500-page Hermon history is a treasure

Samuel Pomroy of Hermon was supposedly 44 years of age when he joined up in 1862 to serve in the Civil War. He was discharged three years later, at which time his age was listed as – 44. Hmmmmm.

A photo of Pomroy is included in “Hermon, Maine Then and Now,” along with the information that he was born in 1809 to William and Sarah Pomroy of Hermon, making him nearly 53 when he entered the service.

That’s just one of hundreds of interesting items in the 500-page history published last fall by authors Mary Gaudreau, Rosanne Gray and Bernice Heath. The trio worked for more than six years on the Hermon book, which came out not too long before Heath died.

Not every serviceman or woman is pictured, of course, but the military listings for the Civil War through the Gulf War are as complete as possible, with birth and death dates, burial place and military service.

Elwin Barrett, for example, was born in 1843, mustered in Aug. 21, 1863, and served in Co. D 17th Regt. Infantry. He was wounded in action at Locust Grove, then wounded April 6, 1865, at Amelia, Md., and died April 12, 1865. He’s buried at Snow’s Corner in Hermon.

Yes, the listings include many living veterans as well. And, the listings explain the abbreviations used.

The railroad, schools, early families and businesses are some of the many topics in this well-researched volume, which includes lots of pictures.

There are two photographs of pupils at School No. 6, Northern Maine Junction, one from 1908 or 1909 and the other from 1929. There is a 1947 picture of pupils at School No. 11, photos of Hermon High baseball teams for 1954 and 1965 and a list of known teachers who taught at one-room schoolhouses up through 1950.

Reminiscences include excerpts from Beatrice Lord’s diary in the early 1940s:

“Thurs. May 21, 1942. Got toothpaste in town. We have to take in old tubes to buy a new tube. Gov’t. needs tin in them.”

The book is selling well, but there are still copies available. Each copy is $65 plus $3.25 tax. Mailing is $9 per book because it has to be insured.

To order by mail, send checks to Rosanne Gray, 21 Stage Road, Hermon, ME 04401. To save mailing costs, call Gray at 848-3862 and arrange to pick up your copy.

For orders of four or more copies, the price is $60 each.

Countless people contributed to this history, and the authors deserve a big thank you for making it happen. It is a treasure.

A book title which truly came as a surprise to me was “The Newspapers of Abbot, Maine,” a new publication of the Abbot Historical Society.

It is a reprint of the one-page The Standard from August 1885, three issues of The World in 1885, and Fred D. Cole’s The Globe, published from June 1885 to May 1887.

Cole billed The Globe as “A Fearless and Independent Amateur Monthly,” and wrote frequently about the many little newspapers across the country he “exchanged” copies with, taking their editors to task when he deemed it necessary. Short fiction and poetry also were included.

Today’s readers are most likely interested in the local tidbits, the occasional marriage or death or business item.

In February 1886, we find that Almon Pease had the mumps, followed in March by Charlie Hall and Harry Roberts. (Newspaper items from this time period can be very useful in updating listings from the 1880 census.)

Later in 1886, one David Smith, said to be a robber, was arrested by Sheriff Martin in Kingsbury, then taken to Guilford, where he “jumped from the chamber window.”

Edmund Smith and Arthur Witham apprehended Smith, back in Kingsbury, and Edmund shot him, though not seriously. David Smith then was taken to Dover, indicted, held in jail but broke out with another prisoner. He was still at large when the paper went to print.

There was never a dull moment in Kingsbury, it seems. Cole reported in the February 1887 issue: “Our Kingsbury correspondent writes that Charles Wyman’s valuable six-dollar horse, of which mention was made in our last issue, unfortunately expired soon after his new owner took possession of him. This is truly a heavy blow for Mr. Wyman.”

The final page of the final issue of The Globe proclaimed: “The Globe is dead! But Cole is still a printer! And don’t forget it, ye men of business!”

I thoroughly enjoyed this 73-page volume. “The Newspapers of Abbot, Maine,” is available for $10, plus $3 mailing, from the Abbot Historical Society, P.O. Box 105, Abbot, ME 04406.

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