The Merry family
The story of the Merry family of Damariscotta — the “m” in Skidompha Library — will be told at a free public presentation by researcher Darby Langdon, of Edgecomb, on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 12:30-2 p.m. in Skidompha Library’s first-floor Porter Meeting Hall. Allow time to find parking.
The following is the backstory on how this family’s adventures came to light.
In 1959, Elizabeth Merry Miller sent her first query to Skidompha Library. One of her correspondents at the time was library board member Leverett B. Davis. Miller had some things in her possession that she felt might be of interest to the library and people of the greater Damariscotta area. Her great grandparents, Charles Glidden and Elizabeth Stetson Merry, were the “m” in Skidompha.
Over 21 years, not only did Miller send paintings, letters, scrapbooks, and photos, but through her correspondence with Skidompha librarian Fred Fassett, she left behind a colorful and fascinating autobiography of herself.
By the time Miller died in 2002, in her orderly way she had already distributed many of her artifacts to various institutions, including the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and Skidompha Library. The bulk of her material went to Damariscotta and into Fassett’s capable hands. Unfortunately, Fassett had already retired when Miller died and most of her gifts would end up waiting for some future researcher to reveal the stories and mysteries of the Merry Collection.
Two years ago, that researcher appeared. Langdon, then of the state of Washington, found herself spending time in Maine, and was looking for something useful to do. After contacting Skidompha Library, she was offered the chance to explore and research the Merry Collection and has since become totally immersed in the lives of the characters hidden therein.
The Merry barn
While transcribing the handwritten accounts of the sisters Belle and Hattie and exploring the contents of an old wallet, Langdon’s interest in sea captain Joseph Merry was awakened. He was the only son of a doting, ship-building father, Charles Glidden Merry. As more and more characters were awakened from their long archival sleep, Langdon diligently has worked to reveal the details of their stories, families, triumphs, and shipwrecks. This exciting presentation has been carefully planned and will be illustrated with photos, maps, and wonderful old documents.
Skidompha Library is located at 184 Main St., Damariscotta.
