Howard Reiche

The GHS lost a good friend and valued member when Howard Reiche passed away. Howard and his wife Louise (better known to us as Stevie) were with us from the beginning. It was Howard’s idea to form the GHS and his dedication made it what it is today. Countless hours of research produced several books on Gilead’s history and the location of many historical sites. Thanks to Howard and all his family for their loyalty to the GHS. The return of the 1851 Railroad Station by Howard and Stevie’s son, Ford Reiche, is a perfect example.

Howard Reiche

Howard Reiche

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon
Once the roof was finished, it was decided to enclose the shelter with heavy plastic to keep the rain and snow off the wagon. Again, thanks to Tim Chapman for helping his dad, Hugh Chapman, with putting on the plastic and the strapping to hold it in place. Next spring the shelter will receive a coat of paint and the project will be completed. Many thanks to all those who helped to get this done.

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon
The next phase was to put on the metal roofing. Thanks to Keith Saunders and his helper for taking on that job.

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon

The Freight Shed-Shelter for the Baggage Wagon
The shelter for the Baggage Wagon has been constructed. Many thanks to the crew that built it-Al Toutant, Jimmy Lumbard, Peter Risbara and Hugh Chapman.

2022 Annual Meeting-Garden

2022 Annual Meeting-Garden
Diane's Garden-Diane 'Dupont' Bean

The Baggage Wagon

The Baggage Wagon

The Baggage Wagon

The Gilead Historical Society was formed in 2004 after the Town of Gilead held their Bicentennial Celebration. Since that time, the Society has moved two buildings onto their property and restored them. The 1903 Schoolhouse was moved in 2009 when Route 2 was under construction and the 1851 Railroad Station was acquired in 2011. The Society has also published six books on the history of the Town of Gilead and the surrounding area, such as Hastings and the Wild River region. Several other projects have been completed throughout the past few years, but there was one that just seemed to hang on. In 2013, Stephen McLain found a baggage wagon that was in very poor condition and donated it to the Society. All of the metal parts were there but the wood had disintegrated long ago. He wanted to preserve it before it was too far gone. He enlisted the aid of his son, Brad McLain, and wife, Carole Mason, to load it onto a trailer and bring it to Gilead. So, the first part of the journey was complete when Stephen and Lise McLain donated the wagon. Over the past few years, the GHS has raised funds to restore the wagon. Since, the quotes received were much more than we could raise, the project was put on hold. Last summer, the Browns became involved. Ted and Emmy Brown, who are longtime summer residents on the Wild River Road or Route 113 stopped by the GHS and learned about the wagon and how it needed to be restored. It seems that their son, Tedd Brown, had a business and was very much into restoring vehicles. Tedd appeared with a trailer and removed the wagon to Hampstead, NH where his business, Cruiser Solutions, is located. The wagon spent the winter there being restored by Tedd’s dedicated crew. The wagon returned to the GHS on the day of the Annual Meeting in September. A beautiful work of art is the only way to describe it. Hugh Chapman spoke about the journey the wagon went through and then introduced Tedd, who spoke on the process that was used to restore the wagon. The dedication of three plaques was then presented: “Donated by Stephen and Lise McLain”, “Restored by Cruiser Solutions and the Browns”, “Restored in Memory of Robert ‘Bob’ Bishop”. Bob, who passed away in 2020, was a Life Member of the Gilead Historical Society and a very active and dedicated member along with his wife Judy. He loved everything about railroads and their history. The journey of the baggage wagon has come to an end beside the 1851 Railroad Station where it will stand proudly as a reminder of what hard work by the GHS members and the generosity of the Brown family can accomplish.

2022 Annual Meeting

2022 Annual Meeting
Tedd Brown II (guest speaker) explaining the restoration of the baggage wagon

2022 Annual Meeting

2022 Annual Meeting
Pete Risbara and Al Toutant (Trustees) during the business meeting

2022 Annual Meeting

2022 Annual Meeting
Enjoying Lunch

2022 Annual Meeting

2022 Annual Meeting
Ken and Norma Garry (Life Members) listening to speaker

2022 Annual Meeting

2022 Annual Meeting
Enjoying the Crock Pot Pot Luck Lunch

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Show and Tell Item-Judy Bishop-RR sign

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Show and Tell Item-Al Toutant

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Paperwork for display

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Track Level loaned to GHS by the Susburys

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Mary Tyler at the Sales and Display Table

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Display

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Lunch

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Pete & Claudia Risbara serving lunch

2021 Annual Meeting

2021 Annual Meeting
Enjoying Lunch before the meeting

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Listening to the Speaker-watching slide show

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Listening to the Speaker

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Steve McLain in line-Pete & Claudia Risbara serving lunch

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Judy Bishop in line for lunch

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Listening to the Speaker

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Mac Dudley-Presenter-New Book-Where the Wild River Flows

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting
Lunch

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting

2019 Annual Meeting

2019 Annual Meeting
Lunch

2019 Annual Meeting

2019 Annual Meeting
Lunch

2019 Friends and Family Day

2019 Friends and Family Day
Norma & Ken Garry

2019 Friends and Family Day

2019 Friends and Family Day
Lunch

2019 Friends and Family Day

2019 Friends and Family Day
Raffle Prizes

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Andre Dupont, Tammy MacDormand and Joan Adams

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Lin Chapman and Bob Bishop-Grand Prize winner-Gary Knapp photo

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Pete and Claudia Risbara, Margaret and Bob Record

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Lunch

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Preserving the Past Display

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Display

2018 Annual Meeting

2018 Annual Meeting
Display

2018 Friends & Family Day

2018 Friends & Family Day

Raffle Prizes-2018

Raffle Prizes-2018

White Mountain National Forest

White Mountain National Forest
Edward Jones & Richard Cleveland

2017 Friends and Family Day Program


"A Century of the White Mountain National Forest in Maine"


Friends and Family Day will be held on Saturday, June 24th. This is a joint program being offered by the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society and the Gilead Historical Society. The subject of the program marks the 100th anniversary of the first land purchase in Maine for what, in 1918, would become the White Mountain National Forest. The day will start with a public lunch (fee) at 11:00am at the Gilead Town Hall.



The program: “A Century of the White Mountain National Forest in Maine.” will begin at 1:30pm. The presenter, David Govatski of Jefferson, NH is a forester and environmental consultant, who worked for the U. S. Forest Service for more than thirty years. He is also a co-author with Christopher Johnson of “Forests for the People: The Story of America’s Eastern National Forests (2013).”



The White Mountain National Forest was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911. It is a federally managed forest (750,852 acres) in the White Mountains in Maine and New Hampshire.


2016 Friends and Family Day

2016 Friends and Family Day

2015 Friends and Family Day

2015 Friends and Family Day

Dedication at Friends and Family Day 2014

Dedication at Friends and Family Day 2014
Mary Lorry Cole Research Library

Dedication at Friends and Family Day

Dedication at Friends and Family Day
George Daniels Office

Dedication at Friends and Family Day

Dedication at Friends and Family Day
Reiche Family Waiting Room

2014 Friends & Family Day

Date: June 21, 2014
10th Anniversary of Gilead Historical Society
Crock Pot Pot Luck Lunch
Historical Displays
Historic Buildings will be open
Publications will be for sale
There are 4 past books and a couple of new ones.
Hats and T-Shirts with 10th Anniversary
Check out the Gilead Historical Society on Facebook

Sign

Sign
Close up of sign

New GHS Sign

New GHS Sign
Setting the sign in place-Norm Buttrick, Hugh Chapman, Steve McLain

2013 Annual Meeting

2013 Annual Meeting
Mary Tyler receiving her Honorary Membership Certificate

2013 Annual Meeting

2013 Annual Meeting
Norm Buttrick receiving his Honorary Membership Certificate

Friends and Family Day

Friends and Family Day

Schoolhouse with new lights

Schoolhouse with new lights
Daytime View

Taken at Dusk

Taken at Dusk
Front Lights Lit Up

All Lights On!

All Lights On!
Front view

Beautiful Sight!

Beautiful Sight!
Side View

Schoolhouse

Schoolhouse
Looking Sharp!!!

Train Station

Train Station
Just because it looks so nice!

GHS Visitors

Recently, Norm Buttrick, part-time resident of the Bog Road in Gilead, had visitors from Belgium. Sophie Rase-Dehu was one of Norm’s archaeology students who was on an exchange program and went to St. Joseph College on scholarship and later became a lawyer in Belgium (works for the European Community in Luxemburg). She returned this spring with her family for a visit with Norm and part of their visit included a trip to Gilead. They stayed at the Bog Road residence and were anxious to check out what the Gilead Historical Society has accomplished with preserving the buildings.

Visitors from Belgium

Visitors from Belgium
L-R: Cathy McGuire, Norm Buttrick, Vincent Rase (Sophie’s brother), Vincent Dehu (Sophie’s husband), Sophie Rase-Dehu. Children: Charlotte and Arthur

2012 Historic Preservation Award

The Bethel Historical Society presented the Gilead Historical Society with their 2012 Historic Preservation Award for all the work that the GHS has done restoring the 1851 Railroad Station and the 1903 Gilead Village Schoolhouse.

Receiving Award

Receiving Award
L-R: Randall Bennett, BHS; Mary Tyler, GHS; Norm Buttrick, GHS

Sign is Up!

Sign is Up!
The sign is a replica of the original sign that was on the school.

Close Up

Close Up
Just a close up of the sign to be able to see it better.

More schoolhouse pictures

More schoolhouse pictures
Ladders up and work progresses

Schoohouse

Schoohouse
Scraping, sanding and primer are done.

Painting of the Schoolhouse

Painting of the Schoolhouse
Denny Wheeler has arrived to begin painting.

Friends and Family Day

Many thanks to all the people who made this day possible. The ones who worked hard to set up, worked all day and cleaned up afterwards. A big thanks to those who came to the event and made it all worthwhile.

Credits for these photos go to Mary Tyler, Steve McLain, Tim Chapman and Ben Chapman.

Always looking for photos, so will post any that we receive.

2012 Friends and Family Day

2012 Friends and Family Day
Sign is out and the buildings are open and ready for the public!

Edith Quimby's Organ

Edith Quimby's Organ
All polished up and happy to be back in Gilead.

Inside the Schoolhouse

Inside the Schoolhouse
Desks are lined up and the maps are pulled down and waiting for the students to arrive!

Railroad Station

Railroad Station
Painting that was done by Marina McLain. It will hang in the station when all the renovations are done.

Ready for Customers

Ready for Customers
The inside of th station is ready for customers to set by the stove in a couple of old chairs or on a beautiful bench. Old pictures of Hastings to preview while waiting and a new painting of the station (upper right) by Marina McLain.

Inside the Railroad Station

Inside the Railroad Station
Chimney and stove set up and Pierre is ready to sell tickets

Railroad Station

Railroad Station
All decked out with a baggage cart complete with a trunk.

Presentation

Presentation
Wayne Peabody presenting a copy of a painting depicting ships leaving the harbor in 1635 from England

"Margaret Chase Smith"

"Margaret Chase Smith"
Out on the campaign trail. Barb Stewart dressed the part complete with pearls and a red rose pin.

Friends and Family Day 2012

Friends and Family Day 2012
Parade-Tanner McLean, 3rd Place-Brandon McLean, 2nd Place and Morgan McLean, 1st Place

2012 Friends and Family Day

Date-June 23, 2012
Theme-The 1950's
Children's parade at 11:00am
Parade is for all those 'Young at Heart'
Historical Displays
1950's music at 1:00pm
Food
Children's games
Historical Buildings will be open for tours


Schoolhouse on 5/3/2012

Schoolhouse on 5/3/2012
Simply beautiful

Gilead Historical Society Receives $10,000 Grant

Gilead, Maine. The Gilead Historical Society has received a $10,000 grant from The Presumpscot Foundation, which in turn received a similar sum from Maine Community Foundation to support the completion of renovation of the Gilead Railroad Depot. The Maine Community Foundation is a statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth and Portland. It partners with donors and non-profits to strengthen Maine communities. For more information visit: www.mainecf.org or call 1-877-700-6800.


The 1851 Gilead Railroad Depot is the oldest rail related structure in Maine, and among the oldest in the United States. The restoration of this structure is a component of the Gilead Historical Society’s ongoing initiative to restore its historic village. The Gilead Historical Society was founded in 2004. To learn more about the Gilead Historical Society, or to support this effort with information, memorabilia or financial resources, please contact Linsley A. Chapman, Secretary at 207-836-2987 or email chapmal@hotmail.com.

Began in Gilead

Began in Gilead

From Gilead to Auburn-Back to Gilead

The first railroad station in Gilead was built in June 1851. It served as the depot until 1893. It was then moved eastward to be used as a baggage house. In 1950, the building became a track department section and tool house.

It remained at that site until 1991 when the Atlantic/St. Lawrence Railroad determined that the building was no longer needed and would be destroyed. This is when Ford Reiche acquired the building and moved it to Auburn, Maine. The station was brought back to Gilead, in January of 2011.

Back in Gilead!!!

Back in Gilead!!!
Beautiful to Us!

Crane lifting the Building

Set on the Foundation

Inside the Station

At Home on the Corner

A Facelift

A Facelift
Dave Berry's Crew did the work

New Clapboards

Primer

Painting-Denny Wheeler

1851 Gilead Railroad Station

1851 Gilead Railroad Station

Foreman for the School Project

Foreman for the School Project
Overseeing the job at the schoolhouse

Schoolhouse-West Wall

Schoolhouse-West Wall
Replaced a few clapboards. Chimney still needs to be done

Schoolhouse-South Wall

Schoolhouse-South Wall
Replaced front window and will be installing two matching doors

Schoolhouse -North Wall

Schoolhouse -North Wall
Replaced clapboards and removed old door

Schoolhouse-East Wall

Schoolhouse-East Wall
New window installed and clapboards replaced.

Portland Pipeline

Portland Pipeline

Portland Pipeline

Portland Pipeline

Route 2/Route 113

A few pictures and some explanations about the new intersection for Route 113. When Route 2 was redone and the bridge was constructed, Route 2 moved down river closer to the railroad trestle. The old bridge was torn down. The part of Route 2 that went by Gillander's (grey house), Cy Cole's (white house-now Hayward's) and the Evan's Notch Motel became Rt. 113. The intersection to turn onto Rt. 113 is just West of Rosaire's Corriveau's house. The motel is just visible from the new Rt. 2 now. On the West side of Wild River, the old Rt. 2 still goes to where the bridge was. There is a turnout and fishermen can still park there. At some point, I can post pictures of that area.

New Route 2

New Route 2
The following is older information from years past. Some pages have some great pictures

12th NHV Regiment Serenade Band

12th NHV Regiment Serenade Band
The 12th NHV Regiment Serenade Band recreates a typical small brass band that was a standard part of a Civil War Regiment.

Friends and Family Day

Friends & Family Day

Sponsored by the Gilead Historical Society

Gilead, Maine

FMI 207-836-2987

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Civil War Theme

10:00am: Children’s Parade-Depot Street, Gilead Maine

10:00am-Noon: Bobo T. Clown-by the Town Hall

Noon: Presentations-Town Hall

Bible and the Memory Quilt

1:00pm: 12th NHV Regiment Serenade Band-Tent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buy lunch from the Gilead Fire Dept. and join your Friends and Family under the big tent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Children’s Parade, as always, is for all those ‘young at heart’.

Please feel free to dress up and join in.

The Gilead Fire Dept. will be doing an extrication demonstration in the morning.

The presentation for the Bible will be done by members of the West Parish Congregational Church. The bible from the church in Gilead, that was torn down, has been at their church for safe keeping. They felt it should be returned to Gilead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Memory Quilt that is being created by Linda Taylor, from all the squares that were sold by supporters of the Gilead Historical

Society, will be presented for viewing at Noon, also.

2011 Calendar

Planning Meetings
1:00pm - Town Hall
April 23, 2011


Friends & Family Day
All Day-Town Hall
June 18, 2011

Pot Luck Lunch/Annual Meeting
1:00PM-Town Hall
September 24th

2009 Quilt Raffle

2009 Quilt Raffle
This is an example of the quilt that will be raffled off. It is being donated by Sandra Laughy. Tickets will be available from members of the GHS in the Spring.

March 29th Meeting-2009

The GHS met at the Town Hall at 1:00pm and there were 13 members present and Laney, who is an honorary member. It was decided to hold Friends and Family Day again this year. We are a small group, but are hoping that if we keep the events of the day to a minimum and get some volunteer help from members of the community, we can make this happen again. Anyone interested in helping out should contact any member of the GHS (A couple of suggestions-Lin 836-2987 or Bev 836-2032).

The Gilead Fire Dept. will be on hand to sell hamburgs, hotdogs, french fries, etc. There will be a children’s parade (theme-Historical Character), Music, kid’s games, clown, raffles (homemade quilt), historical displays (info on old houses in the area) and baked goods for sale. There will also be a short lecture at the end of the day on the publications that have been done by the GHS. The latest book was presented at this meeting. The title of the newest book is “The Cemeteries of Gilead, Maine”, compiled by Hugh and Lin Chapman. The information was gathered over the past three years and finally made it into book form this past month. It includes information from the stones of all four cemeteries in Gilead and the private ones as well. It is a wealth of information for anyone working on genealogy. It was decided that the proceeds from the book would go to purchasing signs for the cemeteries. This is pending until approval of the Selectmen is received.

A few of the recent items that have been acquired by the GHS were presented to the members and then the group was asked to vote on accepting another gift. Steve and Lise McLain have decided to donate the McLain lot on the corner of Depot and Bridge Street to the GHS. Most or all of the building will be removed and the lot will be made ready for future use by the GHS.

The newsletter will be going out to members in mid to late April.