USA > Maine > Aroostook County > Bridgewater > History of Bridgewater, Maine > Part 9
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Be assured of my prayers, and if I can be of any aid to you, do not hesitate to write.
Most Sincerely Yours, George B. Wood, Chaplain (Capt.), 505th Inf.
Staff Sergeant Max Parks
Max Parks was born in Bridgewater, November 23, 1919. After at- tending schools in town he enlisted in the Air Corps, December 17, 1941, at the age of twenty-two and was assigned to Camp Lee, Vir- ginia. Later he was sent to Camp Livingston, Louisiana, where he studied refrigeration. Here he decided to become a Paratrooper and was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. From there he went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he graduated from Parachute School, July 11, 1942, as a qualified Parachutist, and was commissioned Staff Sergeant.
In April 1943 he was sent overseas as a member of the 504th Para- chute Infantry, 82nd "All American" Airborne Division.
A letter received from him June 2 said that they were training seven
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days and five nights a week. He was in the invasion of Sicily and was wounded in action July 12, 1943. He was released from the hospital, September 26, refused Honorable Discharge and returned to action.
On November 26 another letter was received in which he said he could not tell where he was, but that he had been at the front for thirty days.
He was killed in action February 17, 1944, on the Anzio Beach Head and was buried at Nettuno, Italy. After the war his remains were brought home. He is buried at Bridgewater.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
The Max Parks Post No. 156, American Legion, Bridgewater, was named in his honor.
Headquarters 82nd Airborne Division
Dear Mrs. Parks,
It is with deep regret that I write of the death of your son, Staff Sergeant Max Parks, 11029780, a member of my Command, who died 17th of February 1944 from wounds received in action.
Your son was a member of 504th Parachute Infantry, 82nd "All American" Airborne Division. Staff Sergeant Max Parks was an excellent non-commissioned officer, a natural leader who never showed fear in combat.
His devotion to duty inspired those with whom he served to give their best to accomplish the required tasks.
Putting aside family ties, the admiration, respect, and affection of comrades are a soldier's most priceless possessions, because collectively these comrades are unfailing judges.
These possessions, I believe your son earned in full measure. Death of such a man leaves with each member of the division a lasting sense of loss, from which there comes to you a deep sense of personal sympathy.
Sincerely, M. B. Ridgway Major General, U.S. Army Commanding
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Staff Sergeant Merrill Brewer
Staff Sergeant Merrill Brewer, son of Elwood and Mary Brewer, was born in Bridgewater in 1918. He attended public schools and graduated from Bridgewater Classical Academy in 1937.
After graduation he went to Gardner, Massachusetts, where he worked in the chair factory of Fontain Brothers for one year. He then entered the Gardner State Hospital, to train as a male nurse, and stayed until 1940.
He enlisted in the army in 1941 and received his training at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. From there he went to Hingham, Massachu- setts, in the 181st Co. where he remained until February 1944 when he asked to be transferred to the Air Corps, which request was granted. He was then sent to Army Air Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico.
It was while here that his mother received the following letter from him:
March 22, 1944
Dear Mom and Dad,
Here is the long letter I promised you. I didn't ask for this transfer to get out of being an instructor. The order came from Headquarters of the 2nd Air Force.
I will probably be overseas soon and I don't expect a furlough 'til I return.
Mother - here is one thing I want you to promise me - That you won't worry when I'm over there. I know I can fight with more vigor if I know you are at ease. You know I want to do my part in this war. When it's all over we can both say I was over there helping.
Our Commanding Officer is Lt. Col. Samley, a real swell guy. It's an old Bomber Group and very well trained. Most of the pilots have had over a year of Sub. patrol and they really know their stuff.
Give me regards to everyone, Mom, and hope you folks are all well,
Love, Mal.
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He was sent overseas in March 1944 to London, England. He was a waist gunner on a B 29 Flying Fortress Bomber. He had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal, Three Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Citation from the Commanding Officers of the Air Force, and was to have received a furlough after his next, the 35th, mission. It was while he was on his last mission that he met his death, Septem- ber 16, 1944.
Following is a letter from the pilot of his Flying Fortress to his mother:
September 1944
Dear Mrs. Brewer,
I am writing to you concerning Merrill, he was the waist gunner on my Crew and I was the Pilot when he was killed.
Words do not suffice to tell you how deeply sorry I am because you lost a brave son. He was always dependable, efficient and cheerful no matter how tough the going was. I would not have traded him for any other gunner in the Air Force.
Sometimes it is hard to understand why Fate puts her finger on the very finest and cleanest. Merrill was just that.
I cannot tell you the details of our last mission but I can give you roughly, the facts. We were flying at a very low altitude when we were hit by heavy flak. The controls were shot away. The plane caught fire and exploded. Merrill was instantly killed, just half of the crew got out.
Mrs. Brewer, if there is anything I can do for you in any way I would deem it a pleasure and a privilege. My home address is Sullivan, Illinois. When this war is over I promise to pay you a visit and answer any questions you may have concerning Merrill.
Sincerely yours, James McLaughlin.
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Lt. James McLaughlin 858th Bomb. Sq. 492nd Bomb. P P. A.P.O. 639 c/o Postmaster, N. Y.
First Lieutenant Ralph Hartley
Ralph Hartley, son of Sam and Clara Hartley, was born in Bridge- water. After attending school in Bridgewater he entered Ricker Junior College in the fall of 1935, from which he graduated in June 1939. He then attended the University of Maine. After finishing his junior year he entered the service in February 1943.
He received his basic training at Craig Field, Selma, Alabama. From there he was sent to Florida where he left for the South Pacific Theater. March 1944. He was commissioned a First Lieutenant.
Word was received that he was missing in action, February 27, 1945. He was one of fourteen American airmen killed by a firing squad at Taiboku, Formosa, June 19, 1945.
Col. Gerald Evans Williams
Col. Williams was born in Bridgewater, December 17, 1907. He lived here until 1912, then went to Falmouth, Massachusetts, where he lived until 1917 when he returned to Presque Isle.
He was graduated from Presque Isle High School and Hebron Acad- emy. He was given his appointment to West Point Academy by Hon. Ira G. Hersey (Rep.) of Houlton, who was Representing the 4th Dis- trict. He was graduated from West Point in 1930 and assigned to the Air Corps, and attended Army Flying School in Texas.
In 1932 he was sent to Hawaii where he was stationed at the Luke Field, Kaalawai, Hawaii. In April 1933 he married Miss Marjorie Parker (of San Antonio, Texas) in the Kawaiahoo Church, Hawaii. (Her father, Col. Arthur Parker, was killed on Corregidor.)
Col. Williams was then stationed in Panama and in 1938 was sent on a Good-will flight to South America for which he received a trophy. . At the outbreak of the World War II, with over 6000 flying hours,
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he was sent to Dutch Guiana where he commanded the Ninth Bomber Group stationed at Trinidad, British West Indies and directed anti- submarine operations until 1942.
Col. Williams had a brilliant war record as Commander of the 391 Black Death B 26 Marauder group of the 9th Air Force, operating first in England and later in France.
In May 1948 he studied at the Pentagon Building in Washington, D. C., then accepted a post as Air Attaché to the U. S. Ambassador to Argentina.
On February 17, 1949, Col. Williams left Panama for Buenos Aires, Argentina, and when about 900 miles northwest of there his plane crashed with his wife and six others aboard.
Search was made by the U. S. Air Force mission to Argentina. The wreckage was found in a mountainous area. The ground searchers had to travel six hours by jeep then transfer to mules in order to reach the site of the crash.
The bodies were taken to Buenos Aires for funeral services then shipped to the United States.
Col. Williams and his wife were buried in the National Cemetery in Ft. Houston, Texas.
Among the medals that Colonel Williams received were: Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters, American Theater Ribbon, ETO Ribbon with 6 Battle Stars, Victory Medal, The Croix de Guerre with Palm, Distinguished Flying Cross with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze and Silver Star medals and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.
American Legion Post No. 156
Bridgewater American Legion Post No. 156 was organized in 1946 and named in honor of Max Parks who was killed in action February 17, 1944, in Italy in World War II.
The American Legion is primarily interested in veterans, disabled veterans, and veterans' widows and orphans.
The Post sponsors Memorial Day exercises, civic and community ac- tivities, educational programs, and good citizenship.
One of the ways of promoting good citizenship is the presentation of a certificate to the outstanding boy and girl in the eighth grade for scholarship, service, loyalty, faithfulness to duty, and citizenship.
Although this Post is small, its influence is felt in the good it has done in the community.
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Living In Early Days
Life was hard in the early days of the settlement. Everyone had to work hard, even the children.
Nearly every family had a garden, the father plowed the ground in the spring and, assisted by the mother, planted the seeds. Then the task of hoeing and keeping it free of weeds was left to the mother and the children.
There were no fresh vegetables in the markets in the winter as there are today, so when the dandelions appeared they were eagerly gath- ered-even as today. Many of these were packed in salt for winter use, a layer of dandelions and a layer of salt. In the winter they were soaked for hours to remove the salt, then cooked as in the spring with a chunk of salt pork. Needless to say, they lacked the taste of our canned greens of today, but they were greens.
There were plenty of raspberries growing in the wood choppings. These were picked and put in large stone jars or crocks (glass jars for canning were then unheard of), a cloth was tied securely over the jar, and the cover put in place. The berries made a juice and the top was covered with a thick layer of mold which, if undisturbed, sealed the jars. In the winter this layer of mold was carefully folded back and the berries were taken out, as red and juicy as when they were put in, but sour, so they were sweetened with brown sugar very sparingly.
Most of the cucumbers were made into salt pickles, either by pack- ing them in salt or making a brine of salt and water.
Apples were prepared for winter use by being peeled, quartered, and cored, then strung on a twine string using a darning needle. These strings of apples were hung out of doors each day to dry in the sun, and brought in each night. When dried they were stored in boxes. In the winter when they were used they had to be soaked in water to make them soft and plump, they were then ready for pies or cooked up into dried applesauce.
Pumpkins were peeled, cut in strips, and dried the same as apples for winter pies.
Fresh meat was scarce except in the winter, as there was no refrig- eration. In winter or late fall each farmer killed a beef and hung the quarters in the shed to freeze; then steaks were sawed off as needed, thawed out, and cooked.
Pigs were killed about the same time. Some were frozen to be used fresh; the fat parts were salted. A favorite dish of many in those days
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was fried salt pork and potatoes. Another way it was used was to boil chunks of the salt pork, let it cool, then slice it to eat.
The hams were cured by smoking them. A smokehouse was built, a building about four or five feet square and five feet high. The hams were put in salt brine for a week or longer, then hung from the roof of the smokehouse. Inside the house, which had a door but no windows, a fire was built, then smothered to make a smoke. It was kept burning during the days until the hams were thoroughly smoked-and oh! the taste! The bought hams of today do not have that good wood-smoke taste.
Many a farmer thought he couldn't do a forenoon's work unless he had a breakfast of salt pork or ham and gravy and pancakes. Indeed it was a hearty breakfast.
If beefsteak was wanted for summer it was fried, placed in a stone crock, and fat was melted and poured over the meat, covering it com- pletely. It would then keep a long time, and when it was wanted, the meat was dug out of the fat, warmed, and was ready for use.
Doughnuts were not on the breakfast menu every morning, only on special days and at Christmas time. They were mostly made of molasses, for sugar was expensive and scarce.
A good many sheep were raised then. In the spring the sheep were sheared. Then came the work of washing, carding, and spinning the wool into yarn for use in mittens, socks, stockings, blankets, and cloth for winter dresses and men's clothes.
Geese were a common sight in many yards. They were raised, not only for food but for the feathers which were used in pillows and feather beds. The goslings were kept in pens that had the sides and top made of wire. The pens had to be moved daily, for goslings are vora- cious feeders. The geese provided a tidy sum for the housewife at Christmas time, for they are delicious when roasted. Selling geese came at a later date and not in the early days of the settlement.
Hen feathers were also used for pillows, but they were not as soft as goose feathers. Everyone had hens and hatched their own chickens. The housewife often swapped a setting of eggs with her neighbor, be- lieving that changing eggs would produce a better hatch. As late as 1900 the price of eggs was only ten and twelve cents a dozen.
Soap was another necessity made by the housewife. All winter she saved pork rinds, bones, fat, and scraps of meat. Some nice spring day she would collect all her scraps and put them into a large kettle to cook. After it was cooked it was removed from the fire and set aside to cool when the fat would come to the top and could be taken off easily. When the weather was warm enough for her to work outside, she
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would start her soapmaking. First a barrel was set up on blocks of wood; it had a hole near the bottom. Into the barrel was put the hard- wood ashes that had been saved and kept dry through the winter. Over the ashes were poured a few pails of water which soaked through the ashes and were caught in a bucket placed under the hole in the barrel. This was the lye water used to make the soap thicken.
A fire was built out-of-doors and a large kettle hung over it. Into the kettle went the grease and lye water which was boiled slowly for hours until it thickened. The finished product was "soft soap," so called be- cause it was the consistency of cold molasses. Rarely did it ever get hard.
The housewife's housekeeping was judged by the whiteness of her floors-there were no such things as linoleums, only hooked or braided rugs-and this "soft soap" certainly rolled up the dirt. While it got out the dirt it also got the hands, making them red, dry, and sore.
Coffee was expensive, therefore scarce, so they made a substitute by using coarse bran from the wheat. The bran was mixed with molasses and roasted very slowly in the oven. It had to be stirred often to keep from burning. This tasted much as postum does today.
One didn't go to the store and buy shoes as today, but went, in- stead, to the shoemaker. He took the measurement of the foot, then cut out the parts from heavy cowhide leather. The leather was brought in as whole hides-cured-to be made up by the cobbler. Needless to say there was no such things as style, but what they lacked in style was made up for in serviceability, for they wore and wore and wore. The cobbler's pay for making a pair of shoes was very small, probably fifty or seventy-five cents, and that, no doubt in commodities as wood, buck- wheat, oats, etc.
In later years when people had larger houses and parlors, the parlors were used only on special occasions-when the minister came to call, for weddings, funerals, and such. The curtains were drawn and doors tightly closed, so there was always a close musty odor when the room was entered.
During the winter the women spent much time making patchwork quilts of very intricate designs. Then the women would meet for a quilting bee. It was a time to exchange news and gossip and usually lasted all day. Only those expert in the art of quilting were permitted to work on those precious quilts. Some are in existence today, treasured heirlooms.
The men, too, had their bees. When a man got the trees cut on his land, then the neighbors gathered and helped him pile up the logs and burn them. These trees were burned in order to clear the land. What a waste of lumber, but then there were too many trees.
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Work was exchanged, too, each man helping his neighbor, for the work was hard and there was no machinery as today to do the heavy work.
Another get-together which lasted until a few years ago was that of building a barn, called a barn-raising. Before the day of the raising the carpenter would have all the timbers sawed the right lengths. When the men arrived on the appointed day the job of raising the barn took place. Just the frame was put up. If there was time, some might start putting on the boards. Many were the acts of daring as the young men walked the plates or ridgepoles. In the early days a barn couldn't be raised without plenty of rum, but in later years this custom disappeared.
The whole neighborhood turned out for these events. Long tables made of boards (later used on the barn) were set up in the yard under the trees-if there were any. The neighbor women brought pies, cakes, and doughnuts, while the beans, meats and vegetables, and breads were furnished by the hostess.
Sometimes supper was served to a few who didn't have to leave early to do chores. If there was a fiddler in the community sometimes there was a barn dance in the evening on the new floor.
In spite of the hardships they had to endure, they had good times and were probably happier than people are today with so much.
Churches
Religion played an important part in the lives of the early settlers just as it does today. For a number of years there was no church at the "Line," but meetings were held in the homes, and later in the schoolhouse. Nathaniel Bradstreet is termed as a "Veteran of the Cross" who often led the meetings. Then there was "Uncle Nat" Rideout who led the meetings for years, and to quote from Cyrus Snow's History of the Boundary: "He was the only one who could be found to pray over the remains of my father when he was buried at Mars Hill in 1847."
Eventually the church at the "Line" was built through the efforts of Samuel Tompkins, who solicited funds and did much of the work on the building. Others gave time and work. From then on services have been held there most of the time, the minister coming from the Center. This church was dedicated May 23, 1891, and was deeded to the United Convention of Maine in 1930.
The first church at the Center was held in the schoolhouse at Bunker
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Hill. It was organized by Rev. William Pennington. Services were held here for some time.
In 1877 Joseph C. Smith gave a piece of his farm for a church and cemetery. With untiring effort, he went to the nearby towns and Can- ada soliciting money, or produce to be converted into money, for the building of the church. This building stood just below the cemetery, a frame building, the first Baptist Church between Houlton and Presque Isle. It was dedicated August 9, 1899, by Rev. John Perry.
At first, meetings were not held regularly. In 1883 a Sunday School was held during the summer months.
In 1893 it was decided to move the church to the Center. This was done at a cost of $1,000., half going to John Hughes for moving the building, the other half for repairs.
In 1899 a belfry was added and a new bell purchased at a cost of $400.
On January 23, 1903, all of the church records but one book were burned when the store of C. C. Campbell was destroyed by fire. Mr. Campbell was the church clerk; he had one book in his safe.
In April 1909 Mr. George Freeman willed the land on which the church now sits, to the organization. By this time the congregation had outgrown the church, so a new one was built at a cost of $6,000. The old church was used as a vestry. On January 30, 1910, the new church was dedicated, and in 1924 was deeded to the United Baptist Con- vention of Maine.
Many ministers have served in the community staying from a few months to several years. Those who stayed the longest and are best re- membered are Rev. E. W. Churchill, 1908-12; Rev. Elisha Sanderson, 1915-18; Rev. H. A. Clark, 1920-22; and Rev. Morley Durost, who came in 1932 and stayed nine years.
The oldest church members in point of service are Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Smith, H. A. Tompkins, Mrs. C. L. Sharp, and Mrs. Marada McKeen.
The church has many active organizations, some of them being the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the White Cross, the Phil- athea Classes. The Helping Hand was organized in 1932 by Marjorie Kimball Brooks with Mrs. Aletta Smith as the first president. Some of their projects have been: renovating the vestry at a cost of $350 (this money was raised by food sales and suppers); donating to the Mather's School in Georgia (a school for colored girls); sending Bundles for Britain; paying a missionary in China $18 a year; sending sunshine baskets, and flowers to funerals. They had a membership of seventy-five for many years but it has dropped considerably, as this group are the older ladies of the church.
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The younger women are known as the "Win One" Class. This was organized in 1935. Some of their projects have been: earning money for a new stove for the church kitchen; contributing to repairs and sup- port of the church; buying a Communion table; helping to buy the carpet and pay off the mortgage. At the present time they are working to add another classroom.
The motto of the Helping Hand Class is, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," and for the Win One Class it is, "Win the one next to you."
The Baraca Class for men was organized about the same time as the women's classes and although they have a large membership they are not as active as the women.
The church has a very large Sunday School for both young and old. The older people will remember, with love, the kindly teachings of Mrs. R. J. Kimball and Mrs. Marada McKeen and many others. R. J. Kimball served as Superintendent for many years as did George K. Davidson and H. A. Tompkins. Marjorie Kimball Brooks was a tireless worker in the church during her stay in town.
The following Deacons have been elected for life: George K. David- son, James L. Pennington, H. A. Tompkins. Mr. Davidson was made an Honorary Deacon in 1952.
Mr. Davidson served as janitor nearly twenty-five years, some of the time without pay. He was also church clerk for several years.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1900. It was very ac- tive for many years. A parsonage was built in 1909.
Some of the pastors were the following: Rev. Pugh, Dunham, Rafter, Pressey, Snow, Carlton, and many others whose names are forgotten.
After a few years the congregation became so small that a resident pastor could not be supported. Then the church was supplied by the pastors from Mars Hill. It was discontinued about 1925.
The church was remodeled into a dwelling house and the parsonage sold to E. W. Fulton. It is now owned by Mrs. Gertrude Jamison.
Schools
In this community as in all other new communities, the people knew the value of an education, so very soon a school was started. Probably the first school was held in someone's home. Then after a time a school- house of logs was built where the present one stood (now Howard Farley's home).
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School was kept during the winter months chiefly for the older boys and girls, for at that time of year there was less farm work for them to do. The teacher for the winter months was usually a man, for there were many big boys and they were a rowdy bunch.
During the late spring and early summer there was another term of school. This was for the smaller children and the teacher was a woman.
Lottie Kidder, who lived on what is now the Fred Cook farm, taught school at the Boundary and it is told that she often saw wolves in the swamp below the Chandler farm (now Thomas Cook farm). Since she married Bedford Hume in 1861, it must have been in the late fifties that she taught school. Whether it was a log building or frame is not known.
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