MF 097 Frank Spizuoco Dexter Town History Collection

Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History: MF 097 Frank Spizuoco Dexter Town History Collection

Number of accessions: 6
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970
Time period covered: late 19th and first half of 20th century
Principal interviewers: Frank Spizuoco
Finding aides: none
Access restrictions: none
Description: Interviews conducted by Frank Spizuoco from 1963 to 1970 of two residents of Dexter, Maine. Albert “Bert” Call, a retired Dexter photographer, talks about local history and about his working life before and after moving to Dexter, Maine in 1886, and Erma Bentley, a long-time resident of Dexter, records her memories about early Dexter residents and town history.

NA0567 Erma Bentley, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco for FO 191, March 19, 1970, Dexter, Maine. Accession does not include any recordings although the material was apparently taped. Bentley tells humorous anecdotes and relates stories about local characters near Dexter, Maine around the turn of the 20th century, including Tom Bickell, William Pooler, John Toner, Charles Favor, Old Man Hodgkins, Ed Dexter, George Brawn, Bement, Frank Tait, Ed Fifield, Steve Haynes, Benny Beals, Uncle Dave Henkins, Deacon Glass, Hiram Clapp. The paper contains several black and white photos of Erma Bentley and her brother-in-law, Albert “Bert” Call. Text: 15 pp. paper.

NA2015 Albert L. Call, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco, spring 1963, Dexter, Maine. 5 pp. Tape: 1 3/4 hrs. approx. Albert L. Call, age 97 and a retired Dexter photographer, talks about local history; personal anecdotes about Mr. Call witnessing the test firings of the Maxim gun; the Baron Bank cashier murder which occurred in Dexter in 1889. Also, an article written mostly by Spizuoco about Call which appeared in Maine Line, a publication of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. Text: no transcript. Recording: T 1987 1 3/4 hours.

NA2016 Albert “Bert” L. Call and Mrs. Erma Bentley, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco, March 27 and August 5, 1964, Dexter, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 2 hrs. approx. Tape reel contains two interviews. The first interview took place at Mrs. Bentley’s home in Dexter. Interviews include amusing anecdotes about Dexter citizens, a poem about Dexter people, and information about the nineteenth century Baron Bank cashier murder. See also NA 567, NA 2015, NA 2017, NA 2018, and NA 2019. Text: no transcript. Recording: T 1988.1 – T 1988.2 2 hours approx.

NA2017 Albert L. Call, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco, March 1965, Dexter, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 2 hrs. Continuation of a series of taped interviews with retired photographer, Call (age 98), in which he talks about his working life before and after moving to Dexter, Maine in 1886. Tape also documents a planning meeting held to propose strategies and legal issues relating to the formation of the Dexter Historical Society. See also NA 567, NA 2015, NA 2016, NA 2018, and NA 2019. Text: no transcript. Recording: T 1989 2 hours.

NA2018 Erma Bentley, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco, March 21, 1965, Dexter, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 45 min. approx. Tape recorded interview with Erma Bentley about early Dexter history and citizens. See also NA 567, NA 2015, NA 2016, NA 2017, and NA 2019. Text: no transcript. Recording: T 1990 45 min. approx.

NA2019 Mrs. Erma Bentley, interviewed by Frank Spizuoco, March 19, 1970, Dexter, Maine. 2 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. A second taped interview with Bentley about Dexter town characters and history of Dexter, recorded March 21, 1965. See also NA 567, NA 2015, NA 2016, NA 2017, and NA 2018. Text: 1 pp. brief catalog, no transcript. Recording: T 1991 1/2 hour.