On April 20, 1916, 14 women from Lincolnville, possibly from the Beach, met at Ida French’s home at what is now 12 Beach Road. These were women with a mission. The Beach’s sidewalks were made of wooden planks, but they were aging and needed upgrading. So the Village Improvement Association was born.
These women had been creating “fancy work” that spring, a term I’d never heard before, but when I looked it up on my phone, I found that it is defined as “decorative needlework such as embroidery or crochet.”
They made aprons, balsam pillows, handkerchiefs, pincushions, and all kinds of other fiber crafts. In July 1916, these hardworking women held a summer market where they peddled their wares, complete with five gallons of ice cream (three vanilla, two caramel).
By the time of the Aug. 4 meeting, the Village Improvement Association had $133.69 in its coffers.
Harry Gilbert, a popular singer and summer resident at the time, gave a concert in August which raised another $61. They held whist parties to raise more money, again with the help of pocket computers – whist is an old card game. Throughout the fall and winter the group continued to meet, and on January 24, 1917 they held a Winter Social and Cake Raffle at Freeman’s Hall, located where the Lobster Pound was located until the 1930s.
That winter, with about $300 in the bank, the women went to City Councilman Irvin Ugly (Ugly again!), and the council members voted to “start a cement sidewalk at the beach and lay sidewalks in each direction as long as funds exist to build them.”
More decorations and ice cream were sold throughout the summer, and on August 24, 1917, women representing the Village Improvement Association signed a contract with Beach resident Frank M. Collemore “to construct and complete a concrete sidewalk within the limits of the town’s main road.”
As Diane O’Brien wrote: Remaining in Lincolnville, Maine, 1910-1950: “The women of Lincolnville Beach transformed gingham, lace, yarn and percale into beautiful 42-inch by 42-inch concrete blocks, achieving the impossible feat of connecting the village store, post office and homes. Throughout the 1920s, the women met to sew, hold socials, dances, card games and fairs. Each year, they added sidewalks to one or both sides of the beach’s north and south sidewalks, making the women’s sidewalk 1.7 miles long, stretching from Will Munro’s dairy farm at 2356 Atlantic Highway to the Ducktrap Bridge.”
And all this was before women were given the right to vote.
Lincolnville Improvement Association
The activities of the Village Improvement Association continue to this day as the Lincolnville Improvement Association, which includes both boys and girls.This year, the LIA awarded eight scholarships to Lincolnville CHRHS graduating students.Congratulations to Maggie Blood, Chloe Day Lynch, Abigail Heise, Cooper McBride, Jackson Strout, Mason Clark, Freya Hurlburt and Owen McManus.
LIA rebuilt the original library on the beach after it was damaged in a winter storm, and I think the idea of a collection of sand toys available for all the kids who gather on the beach is a great one.
The LIA meets monthly and also hosts potlucks and guest speakers. The next meeting will be on July 18th at 5:30pm at Tranquility Grange with guest speaker Town Manager David Kinney.
And of course, don’t miss LIA’s main fundraiser, Blueberry Wingding, which McLaughlin’s Lobster Shack will host again in its new location on Aug. 10 from 7 to 10 a.m. Blueberry pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee, and, no doubt, some decorations will be available for purchase.
Lincolnville breaks the silence
Finding Our Voices, a Midcoast organization dedicated to breaking the silence of domestic violence, will be in Lincolnville next month with a multi-family yard sale and StreetFood330 food truck at 90 Hope Road from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 29 and 30. If you’d like to donate items in good condition for the sale, call Christina Buckley at 207-230-4618.
Rose Lowell of Dolce Vita Farm will be selling wood-fired pizzas from 2 to 6 p.m. on July 6. Order with Rose (207-323-1052) by July 5 to secure your pizza. The pizza is great. Lincolnville eateries Aster and Rose and Dots Market will participate in the Finding Our Voices Foodie Fiesta by serving yellow drinks or food items and donating proceeds to the organization.
Founder Patricia McLean also shared that two Lincolnville dentists, Dr. Christine Landry of Lincolnville Dentistry and Dr. John Lewis of Penobscot Bay Dentistry, are involved with the “Finding Our Voices” program, which provides free dental care to victims of domestic violence.
And finally, stop by Windsor Chairs in Lincolnville Beach in July to purchase a $20 raffle ticket to win a custom chair. We’ve mentioned Windsor Chairs here before, but we encourage you to take a look around Michael and Jana Tymchak’s beautiful showroom.
I wholeheartedly support Finding Our Voices’ mission to expose the often hidden reality of domestic violence and stand up for Maine women and children.
Hey Lincolnville. It’s raining heavily here in Sleepy Hollow. Hopefully the tornado warning is just out of caution. Stay wet and be kind. Support local organizations and make your community better. As always, you can reach me at ceobrien246@gmail.com.
calendar
Monday, June 24
Board of Elections, 6 p.m. Town Hall
School Committee, 6 p.m. LCS
Tuesday, June 25
The library is open from 3 to 6 p.m. at 208 Main Street.
AA meeting, 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road.
Wednesday, June 26
The library is open from 2 to 5 p.m.
Planning Commission, 7 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, June 27
Heart & Soul Team, Environment, 6pm, Breezemere Park
Friday, June 28
AA meeting, 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road.
The library is open from 9am to 12pm. 208 Main Street
Saturday, June 29
The library is open from 9am to 12pm. 208 Main Street
Sunday, June 30
United Christian Church, 9:30 a.m. service, 18 Searsmont Road.
Bayshore Baptist Church, 9:30 a.m. Sunday school, 11:00 a.m. worship service, 2648 Atlantic Hwy.