My Great Maine Homestead Hunt

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Jim Lehman

Back to you Brokerman, with a second helping of Thanks! You were just the kind of "lobster" I been waiting on to visit my "pot"!

I talked with Dick and learned that Irving Holt, who lived in the house in the 40's & 50's, was a cattle dealer. He installed a mahogany kitchen around that time...an expensive option! He also said there were no trees in front & the beautiful lot was wide open. Dick also thought the original owners might be named Richardson.

Dick's Market is on Main Street in Clinton, and has been there for 48 years.

Jim, im glad you got the chance to talk with Dick, and he could help

you have a very interesting story

[round tuit]

See house then and now:

[round tuit]

Last night I got a call from a Buddy in Clinton, Maine about the House in my picture. I call him a Buddy, because that is his name. Buddy is the President of the Historical Society in Clinton.

I learned that the House was built in 1888, by Manly Morrison, who was born in 1852. Manly was First Selectman of 3 in Clinton, between 1890 & 1900. He was Secy/Treas. of the Water & Power Co. & helped bring water into town. He owned a large Hardware/Warehouse business, and was the principle owner of the shoe factory, that burned down in the fire of 1894. Manly owned the 1st car in town (benzine buggy?), and the 2nd car in town (a Stanley Steamer).

The years between 1900 & 1905 brought the most changes to the Town of Clinton, and Manly Morrison was at the center of things! He places the picture around 1905. That date is not confirmed.

Buddy's best guess is that the Man on the left in the picture is Gordon Keene and the little Boy with the wagon is his Son Carroll Keene. That's not confirmed yet.

He also identified the photographer who took the picture as Sam True. Sam was proficient at taking wide angle pictures with a special camera. Any of these names ring a bell?

Buddy delivered papers in town between 1955 & 1962 and can recall most of the women's maiden names. He also has an old croquet mallet that could be from the Clinton factory. Were those old sets painted in colors or left plain? Anyone know? I could almost smell the dust from the old buildings as he talked!

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Jim Lehman

Last night I got a call from a Buddy in Clinton, Maine about the House in my picture. I call him a Buddy, because that is his name. Buddy is the President of the Historical Society in Clinton.

I learned that the House was built in 1888, by Manly Morrison, who was born in 1852. Manly was First Selectman of 3 in Clinton, between 1890 & 1900. He was Secy/Treas. of the Water & Power Co. & helped bring water into town. He owned a large Hardware/Warehouse business, and was the principle owner of the shoe factory, that burned down in the fire of 1894. Manly owned the 1st car in town (benzine buggy?), and the 2nd car in town (a Stanley Steamer).

The years between 1900 & 1905 brought the most changes to the Town of Clinton, and Manly Morrison was at the center of things! He places the picture around 1905. That date is not confirmed.

Buddy's best guess is that the Man on the left in the picture is Gordon Keene and the little Boy with the wagon is his Son Carroll Keene. That's not confirmed yet.

He also identified the photographer who took the picture as Sam True. Sam was proficient at taking wide angle pictures with a special camera. Any of these names ring a bell?

Buddy delivered papers in town between 1955 & 1962 and can recall most of the women's maiden names. He also has an old croquet mallet that could be from the Clinton factory. Were those old sets painted in colors or left plain? Anyone know? I could almost smell the dust from the old buildings as he talked!

How fascinating! Thanks for sharing. I'm not sure about any information, but I think it's great to hear about a piece of Maine history.

[moughie]

Great story! How neat that you were able to tie all the loose pieces together!

[round tuit]

Originally Posted by moughie

Great story! How neat that you were able to tie all the loose pieces together!

On the backing of the picture , beside "Clinton, Me" was a word that looked like Tracy or Trudy.... turns out it was the last name of the photographer, with a flourish under it. "True" for Same True.

some loose ends had to be trimmed off. The orphan Train connection (Marilyn Irving Holt) was wishful thinking and a dead end. The Ira Richardson and Colby College picture were dead ends.

Found a great site on Stanley Steamer History. See a picture of the Twin Brothers in albums.

http://www.auburheights.org/stanleyhist.asp

[round tuit]

On Wednesday, July 1st, I mailed the original picture to the Historical Society in Clinton, Maine, and it arrived safely and is back home!

I have learned that Manly Morrison's wife's name was Manetta M. Morrison. Wesley M. Keene was Manly's Nephew & lived next door. Carroll Keene now looks to be the Man on the left, and Gordon Keene, the little boy. I have been leaning towards Manly Morrison as the Man, & Manetta, the woman; the little Boy being Carroll Keene & the Man in the middle with the beard, Wes Keene. (more wishful thinking?)

We will have to sort out dates of birth, marriage & death, and hope that from other pictures some matches will be made. Sam True was the photographer, and had an Uncle Frank A. True, who was also a photographer. Frank was married to Ivy Sparrow in 1914. They were from Waterville. Frank Harold Willey, who lived across the street, married Alice D. Richardson in 1914. Irvin M. Holt, who lived in the house was born in 1892 & died in 1974.

As far as the man from Skowhegan, Otto Farrington, who sold the photo to Herb in 1958, the closest I could find was a Charles H. Farrington, who was the City Marshall & Truant Officer in Waterville in 1908.

So, I guess we'll have to do some more digging and waiting. Who knows what will turn up?

[Maud06]

Originally Posted by round tuit

[SIZE=5][FONT=Arial]Clinton, Maine Homestead Picture[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Arial]Around 1980, I was given an old photograph, from Herb Davison. The cardboard picture measures 5 5/8” X 9 ½”. He said it came from New England. He bought it in Skowhegan Maine, around 1958-1960, from the man, named Otto Farrington who at the time was some town Official (Mgr or Tax Collector). Sometime around 1998, when I took it out to scan it, I found that the back of the picture was stamped “[/FONT][FONT=Brush Script MT]Clinton[/FONT][FONT=Brush Script MT], ME[/FONT][FONT=Arial]”, which for years I had read as “Ma” and considered Clinton Mass as a possibility. There is also a name that I can’t decipher. I found Clinton Maine on the map between Fairfield & Pittsfield along Rte 95. Clinton is 14 miles from Skowhegan. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]It shows the full front view of a large, white, house, the right side being an integral barn. The camera is set up across a gravel road that runs in front of the house (State Rte 100), and you can see weeds, then the road, then the yard, and the house.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]In front of the house, is a white hitching post, used for tying up the horse. Although the horse is not present, he has left his calling card on the road. Behind the post is a thin oak tree, around 25 feet high, with a trunk around 6 inches. Its leaves are full, and would be green, if this photo were in color. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Moving left to right, along the front of the house, you see a tub with flowers, three different high backed chairs & rockers, and a bent wood bench of some kind.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]The wooden sliding door to the barn/garage is slid open and the opening is dark. You can see the door and handle through the window on the right. The windows, screens, and curtains are also visible. Next to the house on the right side, part of a large barn or outbuilding is visible, and an unhitched wagon is shown.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]The thing that really makes this a 'haunting' picture, in the sense that you find yourself drawn to it, are the people. There are 7 people standing in the yard in front of the house. To the left of the small tree is a man; in front of the front door is a woman.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Between them is a small boy holding the handle to a 3-wheeled wooden wagon.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]To the right of the tree, are 4 men. At the edge of the front porch is an older man with a white beard. In front of the barn/garage is a thin, dark man with a white goatee, a shorter white man and another dark skinned man. They are all dressed in dark, formal, clothing, and seem to be playing a game of croquet.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]You can see the balls and the poles, and each of the adults are holding or leaning on a mallet. They are all standing, looking at the camera, as if posing. From their clothes, I would guess the year around 1900.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]I always wondered: Who are they, and is that house still standing? If I could travel back in time, and wander up the road & introduce myself & say hello.....what a treat that would be. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]The good news is that I located the house on 5/11/09. It is at 1124 Main Street Clinton Maine 04927.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I will return the original picture and to the Clinton Maine Historical Society, in care of Coleen Bean.[/FONT]

[font=Arial]So far, I have not been able to learn anything about Otto Farrington, or Irving Holt, who lived in the house in the past. The present owners are Marvin and Sheila Douglass.
[FONT=Arial]I hope to learn in the future, when this house was built, who the people in the picture are, and when it was taken.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Jim Lehman[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial]Pennsylvania[/FONT]

I saw this and couldn't beleave it. This is my house.
Lisa