Ned Lamb and Emma Boardman, “Dueling Cameras at Ten Feet”, Calais Waterfront, probably in the 1920s The circa 1920 photograph above is titled “Dueling Cameras At Ten Feet”. The scene is the Calais waterfront and the two photographers are Ned … Continue reading
The Gravestone above reads: Leonard T.Son of Leonard & Mary E. FarrisDied Aug. 28 1898AE 7 Mos & 18 Dys The grave pictured above is in the Calais Cemetery, between the Beckett lot which is on the main avenue on … Continue reading
“Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day;Under the blossoms the Blue;Under the garlands the Gray.” Memorial Day originated after the Civil War to honor the dead of both the North and the South by decorating the graves … Continue reading
Guy Murchie in Cuba with Roughriders One of the more interesting personalities in St. Croix Valley history was Guy Murchie, son of William and Ella Murchie. The Murchie’s were one of the most prominent “lumber baron” families of the St. … Continue reading
For those interested in history, the new resources available online, especially old newspapers, provide a wealth of information and odd stories from the St. Croix Valley. Warning: we take no position on whether the articles we send are actually true … Continue reading
The Annie Smith, built in Calais The Annie Smith was one of the largest and most beautiful ships built in the St. Croix Valley during the age of sail. It is shown in the painting above in the harbor at … Continue reading
“Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.” – Horace Greeley Doctor Cyrus Hamlin, probably about 1830 Cyrus Hamlin, Calais’s second doctor and brother of Lincoln’s Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin, would not have been familiar with Horace Greeley or … Continue reading
General Homma, Commander of Japanese forces in the Philippines during World War Two We noticed in today’s paper [April 3, 2021] that on this day 75 years ago Japanese General Masaharu Homma was executed by firing squad in Manila for … Continue reading
This engraving depicts a nighttime scene in a nineteenth century smuggler’s headquarters near Calais. Based on a sketch by J. Becker, the engraving appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (New York City) in 1873. “SMUGGLING NEAR CALAIS, 1873! Nineteenth century … Continue reading
Boston Globe Headline March 19, 1903 When the bleeding, battered, bruised, badly perforated and barely alive body of Henry McElroy was found by the railroad tracks in Dedham Massachusetts in March 1903, it caused quite a stir in the Boston … Continue reading