Hannah Libby Meserve was born on 13 December 1806 in Scarborough, Cumberland, Maine, the daughter of John Meserve (1767–1831) and Hannah Libby (1775–1859). On 21 November 1829, she married Charles Moulton (1801–1891), and together they raised eight children:
John B. (b. between 1831-1832)*,
Lydia M. (b. 1833),
Esther J. (1835–1908),
Mathias M. (1839–between 1903-1920)*,
Olive (1842–1926),
Charles (1844–1932),
Liberty (1848–1923), and
Fanny (b. 1851).
Census records show the family living in Gorham in 1850, returning to Scarborough by 1860, and back to Gorham by 1870. Hannah passed away on 17 January 1884 in Scarborough, Maine, and was buried in Portland, Cumberland County. Her husband Charles survived her by seven years, living until 1891. This cabinet card portrait, photographed by Conaut, appears to predate the portrait of her husband Charles, and is dated between 1876 and 1884 — suggesting it may have been taken while the couple were still living together in their later years, and no later than the year of Hannah’s death.
A few weeks ago, in “Why Was Superintendent Heald There? The Story Behind a 1922 School Photo,” I wrote about a North Scarborough School photograph depicting children, Mr. Heald, and several other adults. I have since come across two additional photos from that same event that are worth sharing.
The original photographs were donated to the museum twenty-five years apart by different individuals. Neither carries a date nor any identifying names. However, a close examination revealed that the adults and several of the children are wearing the same clothing as those in the previously identified photograph, which allowed me to confidently date both images to 1922.
Children in a Circle: Donald Hillock stands in the center holding a ball aloft, with Lena Sherman at the far right. Remodeled North Scarborough School, 1922.
Children in a Circle: Donald Hillock stands in the center holding a ball aloft, with Lena Sherman at the far right. Remodeled North Scarborough School, 1922.
Children with Arms Outstretched: The group appears to be doing calisthenics. Donald Hillock leads the children, with Lena Sherman standing to his right. Remodeled North Scarborough School, 1922.
Conclusion
My continuing goal is to ensure these photographs are preserved, understood, and shared with future generations.
ENDNOTES
[i] All photos courtesy Scarborough (Maine) Historical Society.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. AI photo enhancement tools were used to improve image quality, and Grammarly was used for editing.
Don Taylor, Historian Scarborough Historical Society
Charles Moulton was born in 1801, the eldest son of Captain Joshua Moulton (1775–1855) and Lydia Stone (1780–1872). Charles married Hannah Meserve (b. 1806), and together they raised a large family of eight children:
John B. (b. between 1831-1832)*,
Lydia M. (b. 1833),
Esther J. (1835–1908),
Mathias M. (1839–between 1903-1920)*,
Olive (1842–1926),
Charles (1844–1932),
Liberty (1848–1923), and
Fanny (b. 1851).
His son Mathias M. Moulton married Rose Ann Bean, and their son Willis Bean Moulton (1877–1934) married Jean S. Moulton. This cabinet card portrait, photographed by Conaut, was taken sometime between 1876 and 1891, capturing Charles in his later years. He lived to the remarkable age of 90, passing away in 1891.
Students and teacher at Coal Kiln Corners School, Scarborough, Maine, circa 1920. Note the early touring automobile at left.
I recently reviewed a photo of the North Scarborough School (Coal Kiln Corners School) from about 1920. It was quite a plain building; it had two entrances, one for boys and one for girls. Today, I am reviewing a photo of the same school from 1922. It is quite different. It has a single entrance with a portico. The windows along the side of the building changed from three separate to five adjoining windows. Also, Superintendent F. H. B. Heald is in the photo. I had never seen Superintendent Heald in an outside class photo before, so I wondered what was going on with the school that it would have so many changes, and Mr. Heald would be there.
Town reports are often a goldmine of information. Sure enough, in the 1920 Town Report, Superintendent Heald reported that the State Department of Education established a new program for the “Standardization and Beautification of Elementary Buildings.” None of the Scarborough schools met the new standards. Being the smallest of the schools, North Scarborough would be the first brought up to the new standards “in the matters of heating, lighting, ventilation, and toilet facilities. The 1922 report stated that standardization work at the North Scarborough school was completed, and the expenditures totaled $640.58 (about $12,585 in today’s dollars).
North Scarborough School students and Superintendent F. H. B. Heald, 1922. The recently renovated schoolhouse, now featuring a single entrance with portico and new bank of windows.
I’m sure that Superintendent Heald was at this photo event because North Scarborough was the first school to undergo the standardization.
In October 1995, Lena (Dow) Bachelder provided the identifications for most of the individuals.
I was recently asked, “When did Scarborough made the transition from local solar time to mean time?“
When the Eastern Railroad reached Scarborough in 1842, it did more than connect the town to Portland and Boston—it quietly introduced a new way of thinking about time.
Before the Railroad: Scarborough Kept Its Own Time
Prior to rail service, Scarborough—like most Maine communities—operated on local solar time. Noon was when the sun stood highest over the town. Because Scarborough lies slightly east of Portland and west of towns further down the coast, its “true noon” differed by a few minutes from its neighbors.
For farmers, merchants, and schoolchildren, this variation posed little difficulty. Life followed daylight, not the clock.
The Railroad Arrives: A Different Kind of Precision
Railroads required something Scarborough had never needed before – exact, uniform timekeeping.
The Eastern Railroad operated on a standardized schedule tied to a central reference time — Typically Boston time in its early years. This created an immediate disconnect:
Train crews—conductors, engineers, and station agents—carried railroad-regulated watches, often checked against a master clock at major terminals.
Stations displayed time that matched the railroad schedule, not necessarily the sun overhead.
Local residents, however, still lived by solar time—at least initially.
How Railroad Crews Kept Time
Railroad personnel followed strict protocols to maintain accuracy:
Conductors used precision pocket watches, regularly inspected and synchronized.
Telegraph systems allowed dispatchers to communicate time signals along the line.
Schedules were written in a single, consistent time standard, eliminating ambiguity for train movements.
This system ensured that trains passing through Scarborough did so safely and predictably, even if the town’s clock disagreed by several minutes.
A Town Between Two Times
For decades after 1842, Scarborough effectively lived with two parallel time systems:
Activity
Time Standard Used
Farming, household routines
Local solar time
Church services, schools (initially)
Local solar time
Train departures and arrivals
Railroad (standardized) time
Commerce tied to rail shipments
Increasingly railroad time
This dual system could be confusing. A resident might be told a train departed at “10:15,” but unless they knew whether that meant local or railroad time, they could easily miss it.
Gradually, however, the influence of the railroad began to dominate. Businesses, post offices, and eventually schools aligned their clocks with train schedules for practicality.
The Turning Point: Standard Time in 1883
The confusion persisted across the country until November 18, 1883, when railroads collectively adopted standardized time zones. Scarborough fell into the Eastern Time Zone, aligning its clocks with a regional standard rather than purely local solar time.
Newspapers helped explain the transition, as towns reset their clocks. Sometimes towns experienced “two noons” in a single day.
What It Meant for Scarborough Residents
By the late 19th century, the change had fully reshaped daily life:
Train travel became reliable, with clear, consistent schedules.
Local institutions synchronized, reducing confusion.
Personal timekeeping shifted, as residents adopted standardized clocks and watches.
What began in 1842 as a practical necessity for railroad crews gradually transformed how every resident of Scarborough experienced time.
Why It Matters
The arrival of the Eastern Railroad did not immediately change how Scarborough told time—but it introduced the need for change. Over the following decades, the discipline of railroad scheduling replaced the flexibility of solar time, linking the town to a broader regional and national system.
In this way, the railroad did more than move people and goods—it synchronized Scarborough with the modern world. Today, as you walk along the Eastern Trail, the path the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad followed in 1842, (and was bought by the Eastern Railroad in 1872) think about how our relationship with time has changed, all because of the railroads.
Note: an abbreviated form of this article was first published in the May/June 2026 issue of Owascoag Notes.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting.
