I rolled out of bed Saturday morning to start the coffee. A kid needed a ride, so there would be no sleeping in. Situation normal.

My phone vibrated in the pocket of my robe, with the following text: “Moving that strange rock this morning to the Museum, might be a short story in it? Should be there around 8:30.”

So of course I end up on the phone with Rosey Gerry, the Lincolnville character who ends up in probably every other of these columns. He was shocked that Ma had not told me about the rock.

While doing some work off Beach Road, stumping and such, up near the Center, Rosey and his employee, Chris Thomas, came upon a rock that needed moving. But after digging under the rounded top, the uncovered something pretty strange. “Looked like a ******* dinosaur bone!” Rosey explained.

So Rosey consulted with his friend and other local character/historian Corelyn Senn.

At some point I need to dedicate an entire column to the friendship between Rosey and Corelyn. Rosey the storyteller with access to deep local roots, Corelyn the researcher and dogged pursuer of lost history. Both with an unabated love for this little town and its history.

Apparently, this strange rock I knew nothing about has stood by the side of the road for awhile, and had been noted by my wife, who drives my youngest to LCS every morning, and so frequently passed it. (I am responsible to take the older two to the high school, by a different route.)

When I mentioned it to her she commented that she initially thought it was some kind of impressionist sculpture of an apple core — another sign of Lincolnville getting fancy.

While I was ignorant of this geologic anomaly, Rosey and Coralyn were hard at work trying to figure out what the heck it was.

Coralyn told me she has become “pen pals” with State Geologist Dr. Henry Berry. With Dr. Berry’s guidance, Corelyn did some experiments, and came to the conclusion that the rock was made up of marble, covered with dolomite lime.

Dr. Berry concluded that the rock was “a large piece of massive white marble.” Marble is, “a metamorphic rock that is formed when limestone is altered by heat and pressure.” 

While limestone has history of being quarried in Lincolnville, the presence of marble was largely unknown. Apparently, a large vein of white marble stretches from Megunticook to Coleman Pond, encased in all that limestone. 

Due to my prior obligation of taking a child to Camden Hills Regional High School to catch the basketball bus to Brewer (the freshman team won 52-43!) I missed Rosey delivering the rock to the front of the Schoolhouse Museum. Corelyn lamented the general shortage of oxen in Lincolnville, and that it was not delivered by cart, the appropriate way to transport massive loads of rock.

Coralyn has put together a binder with the story of the rock’s discovery and a little history of Lincolnville’s lime industry, with plenty of photos, and fully describes the process of identifying just what it was that Rosey discovered.

It can be found at the Schoolhouse Museum. If you want to check it out yourself, it sits in front of the museum at 33 Beach Road. It really does look like a ******* dinosaur bone.

Beach Bistro

And speaking of the Schoolhouse Museum, Saturday Night was the first Beach Bistro of the year.

I arrived Saturday morning to see the first floor set up to accommodate the guests, those souls who stick it out through the winter. The menu was created and prepared by Lincolnville resident Wade Graham and crew, serving a meal of oysters, gumbo, and banana pudding. 

Proceeds of the dinners go to the Lincolnville Historical Society, and its ongoing work to restore the old schoolhouse.

They also just received a shipment of engraved glass tumblers, with Lincolnville 04849 emblazoned upon them. They are for sale at $10 apiece.

During my visit, I had a $20 bill burning a hole in my pocket, and I grabbed a couple. Perfect for holding your beverage of choice while watching the playoffs.

Sympathy

In the entryway of the Schoolhouse Museum, atop the cabinet sized radio, was the nametag of a board member of the Lincolnville Historical Society, and a note saying “In Memoriam.”

Alan Thomas passed away this week. A great storyteller, character, and townsperson, I used a photo last fall of Alan with the final deer he harvested.

We also lost Cynthia Rainfrette-Barlow recently; love to her family.

And for the family of Mike Feener, who grew up in Lincolnville. I believe that it was to a young Mike that my parents sold their old Datsun to in the early 1980s.

I have a vivid memory of watching out old car hammering up through the Hollow. While I am sure my father had a few choice words, I was in awe — that old car tearing by, muffler roaring — was that actually once our car? So very very cool.

LCS PTO

The Lincolnville Parent Teacher Organization has a couple activities coming up. This coming Saturday, January 25, at 5 p.m. will be a Soup and Family Trivia night. Enjoy an evening with your friends and neighbors, which is very important in the dead of January.

If you would like to take a soup or rolls contact the PTO at PTO.lincolnvillecentralschool@gmail.com. I just learned that I am making tomato soup.

And mark your calendars for February 8, when the PTO will hold a fishing derby at Norton’s Pond, with prizes for Youth and Adult categories, a chili cook off, and more!

Have a great week, Lincolnville! Hopefully we’ll have some snow on the ground soon, but it looks like it will be a cold week.  Look out for each other. Reach out at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Monday, January 20

Martin Luther King Day, Town Office Closed

Tuesday, January 21

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

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Friday, January 24

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Library open 9-12, 208 Main Street

Saturday, January 25

Library open 9-12, 208 Main Street

Sunday, January 26

United Christian Church, 9:30 a.m. Worship, 18 Searsmont Road

Bayshore Baptist Church, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 11:00 worship, 2648 Atlantic Highway