Slate firm’s history unearthed

In 1915, a foreman named LeClare earned $15 a week at The Monson Slate Co., while foreman Jones was paid $12.50 “plus rent.” Drillmen and ledgemen earned $13.50 a week, and various quarrymen $10.80.

It says so in the November issue of the Monson Historical Society newsletter, edited by Estella Kronholm Bennett.

Tootie, as she is known, unearthed these tidbits from “Monson Slate Company of Monson,” papers and photographs in Special Collections at the University of Maine’s Fogler Library in Orono. The items were among the business correspondence between Warren L. Johnson, superintendent, and C.N. Fay, president.

“Mr. Fay seemed quite the taskmaster, and Mr. Johnson had to report to him daily on the operation of the quarries, and as you read the daily logs the human element of this mining operation became quite enlightening,” Tootie wrote.

C.N. Fay noted on July 15 that year that the operation had produced “30 loads of poor slate” from pit No. 1 and 13 loads of rubbish, and a smaller load of slate from pit No. 2. He was pretty much critical of everything, it seemed.

Later the same month, he pointed out that “the three Swedes and two Polanders have arrived, and that another Finn comes tomorrow.” Monson, of course, still has numerous descendants of Swedes and Finns who came to work in the quarries.

Tootie also gleaned this item, which some of us might have overlooked – that there was an Italian agent named Cusson at LaGrange. Turn-of-the century censuses in towns such as Abbot listed many Italians who had located there for work, no doubt through the efforts of labor agents.

Another resource Tootie brings to our attention is Declaration of Intention documents for the U.S. Department of Labor Naturalization Service.

At the Piscataquis County Courthouse in Dover-Foxcroft, she found declaration documents for Joel Johnson, Sven Adolf Erickson, Sven Walfrid Enstrom, Fred Isakson, Samuel Nisbet, John Alfred Johnson, Fingal Wahlman, Albert Urho Swahn and Otto Alto.

They applied for citizenship between 1914 and 1920. Data listed included birth date and place, date of arrival, height, weight, occupation, and often the name of the man’s wife. Nisbet, by the way, was from Scotland.

If you’d like to join the Monson Historical Society and receive this newsletter, Send $5 to the society in care of Estella Bennett, P.O. Box 173, Guilford, ME 04443.

Probably half of Piscataquis County already knew that dentist Dr. Harold “Hap” Gerrish was the nephew of Brownville native Henry Gerrish. Not me – until I read the latest issue of the Shiretown Conserver, published by the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society.

That bit of information turned up in Jack Battick’s story about the Gerrishes and Boston surgeon Dr. Edward Wyman of Sebec, the trio that spearheaded the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute.

It’s a great story, and while it’s not old history – how old does history have to be, anyway? – it’s well worth noting.

Also in the winter issue are a piece on the Civil War medicine program that Bill and Kathryn Cook presented; one on Walter MacDougal, author of “The Old Somerset Railroad, Oakland to Kineo;” entries from the 1866-1867 report by Dover-Foxcroft selectmen; and a priceless old picture of DeMolay students and Foxcroft Academy students dressed as females for a variety performance.

So who were these gallant young men? Louis Philpot, George Warren, Ober Vaughan, Arthur “Chet” Dyer, Douglas Bearce, Bernard Berry and Bill Coburn.

If you’d like to receive this newsletter, join up and send $3 a year to Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society, 11 Harrison Ave., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426.

3210. CROSIER-MOSES-WILLARD. Maria Moses and William Crosier were md. Aug. 15, 1857, both listed as residing in Sebec. Am trying to document this was same William Crosier who later md. Mary Willard and lived in Brownville. Is there a Moses or Willard researcher with knowledge of Maria Moses and her family? I believe William and Maria had at least three children, according to 1860 census for Milo. Have data on William and Mary Crosier and their children. Any leads appreciated. K. Sakahara, 62 Back Road, Abbot, ME 04406; or sakahara@kynd.net.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.