Gorham Civil War Monument

It was so cold and I was displeased

November 13, 2013 around 3pm

Initial Notes: I actually wrote a paper about this monument my freshman year here at University of Southern Maine. I believe it was for United States History since the 1900s with Professor Eagan and we had to chose a monument or outside event to write a short paper on. So, not to sound like an absolute hipster (even though I certainly do look like one) I did know about this monument since my first week or so attending this school. Whereas, yes, a lot of students who attend this university do not know what this monument is and don't really care to take the few minutes to walk over to it to find out.

Reaction: The Gorham Civil War Monument is made out of Italian marble and granite. It cost a whopping $3,060 to create. The column is twenty-four feet tall and is surrounded by a black iron fence with a small gate at the front. The monument was designed by William Johnson who was from Malden, Massachusetts (so from away). The monument has military emblems and a eagle perched upon the very top of it. There are fifty-seven names inscribed upon the sides of monuments. What is interesting about this monument is not only are the men's names on the monument, but their birth date/death date, where they served, and where they died. This monument holds so much historical significance and information all in one place. No monuments I can think of have this much or detailed information about the people it is in memorial of.

Courtesy of Professor Libby Bischof, I have a lot of information on this monument that is helping me write this entry. I wish I had this information when I had to write my paper three or so years ago. The monument was erected and created because of the generosity of Toppan Robie who was a influential citizen of Gorham, Maine. Robie offered to erect the monument in October of 1865 and it was on October 18, 1866 that it was officially dedicated to the men who had perished during the Civil War. On the day it was dedicated hundreds of people showed up. Townspeople, families of the soldiers, veterans, and notable dignitaries were among the people who arrived to see the monument be dedicated. The amount of people in attendance shows how important this was to the town and to the people it was made for. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was also there and gave the primary oration "Dead on the Field of Honor".

Robie wanted to create the monument to honor all the men who perished on the battlefield or even afterwards from their wounds. He wanted it placed in front of the Town House, which leads to a fact I did not originally know. The art house on the Gorham campus used to the Gorham's town hall. So, back when it was originally erected everyone in Gorham saw the monument on a daily basis. It could not be ignored, so the sacrifices of the men who served were not forgotten because people could always see it and acknowledge it.

Now, however, that building is not the town house. It is an art exhibit on a college campus where most students don't take the time to find out what this monument is. This project has been both enlightening and somewhat depressing. There are so many historical things around this great state that have been forgotten. So many influential and important people that aren't recognized anymore, landmarks that are overgrown and destroyed. I may only be a History minor, but this project has made me want to see these historical sites revived and restored, acknowledged again!

The Gully

It was quite a ways up from the Gully where I was!

 November 9, 2013 around 2pm

Initial Notes: I have known about the gully with the oven shaped cavern on my road since practically my birth. I mean, how could I not? My road is named after it in Maine's quirky tradition of being super creative and original when it comes to naming things. My whole life I have received the same quizzical look when they hear I live on Gully Oven Road. 

"Gully Oven? What is that?"
"...There's a gully....shaped like an oven..." Is usually my tired, bored response, "We're real creative where I'm from."

But there is more to it than that now that I have done a little research. But before I go into my detailed reaction of the Gully Oven, I first want to mention I am happy it is in good condition. I had been done to it many times growing up since it is literally a ten minute walk from my house, but it was nice to see it hadn't been trashed. There were obvious signs that people have gatherings down there with a campfire pit, but it wasn't horrendous. The wooden path that leads down to it is actually still intact, along with the stone tables at the top of the "park".

Reaction: My road and its crowning glory, the Gully Oven, have been dubbed Lebanon, Maine's chief curiosity. Glamorous, I know. But in all seriousness, it is a really cool piece of natural history with an equally fascinating story. 

Gully Oven was a long kept secret of New England geologists because of how beautiful and unique it is. It is part of the Gully Oven Formation. As the article on Fosters.com I found says, "Deeply gouged thousands of years ago into a steep bedrock cliff by swirling glacial melt water, Gully Oven was likely used for centuries as a Native American meeting place. It was the site of a 18th century Indian captivity episode." Gully Oven is beloved by geologists because it contains so many rare and unique properties, it is no wonder they tried to keep it a secret! 

Gully Oven is full of graffiti. When Zack and I went we thought it might have just been local teenagers who had carved their names into the walls, but in fact it wasn't. We thought to ourselves, "This graffiti looks too elegant. Too clean." Turns out it was local Victorian era people who lived in Lebanon who had left the graffiti. So, as it turns out, Gully Oven is actually a place where there are surviving examples of 19th century graffiti. (Pictures of these can be seen on Zack's blog)

Gully Oven has many other interesting stories, one of which includes a 19th century Norwegian virtuoso violinist by the name of Ole Bull. Bull was a performer and composer. He was internationally famous for his work. He was also a leading philanthropist of the Kingdom of Norway. In the summer of 1871 he came to West Lebanon, Maine to spend his summer. His daughter and heiress, Olea Bull Vaughan, was born that summer and lived her life there. Where Bull and Gully Oven connect is the story of one summer night in 1871 he gave an outdoor concert for the local townspeople in Gully Oven. I had heard stories and rumors of a violinist who played in the Gully Oven because the acoustics and echo were really great there, but never really thought much of it until now. 

A story that dates back far before the story of Ole Bull, is the story of Phillip Door. During the Old French/Indian War, Phillip was only eleven years old. He was captured by Indians six miles from Gully Oven, but on the their way back to Canada, they spent the succeeding night in the Oven. Door was detained for many years by the Indians that originally captured him, but he was finally returned. Door said when he was captured he had been sitting on a fence singing "As sure as eggs are bacon/I'll go to Canada and won't return/Till Canada is taken." It is kind of ironic he was then captured and brought to Canada. Phillip Door actually ended up being one of the founders of my town, Lebanon, after his return. Also, fun fact, Lebanon was originally called "Towow" or "Towwoh". 

There is so much history surrounding this natural phenomenon on my road! It was kind of hard to believe so much had happened there and that it is actually this really rare piece of history and I live right next to it!

To give you an idea of how high up I was and how big the Gully is!

This stone at the top of the "park" had a memorial etched into it, but it was hard to read.

Camp Hill Cemetery

November 9, 2013 around 1pm

Initial Notes: It is apparent that this cemetery has been long forgotten. Well, maybe not long forgotten since there were pretty new American flags placed next to a majority of the headstones. But it is quite evident that there is no one who actually maintains the cemetery. As you can see from the pictures it is completely covered in, probably, a good six inches of leaves. A lot of the headstones are broken, have fallen over, and are so worn from the weather that you can't even read the names on them. Although, fallen branches had been dragged off to the side, but not disposed of. This was actually the first time I had ever actually stepped foot into the cemetery. What struck me as well was how randomly the graves were spread out. There were clusters of headstones then large expanses of nothing, then were were be three or four squished together, and then some evenly spread out. There was no exact or precise layout to the cemetery. 

Reaction: According to the very little I could find out about this cemetery it is very, very old. Many of Lebanon's early settlers are buried within this cemetery, which is why it is such a shame that it has not been maintained. It is surprising the lack of care it has received when other structures such as the Town Pound have received so much attention. It could be because Lebanon is such a small town or that no one really knows it is there. I mean, my road, Gully Oven Road, was only just finally completely paved a few years back. So, to say the least, Lebanon is a bit behind the times and usually forgotten in general. 

From what I could see and read on the worn medals and headstones a lot of the people buried within the cemetery served in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. In fact, most of the cemetery is made up of veterans of these two wars. Apparently, for the War of the Rebellion, Lebanon offered 121 three years men for the army, but apparently they never received any credit from authorities. I believe some were even firefighters if I could read the medals correctly. It is a little melancholy to see all these bright new American flags with old, crumbling medals on them placed next to headstones that have been sitting there being worn down by all the elements for countless years. The people buried in this cemetery probably don't even have any living relatives left or maybe relatives that don't even realize they have ancestors in this cemetery. The fact that so many war veterans are buried in this cemetery is baffling to me that there is not more attention given to it. There isn't even a sign or anything noticeable to mark that it is even there. Honestly, if I didn't live on the road and know it was there I probably would have never noticed it. 

I think this cemetery is an example of how history can be lost in small towns. There are no extremes to living in a small town it seems. It can be like the town pound where there is a society that is paying to maintain it and keep its history and story alive, or it can be forgotten when the people who did originally care or know about it pass away or move away. Small towns are treasure troves of history, but people need to take the time to realize it is there.

Lebanon Town Pound

November 9 2013 around Noon

Initial Notes: Honestly, I have noticed this thing sitting on the side of the road since I was young. I've lived in Lebanon my entire life (other than the three or so days I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts after my birth which apparently make it so I am "from away"). I have never given much thought to it growing up, just thinking it was some weird stone thing that no one really cared about. Then I took this class and when this project was mentioned I instantly thought of this thing. It is in really great condition for being so old and no on really seems to bother it. It has never been vandalized and there was no trash around it. The grass was cut and nothing was overgrown. The town seems to really care about this piece of history.

Reaction: The Lebanon Town Pound for stray farm animals was built in 1813. In 2001 it was restored by the Lebanon Historical Society. It was restored in memory of Harriette M. Hersom and unfortunately I could not find any information on her. I can only assume from the plaque that she donated a lot of money and time to the Lebanon Historical Society in life, so they decided to restore this piece of history in her memory.

After some research I have found that these types of pounds were common in New England early in the colonial era. According to Susan Allport author of Sermons in Stone and Elizabeth Banks MacRury author of Town Pounds in New England, these town pounds in Massachusetts alone date back to 1635. Town pounds were initially made of wood fencing, but they often times had to be rebuilt due to wear and tear. This led to towns preferring to make their pounds out of stone because it lasted a lot longer (obviously since we can still find them in New England towns). This transition began in 1740 and by 1800 all town pounds were made of stone. The point of the town pounds was to have a common area that people could bring stray animals that were lost, a problem, or illegally roaming around. The pounds were common and regularly used from the 1600s till the late 1800s. 

Town pounds that have survived represent many different time periods and building techniques. We can see from looking at the ones that are still around the way buildings have changed and techniques. A lot of the pounds were restored in the 20th Century by historical societies looking to maintain their town's history (as is what they are for). The restoration usually only involves replacing stones that may have fallen because the bases of the walls tend to be pretty sturdy and reliable. 

The Lebanon Town Pound is located on Center Street. It is a round pound that has an open entrance. The entrance is topped with a lintel stone and has a vertical stone slab on either side of the entrance. This is apparently an unusual feature of town pounds. 

What I love so much about my town's pound is how interesting its history is. If I hadn't taken this Maine History course I never would have thought to actually research the pound. I just always thought it was a random stone wall, but now apparently the stone walls and structures around New England and my hometown are quite important to American History. There are people who have written entire books about these things! What else I love is how this concept shows how close knit small communities and towns were back in the 1600s. The towns just build a round circle out of stone and were like "Hey, if anyone's cows get loose just put them in here". I mean, I'm sure it was more elegantly discussed and decided, but that's the gist of the concept. People in New England, and Maine especially, were and even still today very close knit. The communities of people that live in Maine trust each other, but not outsiders and people from away. They could trust that their livestock and any other animals would be put into these town pounds for them to retrieve. I just really admire the collective idea of the towns and people to have thought to build these structures. 

It was really freaking windy that day at the Pound

Zack got lost, so I brought him to the pound

The wind eventually died down so I could get my selfie

McLellan House

October 26th around 2pm

Initial Notes: Technically, this house is connected to the Portland Museum of Art, but I consider it a separate entity because of the wealth of history it holds within itself. It is a beautiful three floor mansion that was donated to the Museum (we'll get into that more in the reaction part). Every time I go to the museum this is one of my favorite things to check out even though it does not really change at all. The architecture of the building is just so grand and different that I love walking around it. I especially love the, I guess you could call it, floating stair case in the entrance.

Reaction: In 1908, Mrs. Margaret Jane Mussey Sweat donated her three story mansion, the McLellan House, and money to the Portland Museum of Art to create a gallery in honor of her late husband, Lorenzo de Medici Sweat. The galleries within the mansion were designed by architect, John Calvin Stevens, and it opened to the public in 1911.

Post-Revolution Maine was an interesting place to be. The McLellan House is a product of this time in Maine’s history. The economy was given a boost and because of this Maine’s coastal towns and cities were booming and they used architectural means to show their social status, which explains why the McLellan House is so grand. These houses became symbols of people’s power and their status in the growing economy. The McLellan House was originally designed by architect, John Kimball Senior. It was designed for one of Portland’s shipping tycoons, Major Hugh McLellan. The house was considered one of Kimball’s biggest achievements and was the talk of everybody because of how immaculate and decorated and grand the house was and technically is. The house, even restored, shows the wear and use it endured and how the type of architecture of the 19^th century was designed to be beautiful, but last.

The McLellan House shows an entire time period and age of Maine. It was the golden age and a time when businesses and the economy were booming in Portland. The grandeur of the house seems to contradict Maine’s humble attitude until you begin to think more about the house. The house was built to last. It is sturdy and has endured years of use and is still standing today. So, even though it was used as a symbol of status and power, it was also reasonable in the sense that it was not just a showpiece, but someone’s house. Today, people show off and don’t think rationally about how the things will be used and that is not the case here. While showing off their success they are also being rational and Mainers at the same time. 

Portland Museum of Art

October 26th around 1pm

Initial Notes: I've been to the Portland Museum of Art more times than I can count. Field trips, for fun, for Art History courses, and all kinds of other reasons. For being an art museum in Maine its collection of artwork and other things is quite extensive. They always have incredibly interesting exhibits in the entry area of the museum which is always fun to look at. Also, being in Maine, their collection of Maine artists and art is incredibly large.

Winslow Homer: Incoming Tide, Scarborough, Maine

Reaction: The Portland Museum of Art is home to many of Maine’s finest paintings and pieces of artwork and to a lot of Maine artist’s works. It is located in the downtown arts district in Portland, Maine and was founded in 1882. It boasts being Maine’s oldest and largest public art institution. The collection of European art is the largest north of Boston, Massachusetts. The museum holds more than 17,000 pieces of art and the art dates from the 18^th century to present day. The exhibits that change in the entry area change about ten times a year. There are around 150,000 people who visit the museum per year – 12,000 of which are schoolchildren on field trips and other educational reasons.

Obviously, being an art museum in Maine there is an extensive collection of Maine artist’s work – especially Winslow Homer. What elementary age child has not seen one of Winslow Homer’s pieces of art while learning about basic Maine history? Other Maine artists included at the Museum are: Marsden Hartley, Rockwell Kent, John Marin, Louise Nevelson, and Andrew Wyeth.What is so great about the Museum of Art is how much they have to offer. Not only does it offer the visitors a look at Maine art and Maine artists, but there is the largest collection of European art there in Maine. It shows major artists from the Impressionism movement all the way through to the Surrealism movement with artists like: Pablo Picasso, Joan Whitney Payson, Rene Magritte, Claude Monet, and Auguste Rodin. The Museum is a place of culture and knowledge not only of our state’s contribution to art, but the world’s. There is also an extensive section on American art in general which includes artists: George Bellows, Alfred Thompson Bricher, and Jamie Wyeth. On top of all these pieces of artwork the museum also offers educational programs, family festivals, lectures, art classes, musical concerts, book groups, art camps, gallery talks, and many more things!

Having a place like this in Maine is so important. Not only does it educate our children and just citizens in general about Maine history through art, it also teaches everyone about American art in general and European and many other genres of art. It is such a useful tool for people to use and is so generous to the public in the things it offers them. Like any museum, it is a collection of historical objects that people can come and appreciate. Maine being Maine, obviously, takes pride in what it has offered to the world of art by having such a vast collection of Maine artists. Maine played a huge role in art because of its beautiful, untouched lands. Countless painters and artists traveled to Maine to capture its beauty that had not been ruined yet by cities and suburbia.

Monument Square - Our Lady of Victories

October 26th around Noon

Initial Notes: I have passed this monument a million times and never stopped to actually look at it and figure out what it is for. It is in the middle of Monument Square in Portland, Maine so it being a Saturday when we visited, it was quite busy. It is generally well kept, though there was some trash around which I found disappointing. The monument itself is gigantic. It really is quite impressive and a very beautiful monument to the people it is honoring.

Reaction: Not many people think about Maine when they think about the Civil War. Before I started taking this history class I never really considered the fact Maine may have actually played a more significant role in history than high school and elementary history classes may have led us to believe. Maine was one of the most eager states in the Union and contributed more manpower to the war than any other state in the Union, though, Maine came in second for amount of Navy members (Massachusetts came in first). Hundreds of civilians also helped by being nurses, doctors, relief workers, and agents. Maine supplied military manpower, supplies, ships, arms, and political support during the Civil War. It was also the first state in the Northeast to be aligned with the new Republican Party. This alignment was due in part because of Abraham Lincoln choosing Maine’s Hannibal Hamlin as his first Vice President. Harriet Beecher Stowe, of Brunswick, is also considered a big influence in the Civil War because of her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It is rumored that when Lincoln met Stowe he said, “so this is the little lady who made this big war”.

The monument dedicated to the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War is located in the middle of Monument Square in Portland and is called, Our Lady of Victories. The monument was officially dedicated to the Maine

soldiers and sailors on October 28^th 1891. It is made of granite and bronze, which is fitting because Maine at one point was known for its granite. The granite part of the statue was designed by Richard Morris Hunt of New York, while the bronze sculpture was by Franklin Simmons. It is inscribed with, “Portland/To Her Sons Who Died/For The Union”. The Lady of Victories stands fourteen feet tall, atop the already looming monument. She is a symbol of unity and around the monument below her there are bronze soldiers and sailors. She is holding a sword wrapped in an American flag in her right hand and in her left hand is a branch of maple leaves. Atop Our Lady of Victories’ head is a crown of leaves and she is dressed in classical garb.

Maine played a huge role in the Civil War, which I feel is unfortunately ignored by historians that teach younger ages and even high school age students. This class has shown me that though Maine is stereotyped as an “insignificant” state when it comes to historical events, it really is not. Maine is one of the states in the Union who gave the most in lives and supplies and support during the war. One could even argue Maine started the war because of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel. The monument really shows how much Maine appreciates and honors the men who gave their lives to the cause because it is a really hard monument to miss. I mean, the entire area is named Monument Square!