Day 41

As promised, this will be a short blog. I spent most of the day at my computer editing grants and getting ready for 3 federal uploads. I did have time to read through a history of Falmouth (now Portland), Maine.

John Tukey arrived in 1744. By then, Falmouth was becoming a bustling port. In 1725 there were only 45 families in the town, living in log homes. Two years later there were 65 families and by 1730 there were over 100. There were 30 vessels in the harbor plus a number in dry dock. By the time John arrived, his services as a shipwright (wood worker on ships) would have been in high demand.

It is interesting to note that men were not admitted as inhabitants without paying 10 pounds to the town government. Residents were fined if they did not attend church. Problems with the Indians persisted until the Revolutionary War with whole families killed and most everyone staying close to the stockade. All in all, a difficult life.

As with much of North America, the land was covered in forests. Our pioneers were not allowed to cut large trees, suitable for ship masts, for their own use. Trees more than 24" 12" from the ground were the property of the king. Pioneers were employed to cut the trees, haul them to water with teams of 10-20 oxen, and send them down the waterways to the coast. These trees were so valuable that the cutters were expected to create a cushion of trees and branches for the pine to fall on to ensure it wouldn't crack.

So much for the history lesson. More grants and organizing genealogy tomorrow!

Day 40

Hello from Falmouth, Maine!

I grabbed Barbara's laundry facilities this morning, we downloaded photos to her computer and ran a few errands. By 12:30 we were off to Augusta to explore the Maine Archives. As with many of the research efforts, we are looking long enough ago that the records are not plentiful. Barbara and I wrestled with the microfilm machines. Hers seemed to be fine once loaded (however, that was an interesting effort). My machine had a mind of its own. The film moved back and forth through the rollers challenging my spatial efforts to center the film. The speed knob had three speeds only - fast forward, clunking glass plates on the film, and blurry one frame at a time. At times I resorted to moving the reels by hand - GRR. For all that effort you would think I would find something wonderful. NO.

Both of us found listings for Tukeys and Sweetsers in the Maine militia, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. However, the Archives does not have the actually military records. Those are in Massachusetts since the federal government was fledgling as was Maine's. We at least have the regiments, companies, and volume numbers. I will add these to my to do list in Boston.

I then went down to the Maine State Library and looked at a two volume published genealogy on Seth Sweetser (Seth - Benjamin - Benjamin - Benjamin - Abigail who married John Tukey). The first 40 pages of this volume go into wonderful detail on the Sweetser family (and yes, it is with an "ser" since that is the way both Seth and Benjamin I both signed their wills). The book includes copies of the wills plus information on their lives and buriels.

Seth was born in Tring, England in 1606. He and his wife Bethia Cooke came to America (Charlestown, MA) by 1637. Both he and Benjamin were in the shoe business with Benjamin making heels and lasts. He later became a farmer. He also served in King Philip's War, one of the last efforts to clear the Indians from the northeast. Seth died in 1660 and his gravestone is in the Old Phipps Street Burying Grounds in Charlestown. Benjamin was 86 when he died in 1718. His grave is in the same cemetery but the stone has disappeared.

The family records provide little information on Benjamin Jr, other than indicate he had property in Mystic Side, provide his will, and note that he died at age 55 only 2 years after his father. He is buried in Bell Rock Cemetery. The research does confirm that there are 3 Benjamins. Many of the family trees on Ancestory.com combine Benjamin II and III into one person. Yes - the previous research done by our family members rules and matches the historical records!!

Benjamin III was born in 1695 and died in Falmouth (Portland), Maine in 1754. He was a bricklayer and mason by trade spending much of his youth in Massachusetts before moving to Maine. Much of the Sweetser "tracking" has been through community sales/job records and church affilitations. Benjamin's 5th child, Abigail, was born in 1730. Unfortunately, the book lists her spouse as John Tucker instead of Tukey. However, there is plenty of other evidence (including their grave sites and church records) that corrects this error.

At the end of the day, I made my way to the Falmouth Inn. It is a 2-star motel but has a bed, bath, and air conditioning. Just fine for the next few weeks. Grocery stores and restaurants are within walking distance and Portland is 15 minutes away. Tomorrow is a regular work day. I have 3 SBIR grants to finalize and upload early next week. I think my blog will be minimal tomorrow.

Day 39

A great day. Barbara introduced me to the Maine Library in Augusta. We spent 3 hours searching through town records. Barbara would search the stacks. I would write and copy like crazy. We found lots of baptismal and marriage records to support our lineage. We also found some detailed maps of early Portland which will be instrumental in pinpointing where ancestors owned property in the area. Besides Tukeys, we found Sweetsers, one Crie, a number of Richardsons in Sydney (but not the right ones), and too many Dodges to count (but we don't know if they are correct either).

A quick quiche lunch at Slades (yum) and we went back to the same facility which also houses the Maine Archives. I think this office will be key for locating and getting copies of records for the four Tukey sons who were in the Revolutionary War (as well as those for Sweetsers and Cushings).

Also housed in the building is the Maine Museum. This is a wonderful 4-story effort that covers every aspect of Maine life from the aboriginal Indians through 1950s America. Very well done and a most reasonable admission of $2. Can't beat it. By this time it was 5pm and Barbara whisked me off to see various spots in Augusta and along the way home - forts, stockades, old dams, old factories. The towns are working hard to refurbish buildings and create shops, condos, and outdoor spaces. It was also wonderful to see how clean the rivers were particularly after long time factory pollution from earlier in the century. Home finally about 7pm. We have taken care of housekeeping chores and are about to crash. More tomorrow!

Day 38

I have arrived in Tukey country. You know you are in your ancestral home when:

1. Your gggggg grandparents are resting on a sunny hillside amongst their children and grandchildren. John Tukey (1722-1803) and Abigail Sweetser Tukey (1730-1827).

2. You have a weird last name and the town of Oakland, ME still names a road for you.

3. You have relatives you have never met but they too are hard workers and proud of their heritage. They know they are descended from John and Abigail's second child (Benjamin) while we are descended from child #4 (Stephen).

Yes, Barbara and I spent the day tooling around Portland and the Maine countryside. We found a number of Tukeys in the Eastern Cemetery. Years ago, Barbara and Aunt Louise paid for John Tukey's grave to be "glued" back together (you can see it was in 3 pieces). Thank you for preserving our heritage! Everyone else looks in pretty good shape.

The cemetery has no shade but after some lunch and lots of water we continued to central Portland where John and his children lived. Thanks to some records from Nathan Goold written in 1897 plus a translation of old street names to current names, we managed to locate 7 or 8 Tukey home sites and businesses. The Tukeys and Sweetsers lived on adjacent lots at Congress and Franklin Streets. Various Tukey children lived across the street or just a couple blocks over. Portland is built on hills that slope down to the harbor. Most houses were built on the hills while businesses were closer to the wharves. Lemuel Tukey who collected the tolls at Tukey's Bridge lived near the water (now a sewage treatment plant) before moving "up town." George had his blacksmith shop down near the harbor. John Tukey donated the land across the street from his home for what is now Lincoln Park. Of course, all the homes are long gone. Businesses, parking lots, and government buildings take up what were grassy knolls, common fields, and, in John's case, a two-story home for his wife and 13 children.

Barbara gave me a wonderful overview of Portland including the lighthouse and a tour of the Henry W Longfellow house (just next to the Maine Historical Society). We then mosied our way back towards Waterville, stopping for fresh seafood at a local bistro on the waterfront. A terrific day!

Day 37

This morning I left Colchester to wend my way across the top of the NE. Winding roads through Vermont, New Hampshire and finally into Maine. Fiona the GPS let me down. She quit working in the Vermont mountains and hasn't come back on. I must speak with her handlers tomorrow to find out if they have lost all their satellites or if we are so far from Colorado that maps no longer exist.

I arrived about 4:30 at my cousin Barbara Shea's home in Waterville, Maine. Barbara and husband Dave have a lovely two-story home with lots of storage, an en-suite bathroom for me, and four cats to keep us entertained. Dave went out and brought home lobster, corn on the cob and cole slaw - what a way to begin my east coast adventures. Yummy! I shared family information with Barbara and will download many of the photos from this trip. Tomorrow we are off to Portland to visit the Eastern Cemetery where John Tukey and Abigail Sweetser plus many progeny are buried. Can't wait to start my research here. Much more tomorrow night.

Day 36

Another quick blog tonight. It was my last day with Hugh and Diane. Got my glasses fixed and, after four hours on the phone with Comcast I think we have found a solution to my internet problem. With the house sold, I no longer have a physical address which means my email address will no longer work. Bottom line, Ron has volunteered to provide a sub account so I don't have to make a horrendous change in the middle of my trip. THANK YOU!

Had lunch with Anne and Maggie Desmond and Doug's daughter Caroline. I hadn't see her since 2002 (Tahoe reunion) so it was great to catch up. She looks good and is keeping busy. The afternoon was spent prepping for my research time in Maine. The libraries and genealogy centers won't allow you to take loose papers in, have pens, etc. So I needed to put some background Tukey research in the bound book in which I take notes. Had a nice dinner and long walk to wear off the piece of bread I ate. Off for Maine about 9 in the morning.

Day 35

A great day with Hugh and Diane's family. Great walk before breakfast. Chance to catch up with the cousins over breakfast. Lunch in the islands near Colchester. Movie, dinner, games with my cousin Anne's daughter Maggie. No genealogy but warm memory making with live relatives. Always a good thing! More tomorrow. :-)