Well, we survived a couple of power outages recently. The first one was close to 12 hours long. That was brought on by the wind and rain that we were having at the time. It really wasn’t a surprise like the power outage on Monday, the 20th. We were having nice weather and all of a sudden, around 10:30 am, the power went off. A call to CMP got a work order started and a restoration time of 1:00 pm. Then it was revealed on Facebook that a pole on the North Road had just fallen over. Restoration was then pushed up to 5:00 pm. The North Road was shut down just past the Gilead green bridge heading towards Bethel. CMP appeared and power was restored around 4:30 pm. Let’s hope we are done with power outages for a while.
Pete and Claudia Risbara entertained some company last week. Their granddaughter, Campbell Perrine, from South Carolina spent some time with them here in Gilead and traveling around the Portland area.
Gilead Historical Society
Last week I posted photos of the new lights in the schoolhouse and station. I thought I included a thank you to Derek and his crew from Simpson Electric 207 LLC for a job well done. We appreciate the quick response from them. They are located in Dixfield, Maine. (207) 491-6373.
This week’s history is from some letters that were written in 1905. They were received by the GHS in 2006. The letters were transcribed by Cindy Bennett, who is a direct descendent of the Gilead Peabody family. There were thirteen letters in all that the sister of her great-grandfather had written on her trip through Europe in 1905. Some letters are quite long, so we will start with the introduction by Cindy Bennett and then include Letter #1. These letters are very well written and quite interesting with an insight into what was happening in 1905, so we hope they are to the readers of this column. (Letters were published in the GHS newsletter-Fall ‘06 & Spring ‘07)
Introduction by Cindy Bennett
“On May 30, 1905 May Peabody and her three friends left New York City on the German ship “Prinz Adelbert,” bound for Naples. In the course of the trip through Europe, which lasted until early September, May wrote 13 letters home to her family describing her experiences.
About the author of the letters: At the time she set out, May Peabody was 41. Unmarried, she was a teacher at the Horace Mann School in New York City. The school was an experimental school closely associated with the Teachers’ College of Columbia University, teaching boys and girls. In the letters, she occasionally refers to “Whittier Hall,” which houses the Teachers’ College. We know nothing of May’s companions on the trip to Europe, not even their first names.
Besides the trip described in these letters, there is another story available in which Aunt May took part. Around 1884, she and some friends had an outing to the top of Mt. Washington in a carriage. A description can be found here: http://www.bethelhistorical.org/Mountain_Days.html
On the recipients and the house in Gilead: The recipients were:
“Mamma” - her mother, Mary E. Peabody, born in 1841
Her sister Ada and brother-in-law Arthur Roberts living at Waterville Maine, where Arthur was on the faculty of Colby College. He served as President of the college from 1908 to 1927.
Her brother Will and sister-in-law Lily Peabody (CB’s great-grandparents) and their son Walter (then age 8), living in White Plains, New York, at the time. Will was a civil engineer. His most “visible” project was Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts (1920s), Boston’s water supply.
Her brother Frank and sister-in-law Ethel Peabody, living in Akron, Ohio.
The Peabody family was from Gilead, Maine (originally called “Peabody’s Patent”) and was descended from some of the first settlers of Gilead, Thomas and Mary Peabody. One of the main businesses in the area was logging and lumber.
Their house had originally been built as a tavern in 1799 and is on historic registers as the “Peabody Tavern,” but was no longer in use as such. It is still standing and has recently been renovated. It is now situated between the railroad line and US Route #2. In 1905 the house was only used by the family in summer. (It was considerably cooler than New York or Boston.) The summer get-togethers in Gilead continued into the 1940s: my mother remembers plagues of mosquitoes in summers at the “red house”.
Letter #1
Prinz Adelbert [a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean]
Sunday, June 4, 1905
My dear Family,
There are so many things I want to tell you that I hardly know where to begin. We have been out almost a week and a more restful and delightful seven days I have never known. We have had all kinds of weather, cold and warm, windy and calm, sunshine and rain and the sea has changed accordingly. Sometimes as calm as a mill pond and sometimes like the sea as I have seen it at Cape
Elizabeth after a storm.
Since Saturday we have had ideal days, warm enough to sit on deck without jackets or gloves. No, I’ve had not the slightest touch of seasickness. I’ve enjoyed every minute since we came on board. I sleep like a top and eat every time anything is offered. In fact I’ve never felt better. This is an ideal morning and we are all on deck. The sea is blue as sapphires, not a white cap to be seen. The boat moves along so steadily that I hardly know we are on the water. Nothing to be seen but the beautiful blue sky and the sea almost as blue. This afternoon we have seen a great many porpoise and this evening the phosphorescent lights in the water have been
beautiful. It has been an ideal day, never to be forgotten.
Wednesday, June 7, 1905.
We passed the Azores yesterday. The only island we were near was Flores. We were about an hour passing it and it was a beautiful changing picture to be long remembered; the color of houses, soil, grass and rocks, the mist, and the sea on every side were
indescribably beautiful. The ship is becoming a very familiar place but I am not one bit tired of it. Naturally the passengers are
becoming very friendly. We have found some very pleasant Cleveland people, Dr. and Mrs. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Austin. They are to take much the same trip that we do so we are hoping to meet them again.
Such good meals we have had and so many courses! At luncheon we generally have soup, fish, and two meat courses beside desserts. For dinner soup, fish, three or more meat courses, dessert (usually ice cream) fruits, nuts, cheese, coffee. I’ve had a ravenous appetite all the time and now feel thoroughly rested.
Thurs. June 8.
I have not told you how much I enjoyed my steamer letters. When I first got on board I found fourteen but none from any of my
family. After we started I found letters from Mamma, Will, Lily, Walter, Ada, and Arthur. Thank you all for giving me so much pleasure. Lily, your letter was particularly clever, my friends thought. I had a letter from Aunt Hattie enclosing [a] check for $10. and Jessie Guernsey sent me $2. to buy something I wanted in Florence. So you see my friends and relatives have supplied me with means to purchase souvenirs, for Ada gave me $1. and Kathleen sent the same amount. I suspect Mamma of some such thing too for I found a nice little package in the pocket of my skirt marked for my birthday.
Monday June 12.
The end of our voyage seems very near for tomorrow we reach Naples. These last days have had more variety. On Friday afternoon we passed Cape St. Vincent, and all the evening we could faintly discern the lights of the Spanish shore. We were all up early
Saturday for we were to pass Gibraltar. Gibraltar itself was grand, a huge mass of rock towering up into the sky. Apparently entirely separated from the mainland until we were close by. The finest view of the rock itself is after we have passed it and are in the blue Mediterranean. Then it rises to an immense height and its sides are almost perpendicular. This is the view we most often see. Saturday was a gala day on the ship too. The captain celebrated his twenty fifth anniversary of his life on the sea.
Today we expect to see Sardinia and between ten and twelve tomorrow reach Naples. I am anxious to hear from you all, but hope all is well. Shall be especially glad to hear how Ethel is getting on.
Tuesday a.m.
Our bags are packed and we are all ready to leave the steamer. I want to mail this at Naples as soon as we land so shall add only a word. Last night was the Captain’s dinner. About the same things to eat except for an extra meat course, but the dining room was decorated and everybody dressed in his or her best.
Goodbye for this time. Everybody is astir and I cannot write. Much love to you all.
May
Got any news? Email chapmal@hotmail.com