Those who came before, Remembered and Forgotten

Sun, 10/08/2023 - 11:15am

Ed O’Brien

Hills Cemetery, overlooking Pitcher Pond (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Maplewood, along Ducktrap (Canaan) Road. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Fletcher Cemetery on High Street (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Little Mary Sylvester’s stone, uncovered deep in the woods off a forgotten road. It reads: “Mary F. Daughter of Wm H and Susan Sylvester Died November 15, 1847 AE 5 months” (Courtesy of the Lincolnville Historical Society)

Hills Cemetery, overlooking Pitcher Pond (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Maplewood, along Ducktrap (Canaan) Road. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Fletcher Cemetery on High Street (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

I was always fascinated by cemeteries. A bit morbid some might say, but as a child I was mildly obsessed by the old Colonial gravestones, with their winged skulls and weeping angels. I remember walking through local burial grounds as a child, reading the stones and imagining the lives those people lived, in the same place as me, in what seemed like an impossibly long ago time.

There is evidence that we have been finding ways to honor loved ones departed from life for as long as we have been human. How many of our most ancient and valued monuments, in some way, were created to remember the dead?

I recall the cemeteries of Taiwan, beautiful monuments along the hillsides; Tomb-Sweeping day is a spring holiday, where families clean up their family tombs and remember their ancestors. I spent a semester studying archaeology in Ireland, and while there is some debate on whether the primary function of the megalithic tombs dotting that island were primarily burial sites, I was especially remember the cillini.

Cillin, plural cillini, is Irish Gaelic for small church. I visited several of these early Irish churches, neglected for over 1,000 years, and within their churchyards were evidence of more recent burials, with rough head and foot stones piteously close together. With religious practices preventing the unbaptized from being buried within consecrated ground, unbaptized infants were often laid to rest within the “unofficially” sacred ground of an ancient church. I found this incredibly sad, but also beautiful, and it has stuck with me through the years.

In this little town, there are many cemeteries, some well known and still in use, most fully in the realm of forgotten places. I want to state clearly upfront: unless you can see the cemetery from the road, it is most likely on private land, and you would need to seek the landowner’s permission. In other words if you want to explore, stick to the main roads.

Of the 23 or so cemeteries in this little town, only seven are still active, and all are run by private organizations. Contact the town if you want more information or have questions about cemeteries in town. If they can’t help you, they can put you in touch with someone who can, likely a member of the Cemetery Trustees, a town board tasked with upkeep and maintenance of town burial grounds.

They also keep a record of where all the veterans lie, and even those abandoned graves deep in the woods will be adorned with American Flags for Memorial Day. A general rule, though: Don’t take it upon yourself to maintain a cemetery without being in contact with the town, unless, of course, it is your own family plot. And especially do not alter the stones in any way, as there are very specific techniques for cleaning and repairing old grave markers.

Do explore those grounds near the roads. And check out the Lincolnville Historical Society’s website where Coralyn Senn does an amazing job detailing each known burial ground in Lincolnville and a few over the boarder in Northport, even the ones which are on private land and cannot be visited.

The LHS has on their site a list of known burials, which can also be accessed by scanning the QR code posted at the cemeteries themselves.

One hidden grave that can be visited, as it lies on public land, is the stone for little Mary Sylvester, which was found deep in the woods by hunters, off a forgotten road.

It has since been propped against a tree, near to the cellar hole of a home which was known to belong to the Sylvester family. Was the stone, broken at the base, brought from somewhere else? Did William and Susan Sylvester decide to bury their little girl on a pretty spot near their farm? Are more stones hidden beneath the brush? A story lost in time.

And there are stories to be found among the stones. I have reached the age where I knew many of the people who are names in granite. Those stories are preserved in those who loved them. Then there are other stories, implied. So many young children, so many women of child-bearing age. So many old men, with multiple wives listed who predeceased them. The old days weren’t so great for women and children.

One story I need to take the time to research is the side-by-side graves of two young men at French Cemetery, both who perished on the same day in the mid-19th Century. A maritime tragedy? Fortunately, we live in a time when many of these mysteries can be unraveled with some research. The Lincolnville Community Library and Lincolnville Historical Society are both great resources.

So find your ancestors, offer a word for those who came before. And contact the people who look after each cemetery before you do anything to alter the environs in any way.

Bayshore Baptist Fall Fest

On Sunday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Bayshore Baptist Church will hold its Fall Fest.

Park at Lincolnville Beach and there will be a shuttle to the church. Or walk; there is still a sidewalk along Atlantic Highway to the church.

The Service starts at 11, followed by homemade chili, cornbread, and desserts at noon, and we all know church ladies can cook! There will be a bounce house, carnival style games, a cake walk and more. Sounds like a lovely activity on a fall afternoon. RSVP here.

Trunk of Treat at LCS

It’s never too early to prepare. The Lincolnville Parent Teacher Organization is once again hosting Trunk or Treat at the LCS parking lot on Tuesday, October 31, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Over the last several years, Lincolnville Center has become a fantastic trick or treat destination, so if you want to participate, start planning a costume, look up some ideas for decorating your trunk, and contact the PTO at lincolnvilletrunkortreat@gmail.com to reserve your space!

It is prime leaf peeping season, so put on a sweatshirt or a light jacket, and get out there. We wait all year for this brief demonstration of one of the cooler displays that our environment offers. Make a big pot of soup, bake some biscuits. Take care of yourself and your community. Reach out to me at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

CALENDAR

Monday, October 9

Indigenous Peoples Day, Town Office Closed

Tuesday, October 10

Library open 3-6 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Meeting 12 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Select Board, 6 p.m., Town Office

Wednesday, October 11

Library open 2-5 p.m.

Cemetery Trustees, 5:30 p.m., Town Office

Thursday, October 12

Heart & Soul Team, 12 p.m., Lincolnville Community Library