Historical Society gearing up for Fall Harvest Festival

By Kaysa Jalbert

There’s no better way, or better backdrop, to celebrate the arrival of autumn than at an event in Windham Center sponsored by the Windham Historical Society

The Windham Historical Society's Fall Harvest Festival
is a free family event being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society's Village Green
in Windham Center. FILE PHOTO

Members of the Windham Historical Society are hosting the Fall Harvest Festival for a day packed with old-fashioned family fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society’s Village Green in Windham Center.

Participants can look forward to a craft fair, food booths, fun games for kids, several crafters in pop-up tents and an assortment of local vendors. There will be three performances in the Village Green Gazebo throughout the event, one being the Maine Fiddler, Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection. Brown has performed as the opening act for Grammy-Award winning country music superstar Dwight Yoakum, and another legendary Grammy winner, Ricky Skaggs, along with collaborating with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra,

For those who like competitions, the Fall Harvest Festival will include a pumpkin carving contest, a pie eating contest, and a relay race, all with prizes available for winners that will be announced at the end of the event.

The Fall Harvest Festival is a first-time offering that the Windham Historical Society is hosting this year, but it is the goal of historical society members to make it an annual event in Windham.

“We hope that we can do this every year,” says Linda Lunt, Treasurer of the Windham Historical Society. “Many people don’t know who we are, and they don’t know what the Village Green is, so this is to show who we are and what we do.”

All Village Green buildings will be open during the festival for tours, including the Old Grocery that used to sit on the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 but made an historic move to the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green Living History Village on Oct. 30, 2020, where it has now become a living history museum that replicates a grocery store of the late 19th century.

“It’s just our past and it shouldn’t be forgotten,” says Lunt. “There are people my age who will come through and say, “I remember that!” or little kids that come through and say “wow!” and they don’t realize that there weren’t grocery stores and things like that around. We had to do canning and make our own foods and iron with cast irons, and it was very different back then. It’s nice to see their faces and see that they are getting a glimpse of the past and it’s nice to carry that on to our kids.”

The Fall Harvest Festival is a sponsored event that will be free to all ages with donations accepted throughout the event.

The Windham Historical Society purchased the land that once belonged to the Reeves family in 2010, when it included a house, a barn, a workshop, and a shed plus two acres of fields that abutted the Historical Society grounds. At first, the house was rented out for income as buildings started being moved onto the land. The South Windham Library was the first to move from its original location of almost 100 years on the Windham/Gorham town line to the Village Green.

Some of the old Reeve’s family buildings have been transformed, such as the Reeve’s Gun Shop that is now a genuine replica of a schoolhouse of the late 1890s. Windham students in grades 3 and 5 are given the chance to dress up and have living history classes in the schoolhouse.

A blacksmith shop was built on the land with the help of volunteers in 2018. The gazebo was added then in 2019 with hopes to host concerts or perhaps a wedding in this charming setting.

Most recently, in 2020, the Society raised $41,000 to fund the removal and relocation of the Old Grocery store from the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 to the Village Green grounds.

The Windham Historical Society aims to promote interest in the history of the town by presenting relevant public programs, providing educational opportunities, and maintaining historical facilities where displays of the towns past are available. <

Historical Society gazebo blooms with flowers from a new garden

By Masha Yurkevich

Famous American botanist Luther Burbank got it right when he said that “flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” To that end, a recent Windham High School graduate spearheaded an effort to bring blooming flowers to the grounds of the Windham Historical Society in Windham Center and on Aug. 7, a flower garden was added to the Windham Historical Society gazebo.

Students and volunteers from Windham High School and the 
community planted a flower garden around the Windham
Historical Society gazebo in Windham Center on Aug. 7.
PHOTO BY MASHA YURKEVICH 

The event was led and organized by 2023 WHS graduate Greta Paulding, who has been working for the Town of Windham for over a year now as a marketing intern and has collaborated on a variety of projects as a graphic designer. She creates logos, posters, and art pieces to make town projects more beautiful and accessible to the public.

“My boss, Tom Bartell, was the one who suggested that we should have a nice place for town hall weddings,” said Pauling. “Linda Morrell, our town clerk, also wanted a flower garden and suggested that I speak to the historical society about using their gazebo.”

Pauling said that the historical society was excited and supportive from the beginning. Their encouragement went a long way toward making this project a reality.

“None of this would have been possible without our Windham community,” she said. “I put out the call on social media for donations of flowers, tools, and labor and received everything we needed. Friends, family, and neighbors came from near and far to help out.”

Because of their work, the project was completed within a few hours.

At 10 a.m. that morning, the area around the gazebo was just grass. By 1 p.m. the same day, it was a beautiful flower garden. Most of the volunteers creating the flower garden were of high school age and their energy and sense of humor kept their spirits up when they encountered obstacles.

“If you had told me a month ago that I would be organizing and leading this project, I wouldn’t have believed you. I am not a gardener. I have never been good with plants. Fortunately, I received a lot of help and guidance from experienced gardeners,” said Paulding. “I want to particularly thank Abbie McGilvery and Morgan Riley for staying all day to dig, plant, and teach myself and the other volunteers how to create a garden that will last. Their help was a vital part of completing this project and making sure it will continue to beautify our community for many years.”

The historical society gazebo is the perfect location for a wedding garden. Not only is it next door to the Windham Town Hall, it is also beautiful, quiet, and surrounded by local history. Over the past few years, the society has moved several historic buildings from around Windham to the village green, and they are working tirelessly to restore them.

“Strolling around the green feels like being transported back in time,” said Paulding. “Not enough people know about the work the historical society is doing or have seen the village green. I hope that the wedding garden will provide the society with an opportunity to share their passion for local stories and become an important part of the stories of those who get married there.”

Paulding said she hopes that as more people come to visit the historical society, they will be able to appreciate the beauty of the garden and of the entire village green. This garden displays the strength and generosity of our community and its readiness to serve others. It is a symbol of unity.

“Planting flowers is a small way to make a big impact. I hope that this garden inspires other projects around town. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this, it’s that people will gladly come together to make our town more beautiful,” said Paulding. “If you’ve always had an idea to make this town better, talk to people. Do something about it. What seems like a pipe dream today might become reality tomorrow.” <

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.  <

Paving the way – the story of a road trip for women’s right to vote

By Lorraine Glowczak

In 1915, three women drove across the country in an Overland Six automobile, from San Francisco to D.C. with the sole purpose of gathering and delivering over 500,000 signatures on a petition to Congress and President Wilson, demanding women’s right to vote.

Maine author, Anne Gass, retraced that trip with her husband in the summer of 2015 - 100 years after

Left to right Sara Bard Field (from Detroit), Maria Kindberg
and Ingeborg Klingstedt. photo credit goes to Library of Congress

the initial journey. She shared her own story as well as that of the three women who made the arduous trip in a presentation last Monday evening, March 25 at the Little Meeting House in Windham, hosted by the Windham Historical Society.

The trip was sponsored by the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU), a small but mighty group led by Alice Paul that was determined to win voting rights for women through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution instead of the much slower strategy, pursued for decades, of winning it state by state. The CU set up a booth at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915 and spent months gathering signatures on a petition demanding an amendment to the U.S. Constitution enfranchising women.

However, there needed to be a way to get those signatures to President Woodrow Wilson and Congress in Washington, D.C. Paul decided that a cross-country road trip was the answer. This would permit gathering more signatures in the states they visited, and would also generate badly needed publicity for their cause.  

Paul asked a poet, Sara Bard Field and wealthy socialite, Frances Joliffe to represent the Congressional Union on that journey. “Unfortunately, Frances became ill and was forced to drop out of the trip almost right away- in Sacramento,” explained Gass. “Two Swedish immigrants from Rhode Island, Maria Kindberg and Ingeborg Kindstedt, had traveled by steamship to the Exposition and were already planning to buy a car and drive it back to Providence. They offered to drive the envoys and the petitions the 5,000 miles to D.C, getting there in time for the opening of Congress on December 6.”

As Gass explained at last Monday evening’s talk, “They traveled the Lincoln Highway. However, the term “highway” was much different at that time. In 1915, the ‘Lincoln Highway’ was little more than a cart track that would turn to a sea of mud in the rain. It was highly unusual for women to drive alone - but they were determined to do it and they overcame considerable hardship.”

Gass revealed the many obstacles the three women faced. “Notice the car is a convertible,” Gass pointed out the picture on the PowerPoint presentation. “They begin their road trip in September and were traveling east in early December. Obviously, they were going to face cold weather along the way.”

Author and speaker, Anne Gass

Gass also explained that they had three gas cans filled with water, oil, and fuel stored on one side of the vehicle because gas stations were not as plentiful and easily accessed as one would experience today on a cross-country trip.

She told the story of the three women driving through the Salt Flats of Utah on their way to Ibapah Ranch, where they were planning to stay that night. “They went through extreme heat, through dusty salt plains and had to stop to patch their tires a dozen times. Unfamiliar with the route, they’d hired a man who swore he knew the way,.”

Not as much help as expected, the hired driver got lost. With the help of two cowboys they found wrapped in their blankets at a crossroads, they finally arrived at the ranch early in the morning hours. “

The women continued across the U.S., enduring snowstorms, washed out roads and mud. “At one point, they got stuck in the mud  near Hutchinson, Kansas at 10 p.m. at night,” Gass said. “They had just passed a farm house, so they yelled for help with the hope that someone would hear them and offer assistance. Getting no response, Field, who had insisted on taking the short cut, was elected to walk to that house – in mud up to her hips in places– to ask for help.”

They discovered from two men they met later that day that their pleas for help were heard but ignored because, “If those women want the right to vote, let’s see if they can help themselves out of the mud,” is what the men said to the three feminists. Not impressed with their logic, Field rebutted, “Do you know how many times I’ve been up in the night to help a man who was ill and couldn’t take care of himself? This is not a matter of the right to vote, this is about common humanity.”

Despite their challenges, the road trip provided opportunities for signatures and education to the public, with Field informing those who gathered in town squares, etc. about suffrage and encouraging people to support voter rights.

Making it to D.C. in time and impressed by the size of the petition, the President expressed his admiration and said he would consider their demand. Although it took another five years, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, finally ratified in 1920, opened the polls to women. The three women, plus the 500,000 signatures, helped pave the way for women winning the right to vote.

Anne B. Gass is the author of “Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine’s Fight for Woman Suffrage”, published in 2014. She is the great-granddaughter of Florence Brooks Whitehouse who led Maine’s branch of the CU, working closely with Paul, Lucy Burns and other well-known suffragists. Gass’s great-grandmother was present in D.C. to greet Field, Kindberg and Kindstedt after their long three-month trip.

Gass lectures regularly on Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine suffrage history at conferences, historical societies, libraries, schools, etc. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Maine Suffrage Centennial Collaborative, a diverse group of organizations from across the state working to promote the one hundred year anniversary of woman suffrage.

To have Gass speak to your group, contact her at agassmaine@gmail.com.

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. <

Students at Windham Primary School learn the importance of giving back to the community by Lorraine Glowczak

The students at Windham Primary School held a Community Day Assembly on Thursday, May 18 at the Windham High School auditorium, to show their appreciation and to give back to community organizations that have given to the students throughout the year. The first through third graders, who raised funds and learned about community accountability and character education in the process, collectively raised and contributed $7,000 as their way of saying, “thank you.”

Although this was the first community day event established by the students, it is the goal of the educators and students alike that the event will become an annual project. “We wanted to help build a sense of community within our school and hope that this becomes an annual event,” stated Michelle Jordan, one of the volunteer coordinators. “Because of our large size, we rarely hold a school wide assembly. This event was designed for two reasons: 1) to bring the school together, and 2) to teach our students the importance of community programs and supporting those programs.”

The recipient organizations that received funding for their contribution and assistance to the students at Windham Primary School include: Windham Public Library supported by the kindergarten class, Ledgewood Nursing Center supported by the first-grade class, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals supported by the second-grade class and the Windham Historical Society supported by the third-grade class. All organizations were very appreciative of the donations given to them including the members of the Windham Historical Society (WHS). “This very generous gift will help us a raise a blacksmith shop as well as complete the South Windham Library,” stated Susan Simonson, President of the WHS.  “This building will house South Windham Village and train station historical collections. To the third-graders, the Historical Society shows grateful appreciation for their donation, and to all of the primary grades and staff we applaud the lessons of support and involvement given to the community.”

To raise funds, the students participated in a “Race for the Community” day. “They each had a sponsor sheet to have friends and family members sponsor them for the number of laps they ran or walked around the [high school] track,” Jordan explained. “On Friday, May 4, the whole school went out in groups of 5 or 6 and spent 30 minutes on the track. Kids had paper sneakers that were hole punched for each lap they completed. Then students collected donations based on the laps they ran.

Not only did they physically raise funds, the students also learned the importance of community engagement. “Students had the opportunity to learn about community over the few weeks leading up to the event,” Jordan said. “They read stories about community in library class, built a circle of hands in art class, practiced running in PE class and talked about their community organizations in their classrooms. In grades kindergarten, two and three, they have had an opportunity this school year to visit the organizations they supported. We wanted students to make a connection between programs in the community, support in their learning they received from them, and then providing support to their programs with funds raised.”

Students enjoyed participating in the community day event. Not only did they learn the importance of community but the significance of acting upon the passions they carry for life. Lilly Steele, a second-grade student loved the fact that they donated to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals. “It was nice to raise money for the animals because I love the horses and like patting them.”

Parents were proud of the students and saw the importance of what their children learned in the community give back effort. “I think it’s been an eye opener for them and you can tell they were proud to have been part of giving back,” stated Mel Oldakowski who is Steele’s mother.

During the assembly, Dr. Karl Rhoads complimented the students for their hard work and explained why community is so important. “We are very fortunate at Windham Primary School that has a supportive community that gives to us in many ways. And all the organizations that were funded today, give to us. This is an opportunity for us as a school to give back. That’s the reason for Community Day and the Community Day Assembly.”

The school donated the following: Windham Public Library received $1163.05, Ledgewood received $1692.15, MSSPA received $2412.80 and Historical Society received $1723.

Windham Historical Society celebrates the present with a tour of the past by Lorraine Glowczak

At the first stop, Friends Meeting House

The Windham Historical Society celebrated its 50^th anniversary with two historical tours on Saturday, October 21. The tours included stops at historical sites that made an important contribution to the growth of the town.
 
The two tours were offered at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and were fundraising efforts for the Historical Society. “All proceeds [from the tour] go to the Village Green,” stated Haley Pal, a Windham Historical Society member. The Village Green is a work in progress, with the vision of becoming a Living History Center, to be established in the near future.

The tours hosted a total of 60 individuals and began at the Windham Historical Society, 234 Windham Center Road. The building that the society now calls home was built in 1833 and served as the first Windham Town Hall. 

The first stop along the tour included the Friends Meeting House on Gray Road. Sometimes referred to as The Quakers, this church was the second religious group to settle in Windham, arriving before 1774. 

The Quaker belief system is committed to nonviolence as well as equality among all individuals. As a result, Quakers were involved with the Underground Railroad. It was discovered by those on Saturday’s tour that Elijah Pope, a Quaker and dentist of which Pope Road in Windham is named, offered his basement as part of the Underground Railroad for slaves who were making their way to Canada and on to their freedom.

Another famous Windhamite that was mentioned along the tour was Thomas Chute (Chute Road).  He was the first settler of Windham and well-known community member that served as a deacon and town clerk. One can visit a monument in his honor on Chute Road near Sweat Road.

Payson Smith Home

Another significant stop along the tour was the Parson Smith House. It was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1973. The Parson Smith House (c 1764), located on River Road near the Windham Correctional Facility, was home to Windham’s second settled minister, Rev. Peter Thatcher. The house was handed down for five generations, eventually being willed to the Historical Society for the Protection of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England) in 1953. It is now a privately-owned home, but tours are available by appointment.

The last of multiple stops included the once successful Gambo Gunpowder Mill on Gambo Road. The mill was active during the Civil War and provided a large percentage of the gunpowder needed during that time. It also provided work opportunities for individuals in the surrounding New England areas. Although the financial gain was significant, so was the cost of life due to many factory explosions. Today, one can explore the area to find artifacts left from that time period.

“The people that attended the tours seemed to enjoy it,” stated Pal. 

Those who attended the first tour did seem to enjoy not only the stops along the way but the new knowledge they received from the historical information that was shared. “The Fall Historical Tour was such a nice way to get together with my daughter and friends, enjoying some of our favorite places in Windham; learning more about our town’s history, and enjoying a beautiful fall day,” tour participant Donna Emerson said.

A perfect Autumn day at the former Gunpowder Mill location

Emerson’s daughter, Mary Emerson agreed. “Everyone on the tour was extremely knowledgeable. My favorite part of the tour was learning about the Quakers and seeing inside Friends Church. A lot of people do not understand how interesting Windham’s history really is and I encourage more people in the younger generation to take advantage of tours like these to understand the town you live in.”

Saturday’s weather contributed to the tours’ success. “Saturday was a perfect autumn day to view some of Windham’s historic places with friends,” Lisa Fisher stated. “During the guided tour we learned about the beginnings of Windham, and the people who made it.  We saw houses of worship and Parson Smith’s home. We listened to the river flow under Babb’s Bridge and enjoyed the foliage and sense of antiquity at the Gambo Gunpowder Mill. I hope the Historical Society does another tour soon.” 

Pal stated that the success of this past Saturday’s tour is indeed creating conversation among the Historical Society members and they are strongly considering another historical exploration next year.

For more information on the tour, the history of Windham or to become a member of the Historical Society, contact the society at 207-892-1433 or www.windhamhistorical.org.

Third Maine encampment draws history buffs to the Village Green - By Michelle Libby

The Third Maine encampment set up on the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green last weekend to demonstrate how soldiers and their families might have lived 155 years ago, during the Civil War. With tents, a campfire, a chef and a doctor, the small 1861 camp allowed visitors to walk among the area and ask questions of the infantry. Many of them played a character, but all of them are volunteers and have a love of history. 

“It’s a gift to the community. We didn’t charge admission. We wanted to educate about history. Three hundred Windham veterans fought in the Civil War,” said president of the Windham Historical Society Linda Griffin.

On Saturday, the regiment did infantry drills, firing demonstrations, musical concerts and more events all open to the public. On Sunday, there were many of the same types of events, including the arrival of doughnuts, which they used their bayonets to serve the treats. 

From the Third Maine’s Facebook page, they said, “Today we re-enacted the most delicious page of the 3rd Maine history - the delivery of donuts to the troops! The ladies of Augusta did this at the muster of the 3rd Regiment of Maine Volunteers in 1861. 155 years later the boys still love donuts.”

“It was very hot and there were a lot of other activities going on, but they still did it and enjoyed it,” said Griffin. The best attended programs were the drills where they shot the rifles. 

During one of the infantry drill and firing demonstrations, the almost 30 spectators watched as the regiment demonstrated how to fire the 11 to 13 pound rifles and how the front lines might have attacked during a battle. 

“As an officer I don’t want them thinking,” said David Gowen, the captain of Company A. He gave orders to the sergeant, who then ordered the soldiers. 

Firing a Springfield and Enfield replica muskets is a nine step process. The soldiers demonstrated the procedure for the crowd and fired into the field. The organized chaos was set up in a pyramid type fashion with the soldiers on the front line, then the sergeants passing orders on to them, then the captains of which there were fewer of and finally the generals on horseback who could see most of what was going on and they passed the orders down the chain to the front lines. The sergeants’ jobs were to make sure the men didn’t run away, according to Gowen. 

The Third Maine is an incorporated, non-profit, educational organization. According to their website they are “dedicated to preserving the memory of Maine's role in the American Civil War. Through living history events, battle reenactments, and educational presentations we work to teach others about what life was like for Maine soldiers and civilians during the years 1861 - 1865. We also strive to serve as a living memorial to all of the people who gave their lives during the war, and in doing so gave us these United States of America.”

Officers in the re-enactment company are elected by the members in the 50 to 60 person group.

“There’s less history interests in general in the country,” said Gowen, referring to the declining number in the audience and in the regiment. 

A family from Waterville read about the encampment and decided to stop by on Saturday. On the way home the children were interested in returning on Sunday. The man told Griffin, “If my children are interested I make sure it happens for them.” They returned and staying the whole day on Sunday.

The re-enactors commented on the loud cannons going off Saturday night, but they said they enjoyed the fireworks from Summerfest. 

To get involved with the Third Maine and be a part of living history it costs around $2,000, but the actors get years of service from their uniforms, Gowen said. He told the audience that although none of the gear used this weekend was original to the Civil War, this is good because the items last longer for the re-enactors. Soldiers used to drop a rifle when it jammed or broke. They would pick up a new one on the road, Gowen said. Now, the rifles are more durable and since each costs approximately $500 to $700 they aren’t disposable. The Third Maine marches in parades, sets up encampments, although Windham was their only encampment in Maine this season, does memorials and more. They have a form on their website for those interested in having them come to their event. The encampment was paid for by the Windham Historical Society. Next year they would like to try to have a Revolutionary War re-enactment group come. “We are really hoping it will help keep history alive to the community,” said Griffin. 

The Third Maine’s next big event is a re-enactment at the 155^th anniversary of the First Bull Run in Middletown, VA, on July 22-24.

Roadside archeological dig resumes on River Road - By Walter Lunt

A team of archeologists from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission are back on River Road to continue their investigation at the site of Windham’s old Province Fort near the intersection with Anderson Road. Their work is similar in purpose to their mission last fall when the same team uncovered architectural and cultural evidence at the spot where history tells us that the early inhabitants of New Marblehead (Windham) gathered for protection from the Sebago Natives during the latter years of the French and Indian Wars.
 

Lead archeologist Leith Smith said the initial findings may be significant, and could result in a revision of the historic drawing of the fort. The classic rendering, known to virtually all Windham elementary students and many residents, shows a 50-foot square, 2-story blockhouse, topped with two watchtowers at diagonal corners, surrounded by tall palisade fencing.

Smith, however, said current evidence suggests there may have been double fencing around the fortress – an outer wall that would have been the vertical stockade design shown in the traditional drawing. And an inner fence composed of stacked logs set in a rock or wood sill, built with dovetailed corners, and secured with wooden pins. 

Smith says the approximately 12 foot area between the enclosures may contain evidence of trash mounds and/or privies (outhouses) and would have served as an area for watchmen. He said the double fence design was typical of the time period (1740s) in Massachusetts and the province of Maine.

The current investigation, said Smith, may also unearth the rock foundations of the main blockhouse and other smaller buildings within the fort enclosure. He said the presence of multiple structures was also typical of the period. 

“In particular,” he said, “there is the likelihood of finding iron slag, which would indicate the presence of a smithy,” or blacksmith.

The present dig is being conducted on both sides of heavily traveled River Road, including the grounds of the historic Parson Smith House. Smith said the remains of ancient River Road can be seen on the south (downhill) side of the current roadway and that the fort very likely spanned the current road bed.

“If our work shows that to be true, we’ll return in 2017 when the Maine Department of Transportation begins the process of widening that section of River Road.”

He said the archeological team will scrutinize the contents of the overturned earth as the heavy equipment works to both lower Anderson Hill by four or five feet and widen the road.

An earlier phase of the archeological study, conducted last fall, revealed stone foundations (probably a chimney base), pieces of flint used in early rifles, ceramic bits, stems of clay pipes and a single cuff link, English in origin, dating from the 17th or 18th century.

The current dig will continue for about another month, according to Smith. He said the safety of his crew is a concern and urges motorists to observe the road signs and cones that warn it is a work area. Speed and limited sight distances create a hazard for the half dozen archeologists working the site.

The Eagle will continue to update progress on the archeological investigation that appears to adding to and changing the information about Windham’s early history.