Did a prominent 19th century Raymond resident predict how he would die years before a tragic accident claimed his life? This tale and other eerie ghost stories will be part of a free community presentation to be held at the Raymond-Casco Historical Museum later this month.
 |
| Eerie and spooky tales from the Lakes Region of Maine will be related by historian Mike Davis from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 at the Raymond-Casco Historical Museum during a presentation called 'Ghost Stories and Unusual Happenings.' COURTESY PHOTO |
Raymond-Casco Historical Society’s Sue Pride says with Halloween nearing, this will be an event sure to interest many in the area.
“Mike’s storytelling brings together history, mystery, and local lore – perfect for the Halloween season,” Pride said. “These historical tales of curious happenings, scary ghosts and unusual circumstances will be sure to entertain everyone in attendance.”
Among the tales to be told by Davis is one about Edgar Welch, whose story was originally contained in the book “Historical Gems of Raymond and Casco” written by the late Ernest H. Knight, one of the founders of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society.
For years Edgar farmed and eventually worked for a neighbor, David McLellan, whose barn and part of his house are still in use, the main house having burned in 1954.
According to Knight, Edgar was a bright, pleasant person though inclined toward strange ideas on work and physical activity, which were extreme to say the least.
“Besides hard work, running was his pastime for which the urge seized him after a week or so of labor,” Knight wrote about Welch in his book. “Dropping whatever he was doing at the time, winter or summer, he would be off running to Portland, Norway or wherever fancy directed, and on his return, he’d pick up where he left off.”
He wrote that on frequent occasions Welch’s route was through the White Mountains and once a year he would run to the top of Mount Washington, an event to which proprietors and guests looked forward to with anticipation.
“For this event he wore a suit, boots and a tall beaver hat where on his ordinary runs his garb was his overalls with woolen socks in the winter and barefoot in the summer,” Knight wrote. “On one occasion he ran to Boston, circled through Tremont Street and Boston Common and then headed for home. Once an owner of a nice span of driving horses challenged Edgar to a race to Portland. Starting from Raymond Village, the team soon left him far behind, but when the team reached its destination on Congress Street, Edgar was there waiting for them.”
Knight said that Edgar had unique ideas about labor and benefits to mankind.
“An astute observation that the McLellan farm, being on the easterly slope of Rattlesnake Mountain, had the sun set much earlier than farms to the north or south, set him on a mission,” Knight wrote. “To correct this fact of nature, he worked for many years off and on as time permitted, day or night, rolling boulders from the top of the mountain to reduce this bothersome interference. In the stillness of the night, people would awaken to the sound of crashing on the mountain, and remark that Edgar was at it again, and go back to sleep.”
While piling logs on the ice at Crescent Lake (then Great Rattlesnake Pond) to be floated to Sebago when the ice melted, Knight said that Edgar would get hot feet, take off his boots and run on the ice or snow until he could go back to work in comfort.
But Edgar Welch is said to have had one more attribute which will be part of the presentation by Davis and that is clairvoyance, or a sixth sense.
Reportedly when Welch was young, a man named Eastman Bean of Otisfield fell from a haymow while holding a pitchfork, and he impaled on the pitchfork’s tines and died.
Knight said that bizarre accident was on Welch’s mind for all of his life, and over the years, he was overheard muttering some sort of rhyme or reference to Eastman Bean.
On Dec. 23, 1903, Edgar was working in the McLellan barn, which is still standing on the easterly side of Route 85 not far from the Raymond-Casco line, when he slid from the mow while pitching hay down for cattle. He was impaled on his pitchfork and died in the same manner as Eastman Bean.
His funeral was conducted from the old Village School at Webb’s Mills, now Crescent Lake Village, and it was attended by so many people that the overflow stood outside near the windows which were left open so they could hear the orations honoring their friend who may have predicted the manner of his death years before.
The “Ghost Stories and Unusual Happenings” presentation welcomes families to the event, although some of the tales in the presentation may be a bit spooky for the littlest ones. Participants are encouraged to wear a costume and enjoy trick or treat refreshments that will be available.
Admission is free, but donations that night would be greatly appreciated by the Raymond-Casco Historical Society to continue bringing these events to the community.
To learn more about the Raymond-Casco Historical Society visit raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org or find them on Facebook. <
