So many times I hear people say, “I wish Houlton was the way it used to be at Christmas.” By this statement they mean that when they were growing up every store front was occupied and it was really a shopper’s haven.
Christmas time in Houlton seemed to be magical. Familiar Christmas carols were broadcast throughout the downtown Square, Christmas lights crisscrossed Main Street and the adjoining side streets. Santa strolled along the sidewalks greeting youngsters with a “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas” while making his way to his little North Pole shop near the theatre. Dunn Furniture Company’s three large windows became the highlight of the downtown. Children, as well as adults stood in awe of the animated toyland with Santa’s elves busy making gifts for good girls and boys.
One of my memories is the inside of the First National Grocery Store. It was located where Shiretown Coins is now. Every Christmas the top shelf around the store was filled with trucks, tractors, erector sets and Lincoln Logs for boys; bicycles and tricycles for both, table and chair sets, kitchen sets with dishes, cradles with baby dolls and beautiful dolls dressed in evening gowns or depicting story book characters for girls.
I remember going into that store with my mother and walking along beside the grocery cart with my eyes glued on all of the toys on that high shelf. I was fortunate to receive a Red Riding Hood doll one year and a gorgeous fancy doll dressed in a pink ruffled gown with high heels and jewelry another time. She had short curly blonde hair and blue eyes that opened and closed.
My dolls were played with a lot and sometimes not so carefully, especially when my little brother, Peter who was five years younger than I decided he would tattoo them with an ink pen. Through the years the outfits became tattered and the shoes and jewelry lost.
When my own daughter discovered them packed away at her grandparents’ house, she dressed them with clothing that was now too small for her. As she lost interest they were packed away once again and moved to the upstairs of my parents’ garage.
In the mid-90s my father passed away and I moved back to my childhood home. As I was cleaning out the garage I came across the fancy doll long forgotten. who no longer had much of any wardrobe. As I took a close look at her, I noticed little gouges in her chin and on her feet. I knew immediately that my worst fears had come to pass, she had been nibbled on by some mice. That was the deciding factor that the doll would be part of the trash that weekend.
Saturday was trash day in the country then and still is. In earlier years, my dad had made it a habit to stop by the residence of Gerald and Elaine Duff and take their trash for the weekly run to the dump. After my dad died, Gerald took over the job and picked up the trash for my mother and me in return. So away went the doll and other than seeing it in pictures I never much thought about it again, until … my special doll reappeared at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum a few years ago.
The museum was established in the former Littleton School on U.S. Route 1 in Littleton in 2001 by a group of individuals from the greater Houlton area. Having been a student at the school years before I decided to stop by one day to lend a hand. This random visit has almost turned into my second home. I’ve held a variety of offices, but for the most part work on publicity and displays, and whatever else needs to be done.
Little by little items have found their way to the museum and the once empty building is now full of nostalgic items and put on display for many to enjoy.
I must say I was quite surprised when “my doll” appeared and equally surprised to find out where it had been for approximately 10 years.
The day it landed in the back of Gerald’s pickup he thought it looked too good to go to the dump, so he took it home to his wife. At the time, she was a caregiver for V. Kathleen Gooding, a lady who had been the librarian at Houlton Elementary School where I had taught first grade.
These two ladies, together cleaned up the doll, found a crocheted dress and a fancy fur hat and delivered it to the museum to be added to the ever growing collection.
Today it has a place in the farmhouse sitting on a handmade quilt made by Dot Campbell on a double-size brass bed.
As I give tours to many people throughout the year I sometimes share the story of my doll and how it made its way to the museum.
I have also shared the story with my two grandchildren, James and Lila. They each spend a week with me in the summer and spend a lot of time at the museum. Lila, who is 6 was quite intrigued with the tale and really wanted to take the doll back home with her to New Hampshire, but settled for being able to play with her a bit when she comes to visit.
I am so grateful to Gerald Duff who decided that my trash was really a treasure and for his wife, Elaine and the late V. Kathleen Gooding who did their part in saving the doll that would trigger my memories of Houlton at Christmastime.
