Remembering the Kennebunks

by Kathleen Ostrander

Overview

The Kennebunks—the phrase evokes peace, ocean breezes and small-town pride. In this captivating collection of vignettes, Kennebunk town historian Kathleen Ostrander reveals another side of the area's allure: its rich and varied past. From an account of the amateur astronomer whose name now graces the Bates College Observatory to the origins of Kennebunk's encyclopedic Walker Diaries, Ostrander offers a tour of the area's historical highlights. She notes the mysterious creature once said to live in the Kennebunk River, treasures hidden in fireplaces and under floorboards and the scandalous murder trial of 1866, during which the wife of deceased doctor, drunk, and temperance supporter Charles Swett was imprisoned on the testimony of her own daughter. Through quirky tales and serious sketches, Ostrander offers an affectionate portrait of the Kennebunks sure to charm and inform.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596297074
Publisher:	History Press, The
Publication date:	06/26/2009
Series:	American Chronicles Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Kathleen Ostrander is the Town Historian of Kennebunk, an appointed position honoring her work to preserve local history. Her weekly column, "Paging through History," appeared in the York County Coast Star from 2002-2006. She is the archivist for the Kennebunk Free Library's Ken Joy Photographic Collection and formerly held a similar position with the Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk's main historical repository. She has designed several exhibits for the museum and presents occasional lectures on area history. She is the author of Arcadia's Kennebunk and a member of the Kennebunk Art Guild. She also works as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker and serves on the town's Bicentennial Committee.

Table of Contents

Preface 7

The Baxter Bible 9

The House that Sank 11

The Furbish Twins 14

Buckskin Sam 16

Hidden in the Fireplace 18

The Way Way Shop 20

The Butland Homestead 22

Fought with John Paul Jones 24

Hometown Baseball Stars 27

Romance of the Sawdust 30

Fear in 1940 33

Elias Hutchins-The Old Sailor 36

The 27th Maine 39

Drakes Island 40

Sea Creatures of New England Waters 43

Old Bet 46

Roscoe Stephens and His Telescope 48

Scandinavian Influence 50

Days of Prohibition 53

Civil War Story 55

The Walker Diaries 59

Boon Island 61

The Witch's Grave 64

The KKK in Maine 66

The Murder of Dr. Swett 69

Tragic Death of Lizzie Bourne 71

The Doc Snow Gang 73

The Cat Mill 75

The King's Marker 77

The Real Scarlet Letter 80

Keeping Up with Madelyn Marx 81

Nelson Wentworth 84

Robert Canney Sr. 87

The Loss of the Thresher 90

Two Mysteries in Eliot 92

The Alfred Jail 94

Twelve o'Clock High 96

Vision of Mars 99

Slavery in Maine 101

Witch Trot Land 103

William Barry 105

The Kennebunkport Playhouse 109

The Saco Drive-In Theatre 111

Captain James Fairfield 114

If Trees Could Talk 117

Labor Day Remembered 118

Our Native American History 120

Remedies and Afflictions 122

Odd Sayings and Their Origins 124

About the Author 127