Corinth census records being offered

It is so exciting to look up a census record and find our ancestors, not to mention their age, occupation, birth state and family members.

The Corinth Historical Society has a computer disk for sale containing Corinth census data for 1820, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920, with research aids.

The 1820 census, of course, lists only the head of household by name, but the others list everyone in the household.

These census records are printed from the original documents, explains Pauline Sodermark, and sell for $10 a disk.

An index will be available for every census year, so you may check to see if your relative is listed prior to purchasing the disk.

Disks may be ordered by mail for $10 plus $1 each for shipping and handling from Corinth Historical Society, P.O. Box 541, Corinth, ME 04427.

Or, you may save the postage by visiting the Historical Society Museum between 1 and 4 p.m. on a Wednesday or Saturday at 305 Main St.

In addition to the census records, a computer disk for Corinth and Charleston cemeteries is available at the museum for your viewing.

It’s always great to see a historical society undertake a wonderful project such as this.

You may have heard that the Daughters of Wisdom in St. Agatha are celebrating their centennial this year. An official history was printed last year, but now comes word of a different kind of project.

“About a year ago I got the idea of compiling stories for a book from the students’ perspective,” writes Dr. Marc Chasse, “and I’ve been working at it since that time. The result is a 225-page book with 120 stories that go all the way back to 1914. The book is titled “Les Belles Histoires du Couvent de Ste-Agathe.”

Though the title if French, the stories are in English. Chasse calls them stories about “another world of not so long ago.”

A quote in his introduction says a lot: “Number one fun at the convent was shining the hardwood floor with our ‘pichous’ [a type of slipper]; number one food was peanut butter; number one pain was loneliness.”

This book is a treasure, beginning with Rosaire Legassey’s memories of three grades per class. In his Class of 1927, 14 of the 16 graduates were girls, and five became nuns. In the early years, the nuns worked the farm.

Some of the writers were boarders, while others were “demi-pensionnaires” – attending during the day and joining the boarders for lunch.

Even for those such as my husband who attended Wisdom High School as a public school, where some of the teachers were still nuns, this book will offer much that is familiar.

Chasse did a great job of complementing these reminiscences from the convent school with countless photos from the traditional Holy Communion pictures to high school and reunion pictures.

The book may be ordered for $30, postage included, from Dr. Marc Chasse, 155 East Main St., Fort Kent, ME 04743.

An interesting anniversary took place about a week ago. Cousin Mike Gleason wrote me about it, so I’ll share his comments with you:

“It was on this date in 1635 that the vessel Angel Gabriel was taken by a severe storm and shipwrecked on the coast of Maine at Pemaquid, shortly after our ancestor (my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather), John Tuttle, (born in Sulgrave, Banburyshire, England, circa 1610) disembarked with the other passengers and went ashore.

Other passengers included 10 Cogswells, two Burnhams, three Blaesdells, three Baileys, a Haines, a Furber and a Mather (the ancestor of Rev. Cotton Mather).”

The Clifton Historical Society on Route 180 will hold an open house 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28. Tours of the historically renovated town hall museum will be conducted, featuring many historical artifacts.

The Harold Allen one-room schoolhouse also will be open for tours. A speakers’ program will be held 1:30-2 p.m., with light refreshments to follow.

3285. EDDY. Looking to pass on papers to relatives of Francis Eddy. Gloria Candage, 681 Main Road North, Lot 12, Hampden, ME 04444.

3286. NUTTER-NORWOOD. Seeking information, parents, ancestry for William Nutter of Penobscot. Wife was Polly (?). They had daughter, Polly Nutter, born when and where? She died July 14, 1811, Jonathan Norwood, b. Nov. 10, 1790, son of Stephen Norwood and Anna (Andrews) of Gloucester, Mass., and later Mount Desert. Danny W. Howard, DECF 64 Base Road, Machiasport, ME 04655.

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