September 2010 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 23. Beals Island Reminiscences Specializing in Marine Electrical Systems
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would hook on for a race, or in organized races on the Fourth, is a good example. (One time I was out in the “Arthur S. Woodward” and I saw a sardine boat coming down the Reach. So, I went up the Reach and turned around to give him a little knurl. I guess the smack gave him about all he could handle, but I remember wishing I’d made my turn just a little sooner.)
Looking at the water around Beals and Great Wass, I’m reminded of the great abundance of seafood and the good livelihoods that those waters yielded. Think of the thousands of pounds of lobsters, the thousands of hogsheads of herring caught in weirs and seines, all the rollers of clams, the fish, and the scallops from those waters. Also, there were the good tasting sea birds and lumps that people would peddle around town. The sea water surrounding us gave Beals a distinctive characteristic that most communities did not have. Almost every thing we bought or used came to us by boat. Building materials and equipment for homes and buildings, lumber and materials for boats, a lot of the firewood, coal, kerosene, gasoline, fishing supplies and materials, bait, school supplies, furniture, household goods, church supplies, salt, general freight, most of the clothing, much of the food, mail, et cetera, came by water. [William Beal (“Billy Peck”) had a big dory that he rowed across the Reach carrying mail, milk, and freight, year round, unless the Reach was frozen over, in which case he’d go on the ice; his home, in the picture, was across the road from where the bridge now ends] There were some local things available. Erwart Lenfestey had cows and he was one who sold milk. We used to vie for the chance to lead his cows. Some folks had hens and sold eggs and chickens, and there would be some locally raised pork and beef available at times. Some vegetables, apples, wild berries, and “baked apples” that were picked down the island were available in season. Our electricity and telephone service came under the water via cable from Jonesport. The telephones were hand cranked and we’d get the operator in Jonesport. After chatting with her (which was common) you’d perhaps just tell her the name of the person you were calling and she’d connect you. Telephone numbers were short and to the point. Ours was 68 for quite a while.
I am thankful to have grown up in a community of faith. In the photograph are three of the five churches in town. We had some great life-changing meetings. Our Beals Schoolhouse (also called the “High School”) is just about center in the picture. While our respective churches were important to us, the school was a common center of our lives for many of our years growing up, containing grades 1 through 12. The Alley’s Bay School is also in the picture. It served that part of town for the first several
grades and then the students walked the approximately two miles to the Beals School for the upper grades, good weather or bad. Our schools celebrated the holidays. We’d have a parade on Memorial Day, and we’d go down to Jerome’s wharf and throw bouquets of hand picked flowers off the wharf in memory of those lost at sea. We would also visit cemeteries, and Willard Kelley and I would play “Taps”. For Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s Birthday we’d have their profiles cut out of construction paper hanging in the windows. We cleaned up the school grounds on Arbor Day. We celebrated Armistice Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Flag Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There was a reading from the Bible, the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, and the Flag Salute each morning. We had a very efficient and effective school system in Beals. [Mama (Thelma), Dad, Lois, and I all taught in the Schoolhouse. After college and again after serving in the Army I had the privilege of returning to Beals High School and teaching with “Mrs. Alley”, as we all called her, who, many years later, became my stepmother (Sylvina)]
Near the High School was “The Big Pond”, a dug pond that used to supply ice. It was a good place to collect frogs’ eggs and tadpoles for school, and in winter it was good skating. Your boots on the bank would freeze while you skated. A lively game of hockey could be played with alder branches and a tin can. We also skated on the shallow pond that would form on Perio’s Point. That had a lot of rocks sticking up through the ice. Han Island Swamp was another skating place, but you would be well advised to watch out for trees and bushes. One day we had an ice storm. We could skate on the roads! I think I made it to the Flying Place before the ice melted.
When the picture was taken there were at least five, and maybe about seven stores in Beals and Alley’s Bay. Uncle JP’s store, up across the road from the wharf, had a well in the cellar. We could go in to the wharf and carry water down aboard the smack to fill the water tank. The stores were interesting places. They carried a wide variety of items, they had good smells, and they were good places to loaf in the evening. A double decker icecream cone was ten cents. “Drummers” (traveling salesmen) would come around periodically and take orders from the storekeepers, then the freight would come by boat.
The picture shows at least three boat shops. They were great places to hang around. The builders would take time to talk with us and explain what they were doing. They turned out beautiful wooden boats. [Years before the picture was taken Guy Carver’s smack “Susie O. Carver” was built
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Bath Industrial Sales Bayview Rigging
Billings Diesel & Marine Bluejacket
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Boothbay Region BY Bowden Marine
Casco Bay Yacht Sales Casey Yacht Enterprises Charger's Marine Chase, Leavitt Co. Coastal Forces
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Eric Dow Boatshop Farrin’s Boat Shop
Finest Kind Boat Yard Fortune, Inc.
French & Webb Great Island BY H&H Marine Hallett Sails
Hamilton Marine Hamlin's Marina Handy Boat
Hansen Marine
Harding's Book Shop Heritage Panelgraphics Hodgdon Yachts Holland Boat Shop IMP Group Infab
John Williams Boat Co. Jonesport Shipyard Journey’s End Marina
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28 31 11
DownEast Lobsterman's Assoc.13 Epifanes
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17 14 32 2
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5/27 3/17
Kittery Point Boatbuilders 17
Kustom Steel Landing School Lash Boat Yard
Lowell Brothers
Maine Coast Lumber Maine Fuel Polishing
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24/29 16
Leighton's Plastic Welding 28 LocalNet
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17 21 21
Maine Maritime Academy 9/24 Maine Sailing Partners Maine Yacht Center Marine Learning Center Marine Parts Express Moose Island Marine Morris Yachts
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New England Fiberglass New Meadows Marina New Wave Yachts Ocean Pursuits
Ocean Point Marina
Paul Luke, Inc. Pirie Marine
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8/26 15 23 30
Owl's Head Transp. Museum 10 Padebco
Portland Yacht Services 15/25 Ralph Stanley, Inc. Robinhood Marine Rockport Marine Rollins Boat Shop
Royal River Boat Yard Rumery's Boatyard Seal Cove Boat Yard Smithwick & Mariners South Shore Boats Spartan Marine Strouts Point
The Boat School
Thomas Yacht Services Traditional Boat
Yarmouth Boat Yard
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