MF 007 Canada Road Survey

Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History: MF 007 Canada Road Survey

Number of accessions: 19
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1994 – 1998
Principal interviewers: Barry H. Rodrigue
Finding aides: none
Access restrictions: NA2393, 2394, 2527
Description: Series of interviews by historian Barry H. Rodrigue on immigration into Maine from Quebec along the Canada Road.

Related: If you find this collection interesting, you may want to check out some of the other Franco-American related Maine resources: University of Southern Maine’s Franco-American Collection and the Franco Center.

 

NA2373 Alan Philbrick and Phyllis Quimby Philbrick, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, July 1995, Rangley, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. The Philbricks talk about French-Canadian family migration from St. Georges-de-Beauce, Quebec to Stratten, Maine, c.1881; and Yankee family migration up the Carrabasset Valley, Maine. A. Philbrick supplemented his Aunt Phyllis commentary by saying that the maiden name of his great-grandmother from Quebec was Pepin and her husband’s was Touchette (approximate spelling); two lobstering stories; and his story of migration from Quebec concerns the little known Lac Magantic Trail. Canada Road Survey. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1422 – C 1423.

NA2374 Ruth Reed, Elaine Moore, Clayton Holden, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, August 10, 1994, Jackman, Moose River, Dennistown, and Sandy Bay Township, Maine and just over the Canadian border. 6 pp. Tape: 4 w/ no transcript. Canada Road Survey, interview #1. This is a driving survey with three local informants along new and old Routes 201 between Jackman and the Canadian border. Reed, Moore, and Holden talk about old house sites; people and events in the 19th and 20th centuries. Rodrigue participated and conducted the interview from his car. Recording: C 1383 – C 1386.

NA2375 Barry H. Rodrigue, Ruth Reed, Hope Earley, Clayton Holden, Ruel Tapley, Ruth Tapley, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, August 19, 1994, Moose River Valley, Maine. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. Canada Road Survey, interview #2. Two one hour tapes of a driving and still interviews. Rodrigue, Reed, Earley, Holden, the Tapleys talk about the early settlement of Moose River and vicinity. Part of the interview was made from the car in Jackman and Moose River and part was made in the Tapley’s yard and driveway in Moose River. Recording: C 1387 – C 1388 2 hours.

NA2376 Margaret McCarthy Beliveau, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, fall 1994, Rumford, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. Beliveau, wife of the late Judge Albert Beliveau and daughter of Judge McCarthy of Rumford, talks about family life; Franco-American and Irish-American life in Maine during the 19th and 20th centuries; legal and judicial history; University of Maine. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1389 – C 1390.

NA2391 By Barry H. Rodrigue, June 1995. 35 pp. A copy of the manuscript Disaster by the Bering Sea: November 1974, by Roderick and Tack. It is the account of the impact of the flood of November 11, 1974 upon several communities in the Seward Peninsula area, NW Alaska; the relief efforts; and life in the towns. Also see NA 2322. Text: 35 pp. manuscript copy.

NA2393 Governor Burton Cross, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, June 1995, Augusta, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 3 w/ no transcript. Gov. Cross of Maine discusses his political career and life in the early to late 20th century; political divisions of the Republicans and Democrats; Albert Beliveau; Franco-American, etc. A malfunctioning tape recorded caused static on portions of the tapes, but they are decipherable. RESTRICTED: Gov. Cross would not sign a release form. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1439 – C 1441.

NA2394 Mr. W. J. and Mrs. Louise Banks, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, June 1995, St. Louis, Missouri. 2 pp. Tape: 1 w/ no transcript. The Banks, of the International Shoe Company, talk about the company, taking over the Thomas G. Plant Company. This relates to the depositor’s book, Tom Plant, which is about Maine, New England, Quebec and Franco-American history. RESTRICTIONS: No release form has been obtained. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1442.

NA2497 By Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Ontario and the Maritimes, Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, Canada. 26 pp. Letter; song “I am a Rambling Shoe Maker;” and genealogy from the Maritimes. References relating to emigration from Archives, Prince Edward Island. Text: 22 pp. total: letter, song, genealogy.

NA2498 Bertha Goodrich Knowles and Kermit Knowles, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue and Penelope Markle Graham, 1997, Bingham, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. B. Knowles, and her son K. Knowles, talk about her family and property; local history; medical care; Yankee society; French Canadian; Franco-American and Irish history; environmental history; Kennebec Valley. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1574, C 1574.1, C 1574.2.

NA2499 Dick Spaulding, Harry Melcher, Frances Smith, and Earle Smith, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Embden, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 3 w/ no transcript. Spaulding and Melcher (both in their 70s), with some commentary by the Smiths, (who are all residence of the Upper Kennebec River Valley) talk about conducting logging operations (Spaulding and Melcher have for much of their lives); Upper Kennebec and Dead River Regions; the towns of Bowtown, Carrying Place, Piere Pond; Enchanted, Pleasant Ridge, Bingham, Moscow, Caratonk, The Forks, West Forks, etc.; The Canada Road; the Benedict Arnold expedition and artifacts found in the region; family history; folk stories; logging technology. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1575 – C 1577.

NA2500 Ivy Laweryson Stuart Beane, Francis Stuart Smith, and Earle Smith, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue and Judy Feinstein, 1997, Embden, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. Beane (age 91), and the Smith (Beane’s daughter and son-in-law) talk about life in Bowtown, Maine (on the west bank of the Upper Kennebec river and the lower Dead River) from ca. 1901-1928; migration from Beauce County, Quebec (Cumberland Mills, St. George) to Moscow, Maine (ca. 1861) and to Bowtown, Maine (ca 1880-1910); the Old Canada Road; logging; dances; river travel; women’s life; schools; family history; construction of the Bingham Dam (1928); sport camps. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1578 – C 1579.

NA2501 Howard Mitchell, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Caratunk, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. Mitchell, recorded while traveling in a car in 1997, talks about the history of various sites in the Caratunk and Forks regions of Maine. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1580 – C 1581.

NA2502 Mary Bode Markle, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Berlin, Vermont. 3 pp. Tape: 1 w/ no transcript. Markle talks about her father, William Adolph Bode, and his life and work as an engineer. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1582.

NA2503 Georgina Shields Kidder, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Rumford, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 1 w/ no transcript. Kidder talks about Canadian-American and Franco-American life in the early 20th century. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1583.

NA2504 Eldred “Did” Doyon, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Jackman, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 1 w/ no transcript. Doyon talks about his life; history of the Moose River region; the Canada Road; Dyerville; and a World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1584.

NA2505 Louis Philippe Rodrigue, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Aylmer and Quebec, Canada. 4 pp. Tape: 2 w/ no transcript. L. Rodrigue talks about personal and family history about grandfather about grandfather; WWII; the Cold War. Text: 1 pp. copy of The Ottawa Citizen. Recording: C 1585 – C 1586.

NA2506 George Pratt, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, 1997, Pleasant Ridge and Concord, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 4 w/ no transcript. Also present: David Corrigan, Lynn Corrigan, and Carolyn Corrigan. Consists of both a driving and walking interview with Pratt, with some commentary by the Corrigan at the end. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1587 – C 1590.

NA2511 George Pratt and Harry Melcher, interviewed by Barry H. Rodrigue, fall 1998, Concord, Bingham, Pleasant Ridge, Bowtow, and Pierce Pond, Maine. 3 pp. Tape: 4 w/ no transcript. Pratt and Melcher talk about history of the region; logging in area; and Canada Road Survey. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1596 – C 1599.

NA2527 By Barry H. Rodrigue, February 1998, Old China Road, Maine. 1 pp. Tape: 1 w/ no transcript. A dubbing of MPR (Maine Public Radio) “Maine Things Considered,” August 30, 1994. Barry Rodrigue talks about the Canada Road. RESTRICTED. Text: no transcript. Recording: C 1622.