History on the move: Windham Historical Society relocates storied Old Grocery museum

Building move changes landscape at Windham Center

By Walter Lunt

Once a tailor shop, grocery and grain store and
headquarters for a garden club and community
theater, the historic Old Grocery museum gets
its move on to a new location in the Windham
Historical Society's Village Green History Park.
PHOTO BY WALTER LUNT

Windham’s landmark Old Grocery museum has a new address. For the second time in its 182-plus year history, the wood frame structure, adorned with historic ornaments, one of Windham’s oldest commercial buildings, was plucked from its granite stone foundation on the southwest corner of route 202 and Windham Center Road and moved north about 1,000 feet, presumably to its last neighborhood inside the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green history park.

The process of transporting the 36-foot by 20-foot building involved the use of steel I-beams and wheels. “We literally built a trailer under (the building),” said Cole Watson, who coordinated the move. The procedure took about two hours with minimal interruption of traffic.

Preparations began weeks before the move. Builder Dave Johnson said logistics, permits and site work (including the frost wall at the Village Green site) seemed never-ending. He is credited by everyone involved with the move as performing with extraordinary foresight and workmanship. Fragile antiquities were packed and removed from the building; unbreakable items remained inside and moved with the building to the history park.

The move has been in the making for a long time. Windham Historical Society President Sue Simonson says traffic and congestion prompted the decision to relocate the building.

“The Old Grocery’s current location is too close to a very busy intersection with little room to park a
vehicle or safely hold tours (or do) building maintenance,” she said.

An attached shed, or annex, which was not part of the original structure, did not travel with the museum, but instead was razed several days ago due to its deteriorating condition. The annex had housed the town’s historic horse-drawn hearse (dating back to the late 19^th century) which was moved to the Village Green.  

Asked if any relics or artifacts were found during the relocation process, Simonson announced the discovery of a former cemetery headstone associated with the Hunnewell family of Windham. The brick, granite and cast-iron stone had been replaced with a new one and the original donated to the society. Also found was a section of charred remains from Babb’s covered bridge, which burned in 1973.

Spectators, many wearing winter coats and hats, watched the move from the Route 202 sidewalk and from lawn chairs at the home of Norma Rogers next to Corsetti’s store. All said they favored the building’s move because the museum would be more accessible to visitors. Store owner Donato Corsetti observed that from every angle at the intersection visibility is improved for drivers and pedestrians.

“It’s a major, major improvement. It makes it a lot safer for the kids walking here from school,” he said.

Windham's Old Grocery Store museum, which
has resided on the corner across from Corsetti's
Store since 1838, was lifted from its old
stone foundation and moved to the nearby
Windham Historical Society's Village Green
History Park (indicated by the star). 
GRAPHIC BY BEN PARROTT 

The cost of the building’s relocation, one of the most ambitious Windham Historical Society projects in recent history, exceeded $40,000. That was not an amount, according to Simonson, for which the non-profit could just write a check. It was the result of fundraising.

“One of our wonderful members, Dorothy Samuelson, came forward and offered to head the fundraising project,” Simonson said. “Her love and enthusiasm for history, the society and this building is just what we needed. She raised (the money) from generous individuals from our community.”

The vacant lot at Windham Center is owned by the historical society. Its Board of Directors has indicated no use for the space and will probably sell it. 

Next time, the Old Grocery building has had multiple owners and functions in its over 182-year history. We’ll examine its fascinating history.  <

Historic Casco schoolhouse rises from the ashes and now is open to the public

Photo courtesy of Rose Andrews-Symonds

By Walter Lunt

After more than a year of resolute and reverent reconstruction, a replica of Casco’s old Quaker Ridge Schoolhouse, or Friends School, was opened to the public this week on the grounds of the Casco-Raymond Historical Society museum.

Nearly 100 visitors attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the museum complex on Route 302 in Casco. Society curator Rose Andrews-Symonds said she heard the comment “How beautiful” numerous times during the three-hour open house event. Andrews-Symonds, who also curated the original building before it was destroyed by fire in 2018, continued, “It’s quite breathtaking to it see (back) almost in its original state.”

Few who gathered for the occasion failed to notice the front steps. The imposing granite treads seemingly invite the visitor to enter. Some were retrieved from the debris of the former structure, and some were donated by Society member Louise Lester.

Upon entering, just past the cloak room, one knows for sure they are stepping back in schoolhouse time. Rows of old-fashioned desks in long, straight rows await scholars of an earlier day (two of the desks are originals from the old building). Benches, a faded globe outlining countries long ago renamed, an original 1861 wall map of Maine, a standing bookshelf containing atlas’, early grade-readers and other books dated in the 1800s, a large teacher’s desk, an American flag and a wood stove complete the experience.

The old-style interior construction, including walls, trim and floor was completed entirely by Tim Symonds, with assistance from grandson Daniel.

“We’re filled with history,” said Andrews-Symonds, “it’s important to preserve where we’ve been (in order) to know where we’re going.”

The original Quaker Ridge Schoolhouse was built in 1849 on Quaker Ridge Road by the son of a founding settler in what was known as Quaker Hill, or Quakerville. Run by the Society of Friends (Quakers), it operated continuously until 1942, except for the year 1920 when it closed temporarily due to low enrollment. Also, around that time, indoor toilet facilities were added. An open house was held in the 1950s; it was reported that scores of former pupils and teachers attended.

In 1971 the schoolhouse was acquired by the newly formed Raymond-Casco Historical Society and moved from its prominent perch on Quaker Ridge to a spot next to the fire station in Casco Village. The structure secured a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in the late ‘70s. Long range plans for the building included restoration and moving to the RCHS museum complex on Route 302. That was just about to happen when arsonists destroyed the building last year. Also consumed by the flames were irreplaceable books and documents dating to the 18^th century, including an official proclamation announcing the election of George Washington as president. Plans to build the replica in the new location began almost immediately.

Resources for the reconstruction of the Quaker schoolhouse, including money donations and in-kind services, came from dozens of businesses and residents. Andrews-Symonds said the town of Casco, Hancock Lumber (especially employee Bob Thibodeau), and Society members Skip and Zeena Watkins were just a small fraction of the volunteerism and donations received for the project.

Asked how the new schoolhouse would be utilized, Andrews-Symonds said it now becomes a part of the regular tour of the museum complex, which includes three other buildings. She said the museum is now closed for the winter but will open for school groups this fall, adding “It’s important for the kids to understand the progress of life.”  

Saying thank you and goodbye to the Windham Kiwanis: 1930 – 2018

By Walter Lunt

The Kiwanis Club of Windham, a highly regarded youth service organization has officially ended 88 years of local charitable and philanthropic work.

Left behind is a legacy of youth development and community improvement that included projects ranging from student scholarships and Key Club to the ambitious Windham High School home building program.

“I’m so, so sorry to think that it’s gone.” said long-time Kiwanian and former vice-president Glenn Libby. “It was a great and worthy organization that did a lot of good things; (I have) wonderful memories of what we did for young people in town.”

In the sixties when Libby was heavily involved in Kiwanis, the club numbered over 30 members.

“(Despite recruitment efforts) we were down to 3 members.” said Jerry Black, “and we just couldn’t keep going.” Black, who joined Kiwanis in 1962, was the longest serving member, having assumed numerous roles over the years including president, treasurer, committee chairs and district Lieutenant Governor.

Past president Phillip Moody echoes Black’s assessment that dwindling membership would cripple the capability of Kiwanis’ effort to carry out its mission of support to local youth. He cited the club’s sponsorship of Presidential Classroom, Boys and Girls State and local scouting organizations as points of pride for Windham Kiwanis Club.

From its inception in Windham in 1930 and into the 1950s, Windham Kiwanis Club attracted business leaders, teachers and residents who worked tirelessly raising money to fund various youth and community projects. Among the most memorable were the Kiwanis Auction, an annual amateur golf classic and creative booths at Windham Old Home Day. Those projects helped to support scholarships for high school seniors and contributed to the establishment of a Windham High School Key Club.

In 1960, Windham Kiwanis embarked on its most unique and ambitious undertaking to date. It established the Windham Kiwanis Building Trades Corp. Under the supervision of Windham High School faculty member Fred Kelley and as part of the formal school curriculum, students enrolled in building trades courses applied classroom theory by actually building houses. The Windham Kiwanis Club financed the project by furnishing a house lot and by obtaining credit from local merchants, including L.C. Andrew (lumber), Don Rich Oil Co., Maurice Rogers (excavation), Northeast Foundations, Sherwin Williams (paint) and others. On sale of the house, creditors were paid, and the profits used to buy additional tools and machinery for the high school and to increase the size and number of scholarships. The project attracted the attention of Kiwanis International and became a model for other Kiwanis Clubs in Maine.

Kiwanian Jerry Black with the official Kiwanis bell and gavel that will no longer open and close meetings

In all, the corporation built 10 homes between 1961 and 1971 in what became the Brookhaven development in North Windham.

Windham resident Walter Lamb participated in the first two years of the program. “It was a great experience and a hell of an idea,” he recalled. “Old Fred was a no-nonsense guy and he’d tell you, ‘this is a screwdriver for driving screws, not a chisel.’ We used hand saws and hammers. No power tools. We built the forms for the concrete, framed up the house, closed it in, put in the floors, hung the doors and installed the windows. I remember Fred and a couple of masons built a chimney and we had a wood stove for winter work. But it was still cold.”

Asked about transportation to the work site every day, Lamb went on, “We had an old yellow Chevy van. We’d all pile in and go – it was the days before seat belts.” Regarding mischief and practical jokes, Lamb said the student crews were never destructive but still managed to have some fun. “I remember we’d stop at Herb Thomes store at Foster’s Corner (the rotary) and pick up soda and snacks. One time we were shingling the roof and I laid down with my back to the roof to have my snack. My buddies were hammering away next to me. When I went to get up, I discovered they’d nailed the shoulders of my coveralls to the roof.”

“A lot of kids took that program and learned a lot. One of my classmates became a builder and I built my own house.”

Glenn Libby said he joined Kiwanis (“It was an honor to be recommended”) because of the home-building project.

“That hands-on program meant a lot to me. It made sense. If those kids were going to do anything productive, they’d do it with their hands.”

Lamb agreed. “We weren’t academics. If it weren’t for that program, (many of the kids) wouldn’t have stayed in school.”

And, interestingly, the motto of Kiwanis International is “We build.”

The demise of the home building project came, according to Libby, when Fred Kelley was unable to carry it on, and when the formal vocational education programs expanded, particularly the program in Westbrook.

In more recent times, Windham Kiwanis has continued vigorous fund-raising projects, including the sale of Christmas trees in North Windham. It has sponsored youth horse shows, spurred support for the Windham Food Pantry and conducted bicycle helmet fitting and child safety seat inspections.

Disbanding meant the resources of the club had to be dispersed. Jerry Black said some materials will be given to neighboring Kiwanis organizations. And after bills are paid, all money will go to the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund, which will continue to award scholarships to deserving seniors. He said the high school Key Club will also continue under the supervision of Standish Kiwanis.    

Libby concluded that the motivation behind Windham Kiwanis Club was this: “What you’re doing for young people you’re doing for your community.”  

A matter of historical record: Disciplined learning and occasional chaos characterized early one-room schoolhouses by Walter Lunt

Anderson School. Windham's earliest schoolhouses

Windham and Raymond are bringing back their one-room schoolhouses, not as components of the RSU14 school district, but as replicas of a much earlier time.  

In Windham, the historical society plans a grand opening on August 25 for its Village School, one of several buildings slated to become a living history compound at Windham Center.

Education, in the form of one-room schools, was dispersed throughout Windham for most of the 19^th and into the early 20^th centuries. One teacher taught “scholars” ranging in age from six to about 16 years. Many attended school just long enough to gain the minimal reading and “ciphering” (math) skills to support life on the family farm. An eighth-grade education was considered high attainment.

At one time, Windham had 19 district schools. Each served a neighborhood, including Centre School at Windham Center, Arlington School in North Windham, Friends School (which now serves as the local food pantry) and John A. Andrew in South Windham. Others were Anderson School, which served the first-settled area on River Road near the Westbrook line, Windham Corner at the intersection of Ward and Pope Roads in the “triangle” at Windham Hill and Bakers Corner, or Clark School on the corner of Brand Road and Route 202, which was said to have been a “lively place.” 

In the early 1800s the Society of Friends, or Quakers, opened an academy at the corner of Swett Road and the Main Road (Route 202). Of their school and religious teachings, Historian Samuel T. Dole noted that the Friends “sturdy observance to the principles…. (of) peace, religious and social freedom, equality of race and strict honesty (was) conducted with marked success.”

The historical record fails to reveal the year of Windham’s first school. However, tradition holds that Mary Chute, wife of first settler Thomas Chute, conducted classes in her home. The first schoolhouse, Anderson School, was built around 1770 on River Road near the Westbrook line.

In his book, “Windham in the Past”, historian Dole describes the function of the General Examining Committee (forerunner to the modern Superintending School Committee). Comprised of three learned men of high moral character, the committee was charged with visiting each school twice during the winter term to evaluate instruction, often by quizzing the scholars.

Dole recalls one such visit to his 19^th century schoolhouse: “(I) remember the awe with which these dignitaries were regarded by the average pupil, as, with slow and stately tread, they filed into the schoolroom and took their places behind the teacher’s desk; and with what fear and terrible forebodings we awaited their questions in regard to our proficiency in the different branches then taught.”

The late Kenneth Cole, Jr. of Windham wrote of his days in the early 1930s at the one-room Knight School on Pope Road near its intersection with Route 302.

“I went to school by sleigh. (But) if the …. road hadn’t been rolled I would go on snowshoes.”

Cole recalled being the chief stove tender – the stove wood were slabs donated by a local sawmill. Water was drawn from a nearby well, “The first couple of years we all drank from…a 10 quart milk pail (using) the same long handled dipper. At recess time there was no playground, just the cow pasture across the road. We played baseball; dried cow flops were bases.”

Cole expressed high praise for the teachers and the education he received over five years at Knight School, “Eight grades every day for one teacher and the only breather for her was when the town’s music teacher dropped by.”

Courses of study in those early school days included reading and grammar, composition, arithmetic (earlier known as ciphering), history, geography, recitation and elocution (speaking skills), health and wellness and agriculture. Penmanship (cursive) and spelling were emphasized. Grammar instruction meant “parsing” sentences, that is, explaining the function of each in a sentence (a forerunner to diagramming sentences).

A typical day for a student (scholar) would begin with the journey to the schoolhouse. Those without a horse or pony would walk, up to three miles for some. One or two older boys would arrive early to fill the water pail for drinking and washing hands and to haul wood for the pot-bellied stove.

This one room school house is a 19th century replica and sits on the Village Green of the Windham Historical Society on Windham Center Road. Contact the historical society for a tour and workshops.

Today’s aging population who were scholars “back in the day” remember feeling roasted when seated near the stove or freezing when far from it – heavy wool clothing was a must. Attendance was largely voluntary, depending on weather or the need for labor at home.

Before 1900, community schools had two terms, one in winter from November to April, and in summer from May to August.

A teacher’s needs were largely met by the community which usually included a small salary, housing, staples and food. If a female teacher married, many communities expected her to quit teaching because it was felt her most important job should be the care of her family.

Schools were ungraded. Scholars were seated according to age and ability, younger up front – older in the back, and were promoted only when the teacher felt he or she was ready to move on to more challenging material.

A typical day would begin with a morning greeting. The teacher would welcome the scholars. In response, scholars would “mind their manners;” girls would curtsy, boys would bow. Following Pledge of Allegiance and a morning prayer, the teacher would conduct a reading lesson with younger students while others would cipher an arithmetic problem on their individual slate boards.

Gaining the teacher’s attention by raising a hand was a rarity in the one-room schoolhouse. Students waited to be called upon by the schoolmarm/master, then they would stand to answer or recite. 

Responding to a mental arithmetic problem involved more than simply giving a numerical answer. For example, just stating “28” would not be an acceptable response to the following problem. The teacher would expect to hear, “Because Alice collected four eggs each day for seven days, and the product of four and seven is 28, Alice collected 28 eggs.” Discipline was taught in conjunction with schoolwork as well as behavior.

Later, during penmanship, scholars would use quill pens and ink to write their names, date and a maxim into their copybooks. Maxims were oft repeated sayings that promoted proper living habits or good moral character (ex: Deal justly with all; speak evil of none.)

“Turn-out,”, or privy privileges, usually occurred in conjunction with recess. Girls first. It was not unusual for the boys to disappear during recess time to go swimming in a nearby stream or pond.

Forms of punishment for scholars who failed to complete work or mind their manners were varied.

The most common was the use of the dreaded ferrule, a bendy rod utilized to change attitude and behavior when laid sharply across a scholar’s palms or buttocks. Other methods included sitting on a stool wearing a dunce cap or standing against the board with one’s nose pressed inside a drawn circle.

Perhaps the worst practice for boys was being made to sit with the girls while wearing a bonnet.

A special program for local school children designed to replicate the old-time teaching practices (sans the ferrule) has been created by a committee of the Windham Historical Society.

Elementary students studying local and Maine history will be invited to assume the identities of actual Windham residents who attended a Windham Center school in the late 1800s. Slates, quill pens & ink and McGuffey Readers will be used to give participants a realistic one-room schoolhouse experience. The soon-to-be restored Friends Schoolhouse, located on Route 302 in Casco will offer a similar program, according to Frank McDermott, president of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society.

The 1848 structure was lost to fire last April. McDermott said the RCHS hopes to have the building up and closed in by late fall. Donations of money, materials and furnishings are now being accepted.

While there is much romanticism surrounding the culture and teaching practices of old schoolhouses, their successes were coupled with many of the same problems that plague schools today. However, those difficulties were dealt with in a much different way. The old Bakers, or Clark, School referred to earlier as a “lively place” was probably Windham’s most unruly school. According to an early story, a group of boys slugged their schoolmaster, lugged him out of the building and threw him headfirst into a snow bank.

Many, if not most, of the old schoolhouses experienced similar or more outlandish events than the one at Bakers. Next week, in a special edition of The Historic Record series, we will share a bizarre story told several years ago by the late Phil Kennard who attended the old Arlington Grammar School in the late 1920s. <

Stories from the after-school Typing Titans by Walter Lunt

The Typing Titans show display their stories

Why would kids choose to stay after school and add another hour of schoolwork? At Manchester School in Windham the answer is: to join the Writing Club. Its members call themselves the Typing Titans. And their teacher, Joan Flagg-Williams, who created the class and volunteers her services, says devoting time exclusively to writing, “enhances their identity as young writers by giving them the time and opportunity to create.”

 

Flagg-Williams, an associate professor of education at Saint Joseph’s College, said the Writing Club is designed to be more than just free-writing time. The seven fifth graders who participated were encouraged to explore and develop their story ideas, confer with others and work through a creative writing process to strengthen and improve their work.

Assessing the class, now in its third year, Flagg-Williams and other volunteers in the program, observed that, in addition to the creativeness and excitement about writing, “…they were persistent – always wanting to get to their writing, to keep writing and not stop.”

The 10 after-school sessions culminated recently in a celebration where the young authors shared their final drafts with families, friends and relatives at the Manchester School library. “Most of the stories shared a common theme,” Flagg-Williams observed, “action adventure.”

Stuart, in an untitled piece, created a tale of no escape when a gigantic tsunami strikes a subway system with all-consuming waves of water.

Monica and Lyssi co-authored a lengthy story titled “Bus Attack.” In it, two young girls were having an ordinary day when a school bus accident sent them off on an incredible adventure to Washington D.C. and back again.

Riley, who wrote about “The Lost Explorer,” detailed the life and times of an intrepid adventurer whose exploits include a fall into the Grand Canyon and a close encounter with an unusual school.

Jordyn, in “The Castle on the Beach,” imagined a family winning the lottery and buying a castle. Her rich detail included a description of its stained-glass windows: “pastel purple and blue with neon green and yellow flower designs.”

Rylee’s fantastical tale of “The Weird Stuffed Animal” told about an inventor who created an amazing stuffed bear. Later in the piece came a strange happening and then a surprise ending. 

Sophie composed a touching tribute to “My Baby Sister.”  “When I got to hold her I knew right from my heart that I loved her.” The non-fiction narrative detailed the life of her little sister from birth to her recent second birthday.

Asked what they thought of their membership in Writing Club, the young authors commented freely, in writing:

“Amazing, cool and thrilling.” (Monica and Lyssi)

“Writing is of one the only ways I can talk and express my wild imagination.” (Stuart)

“(Writing) makes me feel powerful and adventurous because I can write whatever my mind believes in doing.” (Jordyn)

“Writing is kinda like breathing.” (Riley)

The Typing Titans used their school laptop computers to compose their works, making changes and corrections as they wrote. Classes began with mini-lessons, according to Flagg-Williams; lead sentences, paragraph structure, word choice and dialogue. Additional volunteers made the student/teacher ratio nearly one-on-one. Five education majors from the college and retired teacher Jeane Rhein offered advice and assistance to the writers.

Flagg-Williams, who lives in Windham, said teaching Writing Club gives her a chance to give back to the community, adding, “…and also encourage young people to have fun with writing and involve my (college) students.”

She plans to offer a summer session of Writing Club in 2018. 

Dolby Funeral Chapel expands with acquisition of Blais & Hay Funeral Home of Westbrook by Walter Lunt

New name to be Dolby-Blais & Segee

Dolby Funeral Chapel owners, Eric and Kristin Segee, have announced the acquisition of the Blais & Hay Funeral Home of Westbrook. The purchase, which was completed on August 30, occurred less than one year after the Segee’s bought the Dolby Funeral Chapels in both Windham and Gorham through an in-house sale from long-time owner Tim Dolby. The Segee’s had been employed there for about three years.
 

The new institution will be named Dolby-Blais & Segee and “will reflect the continuing legacy of these family-owned and operated homes,” says Eric Segee. New signs will appear on the grounds of all three chapels by mid to late October.

Kristin Segee noted that former owners of both the Windham and Westbrook locations continue to be involved in the day-to-day operations and during various funeral services.

“They provide a level of comfort for people that know them. And it helps assure the same level of service and quality,” she said.

Blais & Hay, located at 35 Church Street off William Clark Drive, formed from a merger in 2001.

“Our families will be in good hands for many years to come, “said James Blais, commenting on the sale. “We are excited that the standard of care we have been providing for years to families in our (Westbrook) community will continue under the strong leadership of Eric and Kristin and their extremely competent and caring staff.”

Both the Blais and the Hays families had passed down their respective businesses to sons.

In an interview with the Windham Eagle in January 2017, Eric Segee observed that both the owners and patrons of funeral parlors “want to avoid acquisitions by big corporations.”

Eric projects the addition of the Westbrook chapel will increase by over 150 the number of families served by the larger institution. He said eight new part-time employees have been added as result of the Blais acquisition.

The Segee’s say minor changes are anticipated for both the Windham and Westbrook locations. New carpeting, large TV screens and an updated audio-visual system will be added to the Blais chapel. The technology improvements are designed to accommodate slide presentations and musical options for families who wish to design personalized tributes to the deceased. Eric noted that a small building addition is anticipated at the Windham chapel.

The Dolby Funeral Chapel was established in 1946 by Robert Dolby, Tim Dolby’s father, who bought the business from John Nichols. Nichols was the last of three generations dating to the 1860s. Until recently, funeral directors in Windham have been members of just two families: Nichols and Dolbys. The Windham Eagle will trace this fascinating history in the next segment of our “Then & Now” series next month.

Windham Library to host Solar Eclipse Event by Walter Lunt

Astronomy buffs say the solar show will be less than spectacular, but worthwhile viewing

The moon over Maine will obscure less than 60 percent of the sun on Monday. And although darkening is expected to be minimal, local eclipse fans have made viewing plans at work, from home or at special gatherings.

The Windham Public Library will broadcast live streaming coverage (so to speak) of the solar eclipse for up to 50 people in the downstairs meeting room. Children’s room coordinator Diane Currier said the library’s Solar Eclipse Event will also feature information, activities and safe outdoor viewing of the partial eclipse, utilizing pinhole projections and protective solar eyeglasses. The event begins at 2 p.m.

Safe eclipse eyewear is a must for direct viewing. Most local stores are sold out, but Currier says most visitors to the library event will get to use and keep a pair of the solar glasses.

An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon moves into a precise position between the earth and the sun, blocking its light. Even more phenomenal than the event itself is the fact that, at the time of eclipse, the diameter of the moon and the sun, as viewed from earth, is a virtual match. The result, as someone once put it, of sheer heavenly happenstance. 

The Great American Eclipse, as it’s being called, is unique in that it is centered only on the American continent. Totality will occur only in a narrow band, 67 miles wide, from Oregon to South Carolina. It will zoom across the country in 90 minutes. Latitudes north and south of the line will experience varying degrees of partiality. In the Portland area, 58.6 percent of the sun’s surface will be covered, resulting only in a slight dimming. That is, day will not become night and the stars will not come out, as in a total eclipse.

“The dimming will be slight, almost imperceptible,” according to Ed Gleason, Windham resident and director of the University of Maine’s Southworth Planetarium in Portland; who adds, “The planetarium will be open with live NASA feeds of the eclipse starting at 1:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, we will also have someone outside with a scope to enable people to observe the eclipse.”

The slow dimming of the sun, even during a partial eclipse, produces eerie daylighting, unlike the fading light caused by dark clouds passing in front of the sun. As described in a publication by Bill Nye (the science guy) recently, “Filtered sunlight creates alternating bands of light and dark on the ground – it’s otherworldly and spooky.”

Looking directly at the sun will damage eyes, possibly leading to blindness. The only safe way to view the eclipse is through special-purpose filters, such as eclipse glasses. Sunglasses or exposed photo film (negatives) are not safe.

Ron Thompson of Southern Maine Astronomical Group, who recently hosted a program on the eclipse at Windham Library said, “A solar eclipse is something you’ll never forget,” but went on to warn sternly and adamantly against watching it with the naked eye. Addressing both adults and children at the session, he added, “I don’t mean to scare you – but I do.”

Thompson reviewed safe ways to view an eclipse, including watching it indirectly by constructing various pinhole devices and projecting the image onto a flat surface; #14 welders glass is safe. Other alternatives are solar telescopes and so-called sunoculars (specially filtered binoculars). On-line strategies for safe viewing can be accessed at eclipse.aas/eyesafety.org and tidelandshealth.org/see-it-safely. 

Of recent concern is the sale of counterfeit, or fake, eclipse glasses. One way to test whether solar glasses are safe to use is to make sure they are stamped with an ISO certification label. In addition, the American Astronomical Society recommends an at-home test. They suggest looking through the special lenses – you should not be able to see anything except for the sun or anything significantly bright, like halogen or LED lights. Even those should look dim. Also, check for tears or scratches.

The best viewing time for Monday’s eclipse will be between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. If you miss it, just wait for the next one . . . in 2024.

From happy camping to commercial hub - the previous life of Walmart’s site by Walter Lunt

Then: Sebago Basin

"Windham Then and Now” - The fifth in a series of historical topics about Windham’s unique history and heritage

Some local residents once said the establishment of a Walmart store in the center of North Windham was a watershed moment in the transition from country town to suburb. Today, many residents concede they don’t know or can’t remember what occupied the site before the big store’s arrival in 1994.

The Manchester family, descendants of Stephen Manchester (a founding settler), have lived on the property for well over 150 years. In 1958, Lawrence and Francis Manchester established Sebago Basin Tenting, a campground that became a destination for thousands of visitors from all over New England and Canada. Some stayed for a few days and others, seasonal patrons, settled in for the summer. The area boasted 29 original campsites with a variety of activities from swimming and boating at nearby Sebago Basin beaches to ball games, dancing, horseshoes and campfire sing-alongs. Their son, David, and wife Carol, shared some of the memories.

Writing in the Windham Historical Society’s quarterly newsletter, retired teacher and author Carol Manchester reminisced, “The (Manchester) family-owned business on Route 302 . . . was easily recognized by its iconic A-frame structure (rec hall), a local landmark (and) point of reference for visitors.”

Built in 1961, the imposing rec hall, 32 feet to the ridgepole and easily visible from 302, accommodated registrations, dispensed information and was the central meeting place for gab, games, dancing and leisure.

A gazebo was soon added. On warm summer evenings a pull-down screen would be hung from its side, film threaded through a 16mm projector and movies shown to campers who would gather under the stars, seated on in-the-round benches.

In those times, a Maine camping experience was unique. David recalled a New Jersey camper’s remark about the crystal-clear Sebago Basin water. “He stepped into the water, looked down, and exclaimed, ‘I can see my feet.’”

Over the 1960s and 70s, the campground expanded from 29 to 175 camp sites. The expansion, maintenance and administration was, according to David, the combined effort of the Manchester family, including his parents, six brothers and sisters, cousins, friends and neighbors.

“For us, it was a great place to grow up. And many of the campers became our close friends.”

As Sebago Tenting grew, so did the variety of campers and activities. The sandy basin beaches welcomed sunbathers and swimmers. The 20 or so boat slips afforded lake exploration and water skiing. Visitors also delighted in the live bands, square dancing, camp fires, cultural speakers and ping pong and pinball in the rec hall.

Highlight activities for kids included hayrides behind the old Farm-All tractors; messy, but tasty, watermelon eating contests; decorating bicycles and floats for holiday parades through the wooded roadways and campfire songs with local singer/composer Rick Charette.

Now: Walmart sits in the location now.

Competitive games, remembers David, were wildly popular. “Every night, the ball field filled up with spectators to cheer on their favorite softball teams. Sometimes there was even a double-header.” Enthusiasm also ran high for tug-of-war games, 3-legged races and horseshoe tournaments.

“We had so many wonderful people who energized the games and activities,” recalled David, “There was one guy. We called him the Mayor. He had a big presence. He looked and spoke like a mayor, a real unique personality and a natural supervisor. He was always helping and organizing.” The mayor, he said, returned for many seasons. Of the 175 campers each year, many were repeat patrons, and over 50 were seasonal. 

In addition to being the owners, “Our family was major participants,” said David.

The high degree of hustle & bustle also spawned entrepreneurial opportunities for youth. David and Carol’s son, Lawrence, opened a steamed hot dog stand. Another son, Walter, became a bicycling newsboy, delivering Portland Press Herald and Evening Express newspapers to the campers.

Through the 1970s and 80s, the camping experience and equipment became more sophisticated. The introduction of canvas top and pop-up trailers, and later, motor homes and RV’s prompted modern updates to the Manchester campground, including electricity and bath houses. Also, a name-change that was more in keeping with the times seemed needed. Sebago Basin Tenting became Sebago Basin Camping.

In February 1986, a major set-back: Vandals broke into the A-frame and started a fire. As described in Carol Manchester’s article, it was “the beginning of the end. Because of the deep, snow-covered quarter mile road to it, firefighters could not save the building. The business opened for the next two seasons but the A-frame, center of the campground experience, was gone and greatly increased insurance premiums - it closed after 30 summers.”

For those who remember, a shopping trip to Walmart and surrounding stores can be somewhat surreal. Whether treading through housewares or the market, it’s the same space occupied by 30 years of camping vacationers, back, not so long ago, in those country-town days.

Water skiing Santa helps bring Christmas in July to Raymond Food Pantry by Walter Lunt

Skiing Santa on Thomas Pond

Donations to the Raymond Food Pantry are typically down during the summer months. This year, however, an unexpected and unlikely, good samaritan in a red suit, showed up at just the right time. It was Santa! In July! On water skis!
 

“Donations dip during the summer months,” stated Raymond Lions Club volunteer and Food Pantry director Gary Bibeau “This is going to get me over the hump this season.”

He was referring to a sizable load of food and paper goods from the Thomas Pond Terrace Road Association which arrived quite unexpectedly last Sunday.

Bibeau and other pantry volunteers seemed a bit perplexed over the source of their good fortune until Santa’s helpers arrived with a pickup truck full of pantry donations, and an explanation.

It seems about ten years ago several families decided to have an off-season lakeside Christmas celebration, including a traditional turkey dinner, holiday music, festive clothes and Yankee gift swap. Christmas in July.

One year, a celebrant donned a Santa suit and water skied around the lake tossing packets of Christmas candy to swimmers and children. It became a yearly tradition.

This year, the group invited the entire Raymond shore to participate by donating to a worthy cause. The Raymond Food Pantry was chosen.

Officials of the Road Association sent notices to all residences saying that they could contribute by placing non-perishable foods and paper goods on their docks after the Santa Candy Run. 

Retrieval of the items was achieved by pontoon boat. Vinny Maietta eased his vessel to within inches of the dozens of donor docks while volunteer Ed Dooley, dressed as Santa, picked up and piled the donations onto the boat.

“Lots of young children (were) excited to see us,” said Maietta; “Santa Ed was a huge hit with young and old. We got 50 to 60 boxes and bags of mostly food.” And he continued, “(The) Thomas Pond Terrace neighborhood is such a great community. We enjoyed all the thoughtful comments from the donors.”

Ellie Miller lives on the Raymond shore with her parents and remembers waiting for the annual event when she was six years old.

“When I was little I always couldn’t wait for Christmas in July. I got excited for Santa to water ski by and throw candy.”

Bibeau, the pantry director, said he was particularly pleased with the wide variety of items: “…the

baked beans, egg pasta, macaroni and cheese, salad dressings and jellies and jams. These are items not normally available through the USDA distribution program.”

He explained the Raymond Food Pantry is open to Raymond residents and to seniors who qualify for the federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Local donations come not only from families and individuals, but also from: churches, civic organizations, Good Shepard Food Bank and local businesses like Good Life Market and Hannaford Supermarkets. Seasonally, fresh produce comes from the Raymond Library garden and from the Jordan Small School garden, which is maintained by students and staff through the summer. 

“Hannaford, in particular, has been very good to us,” said Bibeau.

“Our patrons are the elderly and handicapped, those that are challenged in various ways or have medical issues and families dealing with break-ups or job loss.”

Numbers served in the month of May, the latest figures available, were 69 households that totaled 171 individuals.

The pantry is heavily supported by the Raymond Lions Club, which also sponsors the annual Christmas Tree Lighting (in December) and the U.S. flags along Route 302.

Skiing Santa prefers to remain anonymous, but issued a brief statement to The Windham Eagle: “This year really felt like the spirit of Christmas. Maybe next year we can expand the effort and attract some volunteers on the (town of) Casco side of the lake.”

Ellie Miller, now 13, echoed the sentiment, “I was always excited to get something, but this year was special because I was able to give something.”

Community mourns the passing of a “Windham Institution” – Kay Soldier dies at 79 by Walter Lunt

Kathleen Evelyn Kelley Whirlwind-Soldier, a prominent and highly-respected resident of Windham, passed away peacefully Monday, June 26, following a brief illness. She was 79.

Soldier was widely known as a local historian and a news reporter, editor and columnist for several weekly newspapers; including the Courier Free Press and the Suburban and Lakes Region newspapers.

Born in Windham, Kay was the oldest of six children and grew up on Webb Road and Chute Road during the unique period between the greatest generation and the baby boomers. Through her weekly columns, she shared with faithful readers, the many childhood experiences of the days before television/technology. Kay often reflected on the neighborhood and family life in a time of gravel roads, child-oriented play, frugality, limited transportation and the growing pains of the town she loved. 

Of the early times, Kay’s sister Ellen Kelley remembers how Kathleen always wanted to be the boss.

“When my mother would let her, she would arrange the living room into a one-room schoolhouse. We (the brothers and sisters) were the students. Kathleen would always be the teacher.” 

A highly skilled researcher and board member of the Windham Historical Society, Kay was for decades, the town historian. Former society President Linda Griffin said Kay would personally answer the many queries presented to the society. Some she could answer from personal knowledge, others might require days of tenacious research and telephone calls.

“Kay would run our office, curate and file the artifacts, put out our newsletter, handle all the publicity and create WHS fliers. It now takes three of us to do what she did.”

One personal quality mentioned by many who knew her, was her unusual sense of humor. She was known for the quick and thoughtful comeback, usually tinged with sarcasm. If, for example, a conversation turned silly, or the questions too philosophically “far out,” she would listen, pause and say, “The more we talk about that, the less interested I get.”

Kay graduated valedictorian of the Windham High School class of 1955. The “Windonian” Yearbook, of which she was editor, published a senior class poll. Kay was voted most conspicuous girl, most witty and humorous, most intelligent and most talkative. Apparently because no one could imagine such an occurrence, one classmate mused, “What if Kathleen Kelley was at a loss for words?” As her foremost ambition, Kay wrote, “To meet (movie star) Tony Curtis.”

Kay left Windham soon after high school. “Unless you get married or go into nursing or teaching, what else was there to do?” she once said. She performed secretarial work at Canal Bank in Portland and later for a law firm in New York. The big cities afforded Kay opportunities to visit science and fine arts museums and to pursue courses in her many and varied interests: anthropology, archaeology, literature, poetry and painting. Although she avoided prominent displays of her work, family members said Kay was accomplished in sketch artistry. Several examples of her early work can be seen in the 1955 high school yearbook.

“I loved New York. Especially Greenwich Village and the jazz music,” she once said. She loved it so much that, in addition to her full-time day job, she accepted a $1.25 per hour, evening job as a hostess at The Jazz Workshop.

It was during her time in New York that she met and married George Whirlwind-Soldier. The two moved to Rosebud (Sioux) Reservation in South Dakota where they lived with George’s extended family. “I thought Maine winters were cold,” Kay would later observe, “but they’re nothing like the winter’s out there.”

Following a divorce in the late 1960s, Kay moved, with her adopted son David, back to Windham, where she found employment at the L.C. Andrew lumber yard in South Windham. She was also hired by the town to transcribe the minutes of the town council and planning board meetings, a position she called “the official town scribe.”

By the 1980s, Kay’s writing and office talents had attracted the attention of publishers. Windham had grown to a point where it could support local weekly newspapers. She became the chief reporter and editor of the Courier Free Press and later The Suburban News. Publisher Bill Diamond remembers Kay as the creator of the local paper that was “. . . totally devoted to Windham and all of its past and current treasures. It can be said that Kay Soldier was the true core of our town, someone who loved Windham more than her own self.”

One of Kay’s early hires was Michelle Libby, later the editor of The Windham Eagle. “I learned some wonderful lessons from Kay that have stuck by me to this day,” says Libby, “this is where my philosophy of positive news comes from. Write positive stories so when something bad happens the people already trust you and are more willing to help with the bad news coverage.”

Longtime Windham resident Jerry Black said the town has lost a great resource and historian. “She was always there to help the veteran’s center.”

Echoing the sentiment, resident and historical society member Bruce Elder commented, “She was our treasure – the town was so lucky to have her. Irreplaceable!”

She would often include her email address and phone number in the newspaper columns she wrote. And that kept her busy. Callers, particularly seniors, would ask for help wading through the red tape associated with Medicare or want to know where to get assistance with tax issues. No call for help went unanswered, even it meant hours of research. 

Of great interest and concern to Kay were the twin issues of prejudice and the underprivileged. On the topic of Windham’s aborigine population and the subsequent intrusion by white settlers, Kay would ask, “So, in this case, who do you think were the savages?”- referring to the term used by early Windham historians to describe the native tribes. When discussion arose regarding support for the poor, Kay would recount the story of the widow Hannah Starbird who, in the 1790s, appeared in Windham with no means of support. Ultimately, Starbird was “struck off” to the lowest bidder who would agree to keep her in “victuals and clothes” until her place of origin could be determined. Kay wanted to know, “Was this the proper care for Starbird? How should we treat the downtrodden?”

Soldier would rarely follow her questions with a debate. She would change the subject or walk away, preferring folks just think about her questions.

Reaction to Kay Soldier’s death is universal sadness. Words of description, used to reference her included: dynamic, treasured, irreplaceable, gifted, revered and an institution.

But perhaps Diamond summed it up best, “Kay Soldier was a special gift to Windham. She can never be replaced – only remembered and praised as we send her our most sincere “thank you.”  

However, regarding the comments about her, Soldier, who was not one to appreciate compliments or praise, would probably say something like, “The more you talk, the less interested I get.”