Copyrights reserved by the author. If you are in doubt, please click on 'Copyrights' and read the details.People who were different define our towns By J. G. Fabiano The autumn months on the seacoast are the best time to sit on a bench and watch the people and their tales walk by. OK, I don't ask everyone about their lives and their stories but I have the type of imagination that gets sparked by a simple glance or an ignoring grin. This is also the perfect time to dig into some of the lives of the people who lived before me. Throughout the history of the town I adopted over 30 years there have been many citizens of strong character and work ethic. But, there have also been people who most would say were a bit strange. Of course, I am not one to call anyone strange. The Reverend Ralph F. Lowe who was pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1896 had discovered memoirs written by his grandmother and some other members of his family. In it he tells the story of many of these citizens of York who were considered a bit different. The memoir talks of a house that was occupied by "Skipper Bill" Allen and his sister Almira. The house was where York Street meets with Route One. Skipper Bill was a seaman who everyone thought should have been a captain of a ship had it not been for his unfortunate habit of drinking a bit too much. Throughout the anthology it was obvious that many of our early inhabitants drank a bit too much. Almira was a well-meaning person who was a little "off" in her mind. Every now and then Reverend C.B. Sewall could be seen carrying a dish of food to the house. The Reverend Sewall was known at this time in the nineteenth century for his benevolence. Almira was not the only person in need at this time in York's history. Down Rayne's Neck way, two elderly women called Molly and Pattie Booker, lived in an odd sort of home that was half cave and half shack. The back of the home was of stone laid on the earth. It is said that it was much like the crude abodes found in the interior of Ireland. These women made their living from the sea. Both women were very poor but also very respectable. Like Almira they were given a lot of help from their neighbors. Some things in York never change. Another interesting character of York back in the late part of the nineteenth century was Joanna Raynes who lived in the hollow near the Mill Pond on Lindsay Road. Joanna was a good woman of fine character and honesty. She was physically strong and well versed in the knowledge of roots and herbs. The only "odd" part concerning Ms. Raynes was that she enjoyed walking around in men's clothes in order to mow her fields or do any other type of outdoor work. At least it was considered odd back then. Earlier in York's history a Miah Booker was a citizen of York who lived alone on the South Side opposite of a place owned by Rufus Emery. Miah was known to let nature control her life by not believing in the fine art of housekeeping. In other words, she enjoyed having flies, spiders, and other tiny creatures safely occupy her home. She also felt the same about her own personal hygiene. When Miah became sick "Uncle" Rufus decided to lend a helping hand by giving Miah a bath. At the time he was known to be handy with sickness. But, in the course of a week Uncle Rufus died. It is said that before he died he stated that the bath was a mistake because the site of Miah Booker without any clothes was too much of a shock! At the end of the nineteenth century a queer, half-cracked man, called Johnny Candlestrip lived in a hut near Cow Beach. His real name was John Stanhope who had the fancy for sewing bright-colored pieces of cloth on his clothing. No one knew why he enjoyed doing this but he was a kind individual whom the people of this time considered odd but harmless. The Harmon family used to live in York Harbor during even an earlier chapter of York's history. During these same times Indians used to live on Bragdon's Island. It is said that an old tradition was that some of the Harmon family used to induce the Indians to come over to the Harbor, get them all drunk, and then kill them. The local pastor did not like this practice and pronounced a curse on the family. As to whether or not this curse succeeded is related to how the Harmon's have all but disappeared. Or at least that is what I have read. Another story about a peculiar citizen of York concerned Bill Newbury who was a deck hand of a schooner that sailed up and down the York River. The York River is so crooked that most vessels back then could only sail when the wind and the tide was just right. Once this favorable period had arrived but Bill did not. After awhile Bill came sauntering down to the wharf and attempted to board the vessel. The Captain of the schooner, who was not too thrilled about the lost opportunity, rushed down and grabbed Bill's sleeping couch, brought it back to the ship and proceeded to throw it over board. When Bill asked what the captain was doing he exclaimed, "Bill Newbury, if you ever set foot on this vessel again I'll throw you overboard after your bed!" After this Bill was rarely seen near the wharf. Lorenzo Dow was an eccentric and itinerant Methodist preacher who came to York to preach once a year during the early part of the nineteenth century. His ecclesiastical superiors accepted his piety and effective preaching but were at a loss in trying to place him. In other words, they had no idea where he came from. He was famous for saying that on a certain day, a year ahead, he would again be present to preach. He always kept his word. Most towns in our society have people in their history that could be considered strange. York is not an exception to this rule. But, the people who lived and now live here define our history. The autumn months on the seacoast are the best time to sit on a bench and watch the people and their tales walk by. Every now and then I wonder who is watching me. The End.
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