at 10:00 AM until they close at 8:00 PM. Then there is still more paperwork after that before they are sealed up and locked in a safe place. Of course, if there is a recount, the ballots will have to be picked up by a secure messenger and taken to the Secretary of State in Augusta. Whenever this has happened in the past, Gilead has always come out with the same number of cast ballots as was originally reported.

Gilead Historical Society

The GHS is getting ready for the annual Community Friends and Family Day. This will be held on June 20^th at the Gilead Town Hall. People can start gathering around 11:00 AM and lunch will be at noon. We hope to have a good turnout again this year. Everyone is welcome. Lunch is free, so stop by for a hamburger or hot dog. The desserts and other items will be in the Town Hall. There will be a couple of people who can take your order and bring lunch into the hall if walking back and forth is a problem.

Pete and Claudia Risbara have been busy moving the plants from Diane ‘Dupont’ Bean’s Memorial Garden from the location behind the school to in front of the school between the steps by the flagpole.

After a while the plants will spread and fill in the area. The garden will be more noticeable as a focal point in the new location. The plaque is attached to the school.

Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com

I want to be sur…

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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