Spirit of America Award Presented to the Lyman Cemetery Committee
On November 15, the Lyman Cemetery Committee was honored as a recipient of a Spirit of America Award for York County. One of the recipients is Pricilla Miles, also a member of our Lyman Historical Society. Their many accomplishments were described in the nomination by the Lyman Select Board and read by our county commissioner, Donna Ring. Lyman is so fortunate that this group of volunteers keeps our history alive by the preservation of the historic monuments in our town. Thank you for your efforts and congratulations on this honor!
Cousens Memorial School Presentation
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Pat Littlefield provided a short presentation on Horace Cousens, the town’s primary benefactor for the Cousens Memorial School along with a re-cap of the history of the school from its initial conception to what it’s being used for today. Here is the video of that presentation.On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Pat Littlefield provided a short presentation on Horace Cousens, the town’s primary benefactor for the Cousens Memorial School along with a re-cap of the history of the school from its initial conception to what it’s being used for today. Here is the video of that presentation.
Click on each picture for a closer look.
Our Weekend at Funky Bow
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table at Funky Bow with donations and the purchase of raffle tickets. Congratulations to the winners! Your support helps fund our community events, the archiving of historic materials, and works towards our goal of having a place of our own. With a space, we could display our many materials in a Museum of Lyman.
Murphy Family Presentation
ACTON FAIR 2023!!!!
During our four days at the Acton Fair 2023, many visitors stopped by to look at the display about the six regiments in which York County soldiers served at Gettysburg. Also depicted was the story of the 27th Maine regiment. It was a great time meeting people who appreciate history. Thank you to the Acton Fair Museum staff for inviting us. See you next year!
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CELEBRATING MEMORIAL DAY!!!!
We had a great day with our friends and family on Memorial Day, watching the parade and presentations. Many thanks for donations to our society and to the Travis Mills Foundation. The Foundation provides disabled veterans and their families with recreational experiences at their centers where all activities are accessible and all-inclusive to give families time together. Please visit their website at foundation @travismillsfoundation.org A link will be added here in the near future.
LIBRARY CRAFT FAIR
Thanks for visiting our table on a chilly Saturday for the Community Library Craft Fair. We appreciate your continued support and hope to see you at future events!
LYMAN'S PART IN MAINE'S LOGGING AND SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRIES
At our 6-7 “Historical Sharing” at July’s meeting, member Evelyn Lord talked about Lyman’s timber harvesting and logging past (17th -19th centuries). During the early days of Lyman’s settlement, its economy was based on logging winter to spring and farming summer to fall. During the winter months, lumberjacks and in some camps, lumber “jennies”, cut timber and loaded it on sleds to be hauled to local grist or sawmills or shipyards, one belonging to John Bourne in Kennebunk. He and his partner, Kingsbury, had a thriving business. It must have been quite a sight to see loggers having traveled all through the winter night bringing their timber to sell to Bourne at his home and shipyard on Summer Street! Interestingly, Bourne lived in the home (the Waldo Emerson home) previously owned by Theodore Lyman
As the spring thaw created roaring rivers, the timber was harvested and sent downstream to sawmills, grist mills, and further on to shipyards. The men would balance themselves on top to prevent log jams. As the logs moved, sometimes they would fall through. If they fell in, they might drown because they couldn’t find an opening through the logs, or they could get crushed. Both winter and spring logging was dangerous work.
The logging camps were a variety of sizes, but the people all had the same basic jobs: two choppers worked to cut down the same tree, knotters limbed the trees, swampers cut brush and cleaned to area to make work easier, teamsters and yard rollers brought the logs to a central location to pile them up for transport, and a cook.
The loggers were considered essential to making the economy run. Included with them were seamen, builders, carpenters, blacksmiths, caulkers, sailmakers, teamsters, and farmers. They had been, since colonial times, the “lifeblood of the economy…the guardians of trade.” It became necessary to organize in the early 20th century into the Teamsters Union.
You can read more in these sources:
The Wedding cake House: The World of George W. Bourne by Thomas Murphy
https://teamsters.orghttps://gwlibraries.org
www.maineforestry.ne
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2023 GRADUATES OF MASSABESIC HIGH SCHOOL! MUCH SUCCESS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO AVA GERARD, THE RECIPIENT OF THE SOCIETY'S FIRST ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP! AT OUR JULY MONTHLY MEETING, PRESIDENT MILLETT DAY AND TREASURER JOANNE JOHNSTON PRESENTED AVA WITH A CHECK IN THE AMOUNT OF $1000. AVA, A 2023 GRADUATE OF MASSABESIC HIGH SCHOOL, WILL BE ATTENDING THE MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES WHERE SHE WILL BE STUDYING TO BECOME A MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER. AVA IS THE DAUGHTER OF GARRETT AND LAURIE GERARD. PICTURED BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: AVA HER MOM, LAURIE, MILLETT DAY, AND JOANNE JOHNSTON.
TWO WOMEN, TWO COUNTRIES BOOK TALK WITH AUTHOR, IRENE SINGLE
Many thanks to Irene Single for talking with our members and visitors about her wonderful book. Her book starts in late 1800’s Canada with her 15-year-old great-grandmother Alice’s marriage to an older man. Her new husband would care for Alice and her family would be better able to provide a life for her siblings at home. The sudden death of her husband led to her having to move with her young children Sanford, ME where others they knew had settled. Irene describes the everyday hardships and the simple acts of love and care that are woven throughout. Their financial stability was tied to the textile mills and shoe shops, with long, hard days. The faith, perseverance, and courage helped the family grow and serves as an inspirational picture of those who moved here from Quebec. Comments from the group helped illustrate the common experiences of French-Canadian families who came to the U.S. to make a living due to the decline of farming as a food and income source. The soil had become depleted so the yield was less and less.
Irene’s book is available at the Community Library in Lyman. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please message us on Facebook or send an email to lymanhistoricalsociety@gmail.org
The History of Lyman
Please check back for additions to this section to learn more about our town’s rich history.
Millet Day, president of Lyman Historical Society and member, Steve Lord, from the Lyman recently offered a class on the early history of Lyman, from the town’s incorporation, its relationship with Theodore Lyman, and how it got its name.
This adult ed class was held at Massabesic High School and very well attended.
Thank you to both of them for their dedication to preserving and sharing the history of the Town of Lyman!
These are a few more of our past events from 2019 to 2022
Meet and Greet For the Public: October, 2019
Funky Bow Fundraisers: August, 2019 and August, 2022
The Fire of ’47 Presentation at the Community Library: October, 2019
Event Honoring Lyman’s Veterans: November, 2019
Membership Picnics