Howdy from Northern Maine

[Maineboy]

A big hello to everyone. I live in Westmanland, Maine, a town of about 60 people and many, many moose. My gun interests are primarily hunting and I do a lot of plinking. Except for my rimfires, I reload for every rifle and handgun I own and many of them I load with bullets I cast myself. My 3 Savage rifles are a 340 in 30-30, which is only a reduced load cast bullet shooter and 2 99Fs in 300 Savage and 308 Winchester which I do hunt with. This looks like a friendly place and I look forward to spending some time here,

[drybean]

Welcome aboard

[big honkin jeep]

Welcome

[ttexastom]

Welcome to the forum

[ragsflh]

howdy

[J.Baker]

Welcome!

[DeltaNu1142]

Welcome--most of the time when I see someone say they're from Northern Maine, I'm skeptical of their grasp of how far north Maine goes... but you're up there. I grew up a short walk through the woods in Portage Lake, a booming metropolis of 390-ish people.

[Maineboy]

Welcome--most of the time when I see someone say they're from Northern Maine, I'm skeptical of their grasp of how far north Maine goes... but you're up there. I grew up a short walk through the woods in Portage Lake, a booming metropolis of 390-ish people.

Yup, it's just a short 20 mile hike from where I live to Portage Lake. Like you, I'm a bit skeptical of folks saying they are from Northern Maine because Bangor is Northern Maine to most people. My wife and I are heading to Allagash today; now THAT's far Northern Maine. It's nice to meet someone from home.

[DeltaNu1142]

I miss the Allagash. I did 100-some-odd miles of it in a canoe back in the mid 90s. The best part of the area we're from is it hasn't changed a lot even since then. At least, not in the ways most other places have.

Enjoy your time.

[rjtfroggy]

My mother would say that is down south. She is from Van Buren, born in Edmunston.
She is still going at 96 but only remembers when she was young up north.

[DeltaNu1142]

She is from Van Buren, born in Edmunston.
I used to date a girl from Van Buren. And Edmunston was our stomping ground. Used to be there were unmanned border crossings coming back across into Maine if you knew where to go... which was fortunate, because we were underage, unruly, and under the influence.

[Maineboy]

My mother would say that is down south. She is from Van Buren, born in Edmunston.
She is still going at 96 but only remembers when she was young up north.

SMALL WORLD! My father was from Van Buren and if he was still alive, would be 101. I was born in Edmundston (New Brunswick, Canada for those that don't know) and lived in Madawaska until I was 14. I see you are from Connecticut. Many, many folks from up this way moved there to find work. It seems like on holiday weekends every other car we see is from Connecticut. Some have returned to live, but even if they haven't this land will always be home to them.

[rjtfroggy]

Delta when I was a kid (50 some years ago the guard on the bridge in Van Buren new everyone by first name and waved them through and I believe he only worked days.

Maineboy I've been to all those towns and then some. Mothers maiden name was LeBlanc pretty common up there. One of her cousins was a state rep.. All big families and almost all of them moved to Ct. or Mass..

[DeltaNu1142]

LeBlanc pretty common up there.
Source: I went to grade school with two LeBlancs.

[rjtfroggy]

As the generations got older they all seemed to loose touch. My mother and one cousin are the only ones left, unfortunately they no longer know each other.
When we would go up there in the summer it was a two day drive and seeing as how I didn't speak french I hated that trip. Last time I was there was about54 years ago, but I still remember the missle parked outside the fire house across the street from her cousins.

[Maineboy]

rjtfroggy


"Mothers maiden name was LeBlanc pretty common up there. One of her cousins was a state rep.. All big families and almost all of them moved to Ct. or Mass."

Yes, there are Leblancs all over the St. John Valley and south to Caribou and Presque Isle. My last name is Cyr, and is probably the most common name up here.

As to your mom's cousin who was a state rep, his name might have been Joel.



"When we would go up there in the summer it was a two day drive and seeing as how I didn't speak french I hated that trip. Last time I was there was about54 years ago, but I still remember the missle parked outside the fire house across the street from her cousins. "

French is still spoken quite a bit up there but now everyone does understand English. I remember back in the day when families got together, French was the spoken language. My father's family had eight kids and only two stayed here. I have relatives in Mass, Maryland, Chicago, and other places I don't remember. As to the missile, I know right where you are talking about. It was in front of the American Legion right near the fire station but I don't know if it is still there. Next time I go to Van Buren I will check.

[rjtfroggy]

Her cousins name was Armond, he was an Insurance salesman if I remember right.
Fire house was on the corner and they lived diaginally across the street.
We had a couple of families named Cyr in our neighborhood and I went to school with two of them, but I think their family was from Fort Kent.
Had an uncle from Fort Kent mame was Doucette.
I have some friends down in the Darmariscotta area, great short range BR shooters ( game I now play). If you are interested in that game they have matches there also in Orrington or Augusta.

[Maineboy]

Armand Leblanc Obituary https://bangordailynews.com/2008/09/25/obituaries/armand-a-leblanc/


Her cousins name was Armond, he was an Insurance salesman if I remember right.
Fire house was on the corner and they lived diaginally across the street.
We had a couple of families named Cyr in our neighborhood and I went to school with two of them, but I think their family was from Fort Kent.
Had an uncle from Fort Kent mame was Doucette.
I have some friends down in the Darmariscotta area, great short range BR shooters ( game I now play). If you are interested in that game they have matches there also in Orrington or Augusta.

[rjtfroggy]

Maineboy that obit would be for him. Thanks. I remember that they had a place on Long Lake that we would go to for a day when we were up there, end of July and water was so cold you would almost turn purple if you tried to go in for a swim. My uncle bought the place next door and only used it for 5 weeks in the summer for a fishing cabin.
On her birth papers it says her father was from Cyr's Plantation and her mother was from Edmundston ( LeCerc ).
They all left because back then ( 1938-1942) they had 3 choices for work, patatoe feilds or lumber camp or paper mill, where as down here at the time the brass/ copper mills were booming. She came down in 1939 and worked at Timex until 1987.