72 Oak Street

P.O. Box 272

Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

(207) 633-0820

brhs@gwi.net

Hours 10-2 Wed-Sat

The Boothbay Region 1906-1960

by Harold Clifford $12.95

Published 1961

In clear, vigorous strokes, Harold Clifford gives an account of Boothbay and its surrounding area, describing the changes that took place during the first World War period, the second World War, and afterward: changes in custom, in industry, in recreation, and on land and on sea.

The Region's struggle for better education opportunities, its measures for safety against ever-present fire hazards, its grappling with problems of war and depression, are all here.

This book is an example of what towns can do to perpetuate areas of American history.  Dr. Clifford was commissioned to write this account by the towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, and Southport.  A History Committee, consisting of one member from each town, was appointed to help him obtain and check material.  Individuals from all over the Region contributed photos (of which there are a total of eighty-four), many of items of outstanding interest. 

There seems to be a strong trend on the part of American towns toward recognition of the value of their particular traditions for posterity.  Many towns are not as fortunate as the Boothbay Region: either there is no one sufficiently interested to make the effort to collect the material; or the person who does make the effort is not a professional writer and the result of his efforts gather dust in some attic.

The popular Boothbay area of Maine has had no record of its history since that written by Mr. Francis Greene and published in 1906.  The Region is fortunate in having Dr. Harold B. Clifford, Superintendent of schools from 1925 to 1956, and author of numerous textbooks, available to take up the story where Mr. Greene left off.

Jacket Photo:

Steamers Wiwurna, Nahanada, Samoset and Winter Harbor

Contents

I Pleasure and Profit in 1906

II Safe for Democracy, 1907 to 1918

III Boom and Bust, 1919 to 1933

IV Recovery and War

V The Postwar Era

Illustrations:

Drying salt cod

Stormbound coasters and fishing vessels

Harbor at East Boothbay

East Boothbay tide mill

The Lillian Woodruff

Kinckerbocker Iceworks at Trevett

The toll bridge at Southport

The 1903 one-cylinder Winton

Steamer Enterprise

The pogy factory

The Cumberland Bone Factory

Knights of Pythias

Weld Sargent Post, G.A.R.

East Boothbay's first fire engine

The old plank sidewalk

The Decoration Day parade

Parade at Firemen's Muster

Contest at Fireman's Muster

Porter's Drugstore Ice-cream parlor

Loading ice at West Harbor Iceworks

The Sherman Building