Radio Script #1142

Little Talks on Common Things
December 4, 1977

This program has several times mentioned speculations caused by the finding of human bones when street excavations were made near the corner of Elm and Park Streets. It was alleged that they came from ancient Indian graves, but at least as late as the 1930s, when some of those bones were discovered, there were people still living who remembered that the area now occupied by Monument Park was once Waterville’s principal cemetery. While most of the bodies buried there since about 1800 were removed to the new Pine Grove Cemetery off Grove Street, when that was opened in 1851, a number of old graves were never touched. So it happens that, whenever excavation occurs in that area some bones of Waterville citizens who were living in the first half of the nineteenth century may be found.

The cemetery was already there when, in 1808, Timothy Boutelle bought what was left of the huge lot No. 105 of the McKechnie survey, a lot 40 rods on the Kennebec and extending back a full mile to the First Rangeway. Already exempted from Boutelle’s purchase was a plot called the Burying Ground. In fact about eight years earlier when what was called West Temple Street was laid out, it was called the Road to the Burying Ground. Of course today West Temple Street no longer exists, having been obliterated by the Urban Renewal which created the Concourse.

In 1943 there was found an almost complete skeleton in a different part of Waterville, off Western Avenue not far from the bridge over the Messalonskee near the pumping station of the Kennebec Water District. People were sure that must be the remains of an Indian. Yet nearly half a century earlier in 1902, when Waterville celebrated one hundred years of separation from the parent town of Winslow, Dr. Edwin C. Whittemore, with the help of a dozen other historical enthusiasts, had published the Centennial History of Waterville, in which it is clearly stated that Waterville’s first cemetery was in that area off Western Avenue. The year 1943 was in the midst of the Second World War, and people then may have had some excuses for not remembering about that first cemetery. But the sad fact is that probably most of Waterville people living at that time had never read the Whittemore history, and I suspect there were hundreds who never heard of it.

During recent years more attention has been paid, at least, informally, to local history in our Waterville schools, but it still receives too little attention. I wish somewhere in the upper elementary grades, there could be a course on local history at least touching its highlights. Then such facts as Waterville’s two oldest cemeteries would not be so easily forgotten.

Anyhow in 1943, it was the City Engineer Eugene Crawford who came up with the needed information. Crawford called attention to the location of the town’s first cemetery near where the old surveyor John McKechnie had built the first mill to be erected on this side of the Kennebec, when Waterville was still a part of Winslow. Crawford said he was surprised that human bones had not been found there earlier.

On September 26, 1943, Linwood Pinkham found the skeleton on top of a layer of cinders deposited there some 20 years previous. Observers were sure the remains were those of an Indian woman until Crawford made his statement which the Waterville Sentinel published as follows: “Regarding the skeleton found near the mattress shop on Western Avenue, old records show that the earliest cemetery was on this plot of land which was originally a knoll. Dr. John McKechnie, who died in 1783, as well as his son, Obadiah, were buried there. It would seem that the skeleton recently found is that of one of Waterville’s early settlers.”

The day before it issued Crawford’s statement, the Sentinel had published a long account of the discovery of the skeleton without a word mentioning the old cemetery. It seems that no one on the Sentinel staff in 1943 was aware that Waterville’s first burying ground was where the skeleton was found. Even a local physician who examined the bones stated that the skull indicated that it was an Indian woman. But on Upper Main Street resided a man, John Kelleher, who had the reputation of being an amateur archeologist. Although he, too, knew nothing about the old cemetery, he declared the Maine Indians never buried their dead in a valley or other depression. Furthermore what we call cinders were unknown to the Indians – ashes, yes – cinders, no. The Indians burned no fuel that would leave cinders. Anyhow, Captain Beckett of the Waterville police said he knew the cinders had been there not more than 20 years. So even before Crawford revealed information about the old cemetery, it was pretty well established that the skeleton was not that of an Indian.

In connection with old cemeteries, it is time that we called attention to a very active and influential organization, the Maine Old Cemetery Association. Its founder and leading spirit is Miss Hilda Fife of Eliot, Maine, a graduate of Colby College in 1926, and for many years a distinguished member of the English Department of the University of Maine at Orono. The association now has about a thousand members scattered allover the state, and they have done much to clean up old cemeteries, mowing the grass, repairing the fences and especially straightening and cleaning the tombstones. One important project of the association was its diligent attempt to identify the graves of Revolutionary soldiers buried in Maine. That was, in fact, their Bicentennial project.

But to get back to the point I would emphasize, let us hope that because of the activity of the Old Cemetery Association and because of the great revival of interest in the Waterville Historical Society, whenever another skeleton is found either near Park Street, or off Western Avenue, a lot of people will remember that there were Waterville’s first cemeteries.

Now I want to tell you about an event held in Waterville just 70 years ago in 1907. Preserved is an old program booklet of the Celebration of the Feast of St. John the Baptist at Waterville on June 26, 1907. The program is almost entirely in French. Even most of the included advertisements are in French, only about half a dozen in English. The inside cover was given over to a photograph of Father Charland, beloved pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church. He was honorary chairman of what was called the Committee of Organization for the festival. The page tells us that Father Charland was born at Trois Rivieres, Quebec, in 1846, was ordained there in 1875, and became pastor of St. Francis de Sales in 1880.

On the organization committee were such well known citizens as Jules Gamache, Gideon Picher, Arthur Daviau, and George Grondin. On June 26, 1907, the program began at 10 a.m. with a grand parade of 35 Franco-American Societies in Maine. Starting in front of the St. Francis church, the procession went up Elm and Main to Chaplin Street, across to Ticonic Street, up to Oak Street, to College Avenue, down to Post Office Square and down Main and Water streets to Gold Street, up Gold to Silver, and back to the St. Francis church. Reviewing the parade were Governor William T. Cobb of Maine, Hon. Rudolphe Lemieux, Postal Minister of Canada, Mayor Bunker of Waterville, and other dignitaries.

At noon, dinner was served at the Central Maine Fairgrounds, where speakers included the Mayor, the Governor, the Canadian representative, Hon. Warren Philbrook, and Alfred Bonneau, with attorney Fred Claior acting as master of ceremonies. At 2 :30 p.m. there was a grand horse trot for purses of $50.00 with the race-famed Lem Doherty of Boston as starter. After that was what the program called open air entertainment.

Besides the small committee of organization, there was an overall Executive Committee of 21 members, whose group picture was published in the program. Another unit was called the Court of the Celebration, under grocer Jules Gamache. With his photo was given this information about him: Born at L’Islet, Quebec, 1867. Came to Waterville, 1886. Has been President of St. Jean de Bapsiste Society for 8 years, is also President of St. Joseph Union, ex-Chief Ranger of the Catholic Foresters, and official representative of French-Canadian artisans.

Chairman of the Parade Committee was Gideon Picher, born at St. Norbert, Quebec, in 1871, and came to Waterville in 1884. Active in various Catholic organizations, he had also been for 12 years in the Waterville City government, and was proprietor of a large furnishings store specializing in heating systems.

Secretary of the Committee was L. A. D’Argy, born at Beaucour, Quebec, in 1875, studied with the Marist Fathers, served in the French army for five years, participating in campaigns in the Sudan, and retired from the army in 1898 with rank of lieutenant. Graduate of the College of Dental Surgery in Boston.

Other photographs of persons prominent in the festival were those of Dr. J. L. Fortier, veterinarian; R. Joly, grandfather of former mayor Cyril M. Joly, Jr.; and Arthur Daoviau who was vice-chairman of the festival’s executive committee.

Advertisers whose ads appeared in French in the program included Redington and Company, furniture, carpets, feathers, etc.; Peavey Clothing Co., clothing and underwear; George Dayia~, Water Street druggist; Bourke and Blair, cigar makers; Merrill, Runnels. and Mayo, feed and grain; Victor Robichaud, whose ad said he operated the best barber shop in Waterville at the Bay View Hotel; Rodrigue and Houle, makers of the KC 10 cent and Loma 5 cent cigars; and W. P. Steward, who advertised good tea for 28 cents a pound.

One of the wordiest ads was Joe Bizier’s at the People’s Store, 13 Main Street. It said:”The best place to buy candy, soda, ice cream, cigars and cigarettes. Mr. Bizier is a member of several French-Canadian societies and is always ready to give satisfaction to the public. A visit to our store will convince you that we are the best in the city.”

And with that salute to the St. John the Baptist Festival 70 years ago, we say goodbye until next week.

Year: 1977