Description: Guidebook of Mount Desert Island writen by Ezra Herrick Dodge. Title page read's: "Dodge's Guide Book and Map to and over Mount Desert Island by E. H. Dodge, of Tremont (Mt. Desert), Me. Portland: Loring, Short and Harmon. June, 1872"
Description: Journal, leather and paper, wallet style, with entries for years 1878, 1879, 1881. Pertains to nautical voyages of Meltiah Richardson aboard the Carrie M. Richardson and perhaps others. It is an extremely valuable resource for interpretation of annotated Nautical Chart 1 and other charts in GCIHS 2015.315.2076. Journal entries corroborate plot markings on nautical chart 1. All pages with handwritten text scanned (48 scans) at 600 dpi July 27, 2016. Complete transcription made Feb. 2017. (Pages with newspaper clippings glued to them were not scanned - most clippings were poetry. Note: Meltiah's wife, Carrie (Mary Catherine Stanley Richardson), wrote and saved poetry.) In several instances, a page had been cut out and/or a portion of a page had been cut out. The journal is not always chronological; entries switch around various years 1878,1879, and 1881. Some highlights are listed below.Scan no.9 Sailed from Cardenas for NY 260 lbs Manello(?) Rope, 178 shakers, 78 canvas10 Arrived at NY from Cardenas, list of perhaps cod caught per person by name and weight and $. Left for….11 Arrived at NY from C. Isles settled with mate $37.1614 Rec from M.P Richardson the sum of $70 wages up to Date Nov 19th 1881 William Brandt15 Arrived Cadiz…16 M. P Richardson mentioned17 M. P. Richardson mentioned and Schooner Carrie M. Richardson 188119 "Cash in Spanish gold 342"23 Mr. Rumill shipped on board Schr C. M. Richardson April 10/79 at 35 $ per xxx24 Antonio Williams on board C. M. Richardson Apr 9th/7925 more re: 187926 more re: 187927 more re: 187942 "cure for chills/fever (?) 2 bitter apples with one pint gin. Let same stand ays. Dose: ½ wine glass full twice a day before meals (R H O (?))43 Bill of sale for 1/32 of Schr CMR Mrs. E B Gregg (interest?) to Joseph W x of Philadelphia44 Name is clearly Joseph W. Willson of Phila45 Port charges list48 Mentions Cadiz [show more]
Description: Book, The Holy Bible from 1873 in poor condition. Belonged to Carrie Richardson. The GCIHS wrote and directed a play about Carrie Richardson which can be found on DVD in the museum. Carrie Richardson was able to navigate a boat by celestial navigation, she lived down in what is now the Heliker LaHotan foundation. Her husband Meltiah Richardson committed suicide, he tied cod weights around himself and jumped off the dock. Geneaological records that seem to have little relevance can be found tucked into the Bible. [show more]
Description: Letter 7 (with transcription) in a collection of letters to Frances (Fannie) S. Spurling. This one is from her older half-brother A. B. Spurling in 1874 Andrew Barclay Spurling writes from New York City and states he learned of their mother’s illness from Fannie’s letter of the 16th, and of her death (January 17, 1874) in a letter from their brother William of the 19th, both of which he received on January 21, 1874. Too late to go home. He reminisces fondly about his mother and offers have Father Preble live with him now if he wishes to. A.B. Spurling (Civil War General Andrew Barclay) who wrote letter 7 is one of Samuel E. Spurling’s younger brothers (Samuel wrote letters 1-6 to Fannie). Frances (Fannie) A. Preble was Samuel and Andrew’s half-sister, the daughter of the widowed Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling and her second husband William P. Preble. [show more]
Description: Letter 6 of 6 letters (with transcriptions) written 1865-1874 from Samuel E. Spurling (1827-1895) to his much younger half-sister Frances (Fannie) A. Preble (b. 1849). Samuel moved from Great Cranberry to California about age 23 ca.1850. In these six letters, he writes from Gold Hill, Nevada, where he works in gold mines. This letter #6 is from Gold Hill Nevada. Jan 11th 1874 to My dear Sister Fannie from S.C. or S.E Spurling. Samuel learns from Mr. or Wm Henry that his mother is ill. He’s having a brutal winter, Samuel was ill in Nevada; he’s now working at Crown Point Mine where he worked 7 or 8 years ago; can’t come home at present. Samuel E. Spurling is the eldest son of Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling and Samuel Spurling. A.B. Spurling (likely Civil War General Andrew Barclay) who wrote letter 7 is one of Samuel’s younger brothers. Frances (Fannie) A. Preble was Samuel and Andrew’s half-sister, the daughter of the widowed Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling and her second husband William P. Preble. [show more]
Description: Small 4*3in book, leather with autographs of individuals on the island in 1879. Belonged to Willie Heath of Seal Cove Maine. Many have faded but as of 2013 are still legible.
Description: Steel engraving of scene of Mount Desert Island. Engraver: R. Hinshelwood. Schooner in foreground, sloping mountain and cliffs in middle ground, higher mountains in background. Rays of light shine through clouds. 9.75" x 12.5" wide. Some stain around edges, a few water spots
Description: View of Village of Somesville including Somes Cove, Somesville Lumber Mill, Somesville Union Meeting House, A.J. Whiting store, and Mount Desert House, taken from the Somes House.
Description: Ida Downing, marked Aunt Ida. Married Carolus Downing Dec. 15, 1875. Born Oct 19, 1851. Woman age 20s. Wears hair parted in middle and pulled to back of head. Paper worn over left eye and on jawbone. Head turned to the right. High white collar with dark dress of stripe or plaid. Shoulders only visible. Tiny portrait on paper. Paper has been folded - has waxy surface.
Description: Caption in The Living Past, p. 122: "Somesville's main road in 1870, looking north towards Ellsworth. Mount Desert House on left; A.J. Whiting store on right (note balcony and porch); corner of blacksmith shop on right. Telegraph wires were in use in 1870." Horse-drawn vehicles on each side of rutted dirt roadstopped in front of blacksmith’s shop.
Description: A view of the Village of Somesville including Somes Cove, Somesville Lumber Mill, Somesville Union Meeting House, A.J. Whiting Store, and Mount Desert House taken from The Somes House. Small B&W print.
Description: Main Street, Somesville.Somes Cove on left. Trees line street. Board sidewalk visible on right near picket fenced yards. Fernald’s Store (later Port-in-a-Storm bookstore) hidden by trees. Lumber Mill to left. Two masts of schooner rise up over trees.
Description: Matted print of Rodick House c. 1875. Porch stretched across front of entire building. Two stariways descend from porch. Small porch on second story. Small crowd on porch. Building four storied high with two towers on front. Covered walk connects to building next door. Came from frame artifact # 997-37-526
Description: A view of the Village of Somesville including Somes Cove, Somesville Lumber Mill, Somesville Union Meeting House, A.J. Whiting Store, and Mount Desert House taken from The Somes House. Marked on back: "Toward Southwest middle 1800's. Whiting store until 1897, Fernalds on left. 8x10 print.
Description: portrait of man with dark hair, thick mustache, seated, wearing a dark suit (coat and vest) with a white shirt and a dark bow tie. Right hand in lap, left hand propped on some sort of couch.
Description: Hand-colored albumen print of small baby, wearing white dress with black trim at edge, plaid sash, white stockings and black maryjane shoes. Sitting on a divan. Inscription on back reads “Lamson child. Lamson baby from Cuba” (written in two different hands). Also stamped on back, “Taylor e Lamson, Photographos de Nueva York.”