Strong, a Mussul Unsquit village

Getting Connected
All shareholders of the privately-owned Franklin Farmers Co-Operative Tel. Co. were responsible for repairs and keeping batteries charged, so phone lines functioned properly. When calling the operator, one had to be patient, because the person you were calling might be talking on another line. Ella Willard was one of the early telephone operators. At the age of 15, she worked five nights a week and slept on a sofa in the office. She was allowed to sleep after 11 p.m., but farmers would wake her about 5 a.m. There was a large switchboard with digits in which connecting plugs were placed. A light would come on, and the caller would say to whom he wanted to talk.

Everybody listened to everyone else's conversations on those early "party lines," but Ella was the first one to know about fires. A fire was reported to her, and she would call the fire department. When people heard the alarm in town, they would call her to ask where the fire was. Ella called elderly people every morning as a community service.

People called Ella to contact the doctor if he and his assistant were busy with patients. Ella would frequently relay his medical advice to the caller. If the doctor was available for house calls, Ella would phone to determine who was ill. She would then compile a list for the doctor to pick up at central office prior to making his rounds.

When the Somerset Telephone Company offered dial telephone service to the twelve exchanges in Somerset and Franklin counties in 1959, the era of individual community telephone service ended, ushering in convenience and an increased measure of privacy, but ending an era of intra-community connections that created a unique bond among neighbors.

Strong's Fire Department
Fires were always (and still are) disastrous and frightening events. John Rounds was an ardent crusader for the organization of a local volunteer fire department. His big problem was not downright opposition, but public indifference. In 1928, he scored the first major breakthrough after the town voted funds for the support of a Department. Chelsea Stewart was the Fire Warden at that time, and he served until 1942, when Raymond "Pete" Norris took over. Firefighters became better trained and more proficient, and equipment was modernized as funds became available. Quality volunteers have continued to serve the community, but the Department must depend, as always, on the interest and support of its citizens.

Churches
Townspeople have a lengthy history of support for their religious institutions. The history of one in particular, the Strong Methodist Church, began shortly after the American Revolutionary War. George Washington was not yet President, and Maine was still part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1793, the New England Conference of the Methodist Church was held at Lynn, Massachusetts, and on August 1, 1793, appointed Rev. Jesse Lee to the Province of Maine and Lynn circuits.

Lee preached first in Saco, and then Portland, and northward, until on October 15, he preached at Lowertown, which we know today as Farmington. On the following day, he arrived at the home of William Read, and he organized the first meeting with early settlers. Other ministers, including those from the Congregational Church, used the church building as they raised money to build their own church. Today, the Methodist Church remains as one of the most enduring landmarks in the center of the village.

Looking To The Future
The town has seen its wood products base disappear, but changes in the first decade of the 21st Century reflect the optimism of its residents. The Strong Elementary School was chosen as one of three in Maine named a 2005 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School, and one of 295 nationwide that was awarded the honor. Students performed in the top 10 percent in state assessment scores in both reading and math.

Geneva Wood Fuels bought the former Forster Manufacturing Inc. mill and invested $13 million to renovate the plant. Today, GWF produces premium grade hardwood pellet fuel. They employ 15 people in raw material receiving and processing, pellet production, packaging and distribution. They also help to support another 50 jobs in forest harvesting and distribution. Mt. Abram High School and four MSAD 58 schools, as well Strong town office building, have switched to pellet boilers, and the mill contributes significantly to the town's tax base.

The population has remained stable, as many new residents work at Franklin Memorial Hospital and the University of Maine's Farmington campus.