Ruby J. (Hollis) Meehan, interviewed by Bruce B. Brown, Jr. at her Veazie, Maine, home on December 5, 1977. Mrs Meehan discusses Veazie history and her life in Veazie after marrying John E. Meehan.
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Meehan, Ruby J.

English

University of Maine

The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine MF064 Veazie History and Architecture Project NAFOH Oral History Recordings July 2023 Ruby J. (Hollis) Meehan, interviewed by Bruce B. Brown, Jr. Ruby J. Meehan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf064  Part of the Oral History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Meehan, Ruby J., "Ruby J. (Hollis) Meehan, interviewed by Bruce B. Brown, Jr." (2023). MF064 Veazie History and Architecture Project. 39. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf064/39 This Oral History is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in MF064 Veazie History and Architecture Project by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact um.library.technical.services@maine.edu. ~,, l ... ·._ l. •,\ ,·' L: }c ·1 -·--· -'-" \l \: L!\)t i \f lktt::itu:n~t of Aut!•rh{I( bi::--~ .. urtla::J• .. t AnMn·.'-: ,J; I 11l~lor.:..' !l:;(l Or3l JH<.tO:) r·. X<(.:;;' 'l ~1~ ··- 7~7e j .:> Y1)/ t. .. Stt \ n!:-.. lhU, S!;u::1 Ori.nil. \'I;:izu: 0-!-iiJ ~01:cf;1.7.1{.(J . < ·. I ~1r l ;. {/ L~ c.-..;<.. -ti~' ( j -:.'· " ..'d,. )1 ';·L• "t./ (/cc< . t..J( c:'......_ ,., .( ' ' { • t..L ./ ._,t _ < [ -/1 1 - I /. '· l Jt..l' , •.I. I ~t. •I ·4 _ ... l .. "> ~ - L <.._ "~-<-·_;~· ::. ...:....: -<-· T H E L .-\ t.J ~· • '3 R J.... ; i T U ~~ ! \ E R S ! 1 y 0 :-· T H E S T A T E O F :-,~ f\ ! ~..i E 113SC04 Interviewer's tape no.: 12. 5. 77 Interviewer: Bruce Brown Jr. Interviewee: Mrs. Ruby Meehan Place of interview: Mrs. Meehan' s home Other people present: Equipment used: TR 14 Uher 1197 1 NAFOH Accession no.: 11.35005 Address: RFD#2 Box 778, Carmel, Maine 04419 Address:veazie, Maine Date: December 5, 19 77 Tape: Brand: Scotch AV 176 Size reel: 5 , I mil/1.5mil Speed:i_ 718 Cassette: Brand: ', \j I Amount of tape used: (Side I): ·-';/ C-30/C-60/C-120 (Side 2): Brief description of contents: Mrs Meehan talks bout town in general. Part of Veazie Architecture & History Project. her life in Veazie and about the history of the Index NAFOH Int. 3 6 34 60 87 115 Catalog Opening annoucement. Born in Troy, Maine. Moved to Veazie when ~he married. The house orginally had two rooms but over the years they have added on. Put a cellar under the house. First came about fiftp years ago. Daughter was born in the town in a house at the top of the hill [Toward Orono]. She had a midwife instead of a doctor--like the girls are doing today. The midwife was Maude Hollis, Mrs. Meehan's aunt. Did not know that ce Jordan had been a midwife. The doctor came aftex everything was over. She had heard of Dingbat Prouty. Said Dingbat was Warren Prouty; father to Gene Prouty. He lived the house now owned by Ann Dinsmore. Did not know why people called him Dingbat. Her husband was called Skinny though his name was Gene. Tells a story about how SenePana- Gene Prout~ and a friend stole some of Ruby 's chickens. They had decided to have a feed but had no money. She made them pay two dollars a chicken even though they weren't worth it. One of the Prouty's on the Chase Road took one of her pigs and kept it. He found the pig or the electric ~reeiy trolley track and put it in his pen. When she confronted P~y he denied havin~ the pig. Cliff Prouty said she could go down to the pig pen. She took a pail thet she fed the pig from and he came to her, so she Interviewer's tape # 12.5.77 Index NAFOH 11.35006 N AFOH Accession # 1 1 9 7 1 Catalog pg. # 2 Int. Catalog clair ed her pig. 156 She comld not remember when the trolley was first put in. [A book about Veazie's history just came out so she continually refers to it] Used to be a train station on School Street where the crossing is. If people wanted to use the train they would flag it down. The train was mainly for freight like milk. First thought the trolley was taken out forty years ago. The book said the trolley dismanteled int the 1940's. When she first came there was a spur track that went up the river to pick up freight. 185 there was a ferry that crossed over to Eddington. There was one to Indian Island also. In Veazie the ferry was at Thompson Point. The people would cross the river to take the electric trolley to Bangor.She never used the ferry. 201 Tells how she used to pick up river wood. When they used to drive logs down the river, and when it rained the booms would burst. The le would be strewn on the banks of the river form Old Town to Bangor. The rivermen would push what they could back in the river but there still would be some. One time she and an old fella were picking up the wood. She had a pick pole to get the wood. In a battle to see who would get the most. she got about a cord. The stove would burn coal or wood. 222 Never heard of Corporation Hill •• Read there Had been a Pumpkin Tavern. 228 Never heard of Nell Donahue. When she first moved there sHe work e d a l l the time. She left early in the morning and came back late at night so it was a long time be~ore people knew sl lived in town. She worked in Bangor in the Mel Long restaurant. Catered to high school students. [Read in the book Veazme known as the . Plains]. Traveled back and forth on the trolley 245 Never heard of Harknessville. Knows the harkness family. Mrl. Harkness a big lmmber man The present Mrs. Harkness was his second. 25] Veazie Park aross f rom the cemetary. Old Aunt Hat had a big house in the area. Aunt Hat a famous madame. Husband had a song but she ~ouldn't recited it all. Fisst came she had the big place. The town was a booming lmmber town. Like Hancock St. in Bangor. When she first came to town Aunt Hat was an old lady. One day she came to visit Ruby. Aunt Hat lived with her brother Joe Dudley. Smoked om a cl ay pipe . Showed ~ a big wad of paper tied to her calf, and promised to show R...Y.Py how to get that kind o a roll. Husband told her not to let her in again Interviewer's tap~ # 12.5.77n Index NAFOH "'135007 N AFOH Accession # 1 1 9 7 1 Catalog pg. # 3 Int. 300 322 343 350 369 378 390 402 419 434 441 454 Catalog 4\,unt Hat reminded her of another madame in Bangor, Dolly Jack. both woman would help people that needed help. But when Dolly Jack died nobady went to the funereal. She knew Dolly beeattse through her husban when he bought liquor from her. Tells how the first president of the University of Maine was hard om the boys. The boys decided to get even. John Davis was one of the boys. Told the president that they wanted to bu~ anew wagon, but hey wanted his advice first. took him to see Aunt Hat's wagon, got him to sit in it and tyhey took an pictuee that they plastered the campus with the picture. Could not remember any stories about ~ bat and Aunt Hat. Suggested talking to :ailI Jordan and Add ie Weed. The street she lives on was known as Dttgy- B'tll'l:-g Dungy Lane, instead of Lemon mt. Tells how she had a lemon tree that grew big lemons. A reporter wrote an article about s. Meehan of Lemon St. and her lemon tree. She made lemon pies from the lemons--more sour that the normal ones. Did not know much about General Veazie. [Againe she refered to the book] Could not remember any sawmills in the town. Did remember the canoe f actor-y owned by Bertie Morris. Was where Stucco Lodge is now. Three stores in town: the Gillman store just above Red's market (the old Russel store). [From thebook] E K Stewart store, the Gillman store, only one boarding house on the corner of Oak and Olive. Owned by a Pratt. Later made it into apartments. Three houses up was the NEOP hall--where Norman Bacon lives now. NEOP stood for New England Order of Patrons. They used to ahve a big Grange whiseh which was held in the old town hall. Had a Pomona meeting that drew a lot of people. the town's centennial drew the biggest crowd--fed over a thousand. p_il lman made bean hole beans. Needed a lot of hadd wood coals to cook the beani The people fed cafe~eria style. Never heard of Fort Hill. Never were any Indians in the town. Never heard of He rbert H. Sellers, a landscape photographer. The oldest house was the Veazie house, now owned by Bob Turner. Bill Jordan's house id old. R~lph Park ' s house is old-- the old Towl house. Addie Waqd's house and frank To~~·s. Houses fixed up. E±.hel Bell's was is old. the ol Bavixs- Davis farm. Big fire at the Davis farm. When she came Interviewer's tape # 12.5.77 Index NAFOH ~ .13.5008 NAFOH Accession # l l 9 7 l Catalog pg. # 4 Int. 463 468 478 501 511 542 573 598 Catalog town the . Dav is's had a dairy farm. They delivere the milk everyday in a bottle. their barn burned down. The firehouse used to be the fire house. Did not remember any other firehouses The old Doan house used to be the first town hall--on the corner of Olive and Judson. Thought they had dances there. General Veazie gave it to the town. For entertainment they had hay rides and skated on the river. Now the river so polluted they can't skate on it. Toward Bangor they had Eorse races on the river. Even grwon people would skate. !She could always see bonfires from the river. Fifteen years since they last used the river. Jones ales cut his ice int the river, but no OnWe caD now. The ice was packed in saw dust. No sewers ran into the river. Most people had outhouses. When she f isst mov ed into the town had not electric lights. Many people had gas lights. Whne t~ey dug the streets up they found old gas lines.Her house never had any gas lights. Her kitchen used to be smaller, she hada wood stove. At first there were only two rooms. Fisst got electricity about forty years ago. The owner was Arhhur Day. At first they we renting. They fixed it up. Day came to borrown money. He didn't pay it back before asking for more. They made a deal to bu~ the house if thye loaned him the money. His wife was a PentecostaJ a stripped him of his aeney to give to the church. Owned the land all the way down the road. Bought the place for seven hundred dollars. Daughter has part of the land now. The town had a lot of poor people. One poor girl married a poor man from Bangor. oNe year the American Legion decided to give a famil~ a Christmas basket. Drew a name at the Salvatio1 Army. They were givern an address. When they got he basket together the Meehans were asked to deliver it. Got here a found they knew the couple. While they were there the man was cooking hog jowls. The kids were eating it up as fast as he cooked it. He offered some to Ruby and she ate it--her husband could not belie• she ate it. Believed it made him feellbetter. Went of another hause where the family was J poor and dirty. The woman was baking cookied fo: her big family--a table was loaded with cookies. Offered Ruby a cookie which she ate. Those kind of things don't hurt people. Now she works for Meals For ME in Bangor. It makes the old people feel better. Most of the people are lonely. Closing statement/ 

Ruby J. (Hollis) Meehan, interviewed by Bruce B. Brown, Jr.

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=mf064

Ruby J. (Hollis) Meehan, interviewed by Bruce B. Brown, Jr.

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