Strong, a Mussul Unsquit village

A Red-E-Bilt Camp is being lifted by two forklifts while a log truck is positioned beneath. The forklift on the left is operated by Harrison Starbird, on the right is Charles Lisherness. Virgil Starbird is supervising the operation. Leslie Pinkham was driving the log truck.

Red-E-Bilt Camps were constructed in the carpenter shop at Starbird Lumber Company in the late 1950s through the 1970s. They were framed atop oak "skids", sheathed with cedar log-siding, and roofed with asphalt shingles. A small pine kitchen-type cabinet was the only interior amenity. The camp was delivered to the purchaser's site, set-up and leveled.

The Strong business district was known as "the village."

From left, Byron & Fogg Produce Exchange provided a market for local farmers' goods. Next the J. D. Vaughan building housed the G.A.R. Post 134 upstairs, and two merchants, C. B. Richardson and E. H. Vaughan, on the ground floor. Then the building owned by J. H. Bell had his residence upstairs and a hardware store downstairs. In the next building H. J. Bates operated a grocery store.

Harry Bell (1875-1944) and Winthrop Guild (1866-1958) take out a stringer of trout from a local brook.

Harry, the son of James H. Bell, married a girl from Phillips, settled there and became a hardware merchant.

Winthrop, known as "Wint", was a machinist and moved to Dixfield before 1900.

Employees of the C.V. Starbird sawmill. Clinton V. Starbird (1858-1915) pictured here front/center in vest, coat and hat, produced long and short lumber, hardwood flooring, lathe and turning-mill square stock, with corn boxes and salt boxes taking a good percentage of the saw production.

The Starbird family operated sawmills in and around Strong for 106 years (1870-1976).

Two fishing buddies display the fruits of their afternoon recreation. Valley Brook, a tributary of Sandy River, was easily accessible to the townspeople and supplied many a skillet with brook trout.

This American Champion horse-drawn road grader was used to maintain the roads in Strong for many years. When the town acquired a motor truck, the grader was modified to be drawn by the truck and was used for several more years.

Hotel Strong on lower Main Street was built during the 1850s by Jeremy W. Porter (1820-1904). This building was acquired along with Porter's Mill, by Charles Forster who first used it as a boarding house for executives visiting his new business, Forster's Toothpick Company. Soon Hotel Strong was in business, operated by the company.

Dr. Charles W. Bell used a portion of the hotel as a 16-bed hospital from 1910-1937.

The building was demolished in 1969.

Alexander P. Porter (1825-1876) built this house during the 1850s. Dr. George Z. Higgins moved to Strong from Lubec in 1878, acquired the house and conducted his practice there until 1902, when he sold the house and practice to Dr. Charles W. Bell (1873-1944), a Strong native who had returned from medical training and set up his practice five years before.

In this house Dr. Bell was able to treat his patients and use the extra space for urgent inpatient care. A few years later an increased need for post-surgical care necessitated relocating his practice to larger accomodations.

Dr. Bell and his wife, Annie (Stubbs) raised their two children, Sara and Richard, in this house.

A short walk from the railroad station, Walter L. Jones (1857-1932) and his wife Louise Howard Jones (1856-1931) operated a boarding house known as Franklin House on Lower Main Street during the early 1900s. Here, visiting family members gather in the front yard.

From left, Walter's sister Mary Jones Keen, her daughter Frances Keen, daughter-in-law Maude, and son Ollie Keen, Louise and Walter Jones.

This dam behind the mill operated by William I. Smith (1867-1934) provided a pond to float logs to the chain which pulled them into the mill to be sawn. The spillway also served as a source of waterpower for the mill.

In the spring the rapid snow and ice melt caused the frigid water to course over the dam.

A favorite swimming hole located on the Sandy River a short distance from the village, Blue Ledge in Strong provided a deep pool with a high bluff for diving. Though not for the faint of heart, natural footholds could be found on the face of the rock for the more experienced and adventurous divers.

Meeting in the upper level of the J. D. Vaughan building in the village, Post No. 134 of the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Maine had an active membership representing the surrounding area. G.A.R. was a fraternal organization of the veterans of the Civil War who fought as Union soldiers.

The lower level of the building housed, on the left, the shop of C. B. Richardson, a jeweler. On the right was E. H. Vaughan, a clothing and shoe dealer.

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes railroad station in Strong around 1910.

From 1879 to 1935 narrow gauge railroad service was available in Strong. Strong became the connecting point of service between Farmington, with its Maine Central line, and all points north. By 1909 all of the small narrow gauge service in Northern Franklin County was consolidated into one system, the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad. S.R.R.L. could then serve passenger and freight customers to Farmington, Strong, Freeman, Salem, Kingfield, Carrabassett and the Dead River region, as well as Phillips, Redington, Madrid and the Rangeley area, all under the same banner.

This property, on the East side of Sandy River, was settled by the Hunter family prior to 1800 and remained in that family for nearly 120 years.

Bartlett Hammond (1869-1942) of Stratton purchased the farm in 1912 and relocated here with his wife Elizabeth M. Dill (1874-1960), and their three children, Vance, Vivian and Thelma. A year later they were blessed with the birth of Maxine.

Here the family worked the land and raised prize-winning Red Comb White Leghorn hens, a tradition carried on by Vance throughout his life.

Bartlett sold the farm a year before he died.

When this four inch water main was completed on lower Main St., the system served the village by gravity-feed from Day Mountain Pond. The system provided residential, business and hydrant service, with two open reservoirs on local hills. Property owners above the elevation of the reservoirs needed to maintain their own wells and ponds.

This system remained in service until 1980 when a deep well pumping station took over the task and twelve inch distribution mains were laid. This was just in time because Day Mountain Pond had dropped below the siphon causing that flow to cease.

Amos D. Starbird and his wife, Mary Jane Gilkey, operated a lumber mill at Starbird Corner in Freeman from 1870 until 1887 when they sold the business to their son, Clinton V. Starbird. Clinton continued the business there for one year, moving it to Strong in 1888, where he secured proximity to a rail line. Fire destroyed that mill in 1900, so he rebuilt larger and better. He operated this mill until his death in 1915, when his wife, Flora A. Kilkenny, and son, Raymond Starbird took over.

Four Starbird generations had been involved in the operation of lumber mills at this location when sold in 1977.

This church was dedicated on Christmas Day 1835, but the tower was not added until 1884. The bell was donated by Washington Libby, Esq. of Chicago, Illinois. The clock was donated after 1910 by Cora A. Worthley.

Here a team of oxen with a sled full of firewood is rested in front of the Diah Sweet store by their young handler. Firewood is not often thought of as a wood product, but many a young entrepreneur earned spending money by cutting and delivering firewood to customers in the village.

Charles B. Richardson, right, with his wife Clara, next to him, daughter Helen, left, and son Jacob, sitting on the floor, enjoy some relaxation at this rustic fishing camp. Note the fly-rods leaning on the camp at left.

Hunting enthusiasts, locally referred to as "sports", traveled from as far as New York to experience the thrill of the hunt. The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad provided a rail connection to hunting areas in northern Franklin County. It was common during hunting season to see "sports" loading their trophies onto the train at the station in Strong for their return home.

Frank L. Dyer (1854-1932), the station agent at Strong, is seen in this image (far right foreground).

Members of Post 134 of the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Maine, held annual field days and occasional picnics for members' families. Here, at the home of Civil War veteran Isaiah Welch, the group attending poses for a photograph.

Front row: Mattie Bell, Blanche Presson, Annie Fentimen, Unknown Vaughan, Georgie Gilman, Jamie Welch, Charles Vaughan, Henry Cook

Middle row: * Ed Fentimen, * Jim Bell, Mrs. Samuel Gilman, * Isaiah Welch, Mrs. Ed Fentimen, Mrs. Sylvester Vaughan, Mrs. George Jacobs, Mary Edith Stevens, Mrs. Jim Bell, Mrs. LaForest Boston, Mrs. Isaiah Welch, Stella Bangs, Blanche Boston, Angie Jacobs, Mrs. Thaxter Cook, * Thaxter Cook

Back row: * Col. James S Nash, * George T Jacobs, * Sylvester Vaughan, * Samuel Gilman, * Alden Gilman, Mrs. Alden Gilman, Mrs. Bangs, Hartson Welch, Martin Stevens, * LaForest Boston

* denotes veteran

Charles Forster set up his first toothpick mill in an old starch mill on Valley Brook in 1887. By 1897 demand for Forster products far exceeded the production capabilities at that location so he purchased this J. W. Porter mill and property near the Strong railroad depot.

From this mill site Forster Manufacturing Co. produced toothpicks and wooden flatware that was shipped nationwide and to markets abroad for more than a century.

Built in 1856, this bridge across the Sandy River served the community for sixty-five years.

Crossing the bridge over the Sandy River took you into the "village" on Lower Main Street.

A truck loaded with wooden shipping boxes proved to be too much for the wire suspension bridge and crashed through to the riverbank below.

The occupants escaped serious injury when this cargo truck from F. E. Merrill Lumber of Turner, enroute to Forster's toothpick mill with wooden shipping boxes, crashed through the deck of the wire suspension bridge over the Sandy River. The truck, owned by Frank E. Merrill and occupied by Leroy J. Merrill and Harold Andrews, all of Turner, luckily came to rest upright on the riverbank.

Thomas Richardson farmhouse along the South Strong Road in Strong around 1890. On this farm Thomas L. and Mercy Doble Richardson, parents of Charles Burton Richardson, raised sheep in support of the Civil War Union effort.

Looking northerly along lower Main Street from below the railroad crossing toward the village. The building on the left is the Franklin House, a boarding house operated by Walter and Louise Jones.

Amos D. Starbird and his wife, Mary Jane Gilkey, raised their family in Freeman and operated a sawmill there from 1870 to 1887, when they sold the business to their son, Clinton. They then moved to Apopka, FL, where they continued to engage in the lumbering business.

Front row, left-right: Percival L. (1866-1954), Austin C. (1862-1928), Adelbert M. (1864-1928).
Middle row: Lionel T. (1860-1884), Mary G. (1833-1919), Amos D. (1825-1910), Rosena I. (1856-1929).
Back row: Albert W. (1854-1924), Edwin R. (1853-1921), Clinton V. (1858-1915).

The Strong Wood Turning Corp. Novelty mill was operated for fifty-four years by Carroll H. Brackley (1885-1975), producing wooden handles, knobs, caps, rings, toys and countless other novelties which were shipped all over the country and abroad. In addition, miscellaneous flatware items and toothpicks were produced by another division of Strong Wood Turning Corp. on the premises.

Carroll Brackley and Menzor Will partnered in a venture to process and can local apples rather than pack and ship them fresh in the customary wooden barrels. Their canning shop was set-up on Depot Street with railroad access across the street. The canning shop operated for twelve years, receiving and processing as many as 50,000 barrels of apples from area orchards.

This elevated conveyor carried crates of Pierpole Brand canned apples from the apple shop to the railroad siding across the street. There the crates were loaded into waiting boxcars for shipment to distant markets. The conveyor could also be reversed to receive incoming shipments of necessary supplies.

In the distance, at right, one of the Burnham & Morrill corn canning buildings can be seen.

This map shows the boundaries and lots as laid-out when Strong was incorporated in 1801. Early property owners have, at some time, been written on it. The eastern boundary changed when the area known as East Strong, consisting of Lots 1-12 in 3rd Range and Lots 1-14 in the 4th Range, was annexed to New Vineyard in 1861. That boundary was highlighted with a faint blue line.

Hervey B. Jennings (1887-1957) and his wife Dorothy McKeen Jennings (1893-1975) embarking on a canoe ride from their cottage on Porter Lake.

Hervey Jennings was the tax collector and constable from 1933-1957. In 1939 he also accepted the duties of treasurer, a position he also held until 1957.

Viewed from atop Forsters Toothpick Mill, the rear of Hotel Strong is seen with a Sandy River valley backdrop. The hotel was built in the mid-1800s as the home of Jeremy Porter. His brother, Elias Porter, lived in the home barely visible at the far right. Their father, Ezekiel Porter, raised his family in the home at far left.

To the right of the Ezekiel Porter house, the route of the Sandy River Railroad can be seen as it snakes its way through the valley toward Phillips.

Alburn C. Robbins (1854-1930) shows his prize catch, a very small fish. He and his wife Ida (Jackson) raised their two daughters, Crystal and Evelyn, in Strong.

Frank L. Dyer (1854-1932) served as the railroad station agent at Strong for 52 years. As such, he was responsible for the entire operation of the terminal connecting the Sandy River Railroad with the Franklin & Megantic Railroad and the Phillips & Rangeley. He was also the Western Union telegraph operator.

Phillip D. Richards (1919-1988) bagged this beautiful buck during the hunting season of 1944 and brought it home lashed to the front of his automobile.

Richards later became a Maine Guide and helped scores of other hunters in the quest for the "Big One."

The railroad station is in the center of this picture with Daggett & Will Store to the left, Forster's toothpick mill behind and to the right, and the railroad turntable and maintenance shed at far right. The turntable was used to change the direction of an engine and tender for the next run.

The narrow gauge tracks of the Franklin and Megantic Railroad ran easterly from the Strong station, behind Forsters Toothpick mill, then northerly through the mill yard. North of the mill yard the tracks crossed Vine Street on the way to Freeman, Salem and Kingfield.

In this view the buildings on Vine Street from left to right are the Methodist Church, Stubbs' barn, the J. H. Norton home, the Ed Howard home and the railroad maintenance shed. In the distance at far right is the Jesse Phillips home at the north end of High Street.

Looking north past the Bradford L. Beal home, through the mill yard of C. V. Starbird lumber mill, the train of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad follows the rails south toward the station.

Though very convenient to have rail service running through the mill yard, employees often had to drop what they were doing to run trackside to extinguish small blazes caused by sparks from the boiler or wheels of the "Iron Horse."

This is a view looking south on Lower Main Street from Depot Street. The structure on the left was built by Jeremy Porter as his home during the 1850s. The first home on the right was built by his brother, Elias Porter, during the same period.

For twelve years Pierpole Brand Maine Apples were canned at Brackley's apple shop in Strong. Apples were collected from farmers all over the area in barrels, processed at the apple shop into 6 lb. tin cans bearing this label and shipped by rail to markets all over New England.

In the late 1920s a severe early frost killed most of the orchards in the area and the apple shop was closed, but not before 50,000 barrels of apples were canned and shipped.

This sign welcomed all to "Cross Bridge and Visit the Largest Toothpick Center in the World."

Millions of toothpicks were produced in Strong at two different plants.

Charles Forster invented the machinery necessary to mass produce wooden toothpicks and set up his mill operations in Strong, where toothpicks were produced under his name for more than 100 years.

Carroll H. Brackley also produced toothpicks under the name Strong Wood Turning Co. for more than 30 years.

During the Civil War the Union drafted citizens into the military forces. If the draftee was influential or wealthy and could find a willing volunteer, he could pay that volunteer to enlist in his place. This was called a Substitute Volunteer Enlistment.

On September 5, 1864 at Auburn, eighteen year old James Skinner of Strong volunteered as a substitute for Clark A. Thompson of Farmington.

George M. D. Will (1847-1932) and his cousin, C. Burton Richardson (1855-1920), bring home birds.

A Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad section crew was responsible for conducting periodic inspections and maintenance on their assigned section of track. The handcar was the primary means of transportation to get the crew up and down the section. The crew needed to be prepared to remove it from the rails whenever a train approached.

The men are named on the back of this photo as: Wallace "Wiggles" Welch, Roy "Wez" Witherell and Ned McCourt.

George Stetson Porter (1863-1946), the son of Jeremy W. and Rachel Hunter Porter, was born and raised in Strong, in the home that was later to become the Hotel Strong. He received his education in the village schools and worked as a clerk in his grandfather, Ezekiel Porter's, store and at his father's mill. He lived at home till married.

George's mother died in 1890. He married Lillian Winslow, daughter of George and Carrie Winslow in 1894. His father sold his holdings in Strong in 1897 and they all relocated to Auburn.

William Benjamin McKeen (1866-1962) was a barber in Strong for more than forty years. He is shown here on the steps of his shop ca. 1925.

The junction at Strong was tied-up for some time when engine #20 from the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes jumped the rails of the switch and stopped in the gore between the lines. The points of the switch were not set properly and opened as the engine entered from the Phillips line, causing it to go off the rails between the north-bound line at the station and the Kingfield line.

Looking north on Upper Main Street from Vine Street. Not at all visible but on the right is the Methodist Church and on the left is the Diah Sweet store.

The path of education changed dramatically when this schoolhouse was constructed in 1900. Rural district schools became a thing of the past. For the first time primary, grammar and high school students from all parts of Strong would attend classes in one school.

This schoolhouse served the town for fifty-one years.

Dedicated on August 26, 1951 this new school served as elementary, junior high and high school, in a modern facility with state-of-the-art furnishings and equipment. For the first time theatrical productions, indoor sporting events and hot lunches could occur in the school facilities. For the first time extra-curricular activities were also available for junior high students.

In 1969, Mt. Abram Regional High School consolidated high school students from five northern Franklin County towns, including Strong, into one campus, and Strong Public School was converted to an elementary and middle school.

One of the most photographed structures in Strong, this bridge across the Sandy River just south of the village served the town from 1857 to 1922. It was replaced by a single span iron structure.

The home on the left on Depot Street in Strong was owned by Menzor Will (1855-1946). The one on the right was owned by Harrison J. Bates (1851-1927). Both men were merchants in town.

These two homes have since been razed as part of the expansion of the Forster Manufacturing Co. property holdings.

The towers supporting the wire cables of this bridge were constructed atop mortared rubble abutments. The towers consisted of four piers framed and braced to support the load.

Built in 1857, this bridge remained in service until 1922 when it became apparent that its construction could not withstand increased motor truck and cargo traffic.

This home was originally the Alexander P. Porter residence until his death. Dr. George Z. Higgins acquired the home in 1879 and established a medical practice here. His daughter Lelia Higgins, also a physician. lived and practiced here.

The home was purchased in 1901 by Dr. Charles W. Bell.

This property, located at the lower end of the present day Chandler Road, was owned by Charles B. Conant, son of Ephraim and Eliza Doble Conant.

Emma May Allen (1880-1969), daughter of Ambrose and Carrie Richards Allen was born and raised in Strong but moved to the Lewiston-Auburn area. She would often return, especially during hunting season.

Gathering on his winter wood, Jacob H. Stinchfield of Strong, is visited by his family and friends, ca. 1889.

In foreground (l-r): daughter, Clara Stinchfield Richardson; granddaughter, Thayas Helen Richardson; daughter-in-law, Martha Bear Stinchfield; daughter, Minnie Stinchfield True.
Second row: Jacob Hammond Stinchfield; son-in-law, Charles B. Richardson.
Back row, third from left: grandson, Jacob Hammond Richardson.

Triangle Bus Line provided passenger and light package service from Waterville to Farmington to Rangeley, and all points in between. When in Strong the bus would stop in front of the Lewis Rexall Drug Store and wait the allotted time before moving on.

This 1936 Dodge bus was operated by Philip C. Hodgkins, of Temple.

At her own expense, grammar school teacher Mrs. Daisy Dickey Worthley (1874-1962) provided souvenirs of her class during the 1901 Spring term. The souvenir consisted of a nice photo card with her photo and name, and the name of the Sup't. Chas. W. Shaw, and a pupil card with a listing of her pupils.

Pupils listed: Annie E. Howard, June A. Harlow, Hilton E. Hewey, Fremont H. Allen, Charles J. Tuttle, Lester R. Lewis, Bessie E. Webster, Sallie G. Luce, Bessie B. Hunter, Lizzie L. True, Wilma B. Conant, Hermia H. Beale, Florence Y. Blethen, Lelia M. Wyman, Lillian M. Locklin, Harold A. Welch, George E. Richardson, Leon E. Smith, Fred A. Stevens, Earle L. Kingsley, Verne F. Richardson, Lyde S. Pratt, Bernice J. Dickey, Clara M. Foster.

In the Spring of 1926 the Strong High Track Team competed in the Franklin County Interscholastic Track Meet against five other teams. The Strong team took more points than all the other teams combined. They took home the championship trophy.

The team is identified as follows:
Front (l-r): Lyde Howes, Maurice Peary, Roland Kershner, Roy Haines, Philip Stinchfield.
Middle: Teacher Robert Waugh, Kenneth Brackley, Albert Ayotte, Jasper Foster, Erwin Toothaker, Principal E. S. Kitchin.
Back: Roland Hunter, Robert Sample, Harry Allen.

Veterans Memorial was erected in the gore between Lower Main Street and Depot Street shortly after the Forster Memorial Building was completed to the south in 1931.

"IN HONOR OF THE MEN OF STRONG AND VICINITY WHO SERVED THE AMERICAN COLORS IN TIME OF WAR", this monument recognized veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish American War and the World War.

The Brackley name was common in the history of Strong and vicinity, dating back to the early settlers. Family reunions were a regular occurrence. This reunion on August 18, 1892 at the Menzor Will homestead at the south end of Lower Main Street was very well attended.

From left to right those attending included children seated on grass: Roy Richards, Freelon Richards, Milton Brackley, Earl Brackley, Ralph Worthley, Lida O'Connor, Carroll Brackley, Lucy Hutchins, Charlie Page, Fred Page, Clarence Brackley, Warren Brackley.

Second Row: Fidelia Furbish, Joseph Dyer Brackley, Melvina Gordon Brackley, Lois Brackley, John Brackley, Verna Brackley, Daniel Brackley, Mary Brackley, Beniah Brackley, Harvey Kilkenny, James L Kilkenny, Clinton V Starbird, Lewis Brackley, Allen K Brackley, Etta Brackley, Ethel Brackley, Alice Matson.

Third Row: Ida Brackley, Frank Brackley, Clinton Richards, (Daughter) Richards, Orren Brackley, Emma Page, Albion Page, Fannie Brackley, Eliza Pratt, Velzora Pratt, Ellen Brackley Kilkenny, Melvina Kilkenny, Etta Kilkenny, Ray Starbird, Flora Kilkenny Starbird, Viola Worthley, Lincoln Worthley, Charlie Matson.

Fourth Row: Will Carville, Fannie Carville, Addie Carville, Alton Carville, Iva Mayo Richards, Elmira Brackley, Mabel Thompson, Will Page, Arthur Furbish, Bert Furbish, Mrs. William Brackley, William T Brackley, Lizzie Brackley Will, Menzor A Will, Arthur E Brackley.

For many years the senior class trip to Washington, D.C. was a tradition in Strong. Tours to the museums, monuments, Congress and Capitol were highlights. Here members of the Class of 1961 are ready for departure.

In front, from left, are chaperone Miriam Lisherness, Michael W. Reynolds, Linda R. Melvin, Patricia R. Probert, Dawn V. Pingree and Ardis A. Howes.

In the back, from left, are chaperone Charles Lisherness, Collin C. White, Robert O. Huff, Cecil H. Allen, Allan S. Wyman, George S. Gilmore, George S. Lewis and Gary L. Lisherness.

Members of the Strong High School Class of 1933 gather for their Mussul Unsquit yearbook photo.

At front, from left, are Nettie B. Cox, Fanny E. Brackley, Clifford H. Durrell, Ruth G. Spear and Emma H. Newell. At rear, from left, are Rufus A. Brackley, Wilfred P. Sample, George S. Lewis, Elbert H. Lambert and Virgil M. Lambert.

At a corn husking in the fall of 1813, Thomas Hunter agreed to build a dam across the northeast branch of the Sandy River. He would furnish machinery if his fellow settlers would put up the building for a saw mill. This they agreed to do because of the need for boards to build homes. The dam was built, the mill was built and lumber produced here went into the construction of what was to become the Village.

In later years the mill was operated by William I. Smith. He produced not only lumber but also wood-turnings. Pulpwood for turnings was amassed on the bank across the road.

Dana E. Peary joins Albert E. Howes for a day of hunting from Howes' hunting camp on Day Mountain, ca. 1940.

Parlor car #9 of the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad, parked on siding rails behind Forster's warehouse, after it was sold to Dr. Charles W. Bell when the railroad was dismantled. This was reputed to be the only narrow gauge parlor car in existence.

When automobiles and trucks came onto the market, passenger train ridership declined for the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad. For a time, in an attempt to reverse that decline, railbuses were operated on the line. Railbus No. 4 was one of those used.

Fannie Elmira Brackley, daughter of Carroll H. and Grace Peary Brackley, poses with the 160 lb. doe that she shot at Dallas Plantation, ca. 1937. The deer was tied to the front fender of the car so that she could get it home to Strong. She looks very proud of her prize.

Early photo postcard depicting the railroad station at Strong where the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes narrow gauge railroad would pick up and drop off passengers and freight.

Group faculty photo for Strong School for all terms of 1911-1912 year.

Seated: Esca A. Maines.
Standing, left to right: Florence C. Luce, Primary: Mina E. Stevens, Grammar Asst.; Hattie M. Titcomb, Grammar; T. Helen Richardson, High School-Asst. Principal; Melvina K. Bradford, Intermediate.

In order for Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes railroad passengers and freight to make connections at Farmington for destinations beyond, a combination of rails and switches was established. It was necessary for narrow gauge rails to cross and merge with standard gauge rails to get the smaller equipment to the station and freight yard. Occasionally you could see engines and rolling stock of both sizes at the station together.

Here the S.R.R.L. engine is visible beyond the larger Maine Central engine.

Senior class portrait of Class of 1912 at Strong High School.

Left to right: Elenora Richards, George Norton and Ethel Rounds.

Strong had as many as eight district schools to provide rural education, but children within a couple miles of the village attended the Village School. This building was vacated, and later sold to the Grange, when a larger school building was built high on the riverbank in 1900.

The Hotel Strong, originally the home of Jeremy W. Porter, was acquired by Charles Forster along with Porter's mill. Forster converted the mill to manufacture toothpicks and the home to a boarding house for business associates. He soon changed it to a hotel.

When the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad discontinued operations in 1935 several pieces of rolling stock were purchased by local businessmen. Dr. Charles W. Bell acquired this parlor car and the rails it sits on. When the tracks were pulled, this piece of the siding was left in place with the car on it.

Cover of the souvenir program for the 1854-1954 centennial celebration of the formation of the Republican Party in Strong.

On August 7, 1854 individual political conventions were held in Strong of the Free Soil Party, the Whig Party and the Morrill Democrat Party. Each party resolved to combine with the other parties to form a more powerful Republican Party. A joint convention was held and a basic platform was established. Candidates were chosen to support in the upcoming elections. Their candidate, Alvin Currier, was subsequently elected to the State Senate. At that time he was the only Republican Senator, State or National, in the United States.

On August 7, 1954 the Maine Republican Centennial Corporation hosted a centennial celebration in Strong, which included political meetings, a turkey dinner, a band concert, a pageant, introduction of candidates and a speech by the National Committeeman, Fred C. Scribner.

On the left is Thomas L. Richardson (1812-1895). He was a prominent farmer with property just south of the village on the east side of Sandy River in Strong.

On the right is Jacob Hammond Stinchfield (1814-1889). He, too, was a farmer on property one half mile to the east in Strong.

Both of them converted their farms to raise sheep during the Civil War in support of the Union Army.

The Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad Engine# 7 left the rails on the Bigelow Extension ca. 1916. Here the crew works at righting it.

In order to stand this 18-ton iron horse back on the rails without a crane, they used only ropes, pulleys, chains, jacks and cribbing.

Fred Ardine Richardson was inducted into military service June 25, 1918 and was discharged six months later, shortly after the armistice. Here, in uniform, he visits his aunt June Harlow Allen, uncle Fremont and their son, Harry.

The Congregational Church was built in 1848 on a knoll overlooking Depot Street and Main Street and dedicated in 1849. For more than 100 years it served its members, but due to economic reasons and declining membership the church was decommissioned and sold in 1951.

For the next forty years it served as the Masonic Hall of the Davis Lodge, A.F. & A.M.

The small trees in front of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Strong were acquired by Virgil Starbird and Winston Beal at Percy Gould's Tree Farm in Farmington, and planted by the Epworth League under the direction of Rev. Charles Sinden.

In 1960 the steeple was added to the Church of the Nazarene, which was otherwise built over a four year period from 1954-1958 by many devoted followers, volunteers and donors.

During World War II observation posts were set-up in coastal states as part of our civil defense program. This observation post was erected on the roof of Forster Mfg. Co.'s warehouse, where volunteer observers would scan the sky with the naked eye and binoculars for any signs of aerial threats to national security.

This cannon was received after World War I and was part of the Veterans Memorial for more than 20 years. But when World War II broke out and scrap iron was needed to support the allied war effort, the cannon was reluctantly given up. Here veterans and Legionaires send off the cannon with the "Headed For Tokyo" message.

Those veterans pictured include, left-right: Orrie Richards, two unidentified vets, Everett Foster, Gerald Flagg, Dan Pratt, an unidentified vet, Grangie Marden, Ardine Richardson, Del Potter and Harold Smith.

The merchants of the north end of the village in 1925 consisted of McLeary & Leighton Clothing, Kingsley & Allen Meat Market and H. J. Bates Boots & Shoes.

Note the structure on the front porch roof of the clothing store. There was a meeting hall in the second story of this building. When motion pictures came out the meeting hall was turned into a theater. However, it was not long enough to focus the projection properly. In order to increase the distance from projector to screen a projection room was added onto the roof of the porch below.

Main Street through the business district was known as the village. On the west side, as seen here from near to far, was the Red & White Food Store, Lee Peary's grocery store, Mont's Beauty Salon, L. R. Lewis Drug Store, A. G. Eustis hardware Store, E. L. Kingsley meat market and the First National Store. On the east side of the street (not visible) was P. M. Stubbs law office, the telephone switchboard, post office and McKeen's Barber Shop.

Note the political banner stretched across the street for "F. A. Richardson for Representative." Fred Ardine Richardson first ran and was elected to the House in 1938 to the 89th Legislature and served three terms. He was Speaker of the House in the 91st Legislature, then ran unsuccessfully for Governor.

This box marked "T. L. Richardson, Strong, Me." was passed-down from Thomas L. Richardson (1812-1895) to his son, Charles Burton Richardson (1855-1920), then to his daughter, Marion Richardson Eustis (1898-1990), then to her daughter, Marjorie Eustis Smith, who used it to store seeds for her gardens for many years.

A round wooden pantry box such as this would be used to store various food items in the pantry. The tight fitting lid would prevent bugs or mice from getting at the contents. With its bale handle, it could also be used to carry a picnic lunch, a hot dish to a church social or as a lunch pail. It was like the "Tupperware" of the day.

In 1892 the Strong Village Schools published this booklet outlining the course of instruction and school regulations. To preface those items Supervisor of Schools, George W. Webster, reported on the state of the schools, in which he made the following timeless statement on education:

"How much benefit our scholars derive from their school work depends on how we carry on the work just begun. In order to secure satisfactory results, three important points must be considered.
"First: We should have school officers in whom we can place entire confidence; otherwise every effort, whether of merit or not, will meet with dissatisfaction.
"Second: We should employ competent teachers whose characteristics qualify them for the work, and who understand the physical and mental laws of the children under their instruction. Education demands intelligence from the teacher at every stage of conduct, intelligent consideration of the relative value of various kinds of knowledge; intelligent application of principles; and intelligent investigation of the causes of success or failure. Therefore let us secure good teachers and thereby remove the necessity of frequent changes, which always produce bad results.
"Third: We should have hearty co-operation of parents. If the parents are not interested good results can not be attained. Parents should visit the school and use their influence to secure regular attendance. Absence and tardiness are serious obstructions to school work.
"Therefore see that your scholars are in school during school hours, take an active interest in all school matters, be ever dilligent in promoting the welfare of your scholars that you may rejoice in their success and prosperity."

The booklet was sent to all families of scholars and was paid for by several pages of merchant advertisements.

A year long celebration of the Strong Bicentennial took place in 2001. The Strong Bicentennial Committee planned, organized and orchestrated events and activities occurring over the whole year. A pictorial book was published entitled "Strong, Maine 1801-2001 Bicentennial" with photos of different eras of Strong's history.

The Bicentennial Logo was drawn by Ralph Copeland, a local artist. The logo depicts a few significant points in the heritage of Strong including: a Native American origin, the narrow gauge railroad, logging, hunting, fishing, blueberries and pine trees.

This bell was used by Elizabeth Dill (1874-1960) when she taught school in Flagstaff. She was born and raised in Phillips, and moved to Flagstaff to fill a teaching position. In 1904 she married Bartlett Hammond (1869-1942) and they started their family. In 1912 they relocated to Strong, where their children were educated. Their four children became teachers.

Their daughter, Thelma Hammond Kimball (1910 -1996), also used the bell during the first four years of her teaching career.

At the turn of the century Byron & Fogg Produce Exchange was operated in Strong as a place for farmers to trade their produce for other necessities. Their specialties were groceries, flour, feed, and tack.

Blended coffee was a grocery item that was sold under their own name. According to the paper label it was roasted and packed expressly for Byron & Fogg by Boston Roasted Coffee.

The slate tablet was used with chalk to do homework, practice penmanship, math tables and spelling without using paper, which was not always readily available.

This slate tablet was used by Ida E. Allen (1887-1982) when she attended Strong Village School and was later passed on to her niece, Alma E. Richards (1908-1970).

Forster Manufacturing Co. produced medical applicator sticks and packed them in boxes of 72 dozen for shipment to the military in support of the war-effort, ca. 1942. Forster's was located in Strong and made wood products.

Forster Mfg. Co. of Strong produced round clothespins under the World's Fair brand name and packed them in boxes of 30 for a nationwide market.

Forster Mfg. Co. produced round toothpicks under the World's Fair name in Strong from 1910 until they closed operations in 2002.

In 1947 Forster Manufacturing Co. produced four sizes of ice cream spoons. In celebrating its 50th anniversary they prepared sample cards with examples of items in production.

In 1947 Forster Manufacturing Co. produced two sizes of ice cream forks. In celebrating its 50th anniversary they prepared sample cards with examples of items in production.

In 1947 Forster Manufacturing Co. produced six types of candy and ice cream sticks. In celebrating its 50th anniversary they prepared sample cards with examples of items in production including ice cream spoons and wooden forks.

For its 50th anniversary in 1947 Forster Manufacturing Co. prepared sample cards with examples of items in production, such as these types of cocktail forks.

Starbird Lumber Co. sawed, planed and trimmed the "shook" (materials) to produce apple boxes in their box shop in Strong. When the demand increased they also contracted teens and retired folks to assemble boxes at their home shops. Bundles of "shook" and kegs of nails were delivered to the home shops. The home workers could work at their own pace and make a few extra dollars. Thousands of apple boxes were assembled in the community.

"Shook" consisted of the pre-assembled end pieces, as well as the sides and the bottom. All of the pieces needed to be nailed together square and true.

The cocktail fork, highball stirrer and spearhead stick were made in 1947 and samples were displayed on cards for the 50th Anniversary of Forster Manufacturing Co. in Strong.

This mustard paddle sample card was one prepared depicting products made for the 50th anniversary of the Forster Manufacturing Co. in Strong.

The 50th anniversary sample cards showing products made by Forster Mfg. Co. in 1947. Tongue depressors such as these were first produced for the military during WW II and later for a nationwide medical market.

Strong Wood Turning Corp. produced thousands of different styles of novelties. These candle holders were one of the novelties.

Sealed salt & pepper shaker sets were one of the novelty styles produced by Strong Wood Turning Corp.. They had perforated screw-on caps and were offered as unfinished, sealed or lacquered and decorated.

Lacquered/decorated salt and pepper shakers produced at Strong Wood Turning Corp. had screw-on, drilled caps. Some were unfinished, others were only sealed. Most were sealed and lacquered.

Strong Wood Turning Corp. made multi-colored lacquered napkin rings. These would be used to decoratively contain cloth napkings in a formal table setting.

This darning egg was lathe-turned of birch wood at Strong Wood Turning Corp. and was finished in clear lacquer.

A darning egg is an ovoid (egg-shaped) item of stone, porcelain, wood, or other hard material, to be inserted into the toe or heel of the sock to hold it in the proper shape and provide a firm base for mending the toe or heel. When finished, the darning egg is removed.

Strong Wood Turning Corp. produced bottle caps for English Leather cologne and aftershave lotion.

The cap was lathe-turned to shape and finished with clear lacquer, then a plastic cap was pressed into the hole in the base. The caps were then shipped to be placed on English Leather bottles.

This little canister was lathe-turned by Strong Wood Turning Corp. in two pieces. The cap is sized to slip over the hollowed base.

The canister was very handy to safely store stick matches for travel or to keep toothpicks sanitary on the dining room table.

Wooden decorative apples were used to adorn table centerpieces and other seasonal decorations, before plastic and foam decorations were created.

This novelty was lathe-turned and finished in red lacquer by Strong Wood Turning Corp.

At the fall 1929 track meet sponsored by Franklin County Scholastic Athletic Assn. this team nearly doubled the points scored by any of the other five teams, taking the championship trophy.

In the front row from left are: James A. Welch, Kenneth W. Hunter, Albert A. Ayotte, Leon E. Beal, Maxwell M. Welch.

In the back row: Glenn B. Whiting, George T. Ayotte, Shirley V. Whiting, Raymond D. Norris, Urcil C. Lake.

These childen at one of several tables in the school lunchroom in Strong were provided a nutritious hot lunch. Note the milk in glass bottles, and what appears to be mashed potatoes, another vegetable and a dessert item.

Those identified in the photo are, on the left from front: Roger Lambert and beside him, Clifford Haggan. On the right from front are: Judith Nickerson, Cheryl Luce, Russell Probert, Ellen White, and next to last Alana Ladd.

Eleven seniors graduated from Strong High School in 1939. Their graduation theme was "Only A Commencement". They were commencing the rest of their lives.

Those graduates were Florence Nira Brackley, Mary Walkey Davis, Gerald Burchard Flagg, Doris Marie Grover, Marian Frances Luce, Neil Glendon Luce, Jr., Everett Harry Mitchell, Leslie Raymond Pinkham, Philip Wendell Richards, Bertha Marie Worthley and Robert Stevens Worthley.

This book of poetry was written by Julia Harris May (1833-1912), who was born in Strong, the daughter of the Congregational minister, Rev. William May.

After her education at Holyoke Seminary she taught school in Kentucky for eight years. In 1868 she and her sister, Sara Rice May (1835-1888), founded a school in Farmington known as Wendall Institute which was operated for thirteen years. In 1881 they returned to Strong and operated the May School until after Sara's death, which strickened Julia with grief. Many of Julia's saddest and sweetest poems were written in memory of Sara.

G. Burchard Flagg led the Strong School Band for several years allowing the Jr. High students and the High School to exercise their musical talents together as part of the band in Strong.

First Row, Left-Right: Mildred Huff, Muriel Pinkham, Gregory Flagg, Roger Lambert, Michael Moffett, Larry Brackley, Elaine Brackley, Edward Taylor, Terrance Doble, Sharon Lewis, Austin Marden.
Second Row: Cecil Leavitt, Virginia Sprague, Carole Reed, Mildred Curtis, Brenda Stevens, Donald Richards, Paul Neil, Clinton Brackley, Joseph Essency, Barry Huff.
Third Row: Gary Lisherness, Darryl Huff, Sharon Clinch, Elinor Bunnell, Pamela Carlow, Joanne Bass, Robert Elliott, Olivia Hutchins, Jo Anne Pond, Leslie Phillips, Leader Burchard Flagg.
Fourth Row: Allyn Heald, Carlton Boyd, Elaine Reed, Robert Huff, Jon Lambert, George Lewis, Nanette Starbird, Loretta Lisherness.

Strong High School published their yearbook titled "Mussul Unsquit" from 1922 to 1969. In the Fall of 1969 the high school students were transported to the new Mt. Abram Regional High School, the result of the school consolidation plan.

The Strong school, which for eighteen years had served as a K-12 school, was converted to serve K-8.

In 1996 the Strong School was renovated with additional classroom space, upgraded weatherization, improved windows and improved technology.

Here, from left to right, the ground-breaking for the renovation was conducted by Principal Felecia Corson, Building Committee Co-Chair Scott Martin, Board Member Roger Lambert, and District Superintendant Robert Girardi.

Teachers used Porter Lake (also known as Sweets Pond) as a location for class picnics to give students supervised time away from the classroom.

Here members of the Class of 1918, as freshmen, enjoyed a day away. Some of those present include: Claudia Johnson, Ethel Whiting, Carolyn Winslow, Florice Winslow, Lizzie Worthley and Maurice Leighton.

Strong High School students seen on a day trip to Porter Lake, also known as Sweets Pond in 1909.

Johnson-Cox Post 78, American Legion purchased lakefront property and through several years of volunteerism and donations of time and equipment, created a beach on Porter Lake and made it open to the public. In 1963 the beach was dedicated in memory of Milton R. Bean (1923-1961), a Legionnaire who spent many long hours on the beach project before he was killed in a hunting accident. Two years later the beach was transferred to the Town of Strong.

After purchasing the shoreland property, and constructing and equipping the beach, the American Legion Johnson-Cox Post 78, dedicated the beach in memory of Milton R. "Beanie" Bean, a devoted Legionnaire killed in a hunting accident in 1961. The beach was named Beanie's Public Beach.

Attending the dedication were, front row, left to right: his son, Stephen Bean; grandmother, Jennie Lambert; mother, Gladys Lambert Bean; father, C. Raymond Bean; widow, Miriam Bean Gilbert; son, Alan Bean.
Back row: Legionnaires Winston Beal, Albert Read and Paul Worthley; Rev. John Hoffman; Legionnaire Norman Libby.

Isaiah Welch served in the Union Army in the First Maine Cavalry. He was a farmer before and after the war with a place at the top of True Hill in Strong.

Lester Royal Lewis (1888-1974), the local pharmacist, crosses the suspension bridge in his auto on his way toward Farmington.

A truck crosses over the Sandy River on the suspension bridge in Strong. The bridge is flexing under the load of this light cargo truck, a common sight with this type of bridge.

After a cargo truck broke through the bridge deck, workers repaired the damage to the suspension bridge in Strong. With weight limits the bridge continued service for six more years.

In preparation of replacing it, a new south abutment is laid of concrete under the old bridge, allowing it to still be used. The sheathing has been removed from the north tower, exposing its structure.

A one-lane floating bridge was built across the Sandy River about a mile downstream to detour traffic during construction when the old bridge was removed.

Two explorers survey the top of the wing of the new bridge abutment in Strong. Given time for the concrete to properly cure, the old bridge will then be removed and construction will begin on the new iron bridge.

It was necessary to construct a workers' walk bridge between the Sandy River's banks during the removal of the old bridge in Strong and the early stages of construction of the new bridge.

Supported by temporary vertical poles beneath, the structural skeleton of the iron bridge stretches between the abutments on the banks of the Sandy River in Strong. The steam crane was used to lift structural members into position for the iron workers to attach them. Temporary planking provided a way for workers to cross from end to end, eliminating the need for the walk bridge beneath.

Concrete was wheeled in carts along paths of wood planking to its destination where it was poured into the forms for the bridge decking during the new bridge construction over the Sandy River in Strong.

A view of the iron bridge in Strong during its first winter looking south.

View of the bridge spanning the Sandy River in Strong, ca. 1950. The iron bridge, opened to the public November 22, 1922, was quickly proven to be wide enough to accomodate two automobiles, as the first two vehicles raced across it. One was driven by a lady and the other by a gentleman. There is still debate as to who was the winner.

In Strong, though never officially named, residents often referred to the north approach to the bridge over the Sandy River as "bridge hill." This little section of Lower Main Street could be challenging in the winter, with a little ice on the road and the curve at the end of the bridge.

After more than 40 years of service the iron bridge crossing the Sandy River in Strong had to be replaced. Though it appeared to be standing firm, years of winter deck treatment with sand and sodium chloride (road salt) corroded the lower structural steel beyond repair.

Construction of a triple-span bridge of concrete and steel girders was commenced. This bridge would be supported on two concrete piers set in the riverbed and abutments set well into the riverbanks on driven steel pilings.

Bridge construction in Strong over the Sandy River viewed from the south proceeds, with abutment footer visible in foreground and support piers in the riverbed. The iron bridge is still in use for traffic.

Bridge construction over the Sandy River in Strong progresses in 1965. Steel girders were laid in position on piers and abutments. Forms were in place for the concrete abutment caps to anchor the girders. Traffic was still routed over old bridge.

The tri-span bridge over the Sandy River in Strong was opened to the public August 22, 1965. The old iron bridge was not removed for some time after the opening.

This game, made by Strong Wood Turning Corp., was lathe-turned in three pieces, the ball, the cup and the handle. It was sealed and lacquered, and was assembled with a 12 inch piece of string.

To use, the ball was hung on the string, then swung or tossed and caught in the cup.

By the late 1930s increasing demand again required the expansion of Forster Mfg. Co. in Strong. On this site toothpicks, clothespins and wooden flatware were produced for more than 100 years.

Completed in August 1965, this bridge began the latest era in Sandy River crossings at Strong.

Gathered at the entrance, the students of Grades 8-12 appear in this Strong School image.

First Row, L-R: (1) Kenneth M. Brackley, (2) Clarence Nutting, (3) Lawrence M. Eustis, (4) Hugh G. Allen, (5) Philip A. Stinchfield, (6) James Vining, (7) Unidentified, (8) Unidentified, (9) Leeman E. Haines, (10) Jasper M. Foster, (11) Unidentified, (12) Maurice C. Peary, (13) Lyde S. Howes.

Second Row: (1) F. Ethlyn Welch, (2) Geraldine F. Foster, (3) Thelma M. Hammond, (4) Lucille M. Smith, (5) Myrtie L. Brackley, (6) Glennis E. Kennedy.

Third Row: (1) Randall O. Vining, (2) Unidentified, (3) Lulu M. Huff, (4) Vivian L. Hammond, (5) Helen M. Goldsmith, (6) Martha E. Richards, (7) Unidentified, (8) Erwin E. Toothaker, (9) Briceno A. Haines, (10) Charles M. Richards, (11) Fred A. McCleary.

Fourth Row: (1) Bernard O. Heald, (2) Henry S. Allen, (3) Delmar H. Johnson, (4) Frank E. Spear, (5) Virginia I. Fitch, (6) Winnifred M. Hubbard, (7) Emily Webster, (8) Jessie V. Sample, (9) Roland P. Kershner, (10) Richard E. Lambert, (11) Orra M. Welch.

Fifth Row: (1) Dana E. Peary, (2) Glendon R. Brackley, (3) Harold C. Lawton, (4) Richard H. Bell, (5) Harold J. Spear, (6) Colon L. Dyar, (7) George E. Fletcher, (8) Vance E. Hammond, (9) J. Elmo Morse.

Sixth Row: (1) Orris B. Richards, (2) Edwin W. Goodwin, (3) Thelma G. Richards, (4) Arline R. McCleary, (5) Blanche V. Lisherness, (6) Mary E. Dickey, (7) Rebecca M. Rounds, (8) R. Lucille Brackley, (9) Florice L. Johnson, (10) Hazel J. Kershner.

Seventh Row: (1) Charles C. Phillips, (2) Chester R. Parker, (3) Unidentified, (4) Bernard A. Kennedy, (5) John P. Sample, (6) Eugene A. Huff.

C. Virgil Starbird, left, smiles beside this load of logs brought to the sawmill by his driver, Andy Pratt.

Saw operator, Charles E. Chick, runs a log through the main saw at Starbird Lumber Co.

Members of the sawmill, planer mill and box shop crews gather with the boss and his son for this photo.

Pictured from left to right are: (1) Russell Buxton, (2) Ernest J Cousineau, (3) Delmont Smith, (4) Carl Anderson, (5) Herbert “Pete” Howard, (6) Victor Targett, (7) Cecil Phillips, (8) Craig V. Starbird , (9) Clayton L. Crocker, (10) Charles E. Chick, (11) C. Virgil Starbird, (12) Victor McLaughlin, (13) Frederick E. Doble, (14) Rex Bubier, (15) Kenneth S Clark, (16) Charles W. Snell.

Long lumber of all dimensions was produced at Starbird Lumber Co. in Strong, including timbers, framing, finish, flooring, sheathing and siding.

Lester Royal Lewis (1888-1974), with his wife, Mabel E. Smith (1888-1968), by his side served the community for 50 years. At the age of seventeen, "Roy" took a position at the local pharmacy operated by Charles E. Dyer. He interned there, learning all aspects of the business. When Mr. Dyer passed away Roy purchased the business, received his certification and operated Lewis Drug Store for thirty years, often opening after hours to dispense special medications for a sick child.

In addition to his trade, music and photography were Roy's passions. He was a gifted musician, playing the brass in local bands, and singing in the choir at the Methodist church. The images he captured with his camera served to record the ever-changing community and its residents.

On May 22, 1955 Main Street, through the village, was closed for a couple hours for a public tribute to Roy & Mabel on their retirement. Done in a "This Is Your Life" format, it was attended by hundreds of community members, all expressing gratitude and wishing them well.

Rural free delivery service began in the United States in 1891 and was supported by the National Grange, an agricultural organization.

Stock in Franklin Farmers Co-Operative Telephone Co. was sold to phone service customers and investors at $10.00 per share. In this case sold to J. W. Durrell on May 3, 1912.

Service was provided through a central switchboard operator in each town. To place a call one would "ring-up" the operator and tell her who you wanted to call. The operator would connect to and "ring" the receiver's line. When the line was answered, the operator would make the connection between the two lines and disconnect herself from the call.

Well, that's what she was supposed to do. All too often the operator would listen-in on, and sometimes even participate in, the conversation.

The engine on the left is pulling the string of cars past the switch of the junction, where the points will be moved to allow the string to be coupled to the engine in the center. That engine will then haul the string down to Farmington.

Charles William Bell (1873-1944) was born and raised in Strong, the son of James H. and Sarah Allen Bell. After receiving his medical training at Maine Medical School at Bowdoin in 1897, he returned to Strong, opening his small practice in his father's home.

He married Annie Stubbs, November 7, 1900, and a year later they purchased Dr. George Z. Higgins home and moved his practice into it in 1902. His practice grew and within a short time was handling emergency surgery cases in his home, assisted by Mrs. Bell. At that time the closest hospital was in Lewiston. Later the necessity for more rooms became so urgent that the Estate of Charles Forster established a complete and modern hospital of 16 beds for Dr. Bell to run, in the building they had operated as Hotel Strong.

Dr. Bell operated the hospital until 1937, sometime after Franklin County Hospital was created in Farmington. He moved his practice to Farmington after 40 years of service in Strong. As a physician and surgeon, he was loved and respected by all.

William I. Smith (1867-1934) operated this mill at the turn of the century.

The mill was originally built by the townspeople in 1813. Early settler Thomas Hunter agreed to build a dam across the "Northeast Branch of the Sandy River" and provide the necessary machinery, if the townspeople would erect a building for a sawmill. Lumber from this mill was used in most of the structures in the village. Hunter later built the adjacent building and operated a grist mill there.

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad, a Maine Two-Footer, operated through Franklin County from Farmington, where it connected with Maine Central Railroad, through Strong, where it branched to Bigelow on the east branch and to Rangeley on the west. Because of the terrain in the western mountains the rails were sometimes laid along the banks of natural waterways.

A passenger is atop the first boxcar, probably a company employee.

Albert L. Daggett (1827-1916) and his brother, Washington L. Daggett (1835-1910) owned and operated this store from the 1870s until 1908. They sold groceries and provisions.

In 1886 the main portion of the store burned due to overheated oil lamps left burning in the upstairs meeting hall. A bucket brigade from the stream behind the store saved the north end of the building. Much of the stock was also saved and stored in the church across the street.

The store was rebuilt as a single story building and has been operated by several owners. It still serves the town as Beal's General Store.

John King Richards (1828-1905) served in Co. F, 19th Maine Infantry from 1862 to 1865.

Abner H. Foster (1822-1892) enlisted from Freeman in Company A, 7th Maine Infantry and served from 1864 to 1865. The area of Freeman known as Foster Hill is named for his family.

Aurora Grange participants on float at American Legion field in Strong.

The Aurora Grange in Strong celebrated rural life for many decades. As one of the Franklin County District's handful of remaining Granges, it suffers from the effects of a declining population and lost industry

Postcard of the Aurora Grange Hall in Strong addressed to Mrs. Hannah Morrill, Malden, MA. Postmarked July 6, 1911.

The Aurora Grange built an addition to the main building in 1920.

Dist.# 1 Dyar School building served as classroom for the children of the southern portion of Strong, on the west side of Sandy River, until the late 1890s. It was located across from the present-day Ladd farm on the road to Farmington.

After the district system of rural education was abolished, this building was boarded-up and soon fell into disrepair. However, remnants of the building were still visible well into the 1960s.

Townspeople of Strong conducted a host of fundraising events during the school construction project to ensure that it was furnished with "A Seat for Every Child."

Here donated items are sold to the highest bidder in a very spirited auction at a storage garage owned by Carroll H. Brackley. Bids often exceeded the value of the items.

Front Row, L-R: (1) Winthrop L Guile, (2) Fred E McLeary, (3) Leslie A Vining, (4) Charles Pease, (5) Abner W Mayo, (6) Horatio N Luce, (7) John W Durrell, (8) W H Conant, (9) Clyde E Durrell, (10) Stephen D Gates, (11) William H Hunter, (12) Robert Keefe, (13) George Hartwell, (14) William I Smith, (15) Jesse E Phillips, (16) William E Bates, (17) Walter G Durrell.
Second Row: (1) Charles F Thompson, (2) Philip D Stubbs, (3) Nelson Walker, (4) Percy M Brown, (5) Llewellyn Hartwell, (6) Frank H Smith, (7) Richard E Burns, (8) Frank E Howard, (9) C B Luce, (10) William H Allen, (11) A W Norton, (12) Orrin P Walker, (13) C H Hinds, (14) Ray Spaulding.
Back Row: (1) Frank O Welch, (2) C W Shaw, (3) U G Weymouth, (4) Percival W Mason, (5) Clinton V Starbird, (6) Charles H Cunningham, (7) Lewis L Partridge, (8) Elliott W Loring, (9) Frank E Vaughan, (10) Gilbert Eustis, (11) Alton B Tucker, (12) Henry E Mayo, (13) H A Durrell, (14) Austin T Voter, (15) James H Conant, (16) Allen G Eustis, (17) Ernest W Vining.

Front (l-r): Clarice Cox, Reta Cook, Bob Worthley, Glenda Worthley, Ruby Pillsbury.
Middle (l-r): Rosalind Lambert, Queda Huff, Stella Huff, Phyllis Sample, Ruth Richards, Helen Huff, Phyllis Brackley, Dorothy Jennings.
Back (l-r): Lewis Brackley, Lawrence Cook, Glen Brackley, Laurence Voter, Wendell Cook, Ross Richards, Merlon Kingsley.