Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-09-16
Built in 1882 as Augustus First Church, on Present
Site Of Market Square,
Town Hall Far Up Winthrop SeetLater Theater in
War Time Historic Names
ciated With the Standing Winthrop

From time to time the Journal has
published papers which had been de-
livered at the Kennebec Historical So
ciety. There has been a double pur-
pose in this: by giving them partly as
q matter of interest at the time, and
also to preserve in permanent form
matters of local historical value which
otherwise might be lost.
1t has been the intention of Captain
Chas. E. Nash and DR.. w. Scott Hill
and other leading members of the So
ciety at some time to collect in per-
manent book form the doinSs of the
society. and especially the papers on
local history; but as this means large
expense. and as the funds of the So
ciety are not at present in condition to
meet such expense, the work. of course,
cannot at present be contemplated.
Unless a person has had some slight
experience in the matter of collecting
local history, he will have but little
idea of how much depends on the
memory of the older inhabitants: and
how, after a certain time, the mere
local traditions are lost sight of.
Things which at one time may be mat
ters of common knowledge, after few
years become either nearly forgotten
traditions or entirely lost sight of. \
curious instance of this was an old
cannon which formerly stood in front
of the Maine Farmer office previous to
the time of it's demolishment to be re-
placed by the present public building
Many of our readers will remember
that q cannon stood there and was
used as a hitching post At one time
| writer asked the Journal where the
cannon originally came from, and al
though several letters were printed at
4 the time, nobody could be found who
could tell where it originated; and yet
a cannon as large as that must have
been at one time well known, and as
conspicuous as the present cannon on
Monument park. If any reader has
/ curiosity of this kind he might ask
/ several people what building stood on
Il the site of the present Masonic block.
and although that was erected but five
years ago. he will be surprised to find
how many people have already forgot
ten the blacksmith shop and other
g buildings that stood there for years.
s. A writer who has done some local
historical work, in the year 1891, wrote
an article on local history, and in his
81 preparation consulted - of the oldest
4 Inhabitants of Augusta, all of them at
4 that time well known men. Five years
later, having another matter of the
II same kind the writer looked at his list
n and was surprised to find that only
B two of the Il We're still alive, the Hon.
I James W. Bradbury and Hon. Joseph
"A. Homan. 1t will be seen by this
81 striking example how quickly means
Of information disappear unless taken
advantage of at the time: and it is to
ne regretted that very many thlnSS
which at the time seem of minor in
/ terest. but which make valuable local
history, have been lost from the fact
!. that no permanent record has been
made of them, and gradually those
who We're cognizant of the facts have
in one way and another disappeared.
i With this general Introduction we
publish. today, an article on old Win
{ throp hall, which was prepared several
4 years ago and presented to the His
II torical Society. but which never before
has been in print. We are informed
that the sources of information on this
piece were many of them of an older
h generation, and mostly persons who
are now dead.