A Bold Maine Snowshoer Repeats History in Andover and Haverhill

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[Sent to papers in the Andover / Haverill, Massachusetts area, March 6, 2005]

This week Gardiner Waldeier will be hiking and snowshoeing his way through Andover and Haverhill as he carries a proclamation from Governor Mitt Romney on a 125-mile journey from Massachusetts to Maine.  Both the proclamation and the unusual trek honor the bicentennial of Waldeier's home county of Oxford, which is situated among the mountains and lakes along the northwestern border of the state.  Oxford County was formed by an act of the Massachusetts legislature in 1805, when the vast "District of Maine" was still a part of Massachusetts.

Waldeier, like so many Oxford County residents and visitors, is an avid outdoor enthusiast.  The hike is meant to highlight both the history of the county and its present reputation as a destination for vacationers.

The journey began last Friday, as the governor issued the proclamation in Boston.  The first leg was accomplished by a Boston Park Ranger, who carried the document on horseback from the capital building on Beacon Hill, across the Charles River, and as far as the Longfellow House in Cambridge.  Longfellow's grandparents were residents of the Oxford County town of Hiram, and the poet spent many summers there in his childhood.



On Monday, March 7, Mr. Waldeier will take up the proclamation in Cambridge and carry it twenty-three miles to Andover.  The following day, he will leave Andover and carry it another twenty miles to Haverhill.  By Saturday, he will reach the old covered bridge at the entrance to the county's southernmost town of Porter.  There, he will be met by an enthusiastic group, which will include members of numerous historical societies as well as friends and general well-wishers.  He will be paraded in an antique horse-drawn carriage from the covered bridge to the quaint Union Church in Porter Village, where the bell will be rung and a member of the church's society of "Union Workers" will accept the proclamation for safe-keeping until the next leg of its journey commences several weeks later.  When that happens, a succession of over forty horseback riders will carry the document from one elementary school to another, until every fourth grade class in the county has had a chance to study it and to enjoy a living history lesson from one of the mounted couriers.

In Andover, Mr. Waldeier will be hosted by Ray Potvin, a member of both the Andover Historical Society and the historical society in the Oxford County town of Fryeburg, Maine.  Andover was the home of Gen. Joseph Frye, who was the very earliest colonial grantee of land in the region which was incorporated as Oxford County in 1805.  This tract, which eventually became incorporated into the town of Fryeburg, had earlier been the site of an important Indian battle, which is the subject of Mr. Potvin's recent book, The Scalp Hunters: Abenaki Ambush at Lovewell Pond, 1725.  Andover was also the origin of the original settlers or proprietors of at least five other Oxford County towns, including its namesake, Andover, Maine, as well as an early grant to Phillips Academy, which was incorporated into the town of Greenwood in 1816.

After leaving Andover early Tuesday morning, Mr. Waldeier will hike northward to the John Greenleaf Whittier Homestead in Haverhill, where he will be hosted by Renee Harlow, curator of the museum which is located there.  The famous poet's family had two interesting connections to the Oxford County town of Bethel.  Whittier, himself, is known to have vacationed there as the guest of his friend Lucy Larcom.  In addition, the poet's brother, Matthew Franklin Whittier, made a national reputation for himself under the pen-name of Ethan Spike, the butt of many satirical pieces set in the fictional town of "Hornsby, Oxford County, Maine," which was most likely meant to be Bethel.



From Haverhill, Mr. Waldeier will hike or snowshoe his way through Exeter and Somersworth, New Hampshire, into Maine at Berwick, and then on to the covered bridge at the southern border of Oxford County, which he will reach on the afternoon of Saturday, March 12.  [UPDATE: Mr. Waldeier will arrive at the bridge on Sunday, March 13, at 4 PM.]  Eventually, on Saturday, June 11, Governor Romney's proclamation will have been carried by equestrian courier to each of the county's schools, and it will finally reach the site of the original county seat on Paris Hill.  There it will be accepted personally by Maine's Governor John Baldacci, as part of a grand bicentennial celebration which will be held that day.  We are informed that all "late-comers" from Suffolk, Middlesex, and Essex Counties, Massachusetts, are cordially welcomed to attend.


Oxford County Bicentennial Trail Ride Begins

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[April 28, 2005 press release]

OXFORD COUNTY BICENTENNIAL TRAIL RIDE BEGINS!

OVER 40 HORSES AND RIDERS TO BE INVOLVED.

COURIERS WILL RIDE OVER 200 MILES AND VISIT 26 SCHOOLS.

A LIVING HISTORY LESSON OF GRAND PROPORTION!

• The big picture: Historic documents are on their way from Boston, Mass., to Paris Hill, Maine.
• Why Boston?  Because Boston was our state capital in 1805, when Oxford County was formed.
• Why Paris Hill?  Because that lovely village green on the hill overlooking the White Mountains was the site of our original county seat.
• Why horses and riders?  Because that’s the way messages were carried in 1805.

 The details: Over the past two months, copies of several important historical documents have been carried, either on horseback or on foot from Boston, Mass., to the southern Oxford County town of Porter.  Beginning on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, horses and riders will carry these documents to EVERY fourth grade in the county and then on to Paris Hill, where a great celebration will ensue.  The entire circuit will take six weeks and will cover over 200 miles!

THE FIRST OXFORD COUNTY LEG of the journey will occur on May 4.  At about 10:00 am, two or three couriers on horseback will carry documents from the “History House” of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society on to the South Hiram Elementary School.  The documents will be entrusted to the fourth graders for safe-keeping overnight.  The second leg will continue on the next day to the Hiram Elementary School.  (See complete schedule below.)

One HUGE event will occur on Tuesday, May 24, when as many as fifteen riders, with flags, banners, and other historic regalia, will sweep down from Andover into Rumford and Mexico, where ALL of the district’s elementary schools will greet them for a great History Fest at Riverfront Park in Mexico!

And finally, on Saturday, June 11, ALL of the earlier riders will assemble into a great procession and canter up to Paris Hill, where they will be met by the governor and other dignitaries.  An entire day of festivities will follow.

For more info:
Bicentennial coordinator: Larry Glatz, 743-0443/583-4549
Equestrian coordinator for the Porter, Hiram, Fryeburg leg: Colleen Hoyt, 839-2406
South Hiram Elementary principal: Tom Kenny, 625-8116
Porter Historical Society: Sylvia Wilson, 625-8344/625-405

Oxford County Bicentennial Trail Ride
Complete Schedule and List of Contacts as of 4/28/2005

Segment #1: Riding Coordinator Colleen Hoyt, 839-2406

    1. Wed 05/04 So. Hiram School, 213 So. Hiram Road, Tom Kenny, 625‑8116
    2. Thr 05/05 Hiram Elementary, Hiram, Scotte Doughty, 625‑4621
    3. Fri 05/06 Denmark Elem., 637 W. Main Street, Laura Naughton, 452‑2360
    4. Tue 05/10 Fryeburg, Snow School, 11 Pine Street, Mary Hill, 935‑2536
    5. Wed 05/11 Lovell, New Suncook Sch., Route 5, Rhoda Poliquin, 925‑6711

 
Segment #2: Riding Coordinators Katharine Brunjes & Tom Hutchins, 824-4515

    6. Thr 05/12 Waterford  Elem., Route 35, Carole Del Duca, 583‑44187
    7. Fri 05/13 West Paris, Agnes Gray Sch., Main Street, Sue Merrill, 674‑2332
    8. Tue 05/17 Woodstock Elem., Bryant Pond, Elaine Ferland, 665‑2228
    9. Tue 05/17 Bethel, Crescent Park, 19 Crescent Lane, Levi Brown, 824‑2839
  10. Thr 05/19 Andover Elem., 85 Pine St., Roger Sabin, 392‑4381

 
Segment #3: Riding Coordinator Jeff Shock, Ellis River Riders, 674-3593

  11-15.  Tue 05/24 Mexico (History Fest) Riverfront Park Involves 5 schools in SAD 43; Louise Arsenault, 364-7003
  16. Thr 05/26 Dixfield Elem., 16 Nash St., Sandra Fuller, 562‑4207

 
Segment #4: Riding Coordinator Lianne Bedard, 597-2566

  17. Fri 05/27 Peru Elem., 30 Main St., Brenda Gammon, 562‑7223
  18. Tue 05/31 Peru, Heritage School, Auburn Rd., Marilee Colpits, 562‑8300
  19. Tue 05/31 Canton Elem., 36 School St., Lisa Ricker, 597‑2770
  20. Wed 06/01 Sumner, Hartford‑Sumner Elem., Deborah Gilbert, 388‑2681
  21. Thr 06/02 Hebron Elem., Station Road, Nathan Merrill, 966‑3323

Segment #5: Riding Coordinators Cindy and Peter Seames, 539-4918

  22. Fri 06/03 Oxford Elem., Rt. 121, Toni Hamlin, 539‑4456
  23. Mon 06/06 Otisfield Elem., Powhatan Road, Debbie Johnson, 627‑4208
  24. Tue 06/07 No. Oxford, Madison Ave. Sch., Sharon Castonguay, 744‑0318
  25. Wed 06/08 Norway, Guy E. Rowe School, Adele Charity, 743‑5183
  26. Wed 06/08 So. Paris, Oxford Hills Christian Sch., Myrna Henry, 743‑5970
        Wed 06/08 County Court House, Carole Mahoney, 743‑6359

 
Grand Celebration

Sat 06/11
    10:00 am Procession of horses from S.Paris courthouse to Paris Hill
    10:45 am Parade from Paris Hill Country Club to Baptist Church
    11:00 am Dedication by Gov. Baldacci and others
    11:30 - 3:30 Bicentennial Celebration, Displays, and Events
    3:30 Finale: Muster and Salute
               

Oxford County Bicentennial Committee Chairman, Larry Glatz, 743-0443/583-4549