August 26, 1989

St. George Grange Hall

The 121st Kalloch reunion was held on August 20, 1988, at the St. George Grange Hall with fifty members attending from across the country.  The oldest present was Herbert Kalloch, 91, who was presented with a Kalloch T-Shirt.  The youngest was 10-month-old Amanda Morgan from East Haven, CT.  Anita Fernald presided. 

A great deal of the meeting was spent in discussing what to do with the Scholarship Fund monies.  Ultimately, it was decided to buy a book in memory of Sam Kalloch and present it to the Thomaston Library.  I volunteered to make the necessary connections and ultimately decided to do more than one book which I will write about later.

Attending for the first time from Arizona was Bonnie Dietz and her daughter and Mary and Richard Leno from California, who brought us a plate of dried fruits from their home state.  We also indulged in some homegrown Cape Cod tomatoes from Colby Kalloch, my father.  The other two memorable events were that Peter Richardson got his dates confused and wasn’t there with all his memorabilia, and I fell and broke my ankle, necessitating a wonderful extra week in Tenants Harbor with my cousin, Charlene Black!  If we all remember to keep the date of the reunion the weekend before the Labor Day weekend, no doubt Peter and others will not fall victim to date confusion; and if I keep calm, neither will I fall victim.

100 YEARS AGO

The reunion for the year 1889 was at West Camden at the home of George Kalloch... although not so large as on some former occasions it was a very pleasant gathering and the usual good spirit prevailed.  Vice President F. S. Kalloch, presided; a prayer was offered by Lermond Kalloch and a Committee of Arrangements was appointed.  Deceased during the year were: Mrs. Martha Rollins of Warren; Richard Walden, Mrs. Mary Andrews and Mrs. James Blood of West Camden; Orlando Sanborn of Waldo; Nathan Adams of Islesboro; David Kalloch, Robert Chape (??handwriting) and daughter of St. George; Perry Kalloch Mansfield of Salem, Mass.; Mrs. William Kalloch of Islesboro; and Robert Hawes, Jr. of Searsmont.

50 YEARS AGO

The 70th Reunion was held at the Penobscot View Grange Hall on August 30, 1939 with 34 present.  The picnic dinner was concluded with the singing of “America” and all joined in a salute to the flag under the direction of Mabel Rollins.  ER, Gould was re-elected President.  Edwin Rollins gave a demonstration of the burning of swamp rushes for candles.  The obituary listed Albert Kalloch of Holyoke, Mass; Jennie Kalloch of Lynfield, Mass.; William W. Gilchrist of Thomaston; Frank Harris of St. George; and Harriet H. Dunbar.  Cash on hand was $13.80 because they had spent $4.00 for the hall and $2.00 for printing. 

Editorial comment: I include excerpts from the old record books as printed.  Unfortunately, very little personal comment was ever included -just factual info.  That is why I continue to include so much material in the Newsletter -in the hope that future generations will enjoy reading what we were like; even if some of you find it ponderous to go through so much material.

3 YEARS HENCE

The 125th Kalloch Reunion is looming over the horizon.  I suggest that Anita appoint a Committee on Arrangements (as was done 100 years ago) and begin planning a special reunion at the Samoset Hotel in Rockland.  As of this date prices would be $15 per person, which would include a buffet lunch and a room for the day -with microphone.  The Hotel can provide child care or a speaker for an extra fee.  There is a pool and golf course.  We can even arrange for a special family boat ride.  But this requires a person in the area to negotiate, and it requires notice so we can allow people to plan ahead as well as send in reservations.  I am willing to do the mailing and notifying

SCHOLARSHIP/LIBRARY FUND

After the discussion about the scholarship fund, I found that there was enough money to purchase several books, so I did the following:

Pen Renderings of Elmer Rising was presented to the Thomaston Library in memory of Sam Kalloch, III, and Mabel Rollins, who died at the age of 105 last year.  History of the Lower St. George and Cushing, Maine was presented to the Jackson Memorial Library in Tenants Harbor, Maine, in memory of Deacon Henry F. Kalloch and Henry Kalloch Allen, both of whom were Presidents of the Reunion. 

I suggest you stop in and ask for these books which were enthusiastically accepted by the librarians.  We also got mention in the Rockland Courier Gazette in the "Black Cat” column for January 7, 1989, where it was said that, "This is a marvelous practice, perhaps other family groups might take the hint."  Our Treasurer, Paul Merriam, tells me there is still money available, so I hope we can continue the practice.

CASH ON HAND

Paul Merriam (72 Mechanic St., Rockland, Maine 04841) reports a balance of $1,184.22.  We collected $112.50 in the coffee pot, made $42.85 from the

sale of the self-guided cemetery booklet and $121.00 from the sale of T-Shirts.  Most of our expense comes from the printing and mailing of the Newsletter, which last year was $113.33.  This is a bargain considering the wonderful job Elaine Kalloch Stewart does over in Augusta and also that a friend of mine does the labels for only $10 on her computer!  We now have over 200 addresses.  I want to make special mention regarding Elaine’s wonderful printing job on the cemetery guidebooks as well.  Contributions of money during the year were from Edith Kalloch, Flora Kalloch Peavey, Vivian B. Vetra, Thelma N. Bennett, and Mitchell W. Kalloch.  If you wish to send a contribution please send it directly to Paul at the above address.  You may specially mark it for the genealogist fund, if you have had Peter do any searching for you (he doesn’t charge), or you may just send a general contribution -remembering that this is a main source of revenue.

BACK ISSUES

I have recently re-organized the back issues of Kalloch Newsletters and will be sending a complete set to the Thomaston Library and the Warren Historical Society.  Should you wish back issues (which go back to 1975), please send me $5.00 and I will forward you a set.

CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

Mabel Wilson of Tenants Harbor has retired from the Tenants Harbor Baptist Church, where she was the organist for more than 60 years.  She has also been known for her old fashioned apple pies and custard pies, which are considered to be the best in the State of Maine, as well as at the East Wind Hotel in Tenants Harbor.  Mabel recently has been at the Rockland Convalescent Center.  Faustina Spring is now at the Knox Center for Longterm Care, and we wish both her and Mabel good health!

Marguerite Gould was honored by the Penobscot Bay Board of Realtors as the "Longest Resident of Knox County."  She was born December 29, 1893 in Rockland, daughter of Edward K. Gould, our diligent recorder of Kalloch history which was then passed on to Peter Richardson.  She is also the granddaughter of John Kalloch, Civil War veteran lost at sea and presently owns a Kalloch Bible dating back to 1812.  Maude Simonson of Standwood, Washington, was honored in the October 1988 issue of the DAR Magazine.  “For many years Maude has presented her excellent paper on the Constitution in schools, DAR Chapters and Clubs."

For any other Kallochs interested in joining the DAR, Alexander Kalloch’s official number to use is 589800.  Last summer I picked up a tourist booklet stating, Welcome to St. George, settled by children and grandchildren of Scotch-Irish immigrants in the 1730’s.  They began clearing land in the decade before the Revolution.  The majority of people today are descended from those original settlers, the Kallochs, Robinsons, and Gilchrests having been the most numerous."  If you wish to read further about the area, pick up a paperback of A Town That Went to Sea by Aubigne Lermond Packard, which is the saga of Thomaston, Maine, and the Georges Valley. 

My father, Colby Bartlett Kalloch, celebrated his 90th birthday on October 6, with a small gathering at my home in Eastham, Cape Cod. 

Had a letter from Howard and Bernice Kalloch in Canada; he is the grandson of Amariah Kalloch, who in turn was brother to Isaac Kalloch.

John Kalloch of Barnegat Light, NJ, whose great grandfather came from Korkaldie, Scotland (Dean! Take note) wrote that he is still trying to find

sailing dates.  His address: 2603 Central Ave., Box 68 -zip code 08006.  Had a New Year’s Visit with Flora Kalloch Peavey in North Kingston, RI, who continues happily to keep me posted on articles from the “Fort Fairfield Review” in Aroostook County and who is also continuing to be active and write poetry.  Alicia Kay Smith of Los Angeles and I have now exchanged pictures so we know what the other Kalloch looks like!  Alicia is retired from what must have been a very rewarding life in fashion publicity and is descended from Finley’s son, Matthew.  Her address: 3854 Clayton Ave., Los Angeles, CA  90027.

Mary Tollefson (1807W. Bel Aire, Peoria, IL 61614) read about us in Yankee Magazine and -as great granddaughter of Eliza Kalloch -is excited to be in touch.

Dorothy Campbell, (Box 2897, Setauket, NY 11733), a descendent of Matthew, would like someone to write and tell her where Ginn’s Point, Maine is.  This is the spot I reported last year that Moses and Lydia were buried.

Barbara Kalloch Lynds, one of Sam Kalloch’s daughters, wrote that she was thrilled with the idea of presenting the Elmer Rising book in memory of her Dad.

Dean Mayhew, our overseas historian (9 Fish Pt. Road, Box 75, Orland, ME 04472) writes several times a year and now “assumes we (Kallochs) were left under a bush," because none of his overseas sources has yet produced an ancestor for us.  He is still hoping the Mormons will come up with a source and is also awaiting a newly-published list of Kallochs in this country.  I am sure we already have most of the Kallochs in this country on my mailing list, due to the thoughtfulness of my friend Gordon Wahlberg, who peruses every telephone book he comes upon during his many travels.

Should you wish an ancestor of yours to be honored on the Ellis island immigrant Wall of Honor, you can write to The Statue of Liberty -Ellis island Foundation, Inc., Dept. GLO, 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, NY 10017-3808.  It costs $100 to have the name inscribed on the wall, and they will send you the application and further data.

Winnie Hall of Sedro Wooley, Washington, wrote that the Hall family gathered in late summer at the homestead where Mrs. Amariah Kalloch first came in 1883.  She also included an article written by Harriet Kalloch Howard, “To Our New Home in the Wilderness” which reads in part:

At the age of 14 years, with my uncle I.S. Kalloch, my mother Mrs. Amariah Kalloch and my two brothers, I left San Francisco, December 1, 1883, for the not so well-known country called Washington Territory."

(from Skagit County Memories, 1979)

Winnie is particularly interested in hearing from any Kallochs who have experience with narcolepsy, an affliction which produces sleep when one either does not expect it nor wish it.  If you have any information, please write to her at 305 North Township, Sedro Woolley, Washington 98284.

Leland Overlock, who spoke at our reunion last summer, sadly was stricken with a heart attack at a Warren town meeting and subsequently died.  He was very active in the Warren Historical Society and wrote several books about Warren: The Windships of Warren and Warren’s Cemeteries (about which he spoke).

If you have further genealogical questions or information, please write to The Rev. Peter Richardson, 34 Fletcher St., Kennebunk, ME 04043.

 

Editorial Comment Again: Many personal thanks to my cousin Charlene Allen Black of Tenants Harbor and to Donna Perry, Secretary, both of whom keep me posted on articles from the local paper.  I also thank any of you who send me obituaries and other bits of information and support!

YANKEE EXODUS

The Yankee Exodus by Stewart Holbrook published by MacMillan in 1950, has quite an accounting of Isaac Kalloch.  I quote the section regarding the infamous shooting in response to Mary Leno’s query:

He (Isaac) took an interest in local politics (San Francisco), ran for Mayor in a hot campaign, and was shot and seriously wounded by Charles De Young, one of the publishers of the San Francisco “Chronicle."  Thereupon, Kalloch’s son Milton purchased a revolver and without any loose talk proceeded to shoot De Young dead in his own office.

One can also read about this and the rest of Isaac’s career in The Golden Voice by M.M. Marberry (now out of print).

ISAAC UPDATE

Isaac recently hit the press again -even in 1988!  On September 15, the Rockland “Courier Gazette” ran a story by staff writer, Dick Dooley, which discussed an early proprietor of the newspaper -one W.O. Fuller, Jr. -who was editor in 1881 and wrote a story about a flying visit Isaac made into Rockland.  The original story of 1881 was entitled, “Igneous Isaac’ which resulted in a flurry of letters to the then editor from readers who considered this an “appropbious term” or waxed “warmly indignant” over what they felt was a poor choice of words; i.e. igneous.  Editor Fuller then had to answer all these letters in the following issue, where he went on to say that the word meant fiery and was “applied to Mr. Kalloch synonymously with ardent, warm, impetuous."

Reporter, Dick Dooley, kindly sent me a reprint of the original article, which was interesting for its insight into the young life of Isaac who was quoted as saying he learned to be a preacher in his home town of Rockland.

FUTURE

We have grown from a group of about 20 people (!!!) in 1975 to a point where we now number over 200 on the mailing list, and from a simple postcard notifying those interested of the coming Reunion to a four-page Newsletter which includes obituaries and correspondence, as well as history for us and the future.  I do this as much for myself as for the good of the family, but we need people to take on some responsibility.

Happily, Donna Perry (Box 108, South Thomaston, ME 04858) and Paul Merriam have agreed to take on the responsibility of this summer’s reunion; i.e. buying name tags, getting paper goods and coffee, seeing to it that someone officially greets people, setting the Kalloch Reunion flag where newcomers can see it, and perhaps even picking a few wildflowers to brighten the day.  PLEASE BE ONE OF THOSE who drop Donna a postcard note saying what specific privilege you will be responsible for.  Leola Robinson has enough to do and one small job you take on will make for less on someone else’s shoulders.

THANK YOU AND SEE YOU IN AUGUST.