Here is a photo taken on Elm Street with a small but beautiful white horse pulling a wicker two-wheel buggie driven by Mrs. Lawrence Hall and her friend Mrs. Fred Marsh. They took second place in the parade. Both wore old fashioned costumes. (Photo courtesy Calvin Dodge collection)
In this article I present some great photos of the Damariscotta centennial celebration that was held on July 11, 12, and 13, 1948. It marked the 100th anniversary of the town of Damariscotta, which was founded in the year 1848.
I recall it as it was just like yesterday. I was 12 years old at the time and now I am 88. The centennial committee put in many hours planning for this event and all kinds of festivities were scheduled to take place over the three days. All the neighboring towns were invited to take part in different events. We find that many organizations came forward and took part.
Some of these groups were the Lincoln County Choral Group, with 36 voices providing special music, and the Twin Village Yacht Club, which provided sailboat races. They also organized swimming races and diving contests.
They had baseball and softball games by local area teams. The town had the Maine Sea Coast Missionary Society bring their vessel up river and moor it at the wharf and it was open for visitors. The vessel was named the Sunbeam and it was built right here in Damariscotta at the Harry Marr shipyard. The U.S. Navy provided a ship to anchor in the harbor and that was also open for visitors. This ship also drew a large crowd.
They had special dances at the Lincoln Academy gymnasium and the girls wore special outfits. Some dressed as girls and others dressed as boys. The girls who took part in this dance were Alice Palmer, Eleanor Bates, Mable Piper, and Norma Lincoln.
There were fashion shows, displays of old items in some of the local store windows as well as antique toy items and quilts and ship models. There were teams of horses pulling a stage coach and beautiful horse drawn carriages.
There was a fashion and cabaret show and Patsy Parsons, Harriet Hall, Eleanor Bates, and Jean Page were in it.
Then came the large parade with four bands and all kinds of historic and pictorial floats, like ox teams pulling a wagon full of women all dressed in old costumes, fire trucks and old hand pumpers from all over the county.
Floats represented local stores and the Bristol Garden Club; then a beautiful float with the Centennial Queen and runner-up on it, then the old horse drawn pulling the town debt, which was going to be burned that night in the middle of the Damariscotta River in a small boat made for that event.
The Maine Lobstermen had a float. Mr. Ross Hall had his large white horse pulling a wagon with him driving and U.S. Rep. Margaret Chase Smith sitting beside him.
There was a float with Molly Pitcher on it, and old antique cars and trucks; a store window full of old model sailing ships, and a long line of women dressed in old outfits. Round Top Farms had three floats in the parade also the Boy Scouts had a large float on the platform body of a truck.
Mr. Winfield Cooper was on a float with one of his large milking cows from Round Top Farms. The float was pulled by Ralph Keene and his farm tractor.
Gov. Horace A. Hildreth came to view the large parade and crowned the Queen of the Centennial, Lucille House of Damariscotta. Mrs. Dorothy Roberts and her son Samuel Roberts were on a float representing The Lincoln County News.
The Twin Village Junior Woman’s Club also took part.
Special guests were the Old Timer’s Party, The Lincoln Home, Sen. Brewster, Rep. Margaret Chase Smith, and all officers of the Three-Quarter Century Club of Maine, and Guy P. Butler, executive manager of the Maine Publicity Bureau.
There was a large street dance to end the day on Water Street. Admission was 60 cents per person, tax included. Joe Avery’s Orchestra played and at 10 p.m. the town debt was burned.
Remember there is no better promise of a fine future than a fine past.
May the lord bless the future of our town and all its citizens of Damariscotta.
