The Strong Historical Society, the Strong Public Library, the High Peaks Alliance, and the Strong School have partnered to begin a local history project. The team has been awarded a grant from the Maine Memory Network. The participating organizations will be creating local history exhibits and cataloging many of the primary sources and artifacts that are housed at the Strong Historical Society. This project will help to preserve and celebrate local history.
The Fly Rod Crosby Trail in Strong will utilize many of these resources in its interpretive program along the Sandy River. It is our hope that hikers and trail users will be able to hear some of the unique stories that make up this area’s history. One of the exhibits on Maine memory Network will be about Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby and her impact on this area (1854 – 1946).
Another aspect of the project will be focused on learning more about Strong and Freeman during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Printed below is a list of some of the Strong and the Freeman residents who enlisted in the Civil War. The team members and the Strong School Middle students are interested in learning more about these soldiers and what Strong and Freeman were like during the War and during Reconstruction. The team is hoping to add family stories that have been passed down since the War to our research and to our exhibits.
If you would like to share any stories or artifacts related to the time periods or to Strong or Freeman residents who served in the Civil War, please contact a team member, Crystal Polk at [email protected] or 779-7089. Thank you very much.
Strong Enlistments:
John Bangs, Roscoe Bangs, Edward Bates, William Billington, Hiram Brooks, Moses Brown, Thatcher Burbank, Charles Buzzell, Otis Buzzell, Levi Cates, Abner Crocker, Hiram, Jr. Crocker, Sylvester Crocker, James Davis, William Eaton, Alden Gilman, Samuel Gilman, Sumner Hackett, William Hackett, Zenas Haines, Marshall Hale, Warren Hardy, Lyman Harmon, E. Hartwell, George Hartwell, Ephraim Hinkley, Nathan Hinkley, William Hunter, James Huse, Benjamin Jennings, James Kelly, James Kennedy, Jesse Kenney, Charles Lakeman, Charles Lambert, Simon Lambert, Benjamin McKeen, John Morrill, Zephaniah Morton, Samuel Norton, Gustavus Nutting, Thomas Nutting, George Phillips, Orren Pinkham, Winfield Pullen, Charles Rich, Elbridge Richards, Martin Richardson, Eben Rowe, Thomas Sanborn, Oscar Searles, James Seely, David Stevens, Charles Stinchfield, Timothy Sweat, Alanson Sweet, Abram Taylor, John Thompson, James Towle, James True, Greenlief Willard, and Jeremy W. Wyman
Freeman Enlistments:
Edward Bangs, Enoch Brackley, Orren Brackley, Rufus Brackley, William Brackley, Cyrus Cook, Nathaniel Cook, Colamore Davis, Augustus Durrell, Orrin Eames, Rufus Ellsworth, Abner Foster, William Foster, Ansel Gammon, William Gammon, Edward Gilkey, William Hackett, Lyman Hammon, Charles Huff, Daniel Huff, Benjamin Kilkenney, Augustus Luce, Frederic Nevens, Zachariah Norton, Gustavus Page, Lewis Peterson, Hosea Ripley, Ormandel Rowe, Joel Soper, Isaac Starbird, Cyrus Stevens, Joseph Stevens, David Taylor, William True, John Tuttle, Zenas Vaughan, George Welch, Isaiah Welch, John Whitney, John Wilson, and William Winter
