8 - - Spring 2018 Volume 19, No. 1 *** Spring 2018 West Bath Town Hall will be closed Monday, May 28th Published by the for Memorial Day. West Bath Historical Society SPRING 2018 • PUBLISHED BY THE WEST BATH HISTORICAL SOCIETY PO Box 394, Bath, Maine 04530 Light’s out on Foster’s Point Road Town (Budget) Meeting will be held Tuesday, May 29th Board of Trustees: NOR’EASTER WREAKS at 6:00pm at the West Bath School. Amy Wesson, President HAVOC ON NEW ENGLAND The Primary Election and West Bath School Budget Pam Mayo, Secretary Treasurer Validation will both be held Tuesday, June 12th from Avery Hunt, VP & Editor LAST OCTOBER; WEST 8am to 8pm. If you are interested in becoming a ballot Sally Graves, Recording Secretary clerk for the Election to work a 4-hour shift, contact Bob Bittner, Raisa Bittner, BATH HIT HARD me at 443.4342. Beth Brewer, Leah Zartarian Pete Guild, Treasurer Emeritus, Who can forget the howling storm of October, 2017? Town Hall will close at noon on Monday, June 30th for Kerry Nelson, Archivist; Huge winds came screaming out of the northeast, fast Fiscal Year-End processing. Betty Fitzjarrald, Littlefield School Advisor and furiously. In its aftermath, on Monday, Oct 30th, nearly two-thirds of Maine was without power. The 30-day notices for 2017 outstanding taxes will be ferocious storm caused widespread damage though mailed July 1st before liens are filed. For more infor- Contributors: Bob Bittner, Madelyn Hennessey, Kerry Nelson, Karly Perry the state. The high winds gusted at speeds well over mation contact the Tax Collector at 50 mph. Portland recorded a blast of 69 mph, while [email protected]. Design & Print: Ash Kahrl, Bath Printing Co. Distribution: The WBHS Board South Bristol had one of the highest gusts in the state If you would like to receive weekly email notifications -- 71 mph. for upcoming meetings and events, email me at We publish researched historical materials, local According to CMP, they were facing the largest number [email protected]. news and events that may be of later historical of outages in the company’s 118 year history --more interest. We don’t print advertising, gossip or than double those from the destructive 1998 New Eng- - Karly Perry, Town Clerk, Registrar of Voters, political opinion. To offer news items, land ice storm. There were so many downed wires that Deputy Tax Collector historical photos or documents, or FMI, contact they had to deal with safety issues before they could Amy (389.4498) or Kerry (443.5118) even think about restoring power. n And don’t we remember that! Most of West Bath had no power for days – West Bath Historical Society some even as long as a Annual Meeting & Potluck Supper week. The Coastal Jour- nal reported that gov- ernment office, schools, Please join us for a brief business meeting, including election of many roads, and even board members, followed by the program, Bath Iron Works shut William J. Hennessey: down completely for first The First of the Hennesseys in West Bath shift Monday morning. By Madelyn Hennessey, West Bath And don’t we remember that! Most of West Bath had no power for days – some even as long as a week. The Coastal Journal reported that govern- ment office, schools, many roads, and even Bath Iron Works shut down completely for first shift Monday morning. Here are a few pictures to prove it, taken by officials at Town Hall to document the extent of the damage,n as well as some taken by local residents. The Hennessey property has always been a beehive of activities, always with lots of children. The history of the farm, the story of William J. Hennessey, and of all the Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 6 PM relatives will be the subject of the WBHS Annual Meeting, Old West Bath Meeting House presented by Madelyn Hennessey. This picture of a gala picnic on the farm with Eugene and Nellie Brown making 680 Berry’s Mill Road, West Bath ice cream with Walter’s children, and Walter’s wife, Mad- elyn Hunt Brown, is one of the many Madelyn will share. The meeting is free and open to all. Donations welcome. This photo was taken around 1894. For coordination of potluck contributions, please call Leah at 443-5907. For more information, call Amy at 389-4498. 2 - - Spring 2018 Spring 2018 - 7 WEST BATH SCHOOL STUDENTS VISIT WITCH SPRING CEMETERY On Friday, May 4th, the third grade class at our West Bath el- Julia Blackwell earned the fall 2017 ementary school paid a special visit to the historic Witch Spring We are lucky in West Bath to have many excellent cooks, and Dean’s Award with Distinction at Colgate Cemetery on Berry’s Mill Road. They were guided by their teach- many of them are staunch supporters of the West Bath Historical University. Society. er, Lori Sawyer, and the students had two “missions”. Alesha M. Aucoin made the Honors List The first was to spend an hour or so (armed with gloves, rakes Evelyn Dunphy of Foster’s Point Road is one great example. A and energy!) cleaning up the cemetery grounds, as part of Better at Husson University for the fall 2017 se- talented and well-known artist, she was very generous in our mester. World Day community service. Their second was a quick lesson early days by creating and donating a brilliant watercolor of the on the history of who is buried there, given by members of the Old West Bath Meeting House, which hangs today just inside the Hannah E. Rosetti was named to the Students in serious clean-up mode! West Bath Historical Society. front door. We have replicated that painting in small color prints Dean’s List at Husson University for the Also on hand was Ashley Randall, representing the WB cemetery committee; she is also a school and greeting cards, as a fund raiser over the years. So it is only fall 2017 semester. board member. Then the kids got to spend a bit of time doing some grave rubbings on the old historic fitting that we honor Evelyn with a reprint of her colorful scone stones. “These are really cool and really old”, said one student as he rubbed a charcoal stick on a large recipe. Morgan Quigg was named to the Dean’s piece of heavy which paper, to see the engraving on the stone come to life. Mrs. Sawyer was also given a List at the University of Vermont for the more detailed written version of the cemetery’s history, which she was going to share with the class later. EVELYN DUNPHY’S ORANGE SCONES fall 2017 semester. Here are a few of the facts they learned, with thanks to WBHS archivist, Kerry Nelson: 2 cups all-purpose flour Hannah Bonine and Madison MacDon- * The land was conveyed to the Second Parish of Georgetown (which was what West Bath was part of at 1 tablespoon sugar ald, were both named to the Dean’s List that time), circa 1760, by Capt. Nathaniel Donnell who is buried there along with several family members. 1 tablespoon baking powder at the University of Southern Maine for the Capt. Donnell owned 3480 acres of land. 1/2 teaspoon salt fall 2017 semester. * There are said to be many unmarked graves here. 1/4 cup cold butter 1/4 cup orange juice Corey Underwood completed his degree * Construction of an early meetinghouse (now long gone) on the site of the cemetery requirements at Maine Maritime Academy, 1/4 cup heavy cream (although I used milk) was begun in 1760 and finished two years later. It was two stories high and had a and was awarded a B.S. in Marinen Engi- porch -- the largest building in the area at that time. 2 eggs, lightly beaten, divided in two neering Operations, Cum Laude. * Members of the parish contributed materials and labor. Isaiah Crooker was the Grated rind of one orange blacksmith who made the nails for the building in his blacksmith shop on High 1/2 cup finely chopped dates or dried currants (I prefer dates) Street. He is buried there. Major David Shaw made and laid all of the shingles. The Sugar for sprinkling most expensive material was the window glass which had to be manufactured in Boston and brought to Bath by ship. * There were several temporary clergymen; then in 1767, Rev. Francis Winter ac- Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter Helping a student with a until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center cepted the invitation to preach at the meeting house, and he served as minister for grave rubbing twenty years. His family lived in a house on Berry’s Mill Road near Mill Cove. While in West Bath, he served and add orange juice, cream, 1 egg and orange rind. Stir until Oscar Ulysses Nesbitt, born Sept 21, as a selectman and as Town Clerk. He was also a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He, his wife Abigail, dry ingredients are moistened. Add dates and stir to distrib- 2017 to Robert M. and Heather R. (Dur- and other family members are buried there. Rev. Winter’s grave sits about where the pulpit of the meeting- ute. The mixture will be crumbly. Press into a ball, then turn kee) Nesbitt of Brunswick. Grandparents house was. onto floured board and knead until dough holds together. Roll include Michael & Candyce Nesbitt of into a rectangle and cut into 10 triangles by cutting dough into West Bath.