daily life & history of west bath,...

Editor’s note: Over the years, stories onsome of the wonderful old inns and eat-ing places have been featured in TheMiddle Ground. For this issue, we havewoven them together to give a broadpicture of the many establishments thatused to thrive in West Bath. Theresearch, skillfully compiled and writ-ten by our archivist, Kerry Nelson, waspresented by former Board memberKathy Totten, and Kerry, as part of thePatten Free Library Town History seriesin 2007. We felt it was time to offer asmuch of this information as spaceallows, especially for those who werenot at the history talk, but also to docu-ment this compendium for posterity. Wehope you enjoy and are enlightened bythis comprehensive story.

Did you know that West Bath,as early as the 1740’s and well intothe 1950’s, was teeming with inns,eateries, and even a merry dancehall? There were more than twodozen public establishments through-out the town (and probably a fewundocumented speakeasies and othershady places too).

The earliest was … Joseph Berry’s Tavern –Berrys Mill Road

Joseph Berry, an English-man, purchased a farm whichextended from WinneganceCreek to Casco Bay andincluded the area around today’s MillCove. There was no bridge across thecove so he built a dam and then a sawmill and grist mill. Around 1740, hebuilt a two-story, gambrel roofedhouse, 40 feet square, where he livedwith his family. Berry also used thebuilding as a tavern, offering lodgingand entertainment. It was the firstpublic house in the territory of Bath.The tavern was sold to Rev. FrancisWinter for his home in the early1800’s. It was later torn down by hisson, Alden, who built a new home onthe foundation which stands today asthe Ireland farm.

Foster’s Point House – Foster’s Point Road

An early summer holiday hangout,Foster’s Point House was built in1773. By 1895, it had been expandedseveral times and was then owned by

Ellis Coombs, whose familyhad owned the property formore than 60 years. Ellismade major repairs andopened his home to rustica-tors that year. His wife servedthe suppers, and, while we’renot sure how long the board-ing house was open, we dohave a picture of the guestsfrom about the turn of thecentury. Ellis, like many WestBath farmers, hedged his busi-ness bets and also had a milkroute. He died in 1934 at the

THE MIDDLE GROUNDDaily Life & History of West Bath, MaineFALL/WINTER 2011 • PUBLISHED BY THE WEST BATH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Continued on page 2

Eat Drink & Be Merryin Old West Bath

age of 83. The property eventuallyended up with Millicent Hamiltonwho loved nature, especially birds.Upon her death, she deeded thehouse and land to the Audubon Soci-ety, which maintains the property tothis day.

Hotel Birchwood –Birch Point Road

William Lord had a small homenear the water by the fish-house atPleasant Point (Birch Point today),

Foster’s Point House

Hotel Birchwood

2 – THE MIDDLE GROUND – Fall/Winter 2011

Eat Drink & Be Merry in Old West BathContinued from page 1

and he and his wife became knownfor entertaining their guests withdelicious clam chowders and lobstersalads. A dining hall was built nearthe shore and Mr. Lord served friedclams, cunners, and potatoes, allsaid to be the best offered locally. By1869 they built a larger place on ahill quite a distance from the water.

The view from the piazza of theBirch Point House extended down tothe New Meadows River and thenout to sea. Lord built a wharf andprovided access to the water andfishing gear for his guests, who camefrom all over the country.

Over the years there were severalowners, but the place was packedwith visitors most summers. By1895, it had morphed into the Birch-wood Hotel and the then-currentowner had imported sand to create asmall swimming beach. In 1901, apromotional brochure declared,“Inside we find everything conduc-tive for one’s comfort and pleasure,splendid parlors with piano, a smok-ing room for the gentlemen, withopen fires, fine dining rooms, andlarge cool chambers. The house hasbeen thoroughly renovated in everyparticular.” Rooms were $2.00 perday or $7-12.00 per week.

By 1903 the Birchwood was unoc-cupied. The next significant mentionof the once popular hotel was Sep-tember, 1904 when news of a fire,which left the Birchwood in smol-dering ruins, made the headlines.The official cause was a defective

chimney. All that remains of theBirchwood Hotel is the founda-tion. Trees have reclaimed thesite. Even the view to the river isno more.

Rosedale Music Barn –Foster’s Point Road (near today’sTown Hall)

In 1894, John Rose purchased afarm (a small house and barn, andabout 25 acres of brush land) for hisson Henry. He raised chickens andcattle, earning enough money toacquire more land and eventuallyexpand the house to 28 rooms. Sev-eral generations of the Rose familylived on the farm, selling groceries,fruits and vegetables, gasoline, oil,and their own dairy products from astore built onto the house.

In 1910, Henry, with help fromhis sons Fred and Ernest, built ahuge new two-story barn near theoriginal one. In order to pay for theroof, the family sold one of the cot-tages they then owned on the shorebehind the farm for $125.

Ernest’s son, George Rose,acquired the farm in 1962, andbegan to restore the house for hisown family. However, early in Janu-ary of 1965, fire broke out in thevacant building, and by the time thefire department arrived the housewas beyond saving. The rest of thefarm buildings were spared, thanksto firemen’s efforts and the directionof the wind.

George and his wife, Phyllis, begandebating what to do withwhat was left. She suggest-ed creating a dance hall inthe hayloft of the newerbarn. Since George’s fatheroccasionally held squaredances there in the earlydays, they decided thatwould be a fitting use of thebuilding, which became“Rosedale Music Barn.”Dance bands from aroundMaine were booked; on Fri-

New Meadows Inn

Rosedale Music Barn

day nights there might be up to 300teenagers dancing to a rock band,while Saturdays were reserved foradults. George and his wife managedthe dances, while daughters, Gerryand Jackie, handled the concessionstand.

A 1966 news item reported onRose’s plans for a rustic restaurant tobe called “The Red Rooster.” Thepaper went on to say, “It would seemthere will always be a Rosedale inWest Bath.” Unfortunately, that wasnot to be the case. The restaurantnever materialized. The dance hallwas only open until the early 1970s,and by the late ’70s, horses wereonce again boarded in the barn.

In 1980 George signed a contractto sell the place. But the transactionhad not yet gone through when, inNovember, a suspicious fire brokeout. Despite efforts of West Bath andPhippsburg firemen, when thesmoke cleared, all that remainedwas the chimney. Local fire officials,suspecting arson, called in the statefire marshal, but a cause could notbe determined due to the heavydamage. Memories are all thatremain of Rosedale Farm.

New Meadows Inn – Bath RoadIn 1898, the New Meadows Inn

was built on the shore of the NewMeadows River on a large plot ofland. Owners were Charles Cahilland Scott Frye. They also leasedmore land that ran along the riveralmost to the Bull Rock Bridge toprevent any other resort from beingbuilt nearby.

The 3½ story inn had rooms forMr. Cahill to live in, as well as forhired help. There was a main dining

Fall/Winter 2011 – THE MIDDLE GROUND – 3

room that held 60 people, 2 privatedining rooms that each held 12, areception room, and smoking roomson the first floor.

The Inn officially opened in Janu-ary, 1899. The first sizable dinnerwas served to members of theKenne bec Yacht Club. Meals at therestaurant were legendary. Especial-ly on Sundays, it was not unusual tofeed up to 800 patrons. The originalmenu included steamed clams, lob-ster stew, fried oysters with “tar-taire” sauce, potato chips, greenolives, lobster salad, plain lobster,Bent’s soda wafers, hot rolls, cheese,assorted cakes, macaroons, tea, andcoffee. In those days clams cost 15cents a bushel; lobsters were 50cents for 100. A dinner at the restau-rant cost 50 cents for all-you-can-eatsteamed clams or lobsters.

Another reason for the Inn’s popu-larity was the relative ease of gettingthere. In early days many dinersarrived on foot or by horse andbuggy. During the short time thatthe inn was open year round, it wasnot unusual for diners to don theirsnowshoes and head over there fordinner. Others arrived by train.Maine Central Railroad tracks rannearby and trains stopped at a flagstation which was established soonafter the inn was built. For fivecents, diners could take the electriccars from Bath or Brunswick; insummer the cars ran every half hour.Another easy access was by water.Private boats tied up at the inn’sfloat or diners arrived by boats runby the New Meadows SteamboatCompany.

In March of 1937, the most well-known dining place in West Bathmet its fate. The Inn was closed for

the winter and the electricity wasshut off. Again, fire was the culprit.Flames shot 50 to 60 feet in the air.The tops of pine trees fifty feet awaywere scorched by the intense heat.Within an hour, it was obvious thatthe inn could not be saved. Thecause of the fire was suspicious.Someone either deliberately startedit or a trespasser carelessly droppeda cigarette.

Owner Cahill decided not torebuild. He granted use of the NewMeadows name to Samuel Arm -strong, who, in the ’40s, bought theNew Meadows Lobster Pound.Several additions were made to thebusiness site over the years until itbecame what locals remember todayas the New Meadows Inn. Arm -strong’s family ran the new versionof the restaurant until just a fewyears ago. Today it’s a day carecenter.

The Quaker Point Inn –Quaker Point Road

Around 1915, a prominent Bathpharmacist, Lewis Swett, had abeautiful summer place built at theshore of the New Meadow’s River onthe west end of Quaker Point. It wastwo stories high with a wrap-aroundveranda. An unusual “modern” fea-ture of the kitchen was an electricrefrigerator. Mr. Swett had a genera-tor installed in an outbuilding toprovide power to the building, aselectric service wouldn’t arrive inthe area for another thirty years.There were several cottages and abunkhouse, as well as tennis courtsand croquet greens.

Early directories make no mentionof this inn, but a neighboring family

New Meadows Inn fire

Rock Hill Inn

remembers the place being called theQuaker Point Inn. Since it was notadvertised, we suspect that Swettused it more for friends and businessassociates. Most visitors were well-to-do men, many from Boston, whocame for the hunting and fishing.They arrived by boat from Boston toPortland; transferring to a smallersteamer which then went up the NewMeadows. Others arrived by train toBath, and were shuttled by horse andbuggy across the hayfields to the Inn.Summer festivities ended suddenlywhen Swett was tragically stricken,probably by a heart attack, whileboating on the river in 1921. He wasonly 55 years old.

From records we determined thatthe building was unoccupied in the1940s. There was a brief period inthe 1950s when it was used again,most likely as a boarding house.After that venture failed, the formerinn, still fully furnished, sat unusedexcept for the local children wholiked to explore it. In 1981 the towncondemned the building. Thecleared property was sold for$26,000, a ranch style house built,and then enlarged. The propertysold in 2005 for almost $800,000.

Rock Hill Inn –New Meadows Road

Joseph Larrabee, who hailed froman old West Bath family, lived atLarrabee’s Grove, a property thatincluded 10 homes and cottagesalong the New Meadows River. Inaddition to renting his cottages,Joseph was well known locally forhis clambakes. With the loss by fireof the New Meadows Inn in 1937, herecognized an opportunity and built

the Rock Hill Inn. Theoriginal LowellSchool was moved tothe property andbecame the newrestaurant’s kitchen.He also purchasedthe original WestBath Grange andmoved it down to theshore for clambakes.

Continued on page 4


Rock Hill opened for business in1938. The 30' by 32' dining room hadbeautiful hardwood floors. Therewas an 8' piazza on three sides of thebuilding. The grounds were availablefor games and picnics, and there wasaccess to the shore for swimming,fishing, and boating. A full-courseshore dinner cost $1.50; a meal ofsteam clams was $1.35, and a lobsteror a steak dinner was $1.00.

In 1940, Larrabee closed the Inn,but continued running clambakes,became an insurance agent, and alsoa State Senator. He died in 1962.The inn, now a private home, is stillvisible on the New Meadows Roadjust before the West Bath School.

The front porch remains but the sideporches have been enclosed.

West Bath Grange –New Meadows Road

West Bath Grange #154 wasorganized in 1875. There were 22charter members; by 1900, member-ship had grown and a new large hallwas erected at Trufant’s Crossing,next to the railroad tracks. The two-story building, 66' by 24', was com-pleted in 1901, with a dining roomto accommodate about 180 people.The main hall on the second floorhad a large stage.

The Grange was a popular place.In the early 1900s there were about

200 members; by the ’40s, therewere nearly 800. Meetings were heldonce a week and delicious supperswere served. In fact, in 1905 theladies of the Grange put out the Har-vest Feast Cook Book with provenspecialties from those suppers. TheWest Bath Historical Society held apublic supper at the Grange in 2000,using recipes from that old cook-book; it was a huge success.

Entertainment ranged from mem-bers reporting on various farmthemes, to performing skits andplaying musical numbers. Drinking,smoking, gambling, and cussingwere not allowed. Despite that, theorganization played a huge part inthe social fabric of West Bath andthere were many holiday parties anddances. Lifelong friendships wereforged and marriages resulted fromthose Grange events.


West Bath, MaineA Place to Stay and a Bite to Eat


As many local farms disappeared,and TV and other entertainmentsevolved, fewer young people joinedthe organization. Membership hadsharply declined until, by 2000, therewere less than 100 members. TheGrange is still active, but on a muchsmaller scale. To help with upkeep, itis also leased to a local church.

Sabino Hall – Sabino RoadIn 1887 a group of men from Bath

started a summer colony at Sabino.They called themselves the BobtailClub. Their first clubhouse, builtnear the New Meadows shore, waslater sold and converted to a cottage.The colony continued to grow and in1922 the newly organized SabinoImprovement Association, Inc. heldtheir first meeting in the SabinoCommunity Hall, built on landdonated by the Bates family.

Every summer since,Sabino neighbors andfriends have gathered once aweek to share a potluck sup-per and some form of enter-tainment. Over the yearsthey have enjoyed field days,clambakes, square dances,games, auctions, and more.Each July the associationholds Sabino Fair, featuringcrafts, baked goods, and flea marketitems. In 2006 the Sabino Improve-ment Association printed a cook-book of favorite recipes served at thesuppers.

Idle Park Shore House –Brigham’s Cove

In the early 1900’s Idle Park ShoreHouse was listed in business directo-ries. The proprietor was MitchellFrye, who also ran the Meadow-

brook Inn in Phippsburg. Idle Parkwas open from the late 1800’s toabout 1908. Although there is littleinformation about the place, it wasknown locally for shore dinners. Atleast one of the small steamboatsthat ran in the area used to stopthere. The building was hit by light-

Sabino Hall in the 1920s

Continued on page 6


ning around 1909. Ralph and LucyDutton bought the property andbuilt a log home on the foundation;it is now owned by Stephanie Kinne.

Golden Ball Tavern –Berry’s Mill Road

Mr. Thomas F. Perkins was a verysuccessful local farmer. In 1895, theBath Enterprise reported that Mr.Perkins was building a greenhouse,190' by 30', with a 60 horsepowerboiler to furnish steam heat to growvegetables in the dead of winter. Thatgave him a significant edge overother farms, and he delivered both tolocal markets and the Boston area.

A 1905 news article stated thatthe Perkins home was one of thefinest in the area, with “… groundsabout it that give … the appearanceof the country place of somewealthy city man … At his homeMr. Perkins and his family have allthe comforts that money and goodjudgment procure …”

With this in mind, it’s hard toimagine that by the 1930s thePerkins farm was no more. Thehouse was bought and turned intothe Golden Ball Tavern. Local resi-dents remember it as a real “ginjoint” and hint at other nefariousgoings-on. We were unable to findmore information, probably becauseit was the kind of place everyoneknew about, but no one admittedvisiting. The Golden Ball lasted onlybriefly. In the late ’30s, it was torndown and later replaced by a smallwhite cape that still stands today.

Perkins Inn – Berry’s Mill RoadAcross the road from the original

Perkins place was the home of hisson, Dorman. In the 1930s Dormanand his wife Ada opened their homeas the Perkins Inn, a dedicatedrestaurant with no rooms availableand, probably no booze! Mrs.Perkins did all the cooking, special-izing in seafood dinners. It was onlyopen for a few years. Once again a

private house, its dining roomand front den were once usedas the large dining room for theinn.

The Grand View Hotel –Bull Rock Road

In 1902, a three-story, 40 roomhotel was built and owned by GeorgeSchoppie of Bath on a former farmproperty, bordered by the New Mead-ows River, Bull Rock and Foster’sPoint Road. The structure incorporat-ed milled lumber from the trees hehad cut from the woodlot. GrandView was a very popular summer des-tination, offering delicious shore din-ners, featuring fresh lobster stored ina lobster car floated on the river. Theinterior was finished in natural woodwith hardwood floors. The diningroom could seat 100 diners. Therewas a boat landing for visitors comingby water, and a coach team of horsesmet guests coming to the New Mead-ows area by electric cars.

Rumors hinted at the sale of ille-gal liquor in 1903, although thehotel was searched and nothingfound. There were also references toa brothel but, again, no proof. Thelocal paper exclaimed that GrandView was not the only place respon-sible for the condition of things inthe area. Business that had been sogood in the early years began to dropoff after the Bull Rock Bridge col-lapsed in 1906, but Schoppie contin-ued to run the inn until his death in1914 from consumption. He died atthe home of Mrs. Mary Belcher, wholived on Water Street in Bath, whereshe was rumored to run a house of illrepute. She was his mother.

From 1918 to ’24, the hotel wasrun by Mrs. Nettie Morrison of Bath.In 1926 it was purchased by WilliamWebster, Jr. who had some hotelexperience in the Boston area. Hechanged the name to Webster Housebut only ran the hotel through 1927.For the next several years it sat, stillfurnished but unused.

Fire seems to run through many ofthese tales. Shortly after midnighton November 30, 1932, WebsterHouse burned to the ground. Neigh-bors came to help, but all they coulddo was prevent sparks from ignitingnearby cottages. The hotel was atotal loss, including three boatsstored on the front porch, the docklanding that had been brought up onshore and the hotel’s ice house. Bythe time the Bath engine arrived allthey could do was keep the flamesfrom spreading in the high north-west wind. The fire’s cause wasnever determined, although therewas a suspicion of partying teens orcareless squatters.

Stepping Stones – New MeadowsRoad

An old home on the corner of OldBrunswick Road and Foster’s Point(now New Meadows Road) wastransformed in the 1930’s into a tearoom by Mrs. Helen Crosby. Asidefrom a vintage post card, advertisingthe spot as a place for afternoon teaas well as lobster and chicken din-ners, nothing else is known. A 1937newspaper reported that the attrac-tive dwelling known as SteppingStones had been sold from the estateof E.S. Crosby to Mr. and Mrs. JohnH. Grindell of Bath. The home wassaid to have all the modern conven-iences. The Grindells planned to useit as their permanent home whilethey ran the dining room at the BathCountry Club. Today, it is home toDonna and Sagadahoc Sheriff JoelMerry.


Grandview Hotel

Continued on page 7


Eat Drink & Be Merryin Old West BathContinued from page 6

CROSSING THE BARReid Perkins, 90, of Bath, died Jan2, at Hill House. He is survived by 3children, including Diane Delano &her husband Clinton of West Bath;17 grandchildren, 43 great-grand-children, and 11 great-great-grand-children. There was a gravesideservice on July 17 at his family’sresting place off Berry’s Mill Road inWest Bath.

Barbara (Brown) Roundy, 94, ofWest Bath, died Jan 10 at CovesEdge Nursing Home in Damariscot-ta. She was born in West Bath in1917, the daughter of Walter &Madelyn (Hunt) Brown, andattended West Bath schools andMorse High. A Mayflower descen-dant of John and Priscilla Alden,Barbara was a true Yankee, andspent her childhood between a Bathresidence and her beloved saltwaterfarm in West Bath. She earned a BAdegree from UMaine in 1939, andlived with her husband GeorgeRoundy of Walpole, Mass inLouisiana during WWII, and thenfor many years in Walpole, before

moving to Camden in 1960. Uponhis death, she moved back to WestBath to live with her sister, RuthHennessey. She attended the UCCChurch in Bath, and is rememberedfor her love of reading and opera,her generous spirit, and the highethical standards she taught herchildren. Barbara is survived by hersister, Ruth, a brother John Brown,and her six children, includingDavid Roundy of West Bath, as wellas 11 grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, a great-great-grand-daughter and many nieces andnephews.

George “Bud” Pilgrim, 84, of Bath,died Jan 17 at Mid Coast Hospital.Among his survivors are his son,Derek & his wife Victoria Pilgrimand their children, Zachary Pilgrim& his wife Nicole, Jesse Pilgrimand Gia Pilgrim, all of West Bath.

Eva Cartsunis Bottai, 94, of WestBath, died Jan 21 at Mid Coast Hos-pital. She was predeceased by herhusband, Louis Bottai, who died in2001. She is survived by a daughter,a son, two sisters, and many grand-children and grandchildren.

Margaret E. (Higgins) Williams,94, of West Bath, died Jan 22 atHawthorne House inn Freeport.Born in Southwest Harbor, she was adaughter of Fred and Ethel Higgins,and attended Bath schools. Shegraduated from Colby College in1938. Later she received a master’sdegree from UMaine Orono. Formany years she taught in public andprivate schools and universities inMaine and Florida until her retire-ment in 1977. In her free time, shewas active with Literacy Volunteers,a member of the United Church ofChrist, and a life member of theMaine Maritime Museum. She waspredeceased by her husband of 55years, Owen Williams in 1998. Sur-viving are two sons, includingJames B. Williams & his wife Eliza-beth of West Bath; four grandsons,one great-grandson; a sister-in-lawand several nieces and nephews.

Merle L. Hathorne, 87, died Feb 1.Among his many survivors are his

daughter, Fay Labbe, & his sister-in-law, Betty (Giles) Richardson bothof West Bath.

Harry D. Hansen, 94, of Stratford,CT. died Feb 7. Among his survivorsare his granddaughter JenniferMitchell & her husband Gerald,and a great grandchild, DavidMitchell, of West Bath.

Marilyn Voorhees Hansen, 74,died Feb 7. Among her survivors is adaughter, Rachel & her husbandJames Thelen, of West Bath.

Eleanor Ashby, 73, died Feb 8. For-merly of Freeport, she lived with herdaughter Joyce Mathews and hergrandchildren, Kimmy, Kasey andJohn, in West Bath. In 1960, shemarried Vernon Ashby, nowdeceased. Among her four children,in addition to Joyce, is VernonAshby, also of West Bath.

James Thomas Wyman, 73, ofWest Bath, died unexpectedly onFeb 14. He grew up in Phippsburgand worked for many years at BIW.Among his survivors is his daughter,Alice & her husband JonathanBickford, of West Bath.

Graydon M. Smith, 84, of WestBoothbay, died Feb 13. Born in WestBath in 1926, the son of Cleveland &Alice Green Smith, and attendedBath Schools. In his senior year, hejoined the US Navy. After dischargein 1946, he returned to school toearn a diploma. He was employed byBIW for many years. Survivorsinclude his wife, Nancy Miller Smith,five daughters; nine grandchildrenand several great grandchildren.

Virgina Mullany, 93, of Bath Road,died March 6. Among her survivorsis her granddaughter, Tagen Mur-phy of West Bath.

Elizabeth Kennedy Bates, 90, ofBrunswick, died March 13. Amongher survivors: a son, Byron Bates,of West Bath.

William Clarence Purington, 81,of Brunswick, died March 19. Hewas known locally for his writtenhistory of West Bath. Survivorsinclude his brother, The Rev. Dr.James A. Purington & his wife,Clara, of West Bath.

Gil’s Seafood Grille –State Road at Berry’s Mill Road

At the top of Witch Spring Hill, atea room called The Oaks was listedin the 1946 phone directory,operated by Mrs. Hazel Robbins. Bythe early ’50s Trude and Aline Gilleywere running the restaurant, whichthey re-named Gil’s Seafood Grille.They served basic American food,and a quirky deep fried hot dog,known locally as a West Bath scallop.Open year-round, Gil’s was verypopular, with standard seafood andsteak dinners as well as offering abanquet venue for bowling leagues,Brunswick Naval Air Station parties,etc. The couple ran the restaurantuntil the early 1970s. Trude Gilleypassed away in 1989. ▲ Continued on page 8


Daniel L. Lord, Jr., 90, of Bath,died April 8. An executive for 30years at Hyde Windlass, and then atLL Bean, Lord was also a trustee andthen Chairman of Bath Savings. Heand his wife Eva had a cottage atSabino for many years.

Mary “Betty” Elizabeth Ames, 85,died April 8. Among her survivorsare two daughters, Ann Bradburyof Washington, DC and West Bath,and Mary “Beth” Elizabeth Brew-er of West Bath.

Pearl D. Noble Goodwin, 92, diedApril 9 at Mid Coast Hospital.Among her survivors is a daughter,Doreen & her husband KeithFitzgerald of West Bath.

Karen E. Ingalls, 48 of FostersPoint Road, died April 21 at herhome. She was born in Boston, adaughter of Richard and Janet(Campbell) Worcester. She graduat-ed from Marshwood High in Eliot,Maine and from USM. A CPA by pro-fession, she worked for firms inPortland, Bath and Brunswickbefore starting her own accountingbusiness at home in West Bath. Shewas predeceased by her husband,Gregory Ingalls. Survivors includeher mother and father, a brother,and two stepchildren.

Norman H. Sanford, 77, of NewMeadows Road died May 4 at homesurrounded by his wife, family andbeloved companion Patches the bea-gle by his side. He was born in Bath,a son of William and Hazel (Martin)Sanford Sr. He graduated fromMorse High in 1954 and wasemployed as a pipefitter and shopsteward at BIW, retiring after 43years in 1997. He and his wife,Betty, traveled extensively in theirRV motor home after retirement. Hewas predeceased by one son, Grego-ry Sanford, and two sisters. In addi-tion to his wife, he is survived by hisdaughter Maria, & Lawence“Buddy” Renaud of West Bath, twobrothers including Donald Sanford& his wife Rowena of West Bath,ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He is buried atOrchid Hill Cemetery in West Bath.

Kenneth Guy Harris, 80, of LisbonFalls died May 13. He was born inWest Bath in 1930, a son of Kennethand Ruth (Parker) Harris. He waseducated in Lisbon and then proudlyserved in the US Navy. In 1951, hemarried Arlene Jones, and operatedKen’s Auto sales for many years. Heenjoyed antique autos and visitingantique auto shows. In addition to hiswife, he is survived by two sons, a sis-ter, a brother, 7 grandchildren, 5great-grandchildren.

Seth Harwood, 28, of Bath passedaway May 13 in St Luke Hospital inFountain Hill, Pal, where he wasworking as a medical assistant. Inaddition to his wife of two years,Mary (Huber), he is survived by hisparents and stepfather, two chil-dren, a sister, and two brothersincluding Josh Harwood & his wifeTara of West Bath.

Antoinette M. Ross, 85 of Bath diedMay 19 at Mid Coast Hospital.Among her survivors is a son,Thomas Ross of West Bath.

Ethel Pearl Rogers, 89, of Bruns wick,died June 21 at Parkview Hospital.Among her survivors is one of her fivechildren, Methyl Merry of West Bath.

Robert Foye Berry, 66, of Bath,died at Maine Med on June 28.Among his survivors, his son BobBerry and his daughter JacquelineBerry, both of West Bath, and hisstepfather, Jonathan James Sea-man, also of West Bath.

Catherine J. (Doig) Wyman, 93, ofSunnybrook Village in Brunswickdied on June 23. Among her sur-vivors is a daughter, Catherine W.Powers of West Bath.

Jerome (“Red”) Clement Cloutier,87, of South Portland died July 1.Among his many survivors is a son,Christopher Cloutier & his wifeLori of West Bath.

CDR Frank Thelen III, Ret., 72, ofRichmond, died July 13. Among hissurvivors is his son, James Thelenof West Bath.

Gerard J. Lavalle, 79, of West Bath,died July 19. He was born inBrunswick, the oldest of 7 childrenborn to Francis Lavalle Sr. and Juli-ette Therien Lavalle. He attendedlocal schools before enlisting in the

US Army National Guard during theKorean Conflict in 1950. He workedat BIW, retiring in 1994 to spendwinters in Florida. He is survived byhis wife of 60 years, Dorothy(Landry) Lavallee, four children,11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A private burial withmilitary honors was held at theMaine Veterans Memorial Cemeteryin Augusta following a funeral serv-ice at the Brunswick Seventh-DayAdventist Church.

Thomas George Underwood, Sr.,79, died July 14 after a brave fightwith cancer. He was born in TenantsHarbor, grew up in Bath and gradu-ated from Morse High in 1950, anoutstanding athlete in football, base-ball and ice hockey. That same yearhe married classmate JosephineMcIntire, and then worked for manyyears at BIW, ending as a First Classdesigner, and in 1977 became thefirst Marine Drafting instructor atMorse. He was also Assistant Varsityfootball Coach for six years, as wellas JV Head Coach. He was active invarious roles at Morse over the years,including Driver Ed instructor for 18years. “Mr. Underwood” was one ofMorse’s most admired teachers. Healso helped develop many athleticprograms for kids in Bath. Among hissurvivors is a son, Todd Underwood& his wife Pamela of West Bath.

Roland Lucien Brilliant, 76, ofBrunwick, died August 7. Amonghis survivors is a daughter, MariaMorris & her husband Rob of WestBath, who is West Bath Town Clerk.

Martha Helena Carter Davis, 73,of Woolwich, died August 19.Among her survivors is a daughter,Yvonne Colby & her husband Tonyof West Bath.

Mary Ann Elwell, 74, of PortOrange, FL, died Aug 22. Amongher many survivors is a son, BeauElwell & his wife Traci of WestBath.

Nancy Temple Woodhouse, 69, ofBath, died Aug 29. Among her sur-vivors is her brother, Bruce Temple& his wife Suzanne of West Bath.

Dudley Howard Leavitt Sr., 82, ofTopsham died Aug 27 at his home.His brother, Patrick Grover of WestBath is among his survivors. ▲

Crossing the BarContinued from page 7


CHANNELBUOYSBIRTHSEmilia Erin Polizotto,born Jan 25 to Marc & Rosemary(Cunningham) Polizotto, Woolwich.Grandparents include MaryCunningham, West Bath.Brystal Francis Marie Gallant,born Feb 8 to Jason Gallant & SusanCoombs, Lisbon. Grandparentsinclude Betty Coombs, West Bath.Katherine Elizabeth Rand, bornMarch 3 to Charlene Elaine(Chesley) & Jason Todd Rand ofWest Bath.Hannah Charlotte Gillespie, bornApril 1 to Peter & Elizabeth(Michaels) Gillespie, Brunswick.Grandparents include StuartGillespie, West Bath. Boyd Joseph Rowe, born April 6 toLonny & Sarah (Fowler) Rowe,Woolwich. Grandparents includeHeidi Fowler, West Bath.Keegan Edward Hudson, born May14 to Natasha (Welch) & PeterEdward Hudson of West Bath.Owen Robert Hanson, born May 17to Michael & Nadine Hanson,Lewiston. Grandparents includeRobert & Cheryl Dawns, West Bath.

Lucas James Lemont, born June 3to Amanda Marie (Lemont) & DavidMichael Desmond. Grandparentsinclude Jay & Francis Lemont, and

Great Grandmother, ElaineLemont, West Bath.

SPECIAL BIRTHDAYThelma Sylvester, who lives at thePlant Home in Bath, turned 104 onMay 10. While she spent much ofher life in Bath, she lived for manyyears with her late son Donald andhis wife at Sabino. A 1926 graduateof Morse High, she was very activeover the years at the West BathGrange. During her teens and earlyadult years, she faithfully rode thetrolley to the hall every Monday fora social gathering at 7 pm. It wasthere that she met her husband,John. The last trolley left for Bath at11 pm, and they would often behaving so much fun they would haveto walk home!

ANNIVERSARIESRay & Jean Mann celebrated their65th anniversary in March of thisyear. Ray, who grew up in Old Town,and Jean, in Bath, met in 1942 atthe Opera House Theater in Bath.Jean was sitting in front of Ray andher hat blocked his view of themovie. Apparently Ray didn’t mindbecause, except for Ray’s combatservice in WWII, they’ve been

ACADEMICMILESTONESGraduates:Brittany Lee: The College ofWooster, in Ohio, on May 16.Michelle Lynn Sanborn & ShannonLandry: UMaine Augusta in May.Corey Underwood: Thomas Col-lege, Waterville; also named todean’s list for spring semester. Heather Card, Robert Howard &Timothy McCabe: South MaineCommunity College.Casandra Green: BeckerCollege,Worcester, MA.

inseparable ever since. After thewar, Ray & Jean were married, andowned Ray’s Watch Shop in Bathuntil they retired in 1989. They havetwo children, Jackie & her husbandNed Myers of Murfreesboro, Tenn.,and Linda & her husband AlvinHowe, of West Bath. The Manns areliving with their daughter inMurfreesboro, but they still have ahome in West Bath and a cottage inPhippsburg. Kenneth Pepper & HarrietMurdock Pepper celebrated their60th wedding anniversary in June.Harriet, who was a collegeprofessor, and Kenneth, a buildingcontractor, are both retired. Theyhave two children, five grand -children and one great-grandchild.Francis & Gwendolyn (Godcher)Zaborowski of West Bath celebratedtheir 50th wedding anniversary inAugust. Gwenis a retirednurse; Fran,also retired,spent 38 yearsin the com-puter industrywith IBM andHDS. Theyhave six chil-dren, scatteredfrom Maine toColorado, and14 grand -children. ▲

Francis &GwendolynZaborowski

Morse High Class of 2011 topscholars included Alyssa Baxter.She has been a contributing writerto The Times Record, and hopes tocontinue a career in media ateither George Washington or ElonUniversity. The daughter of Mike& Tammy Baxter, she served asan officer of the school’s InteractClub, and volunteered for variouslocal fund raisers. She has workedat JR Maxell restaurant, andearned academic awards in Eng-lish, French, art, science andmath; she also won the St. AnselmBook Award. ▲

Dean’s ListEmily Powers, named to first honorsdean’s list for spring 2011 semesterat Clark University in Worcester, MA. Chelsea Coffin, Amber Kienstra,Kathleen Kienstra, Julia Knowles,Kristin Orr & Maura Walker,named to spring dean’s list, U ofMaine. Morgana Warner-Evans was hon-ored with the Student Book Awardfrom the Pejepscot Historical Socie-ty, an annual recognition of under-grad students who have “embracedthe spirit of inquiry and demonstrat-ed a love of history.” A top student atMt Ararat High, she, along with hersister, researched, wrote and per-

formed a play, “Le Moulin” aboutexperiences of French-Canadians inBrunswick’s Cabot Mill. ▲


THE MIDDLE GROUNDWest Bath Historical Society

PO Box 394Bath, Maine 04530

Meeting Notifications: Residentswho would like an e-mail notifica-tion of any Town or Committee worksession or other public meeting maysubmit their email address to theTown Clerk at [email protected], or call us at 443-4342.

– Rob Morris, Town Clerk

Check Out theWBHS on the Web!

The Town of West Bath maintainsan excellent website, which has a

special section devoted to the WestBath Historical Society. Restorationefforts for the Littlefield School areshown, along with news and a list ofour board members. We are addinghistorical photos and stories to thesite. Most important, all back issuesof The Middle Ground can be foundthere. Go to westbath.gov and enjoy!▲

Reminder: Dog Licensing renewalsfor the 2012 year began on October15, 2011, with a start date of Janu-ary 1, 2012. Those dog owners whodo not renew their licenses by Febru-ary 1 will be charged a $25.00 latefee in addition to license fees.

2012 Boat Registrations will beginDecember 1. Note a new option:Boat re-registrations for West Bathresidents may now be done on-lineat http://www.maine.gov/ifw/!Snowmobile Registrations for 2012are available now.

Please note that any unpaid 2009property taxes will go to foreclosureon January 13, 2012.

THE MIDDLE GROUNDVol. 12, No. 2 • Fall/Winter 2011

Published by theWest Bath Historical Society

PO Box 394, Bath, Maine 04530Board of Trustees & Editors:Avery Hunt Meyers, President

Pete Guild, Treasurer/SecretaryBob Bittner, Raisa Bittner, Ivon Boyer,

Cindy Fahay, Sally Graves, Nicole NelsonKerry Nelson, Archivist; BettyFitzjarrald, Littlefield AdvisorContributors: Kerry Nelson,

Rob MorrisDesigner: Tim Nason

Distribution: Carol & Bill HochgesangWe publish researched historical

materials, local news and events thatmay be of later historical interest.

We do not print gossip, paidadvertising or political opinion.

To provide news items, historicalphotos or documents, or FMI, contact

Avery (443.4449)or Kerry (443.5118)

Lund’s Grove / O’Brien’s Hamburgers –State RoadIn the late 1950’s, an eatery called Lund’sGrove stood at the corner of New BrunswickRoad (now State Road) and Foster’s Point.It was was open only a few years. In 1965, itbecame O’Brien’s Hamburgers. Localsremember both of them as similar toMcDonald’s. In fact, the arrival of aMcDonald’s in Brunswick likely led toO’Brien’s demise.

TOWNCRIER

daily life & history of west bath,...

Documents