MEMO #4 2012-13 - Monhegan Associates, Inc.

Outreach@monheganassociates.org Year VI Memo #4: March 2013 The Stanley Family An Indelible Presence on Monhegan Island Those of us fortunate enough to have read Ruth Grant Faller’s MONHEGAN Her Houses and Her People 1780-­‐2000 may remember that between 1770 and some years following, a Mr. Benjamin Bickford held title to Monhegan Island, which at that time contained one dwelling and a barn. In 1790 Henry Trefethren of Kittery bought the Island from him for 300 pounds (British money was still in use) and built the original Red House as the family homestead for his growing family, followed by The Influence next door. Soon the whole island was divided into the ownership of three families: the Trefethrens, the Horns, and the Starlings. Many of us are mostly unaware of this earliest period of the Island’s history, but a family that came much later, in 1880, continues to play an important role here in the community as well as having left multiple buildings and houses which we walk by every day without realizing it… history before our eyes… not the ghosts of the earlier families who left less evidence. a Zimmie Brackett postcard The Stanley family was living on Mt. Desert Island in 1880 when William, in the Lighthouse Service, was assigned to Monhegan as Lighthouse Keeper, where he was to serve for 23 years, until 1903. He and his wife Abigail had two sons, William (Will) and Irving. Irving, (married Emma Wincapaw; Myra Orne was one of his five children), helped his dad with his duties and lived on the Island until his death in1940. Will, at first also worked with his father but became a premier carpenter. In 1903 Will and his family moved into a house he built at the northeast corner of the entrance to Horn’s Hill and the road leading to Lobster Cove, a home now occupied by Marion Chioffi, her brother Lucas Chioffi, his wife Jenn Pye, and their two girls. But starting in 1894 Will had built what is known as the McCarten cottage, in 1896 the Gussow cottage, in 1898 the Hudson cottage, and in 1899 the Cabot cottage. Will Stanley and Minnie, with Dwight, Abby and Henry (Banes and Charlotte not yet born) Monhegan Museum Photo Incredibly productive years were to follow. Monhegan was becoming a vacation destination for hardy “rusticators” who were drawn to the island’s beauty with its year-­‐round working community dependent on a majestic sea. Not for them the gloss of resort settings. Will Stanley met their needs: in 1906 he built the Albert Palmer cottage (now Sue Bolman) and the shed on the current Cameron property; in 1907 the George Fuller house (now Luther and Iris Miller), the Vaughan/Juanita Wells cottage (now Kornbluth), the Josiah Starling, Jr. house (now the Island Inn-­‐half the present size), the Treadwell cottage still owned by the family, the Frederick Dorr Steele cottage (now Fred and Judy Grey); in 1908 the William Varnum cottage (now Pratt); in 1909 the Pierce/Partridge cottage still owned by the family; in 1910 the Bert Poole cottage (now Faller); in 1913 the Frank Pierce house (now Beth Van Houten). Reference: Faller, MONHEGAN, Her Houses… Will and Minnie were also busy raising five children: Abby, Dwight, Henry, Banes, and Charlotte. Henry became a carpenter and in Thomaston a builder of scallop draggers that worked on the Grand Banks. Banes was also a carpenter and owner of a gas station in Bath. The girls married and moved away. But Dwight, the grandson of the Lighthouse Keeper, chose to make his life on Monhegan, Dwight, married to Freda Bell Murphy, living in the house his father had built at the northeast corner of Horn’s Hill and Lobster Cove Road, worked full time as a lobsterman and fisherman depending on the season. They became the parents of Alfred Dwight (March 20, 1921-­‐ ) and Sherman Murphy (August 7, 1925 -­‐ ). Dwight and Freda Stanley Monhegan Museum photo Of the many dedicated, hard-­‐working members of this family, Sherm is now the one to take center stage. (His Fish House appears in the painting below.) Abraham Bogdanove FISH BEACH, NOON Monhegan Museum (Monhegan, the Artists’ Island by Jane & Will Curtis & Frank Lieberman) Sherman Murphy Stanley (August 7, 1925 -­‐ ) Two brothers, great-­‐grandsons of William Stanley the lighthouse keeper, grandsons of Will Stanley the premier carpenter builder, sons of Dwight the lobsterman and fisherman, Alfred and his brother Sherm are truly representative of all those who chose the demanding challenge of an uncertain sea and its possible harvest. Hardships were to be endured; the goal was to be in charge of one’s own destiny though dependent on the sea and its bounty. Sherm’s father Dwight was renting part of the Chadwick House (now Balano) when Alfred and Sherm were small boys. Ice boxes filled twice a week with Ice Pond ice that had been stored stacked in sawdust at the Ice House near the Pond, kerosene lamps and stoves that needed constant attention, wash boards, an outdoor privy, and fireplaces for heating were the domestic order managed by Freda while her husband worked long days lobstering or fishing, depending on the season. a Zimmie Brackett postcard (The Chadwick building to the right burned in November 1963. along with the store and several other nearby buildings). Tommy Orne, George Green, Isabel Nunan, Natalie Orne, Margaret Woodward and Sherm appear in this 1931 photo. In other years there might have been fifteen to eighteen students, including Betsy Pierce, Lorraine Richardson, and others among his schoolmates. They worked on reading, geography, history, and arithmetic, with an occasional Spelling Bee. Everyone walked home for lunch.. Not too much homework. Clara Burton photo Those were happy days. Old-­‐time winters with heavy snow and persistent gale winds could make it hard to get to school, but after school entertainment was another story. Monhegan Museum photo Elsie Brackett, Beatrice Hutchins, Sherm Stanley, June Brackett, Alfred Stanley, Clinton Bracket 1930-­‐31 Ice skating on the Ice Pond was easy as long as snow didn’t fall. But for the more adventurous there was the flooded meadow. In those years there was a dam preventing drainage near Swim Beach. When it was closed, the meadow would collect water. Ice skating here, too, but more excitingly, ice boats with sails made an appearance. Sherm actually gave his mother a ride on his iceboat. (Years later the state recognized that a water source for a community should be constantly not only renewed, but also removed – and the dam had to go.) Monhegan Museum photo Beatrice Hutchins, Rita Davis, Gladys Hutchins, June Brackett, Lila Davis, Alfred Stanley, Ray Orne, Natalie Brackett, Phyllis Chadwick, Charlotte Stanley, Earl Field, Jr. High school meant a move inshore to live with his mother’s parents and attend the local Friendship High School for two years and then to car pool 10 miles to Thomaston High for a year. As a senior he lived during the week with a Thomaston family. Now there was plenty of homework to do, but baseball and basketball provided fun for the boys. Sherman Stanley photo In 1943 having graduated from high school and still 17, Sherm joined the Navy. World War II was well underway. He was needed. Submarine school, with a focus on torpedo operation, prepared him for service in the Pacific in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, after passage through the Panama Canal. He was one of from 76-­‐80 servicemen aboard the Argonaut SS475. SS Argonaut 445 (2) built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Radar was a new tool at their disposal, but the hazards were great. One time as Japanese fast screws (torpedoes) were coming their way, Sherm helped ready their torpedoes to return fire while the Skipper checked his settings for accuracy. Not convinced of a successful shot, they held their fire. They never did release a torpedo despite their constant lookout for the Japanese. But their 5” guns did see action. They were able to sink an ammunition junk carrying needed supplies and knocked off the radar station on a Japanese island. Of course they had to surface from time to time to recharge batteries and to breathe fresh air. One time they were spotted by a Japanese plane that tackled them; they dove as fast as they could while bombs dropped on all sides. Even crucial personnel in the submarine service had to have their R&R. In 1944 Sherm’s sub tied up at Staten Island. A quick ferry ride would bring the crew to Manhattan and to a popular cocktail lounge, the Café Royale at 46th and 3rd Avenue. As fate would have it, 18 yr. old Barbara Mendolia lived on 56th Street. She worked as a model for an agency that sold to retail buyers. After work she and her girls friends had only a short walk to 46th Street “to meet and be met” in an atmosphere far from war’s harsh realities. Sherm and Barbara met… and connected… for life. In 1946, after 3 years and 3 months of service, Sherm was released from the Navy and could think of marriage and a return to Monhegan. Sherman Stanley photo After he and Barbara were married on that September 28, they returned to Monhegan to begin a settled married life. They lived with his parents, at first, in the house at the top of Horn’s Hill, a house that is now occupied by his son Shermie and his wife Gretel. Sherm worked with his Dad that first season. (His Uncle Henry lived next door in a house that was later sold to his brother Alfred). Soon Sherm and Barbara were on their own, renting part of the 1784 House until baby Shermie was a year old. Even though Barbara was a city girl, her youth and enthusiasm meant that the simplicities seemed like novelties. If you had a pump a distance away, you got a bucket, filled it and took it where needed. If you wanted hot water, you heated it on the stove. She soon knew about wash tubs and wash-­‐ boards, chamber pots, a privy, the crankiness of kerosene stoves and the smoked chimneys of kerosene lamps. Others managed babies… she would too, as Shermie and Carolyn came long. Domestic realities did not daunt her… Their novelty made them seem like fun. Leo Meissner FISH BEACH, Childs Gallery, Ltd. Boston (Monhegan, the Artists’ Island by Jane & Will Curtis &Frank Lieberman) By the following spring Sherm was ready to go out on his own. He had bought a 28’ boat, the Barbara F (Frances), built by Dewey Winchenbach (Louise’s grandfather or great uncle) in West Waldoboro. Navigation equipment? a compass. Milton Millhauser photo Sherm started building his own wooden traps in the spring. And he had to prepare god only knows how many miles of line. No nylon in those days. Marlin or sisal had to be treated with hot coal tar or pine tar oil to withstand constant immersion in cold salt water. Then there were buoys to make and paint in his own colors, red and white. a Zimmie Brackett postcard Monhegan Museum photo a Zimmie Brackett postcard As January 1, 1948 neared, the sixteen to eighteen Monhegan lobstermen had to move their traps from Fish Beach to their boats. One man could load 6 at a time in a skiff, or up to 20 in a dory, to row to their boats in the harbor. A boat could carry a maximum of 45 to 50 traps to be set. With perhaps a total of 150 traps, Sherm would need three trips on Trap Day to set all his traps. Remembering where they were was the easy part. Although the date had been agreed upon, individuals could start out when they pleased. Some might go right after midnight, others at daybreak – their choice. The protected area open to just Monhegan has varied a bit through the years: Today: North of the Island – not more that 2 nautical miles. A nautical mile is 480’ longer than a land mile; South of the Island – 3 nautical miles. The workday would end at 4:00 or 4:30pm with oncoming darkness. Which days to check traps depended on knowledge learned on one’s own and from each other. Prices usually would rise in January – an incentive to push hard. Lobsters slow down in February – no need to check traps quite as often. March – things pick up a bit. Bad weather days – no way to check traps. But, if you wanted to make a living, you’d better be sure to check them every third day. Sherm worked alone in his boat in the early years. Heavy seas were only the start of a list of complications that presented risk. Often a lobsterman wouldn’t even know something to look out for until he hadn’t. Experience could be a harsh teacher. An uneven line around a winch head, and your wrist might be caught… or your foot got tangled in a line that was being fed overboard... grab the mast… only seconds to act to avoid disaster. Lobstermen switched to seining (primarily for herring and mackerel) and long-­‐ line fishing when the lobster season closed. Seining practices have changed considerably through the years. Zimmie Brackett postcards
When Sherm took up long line fishing after the lobster season ended in June, his brother Alfred was often working at his side. Sherm Stanley photo Cod, hake, halibut, and haddock were out there waiting to be caught. In the 1940’s, and the 1950’s Sherm might go as far as 20 miles from Monhegan to set his lines. He might have ten lines. A long line held 530 baited hooks (Herring and mackerel were sure to tempt). The lines were dropped 30 to 50 fathoms deep, (a fathom = 6’) held up by his red and white buoys. To tend nearly a mile of lines he had to load his boat with 10 tubs of travel gear. An orchestra conductor might have his baton; Sherm had his especially cut oak stick to flip with equal skill and grace, feeding the baited line into the water as his boat moved ahead at the proper speed. And when he hauled up his catch, he would gut each fish and toss it into fish pens. Sherm Stanley photo Next stop at the end of the day: Vinal Haven, New Harbor, or Portland to meet with buyers. Or some fish made it to Sherm’s fish house where he would clean and sell from his day’s catch to a waiting line of customers in the late afternoon. A child might be sent with a quarter to buy the main course for dinner. Later Sherm moved with the times. A 15 lb. fish that once sold for 75¢ turned into 2 fillets that the customers wanted.. @ $3.00 a lb. Guerdon Nelson photo By the 1960’s, when prices were going down, Sherm got a license to take groups out to fish for a morning or a day. A barrel was easily filled even though those weighing 8-­‐10 lb. were thrown back to grow bigger. And he was also in demand transporting experienced pilots to large tankers waiting off Monhegan to be guided safely into Rockland harbor. Dede Little photos Sherm handles a big one. Sturge weighs a winning cod. (Harold Sturgis Dexter, a retired draftsman from GE , was often aboard with Sherm) Sherm Stanley photo By the 1970’s the influx of foreign factory fishing vessels was impinging on coastal waters along the Georges Banks threatening the source of Maine’s proud fishing heritage. Rising alarm about overfishing and threats to the integrity of coastal waters meant that new state and federal laws were made. Two steps ahead, one step back as far as the fishermen were concerned. Everyone had a lot to learn about the ramifications of protecting the right whale, for a start, how best to set controls on daily or seasonal catches, and how to survive in the present while preserving the future. A way of life was at risk. In recent years new knowledge of the movement of the lobsters, the changing water temperature, and the need for more efficient management of the economics of a profitable business, have all led to a change in the season here (Oct. 1 -­‐ into May) and to the number of traps that an individual can set. The goal is a sustainable business model now and for the future. Nan Nelson photo Dede Little photo Sherm now found himself filling new roles in the community. Sherm at a meeting of Monhegan Associates, Inc. Dede Little photo Sherm was the Island leader Ted Edison had sought out in 1954 to discuss ways of making Monhegan Associates, Inc. an organization committed to the care of the so called “wild lands” as well as of the Island community itself. He served as Vice-­‐President and Trustee of MAI numerous times through the years. Sherm also served for 16 years as Chairman of the three-­‐member Board of Assessors of Monhegan Plantation, the equivalent of Mayor in an incorporated town. And as if he didn’t have enough to do, community activities attracted his and his family’s interest and attention. References: MONHEGAN Her Houses and Her People,1780-­‐2000, by Ruth Grant Faller, 2001, Mainstay Publications, 78 Bellevue Avenue, Melrose, MA 02176. Special thanks also to Jenn Pye at the Monhegan Museum. Sherm Stanley photos For several summers the Croquet Tournaments on the Cochranes’ lawn attracted many enthusiasts. One year Barbara won first prize for the best hat while grandson Dwight annually scored high with his mallet. When the holidays came along, Sherm was called on to spread cheer as Santa. Son Shermie was busy year in and year out filling many roles: lobsterman, bottled gas provider, manager of his popular Fish House and eatery on Fish Beach, and recent Trustee of Monhegan Associates. Sherm Stanley photo three generations: Sherm, Shermie, Dwight Dede Little photos Shermie’s Fish House Sunday afternoon poker for serious players Poker in Progress – the Inner Sanctum Dede Little photos Sherm and Barbara through the years Sherm Stanley photos Sherm Stanley photo Married to Barbara for 63 years, the father of Shermie, who follows in his father’s tradition and lives with his wife Gretel on Monhegan; the father of Carolyn and husband Alex Sutherland who live in Camden, Maine where they own and operate the “Starbird” gift and antique shop; grandfather of Sam Sutherland who works in New York for a pharmaceutical company; grandfather of Dwight Stanley, a dentist, who lives in Falmouth, Maine and practices both in Falmouth and in Glen Cove, just north of Rockland, and grandfather of Adaire who lives with her husband Wayman Bell in North Augusta, South Carolina where Wayman manages a branch of Costco. Adaire and Wayman are the parents of Sherm’s first great–grandson, two-­‐year old Caden. Our Sherman Murphy Stanley? Expert fisherman and lobster-­‐
man, lifetime community leader, poker player with the old guard at Shermie’s fish house, vegetable gardener par excellence (never have seen a weed), now a Florida “snow bird” who fishes there for fun… A life of commitment and integrity, Sherm exemplifies all the values of a disappearing way of life. He is truly Mr. Monhegan. Read a profile → Ray Werbe wrote this about his friend, Sherm, in 1999.
Sherman (Sherm) Stanley is a 76 year-old retired lobsterman on Monhegan
Island, Maine. Retired in that he finally sold his boat and traps and gave up
his license to his grandson Dwight. However, he still goes about his offseason work on installing, repairing, and maintaining all the gas appliances
on the Island: stoves, refrigerators, and all types of heaters.
Sherm is about 5’9” or 10”, lean but solid, and perhaps his most notable physical aspect is his controlled economy of motion. Whether on a boat, or on his Bocce court, working in his shop or garden, each move seems to have been worked out two moves back. This has the effect of making every move, large or small, seem effortless and right. He also observes and criticizes in the same way. Example. Dwight, Sherm and I were in his lobster boat to put a pilot we had with us aboard an oil tanker headed for Halifax from Venezuela. Dwight, then 20, was conning our boat. When we pulled alongside the tanker with its 12-­‐foot bow waves, Dwight idled down to match the speed of the tanker. Then, when he thought the timing was right, he steered the boat over the bow wave and pulled along-­‐side where the tanker’s crew had let down the “Jacob’s Ladder,” and the pilot scrambled up. Almost at once I noticed a palpable air of something. Nevertheless, back over the wave we went, turned and headed back for Monhegan in silence. Then after 2-­‐3 minutes Dwight asked how he had done. Sherm said, “Dwight, I can’t give you credit for this trip.” (He meant toward his Pilot’s License). “You were at least 8-­‐10 seconds late in pulling over that bow-­‐wave. If there had been a 6-­‐foot sea running, God only knows where you would have wound up. Next time don’t hesitate, just do it.” All this in a clear, calm voice. That’s Sherm.