This week, Lincoln County Historical Association continues its focus on talented local women writers with the introduction of Mary Childs Jane of Newcastle, whose tales of mystery were popular with middle school and young adult readers in the 1950s and ‘60s.
After her graduation from Massachusetts Teachers College in 1931, Mary Childs’ teaching career took her to the small village of Caney Creek, Ky., then back to New England where she taught in Chester and Needham, Mass. After her marriage to William Jane in 1937, she moved with her husband to Newcastle, where they resided just off Pump Street, becoming the fifth generation of the Childs family to live in the Glidden Street area.
Mary Childs Jane’s early teaching experiences, coupled with her love of Maine, form the foundation of her books. With a mystery to be solved and a moral to learn, her books found a ready audience. Her first book was published in 1952 and was followed by 15 more. “The Ghost Rock Mystery,” published in 1957, sold nearly a million copies in the United States.
On May 7, 1980, Mrs. Jane spoke at a meeting of the Damariscotta Women’s Club.
According to the May 15, 1980, issue of The Lincoln County News, she shared with the group that inspiration for the plot that she employed in her book “Mystery of the Red Carnations” came from a letter she received from a young reader.
The popularity of her books was such that the reporter’s review of the meeting stated: “When President Carter visited Bangor (in 1979), a second grade teacher presented three of Mary’s mysteries to him as a gift for Amy (his daughter) upon his return to Washington.”
Mary Childs Jane died in 1991, but the enjoyment of her books lives on as noted in the following piece by Addie Miller, seventh-grade student at Whitefield Elementary School.
“Mary C. Jane’s books are a perfect read for any children and early teenagers. They contain wonderful plots and characters you can connect and relate to. The mysteries are amazing with scenes that will keep you reading. After you read one, you will want to read some more. A lovely thing about Mary Jane’s books is that they are set right here in Maine, so you understand the layout and scenery. I would recommend that many read them including adults, they make a wonderful side time read. The characters in the books vary slightly from book to book but sometimes a main character from one book will show up as a minor character in another. You could probably get these books at a library and I recommend them for all.”
For more information on Lincoln County Historical Association’s upcoming programs on Lincoln County Women Writers, visit lincolncountyhistory.org and its Facebook page.
