Earle McLean, left, with the alewife stencil he gave to the Nobleboro Historical Society, and George Derringer holding the stenciled alewife barrelhead. (Photo courtesy Nobleboro Historical Society)
Originally published June 28, 1979
During the five years of 1936-1940, all surplus alewives at Damariscotta Mills were packed whole, salted, and shipped in barrels to Port au Prince, the capital of Haiti. The Haitian buyer was Brandt, Augusta, Nadal Co., whose trade name was Banco. As shown in the photo, the name Banco was stenciled on each barrelhead. Other information on the barrelhead was “Fancy Maine Alewives, Product of U.S.A., W. I. Oliver inspector.”
This stencil was manufactured by Everson Ross Co., 88 Chambers St., New York.
The annual town reports for Nobleboro show the following sales in barrels, and income from these Haitian sales:
1936 3181 bbls. $3181
1937 1368 bbls. $1019
1938 1499 bbls. $1520
1939 2999 bbls. $3449
1940 1717 bbls. $1975
The price per barrel for these surplus fish was $1 in 1936; $.75 in 1937; $1.01 in 1938; and $1.15 in the last two years. A few barrels in 1937-1938 were of No. 2 grade, for which the price was cut in half.
The overall responsibility for operating the alewife fisheries has always been the “fish committee,” usually comprised of the selectmen of the two towns of Nobleboro and Newcastle. Until about 1970, the committee selected each year an “agent” to represent each town, and an “accountant” to handle domestic and surplus sales and supervise labor and other costs during the alewife run.
Each of these three officials was usually reimbursed $70 a year, paid out of the fish money. After 1942, this rate was increased somewhat. Then starting in the early 1970s, the responsibility was assigned to one person for the entire operation.
Delia Mulligan Hale, who was Nobleboro’s first selectman for a number of years, also served as fish accountant for several years including the time when alewives went to Haiti. We are fortunate that she, and her father, James Edward Mulligan, who had served the town in similar capacities, preserved many historic records. These records were entrusted to the Skidompha Library, where they were organized and catalogued and were made available to this writer.
Included was a copy of the 1938 agreement with Haiti for the alewives for that year. This stated “The Towns shall have the exclusive right to sell fish taken from said stream for bait, smoking, or for curing by other methods for domestic use. All surplus fish, not sold as above provided, shall be delivered to and accepted by Brandt, Augusta, Nadal Co. at the Fish House, so called, at which delivery the towns shall be relieved of any further cost and expense attending the care, curing, and shipping of said fish.”
It was further stipulated that at the close of the fishing season the surplus fish would be graded, repacked, and paid for at the rate of $1.01 per standard repacked barrel.
Prior to 1935 all surplus fish, for at least 43 years, had been bid on by S. Nickerson & Sons of Boothbay Harbor (or Nickerson Brothers or Arthur Nickerson). For 1935 the contract was with D’Agostino Gubitz Co. Then, following the Haitian shipments in 1936-1940, the fish were sold for three years to McCormack & Zatzman, Ltd., St. John. In 1944, the fish went to Delca Fish Preservators, Inc., and in 1945 to F. H. Snow Canning Co., Inc. Starting in 1946 and continuing until 1968, the fish were bought by Homeport Fish Co. of Rockland, and were cleaned and filleted at the stream and treated in salt brine and vinegar, but this is a story for another time. In more recent years, the fish have been sold whole for lobster bait.
In 1940, the accountant was James Dalton, who was also one of the expert baseball players on the Damariscotta Mills, or Centrifugal Leather Co., team. He recently died in Connecticut at age 102 and was buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Damariscotta Mills. During this year of 1940, Delia Mulligan Hale was the agent for Nobleboro, and R.L. Hodgkins represented Newcastle. As previously stated, they were each paid $70. Others who were paid for scooping the alewives were James G. Barnes Jr., $56; Amasa Bryant, $88; Nathaniel Bryant, $76; and George A. Russell, $73. Two others who were employed to “watch the stream” were Leslie McBride, $108, and Ralph F. McKenney, $101.
In these earlier years, when there was a big demand for alewives for smoking, or for fresh consumption, there was a temptation to steal alewives at night by dipping in the stream or bay entrance. In 1898 the town report states that a total of 100 nights of man labor was hired for “watching the stream,” and 85 nights for “watching the bay,” at a cost of $1.50 per night.
There were some problems of illegal fishing in the Damariscotta River and the bay above the bridge, and $30 of legal fees were paid that year to prosecute such persons. The town’s income from alewives was a valuable asset and needed protection. However, local demand for alewives is now very small, and it has not been much of a problem to “watch the stream and bay.”
The alewives shipped to Haiti were inspected by Woodbury I. Oliver, who also stenciled the barrelheads. He was another of the expert ball players at Damariscotta Mills. He also owned and operated smoke houses, where the Mulligan smoke house has been located in recent years. In addition, Woody did considerable business in buying and shipping eels to wholesale markets in Boston and New York City.
Oliver, who was born in 1878, had a daughter, Leona. She married Harold McLean and they were the parents of Earle McLean, who is shown in the picture. We are indebted to Earle for the gift of the historic alewife stencil to the Nobleboro Historical Society. This stencil is a valuable reminder of those earliest years when we shipped salted alewives to distant markets as an important food.
This writer has spent some time in Haiti on an agricultural mission and can testify to their urgent need of protein foods for their improved nutrition. Our alewives were a most welcome product!
We rejoice in this gift of nature’s bounty, and the income that accrues to our two towns. We also express our thanks for the leadership of the Mulligans, Nelson C. Hancock, and others who over the years have achieved such an efficient and successful operation in harvesting the alewives.
(As Nobleboro’s town historian George Dow contributed more than 760 articles to The Lincoln County News. These articles, as adapted by Laurie McBurnie, are being reprinted under the auspices of the Nobleboro Historical Society. Comments or requests about repeating a particular topic may be directed to lmcb293@gmail.com.)
