U S Fort Captured

Remains of the Powder House, Fort Sullivan Eastport Maine

  Fort Sullivan in far eastern Maine is one more of those forts built in the early 1800's.  Today all that remains are parts of the Powder House, and an effort to restore as much as possible.
  During the War of 1812 Fort Sullivan was captured by British forces.  Renamed Fort Sherbrooke it was held because of a boundry dispute between Canada (Britian) and the United States.
  After it was "won" back and had it's original name the Fort was occupied until the end of the U S Civil War in 1865.  The remains of the Powder House are on the National Historic Register.  A replica of the Fort and all of its' buildings can be seen at The Border Historical Society's Barracks Museum in Eastport.  Visit www.borderhistoricalsociety.com for more information.

The Powder House remains in 2009.  Bangor Daily News photo.

A couple of things: Fort Edgecomb and a dog

Fort Edgecomb    www.wikipedia.org

  Here is a fort, built in 1808-1809 when the "war climate" in Europe was heating up.  Things did indeed heat up and Fort Edgecomb was manned during the War of 1812 to protect against possible British attach.  It remained manned until after the U S Civil War.
  Fort Edgecomb became Fort Edgecomb State Historic Site in 1991.  The Fort was used to hold British prisoners of war, many artifacts are found on the grounds.
  Located on Davis Island in the Sheepscot River, it can be reached by using State Hwy 27.

www.mainememory.net

And now the dog:

Roosevelt pops a wheelie.  Bangor Daily News

Please take time to look at a very short article and slide show in the Bangor Daily News issue of March 12, 2011, simple follow this link:

http://bangordailynews.com/slide show/disabled-border-collie-wakes-up-happy-every-day/

It's a great dog story, I promise.

Hooked on obsession

A Merganser Duck

  If you watch the news, or even if you don't, do wonder why every subject gets beaten to death?  Do you wonder why?  The why is the reason I'm writing this.
  The RMS Titanic sank in April of 1912, that's a fact.  So far during the month of April I've seen stories about survivors, family of people who died, a trip through a "special" memorial graveyard, discussions about the construction of the ship, a story about the shipyard where the Titanic was built, and a lengthy lecture on the rivets used in the bow.
  The reason is that we have become accustomed to becoming obsessed with every "major" story.  Let's suppose that someone does a story that reports the result of a study.  A study has revealed that people who, when walking, step off with their left leg first is related to ducks.  Now that's far fetched but it serves to illustrate.
  Soon we would have TV shows named "Name that Duck", or ducks tail haircuts would come back from the 1950's.  We may be subjected to duck of the day stories on the news, we would look at different nests, eggs, egg art, things with feathers - well, you get it.  Every "major" or imagined major story is followed ad-nauseam.
  And all that duck talk was driving me daffy!

Bigelow Bob gets older

Bob when he was little

  The story of Bigelow Bob and the Crotchet twins, Jan and Jim, goes back a ways, maybe to around 1953.  That would have been the year Bob started to think about girls.  He thought maybe he'd ask Jim Crotchet to go to the movies at the Town Hall on Saturday.  He was thinking that might be safe, there were other people around, and Bob was - well bashful.

  Jim agreed to go with Bob, on one condition, no kissing.  Heck that was fine with Bob, there's no way he'd try to kiss a girl!

  So Saturday came, Bob walked over to the Crotchet house and Jim was ready to go.  Well, let's get down there so we can get a seat Bob said.  There were only 12 chairs and maybe 14 kids in town, so they had to be a little early.  The seats were full, well there were 11 kids, but Hank took two of them.  Hank was bigger than the other kids and he didn't bathe more than once a month.

  Bob and Jim took a seat on the bench way in back, Bob thought that might work, maybe he'd try to hold hands.  He was sweating and shaking a little, nervous you know.  The movie started it was The Boy With Green Hair, entertaining in a way, but Bob did think it was strange.  Bob waited about 20 minutes and took hold of Jims hand.  Jim jerked her hand away, Bob didn't understand.  He whispered to Jim.  Why don't you want to hold hands?  Jim said because I'm a boy!

  Bob just didn't understand.  Jan and Jim were twins, right?  Then how in heck could one of them be a boy?

  Bob still had a lot to learn.

It is hard to tell I think. Jan is on the right.

Keeping watch when needed

Battery Cogan

  Fort Baldwin in Phippsburg, Maine was built near the mouth of the Kennebec River.  Named for an Army Engineer who served during the Revolutionary War, it was built between 1905 and 1912.  Originally it was built with three batteries, a gun track on the top of, or near, each battery to fire at ships at sea to prevent an invasion.
    During World War One, Fort Baldwin was manned with 200 members of the 13th and 29th Coast Artillery.
    During World War Two, Fort Baldwin as manned by members of D Battery of the 8th Coast Artillery, a Fire Control Tower was built so the exact position of enemy ships could be given.  I have always though that those towers were for spotting aircraft - oh, how wrong I can be without a proper education.

An example of a Fire Control Tower.
This one is in Massachusetts, no photo
available for Fort Baldwin but
they are all pretty much alike,
some are square, some are round.

The remains of some of the gun positions at Fort Baldwin.

Ellis Island of the north

Fort Scammel in 1900 www.mainememory.net photo - click

  House Island sits out in Casco Bay, a short distance from Portland and South Portland, it's been inhabited since the 1600's.
  The Army built Fort Scammel in 1808 and it just sat there, it was re-furbished during the U S Civil War and again during World War Two for coastal defence.
  The most important use of Fort Scammel may have been in the 1920's when some of the buildings were used as a quarantine station by the Immigration folks, the island was considered ideal.  New arrivals weren't allowed off the island until quarantine was completed along with other tests and interviews, a ferry boat ride to Portland and a direct link to Grand Trunk Station for railroad passage to their destination.
  All of those buildings have been destroyed, with the exception of the "fort" itself, which just sits in ruins.  The Island is privately owned and not open to the public, people still live there too.

Fort Scammel in June of 2005 www.wikipedia.org  photo

House Island location google maps

Can't stop now!

  My family ancestry is Scot so take a look at the plaid eggs.  Now I wonder what kind of wee beastie could lay eggs like this?  We'll just have to take a look around.
  Meanwhile, enjoy the holiday, and eat some stuff you like, oatmeal even.

  And, if you were still wondering, here are the plaid egg gang!