December 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 15.
LOOKING BACK WITH FRANK O'HARA OF ROCKLAND
The A. C. MCLOON hauled up in Rockland . Note she has been cut in half.
KENNEBEC, Captain Waldo Tuttle, for a said, “They had little railway over here and
summer. Frank explained, “I was in my 20s and that became the fish pier The WILLIAM
The eastern rigged dragger MONTE CARLO.
between jobs. At the time Holmes had two MCLOON, that was the last of the boats. I
plants here, a big one and a little one, and they think she is still being used. They were big in
wanted the little one to make it alone. How- the lobster business and did well at it. They
ever, the market got flooded with too many were also supplying the islands with fuel. I
sardines and they decided to close it. So I think they are all gone now.”
needed a job and I got a one with them.” Can you add and information to these
Frank was the cook and engineer. He great photographs, or do you have some of
added, “Tuttle was a smart man and a great your own you would like to share with our
skipper.” readers?
Then there was a
photograph of Capt.
Ahearn, Harvey Gamage
and Francis Minot. Frank
said, “Harvey built boats
for us. He built the
ARAHO, the second one,
FRANCIS O’HARA, and
then he built the first steel
boat they did the ROB-
ERT O’HARA. Then we
Capt. Fred Ahearn, Harvey Gamage and Francis Minot at MONTE CARLO's launching.
sold the ARAHO and
which was owned by Captain Peterson came
ice, because we iced up the National Sea, the
they built the steel
next. Frank said, “You know where Boone’s
local boats and our own boats. That plant
ARAHO. His son
is? That was on the end of the wharf. Very nice
made a 110-tons a day. Rockland was a busy
Linwood did the job, be-
people. I think they last a little longer then we
port then. But we also did quite a lot of
cause his father had
did, may into the mid-‘60s.”
business with the chicken plants. There was
passed away by then.
Then came the story of the ill-fated
a chicken plant right here on Tiltson Avenue.
Harvey was all right.
scalloper MADILYN & FLORA out of
There was also Rockland Poultry, Penobscot
What he told you you
Rockland. She was owned by local people
Poultry and Maplewood.”
could depend on and he
and sank with all hands in the 1950s. Frank
Next came a photograph of Sherman
was clever about getting
added, “I don’t think they ever knew what
Lord, who was the first skipper of the JACOB
the job done. Some
happened to her.”
PIKE. Frank said, “He was a good sardine man
people criticized some of
Morris Helyea had a little ice plant over
and worked for Holmes for years and years.”
his work, but for what you
in Warren, which is now the home for Lie-
There were six boats built at the Newbert
got, you got your
Neilson tools. The O’Haras had an ice plant
& Wallace yard in Thomaston to the same
money’s worth.”
in the brick building at their Rockland facility.
basic model. They were the KENNEBEC, the
Up on the ways in the
Frank explained, “My father put the ice plant
RUTH & MARY, the LOU ANN, the MARY
last photograph is one of
in in 1946. We were the biggest purveyors of
ANN, the JACOB PIKE. Frank sailed on the
the McLoon boats. Frank
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