Letter from Dorothy Evens to Helen Lamb postmarked Aug 31, 1939.

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Don Taylor

[This is a letter from “Dotty” (at the Atlantic House and Cottages, Scarborough Beach, Maine,) to “Grammy” (Miss Helen Lamb, Gorham Maine R.F.D. #2. The letter was postmarked Aug 31, 1939, Scarborough, Maine at 3 PM.]

Transcription

Hi! “Grammy”,
How’s everything in Whiterock?  I’ll bet they don’t even miss me!  Are you getting so much practice in croquet that you’ll beat me all to pieces when I get back?
Gee it’s swell down here– everyone is so grand to me.  There are very few restrictions here — we can play tennis on the courts, use the shuffle board, go swimming on the same beach with the guests can an’ everything.  We stay in a house by ourselves and go to bed when we want to, only we have to get up at 5:30.  Imagine that!
Some of the youngsters I have are very exasperating but some of them are dolls.  I have quite a lot of time off, but I don’t know where it goes to. Honestly it seems as though I had been here ten minutes.
I think I will have mama Sunday night and i want them to bring you with ’em.  I’ll tell Helen to call you.
I’m getting along famously with my work.  I still write the orders just to be sure I get everything.  The nurses are awful good (every child has a nurse or governess) and I  have a lot of fun with them.
Two of the girls weren’t speaking to me because I glanced at their boy friends.  You should see them — dumb as they make them. A new waitress is just about it so they used to come into my dining room after every meal while I was sweeping. When I found out about the girl friends I stopped that.  Now the girls smile.  I think they are terribly silly — boy if I did that every time a girl looked at Phil I couldn’t keep them straight and I might speak to the wrong person.  There are about  three radios going here all different so I’ll stop before it gets so  you can’t make sense out of this thing. Write. Love, Dotty

The address is just what is at the top of the papers.
Have about six more letters to write.  Got a letter from Phil this morning. His letters are swell, just as though he were here talking to me. I don’t see how he makes them so interesting.

[Transcription by Rebecca (Plummer) Delaware – 4/11/2021]

Additional Notes:

  • “Grammy” is Helen Lamb, later Plummer.
  • “Dotty” is believed to be Dorothy Evens. Apparently a waitress for the Atlantic House in Scarborough in 1939.
  • “Helen” mentioned in the letter is probably Dotty’s sister, Helen Evans.
  • “Phil” mentioned is probably Philip Bodge.
  • Helen Lamb, Dorothy Evans, and Philip Bodge graduated from Gorham High School as part of the class of 1940. The Evans and Lambs were from Whiterock (a part of Gorham) which is mostly a rural farming community. Philip Bodge lived in Gorham village.
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Letter dated 28 Feb 1870 re “Strip” between Scarboro & Gorham

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Maggie Vickerson

Portland Feb. 28 1870          

Dear Jim,

Letter re. Strip Between Scarboro and Gorham – 28 Feb 1870 – Page 1

            With regard to the claim of the “strip” I am aware that there was some provision in the act setting off a part of the Town of Scarboro to Gorham that provided for returning to the “strip” a part of the same that might be reimbursed to Scarboro by the State. But what part?

            If in proposition to the valuation that was transfered by the same act from Scarboro to Gorham there would be nothing to pay, as no valuation was transferred to Gorham. Scarboro paid State & Property(?) Tax for the town of Gorham on the value of the strip 3 successive years. Finally when is was arranged by the Legislature the valuation was fixed by a meeting of the selectmen of Gorham & Scarboro and I think they made it about $36,000 and this was all the selectmen of Gorham would agree to.

            Again the war had not ended when the “strip” was set off and it was only the amount

[New Page ]

Letter re. Strip Between Scarboro and Gorham – 28 Feb 1870 – Page 2

reimbursed to the town on the men enlisted previous to, or up to the time that they were set off in which the strip could have any claim.

            And again Scarboro was one of the sub districts of this District and was just the same after the strip was set off to Gorham as before. An effort was made to have the men liable to draft transfered from Scarboro to Gorham but it could not be accomplished and our quota was made larger because the “strip” was enrolled with us and we furnished the quota for the strip and paid the expense after it was set off to Gorham but of course could not tax them for this expense.

            I am surprised that under these circumstances they have made any claim at all; and still more that any action should be taken on it by the Legislature without notice to the Town of Scarboro.

            There ought to be power somewhere to do justice in this case if anywhere in the Legislature. They without doubt mean justice but how can they do justice unless they hear both sides. Scarboro has not been notified in any way I am informed.

In haste,          
Horatio Hight

[Transcription by Maggie Vickerson, Scarborough Historical Society, 8 May 2020]
[Encapsulated Collection 23 – Letter re Strip Between Scarboro and Gorham – 28 Feb 1870]

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New Town Line Between Scarboro and Gorham [1865]

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Don Taylor

[Page 1]

New Town Line Between Scarboro and Gorham – 1865 (Page 1)

Agreeable to notice given by the Selectmen of the town of Scarborough to the Selectmen of the town of Gorham to meet at the House of John M. Parker in said Gorham on the 19th day of June 1865 at 9 o’clock in the forenoon for the purpose of establishing a new line between the said towns of Scarboro and Gorham in accordance with an act of the Legislature Approved March 4th 1864 setting off a part of the lower of Scarborough and annexing the same to the town of Gorham. We the undersigned Selectmen of the Towns of Scarborough and Gorham met at the time and place and for the purpose aforesaid and proceeded to name(?) and establish a new line between said towns as follows

[Page 2]

New Town Line Between Scarboro and Gorham – 1865 (Page 2)

Commencing at a stone on the side line of Buxton, north corner of Scarboro’ and southwest corner of Gorham – thence running S. 42 ½ ° East 178 Rods to a stone on the Buxton County road. Thence on same course 240 Rods to a stone on the Burnham Road thence on same course 209 Rods to a stone on Ai Waterhouse meadow. Thence S. 49° West to a stone 21 Rods 10 links, thence S. 44 ½° East 29 Rods 17 links to a stone in the east corner of Jonathan(?) Fogg’s meadow, and south corner of Ai Waterhouse’s meadow. Thence N. 50° East 20 Rods to a stone sitting in the South side of said meadow N. 53° East 186 Rods to the Mitchell Road to a stone. Thence north 48 ¾° East 972 Rods to a stone at the corner of Scarborough, Westbrook, and Gorham

Scarborough July 3d 1865

Richard Leavitt } Selectmen of
   Geo M. Carter } Scarborough

   James Phinney } Selectmen of
Edward Files } Gorham

[-back-]

New Town line
between Scarboro
and Gorham

[Transcription by Maggie Vickerson, Scarborough Historical Society, 8 May 2020]
[Ref: Encapsulated Collection 22 – New Town Line Between Scarboro and Gorham – 1865]

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Town Line – Scarboro & Gorham – Nov 1831

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Maggie Vickerson

Town Line Scarboro & Gorham
Nov 1831

We the subscribers Selectmen of the towns of Scarborough & Gorham have this day perambulated the line dividing the two towns and renewed the marks to wit commencing at a large white pine stump standing in the Northeast corner of Scarborough & Southeast corner of Buxton and is marked with the letters of S.B.G. from thence we followed the former line to a Rock standing in the northerly side of the County road leading to Buxton near Benj. Libby’s thence on the same line to a large rock in the Southwest corner of Gorham marked S.& G. thence on the old line to the county road to two rocks one on each side of (said?) road the Northeasterly one of which is marked with the letter S.L.Q.G. thence continuing the same course to a rock in the corner between the towns of Westbrook, Scarborough, & Gorham.

Scarborough Nov 15th 1831

Robert Johnson } Selectman of Gorham

Joseph Fogg } Selectmen of
Abraham Milliken Jr. } Scarborough

[back side]

Town Line Scarboro & Gorham
Nov 1831 (outer)

Town Line
Scarboro & Gorham
Nov 1831 Recorded

[Transcription by Maggie Vickerson, Scarborough Historical Society, 8 May 2020]
[Ref: Encapsulated Collection 21 – Town Line Scarboro & Gorham – Nov 1831]

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Beech Ridge School Update (March 2021)

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Karlene Osborne

By Karlene Osborne

Beech Ridge School
Rear Addition Interior
Photo by Joyce Alden, c. Feb 2021

Work on the reconstruction of the school’s rear addition has continued this winter. Parts of the roof and walls have been gutted and reframed. A new enclosure for the bulkhead has been installed. Our contractor has been working steadily in the cold to ensure that this project continues in a timely fashion. We still have more work to do on the entire building, inside and out. We appreciate any contribution toward the goal of making the restoration of this one-room schoolhouse a source of pride to the community. To make a donation, click on www.gofundme.com/SHS-Restore-Beech-Ridge-School or send a check to P.O. Box 156, Scarborough, ME 04070-0156. Your gift is tax-deductible, as Scarborough Historical Society is a 501c (3) nonprofit.

 

Beech Ridge School
Reconstructed rear addition of schoolhouse
Photo by Karlene Osborne – c. Feb 2021

Beech Ridge School
Reconstructed rear addition.
Photo: Karlene Osborne c. Feb 2021

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