Arnold LeMay
Mr. Arnold LeMay was born and raised
in West Harpswell. He still lives in the house he
was born in. He is now 81. His mother was born in
Harpswell anal his father in Canada. Mr. LeMay has
two brothers and one sister that now live in
Florida.
When Arnold was a boy his house was
heated with wood because they did not have
electricity. They also did not have gas stoves,
radios or TV’s, and instead of bathrooms they had
outhouses.
Mr. L eMay's
family grew a lot of their own food: corn, carrots,
peas, and potatoes, etc, The food they grew in the
summer and fall was canned and stored for the winter
months. Food was stored with ice because there was
no refrigeration. They bought their fish because
they didn't have a boat, none of the family were
fisherman. The family dug their own clams and
mussels out in front of their yard that was right on
the
shore line. There were two or three stores in the
village of West Harpswell where they could buy a few
things they could not provide themselves. Things
were much less expensive. A pack of cigarettes cost
about 10 cents, bread was about 2 or 3 cents, and
one pound of sugar was also about 10 cents.
Arnold doesn't remember any peddlers
coming to his house to trade goods. People were just
good friends or neighbors and if somebody needed
help then they would just help them and be repaid by
getting help on something they needed like
painting and fixing things.
Arnold walked two miles every
day to get to school because there were no buses
like today. Instead of having a different teacher
each year Arnold had only one teacher for grades
1-8. He went to elementary school for 9 years and
then went on to Brunswick High School for years.
Brunswick High School is now Hawthorne Elementary
School on Federal Street in Brunswick. A few people
had cars back then so 4 or 5 kids would pool in one
car and get driven to school. Arnold did not go on
to college because not as many kids went to college
as they do today.
The whole family was involved in the
business of ice harvesting. Or as Mr. LeMay called
it “put up ice.” They had a good sized pond on their
land so in the winter they would cut ice, store it
in ice houses, and then sell it to people in the
summer. The ice was cut in chunks that were about
22” x 44” x: 18”. He learned his job from his mom
and dad. His mom and dad didn't have to travel to a
job far away, like many people do today.
Arnold remembered that the holidays
were much different back then. Kids didn't get Legos
or a Nintendo 64. Most of the gifts were home made
and practical like mittens, sweaters, hats and so
on. The Fourth of July was one of Arnold's favorite
holidays. His family went to Brunswick to see
fireworks, or bought their own and had family
reunions with the fireworks they bought. For
birthdays his mom made a cake and homemade presents.
Mr. LeMay didn't go to war, but he
remembered local military towers in North Harpswell.
Civilians volunteered to watch for planes, identify
them, and give their direction.
These are some things Mr. LeMay
remembers about Harpswell. He remembers the
steamboat that would travel from Portland to South
Harpswell. There was a Post Office at Estes Point
(now Potts Point) and the mail would come in on the
steamboat and the postman would deliver mail to the
locals. He also remembers a bowling alley and movie
theater. Many things have changed in Harpswell,
There are many, many more businesses, houses and
people. He preferred Harpswell the old way. |
