How to Speak like a New England Mainer (Mainah)

Years After Maine, I Can Still Be Heard Doing Mainespeak

I clearly recall churning buttah (butter) with my maternal grandmother Esther Bennett Homer on her farm in Searsport Maine. Why did I say buttah instead of butter? Because that is how I sometimes still talk. I've lost a lot of my Maine dialect or accent, but not to my family, especially my granddaughter Ashley, who loves to tease me when I forget to or am unable to add the "r" sound to my words.

So, I am still somewhat a Mainer, and proud of it! My car is a ca or cah, our nearby park is a pahk, the law is the lah and lava is lavah. Sounds perfectly okay to me, but Ashley laughs and laughs. This got me to thinking about the Maine dialect that I grew up with.

My paternal grandmother Alice Southworth Healey loved lobster which she called lobstah. She always wanted to eat some when we visited Ba Harbah (Bar Harbor). Grammy Homer liked clam chowdah (chowder) when she ate out.

Though I have tried for years to say idea, it always comes out as idear. My mom and dad called me deyah (dear) and Donna, but they also called me Donnah or Donner. Yikes instead of dropping an r sound, idear and Donner added one. How confusing is that? I need a glass of watah! Then I can watch the cahfs (calfs) for a while as I ponder this.

Mainers also like a good oximoron. The one that says something is wicked good. Wicked lobstah. Wicked buttah. Wicked cold or wicked hot. L. L. Bean uses "wicked good" in some of their product line names and ads to relay the greatness of the items. Makes me wantah order somethin' now.

My dad was named Bob. In New England, folks like to use names. A conversation with him would go something like this: "Donnah, what are you doing? Nothing, Dad. Donnah, I heard you were goin' to the pahk? Dad, that is true, but I won't be stahtin (starting) to go for a while. Dad, for now I will be herah." Get the gist? Did you notice that Mainers like to drop the g when talking, such as talkin'.

I love that herah, for here. Stretch that one syllable into two and you speak Mainah. A phrase I recall is that you can't get theyah from heyah.

My dad, by the way was born in Bath Maine, but he called it Bahth. And my Aunt Jane was Auht Jane and not Ant Jane. Auht Jane called my sister and I cunnin, meaning cute. We were, and loved her sayin' it. Oh, we live in Florida now and my sister is Ant Caren, instead of Auht Caren. Too bad.

I was born in Bangah (Bangor), but now when I visit Maine, I am thought to be "from away" and have to explain that my Mainah accent is still there in part, because I am one of them. Doesn't do me much good to explain; they still think I am from away. Could I be mispronouncing Bangor?

It has been wicked exciting to write this article. Brings back so many memories and helps my granddaughter to know I am just a Mainer.

One of these days I will call Ashley's lunch box, her dinner pail. It would really catch her attention if I said suppah pail. In North Carolina we had a basement, in Connecticut we had a cellar and, for us, that meant a dirt or root cellar which we called "down cellar." Our mom did not want us to go down cellah. We also had an ice box and when we got a refrigerator we still called it an ice box. And I don't say hoss anymore. I have mastered horse.

Remembah Ashley is the one that teases me the most about my lingerin' Maine accent. I think I will agree with her on whatever she says next time by sayin' eh-yuh or ayuh instead of yes. She will love it. PS: Let's not tell her that I mostly hear ayuh on old episodes of Murder She Wrote on television. Do you agree? Ayuh!

Photo:  From Flickr Commons Free; by Edward Hand

SARAH F. STEPHENSON AND CHARLES CONRAD CATOR, SR.

My husband and I spent years going to his old home state areas of Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC.  Every time that we passed Surrattsville, MD.  He would share the story that his Granddaddy Charles Conrad Cator Jr. often told: Surrattsville is important to our family.  Remember that. 

My husband's great grandfather Charles Sr. was born in 1863, smack in the middle of the Civil War. It was years before we realized that my husband's great grandmother, Sarah F Stephenson, married his great grandfather, Charles Conrad Cator Sr. and they resided there for a while and had children in Surrattsvile.  Sarah was Irish.  Cator is thought to be Scots-Irish.

In the 1700s Surrattsville was named Surratt's Villa, and ultimately would become today's Clinton, MD.  The Villa was simply a crossroads and a few buildings.  By the 1800s it was calls Surrattsville and had its own post office, a voting place, and a tavern. Mary Surratt, famed from the days of Abraham Lincoln, owned a home there and in DC. 

Charles and Sarah F. married on the 4th of  December 1890 in DC per the record of their marriage. Since Sarah was born in 1871, she was but 19 years old to Charles 27 years of age.  Charles and Sarah had a baby boy who lived 5 months; he died 25 Apr 1892.  Before she died at the age of 27 in 1898, she had two living children, Granddaddy - my husband's grandfather who raised my husband. Granddaddy was Charles Conrad Cator, Jr. born 1895.  Their other living child was Aunt Mabel Estelle Cator (born 1893).  Granddaddy was just 2 when Sarah died; Mabel just 4. 

Charles Conrad Cator Sr now married Rachel Lurania Clifton as his second wife.  She is the sister of Charity and Joseph Clifton.  This is important as Charity married into another line (Belle Cator's line).  When Sarah Stephenson Cator died, leaving Charles Sr. to take care of his two living children, he was likely guided to marry the single Lurania to help raise his children.  Perhaps he loved her dearly, but the stories in the family do not support this.  Lurania is not fondly remembered our family.  She was mean-spirited and would punish the children in a myriad of ways, including hours in iced bath water.  Charges were actually brought against her for abuse of the children.  The charges were dropped, but not forgotten by our family.  This was likely a story 27 year marriage, at best.  She died first; he outlived Lurania by 15 years.  Peace.  The coming of the dreadful Lurania as stepmom within the ame year that Sara died, 1898, was ultimately harsh for the children.  By the 1900 census, Lurania's brother Joseph Clifton was living with them.  He was a 23 year old unmarried milkman and I hope he was good to Mabel and Charlie Jr.

By 1910, Joseph Clifton had moved on, but the teenagers Charlie and Mabel now had their granddad living with them, Thomas Cator, age 75 as a "boarder" who had his own income.  Charles Sr. was a furnace man at the Navy Yard in DC.  Lurania never had any of her own children.  A good thing.  

When Charles Sr. died he had chosen to be buried with his first wife Sarah when he passed away, rather than with Lurania who lies alone further back in the same cemetery.

Interestingly, Charles Jr and Ruth Ridgeway eloped while under the reins of Lurania.  This is an interesting story as Lurania was continuously on the prowl! Charles Sr was not opposed, though it implied he was.   See the full story at http://snippetbiographies.blogspot.com/2012/12/charlie-cator-runs-away-twice.html

HISTORY DURING THEIR LIVES:

William McKinley was president the year before Sarah died.  She may or may not have lived long enough to realize that the USS Maine exploded in Cuba in February of 1898.  And she may not have lived long enough to see Wyoming and Idaho become new states (43, 44) nor to know that Hawaii was annexed by the USA in mid 1898. 

In 1881 she and Charles were well aware that their President James Garfield was shot and died.  And, think of it!  They lived at the very time of the OK Corral gunfights in Tombstone, AZ in that same year when the Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday tried to disarm Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury.  Billy, Frank and Tom died.  And electricity was generated to 85 customers in NYC on September 4, 1884, and a year later the Statue of Liberty was delivered. 

The Mangle Iron at Myrtle and Warren Southworth's home in Belfast Maine

I loved to visit Aunt Myrtle Dickey Southworth and her husband, my Uncle Warren Southworth in their Belfast Maine home.  They lived on the top floor of a two story duplex.  The home had a back room, like an attic room, but on the same level as the duplex apartment.  In the room was a mangle ironing machine for pressing sheets and such.  Fascinating!
Aunt Myrtle was a kind and caring woman to me and trips to her home were always a highlight of Belfast Maine visits (my home state).  Her husband was my great grandparents' son.  I do recall that the Mangle was large, but do not recall if it was this model.  

Aunt Myrtle E. Dickey and Uncle Ralph Warren Southworth were married on Saturday, November 10th in Belfast Maine. They had two children, a daughter and a son.  Myrtle died in Chula Vista California in 1982 at the age of 70. She was living near her daughter's area.  Uncle Warren died in Belfast Maine in 1970 at the age of 59.  In this picture, Warren is standing with his older brother Dana Southworth.  Dana died in 1971 at the age of 75.  Dana's second marriage was to Helen Devlin Southworth, who was a violinist in the Boston Pops Orchestra.

YMCA Camp Skyuka near Columbus NC

We used to take our sons to Camp Skyuka on White Oak Mountain, far up into the coolness of being over 3000 feet high. 

Skyuka, a Cherokee,  lived during the American Revolution,  As the story goes, British Redcoats got Skyuka to agree to lead British men to raid pioneer homesteaders in the area.  Cherokees had been raiding the homesteaders and Capt. Thomas Howard organized a campaign to stop this after three bloody massacres against the homesteaders.  On a secret trail, Skyuka led Capt Howard to defeat the Cherokees in 1776.  Skyuka was not honored by his people, but was by the British. Skyuka was said to have been saved by Howard as a boy and a friendship grew.  

YMCA Camp Skyuka opened its doors in 1957 on 99 acres.  It closed and then reopened in 1975, the period when my sons attended Camp Skyuka.  The cabins, infirmary, and kitchen and mess hall were built of blue granite from a quarry in Green River Cove.  Moonshiners likely still resided on White Oak Mountain; they may still today. The camp had lots of swimming activities, boating, fishing, crafts, archery and rifle ranges, horseback riding, tennis courts, and ball fields.   The boys enjoyed every activity and even the campfire stories.  I bet they were not really very happy to see us arrive to pick them up!

The campsite was closed in the late 1990s.  

<== Blue Granite Cabin

        Trading Post  ==>

This mess hall photo is from http://www.campskyukahoa.com/Mountain_History.html 

See also: 

The Legend of Skyuka

http://kirkhneely.com/2013/07/07/the-legend-of-skyuka/   

Camp Skyuka Friends

https://www.facebook.com/groups/29670617910/

Is this James?  From facebook group as
"Allison and Jim 1979":

Capt Green Pendleton of Searsport Maine - My GGGGrandfather

Born June 21, 1774, Green Pendleton (My GGGGrandfather) moved to Searsport from Westerly, RI where he was born.  He was just 10 years old when he moved with his father, Peleg.  Possessing a powerful physique and "of much natural dignity of bearing," Green went to sea at a  young age, and ultimately rose to command the Sloop Endeavor, and the schooners Independence and Ceres between 1816 and 1829.  Capt. Green Pendleton died at the age of 88.  Nice longevity!

In 1795 at age 20 he married his 18 year old first cousin, Ann Park.  Following the birth of their first child, Nancy, he purchased the land where his home, "Fairwinds," now stands from William Taylor of Boston for $5.00.  Nancy was followed by daughters Abigail and Catherine.  Then his sons were born. 

Captain Green Pendleton's five eldest sons all became Master Mariners who, in the days of American sailing ships, carried our flag throughout the seven seas.  Two didn't return from voyages. Green, Jr., and Benjamin. Charles and Christopher returned.   John died at sea. Charles later died in Havana.

Capt. Green Pendleton's youngest son, James Hervey Pendleton (My GGGrandfather), complied with his father's wishes, and stayed ashore to farm instead of following the seas as others had done.  James farmed the land and succeeded to the estate upon his father's death in 1863.  

Fairwinds has been a Bed and Breakfast located at 428 E. Main St., Searsport, Maine. My husband and I enjoyed staying there a few years ago.  So very nice!

Ralph Dana Southworth - My Great Granddad's Haberdashery

For decades I heard about my dad's grandfather's haberdashery.  Knew it was so, but never could find anything pertinent to it other than family tradition.

FINALLY, GOT IT - 1913 Advertisement!

Ralph Dana Southworth, Grandfather of Robert Fuller (my dad) and Dad of Alice Southworth Fuller Healey.  Ralph also was or became the City Clerk for the City of Belfast Maine...for many years.

Ralph and Alvra and family lived at 3 Church Street in Belfast.  Short commute to the haberdashery and to city hall!

The Life and Tragedy of My Great Aunt Martha Evelyn Southworth

Martha Evelyn Southworth entered this world on March 16, 1901 in Belfast Maine, a welcomed and loved baby of her parents (my great grandparents), Alvra and Ralph Southworth.  Martha's sister Alice was my grandmother who also had the highest respect and love for her parents.

When my Great Aunt Martha was young, she is said to have looked a lot like me as a child.  I do not see this resemblance (she is the one sitting), but my Grandmother Alice Southworth (standing) swore to it.  Their brother Dana is standing behind his sisters.

Perhaps as I and she grew up, I began to resemble Martha more -- she is the one on the right; Alice on left in the photo below.

Regardless of outer appearances, Martha's life was filled with love and loneliness. 

On September 14 in 1921 Martha married when she was 20 years of age to Edward "Eddie" Thornton Sullivan.  She was so very in love with the blue-eyed Eddie (See photo) who was 10 years older than Martha.  Eddie was born on October 14, 1891 in Portland ME. He died on February 20, 1938 and is buried in the Southworth section of Grove Cemetery in Belfast ME.

 

Eddie was a stevedore and he served honorably in WWI for 6 months, but I do not know if he was injured while on duty.  Martha worked as a stenographer. By 1930 he was selling life insurance and she no longer worked outside their home at 27 Spring Street in Belfast.

Martha was devastated when Eddie died at the mere age of 46 from lobar pneumonia.  She suffered great melancholy. Martha returned to live with her parents at 55 High Street in Belfast. In 1940, for example, she lived with her parents Ralph and Alvra Southworth where her 20 year old sister Jane, her sister Alice and her then husband Stanley K Healy and Alice's son Robert Fuller (my dad) also lived.  She was surrounded by a family that loved her dearly. 

Martha came to believe that her grieving was adequately behind her so as to allow her to move forward with her life.  In July of 1941 she married Kenneth L. Young, a good man, whom she believed in her heart that she loved and that she would make Ken a good wife.  Love him, she did.  But her stricken spirit was not truly healed from her love and loss of Eddie.  She did not feel she was the good wife she had so wanted to be. 

Married to Ken for four years, Martha was still gripped with mourning which led her into a deep depression.  Eventually she shot herself in the head, instantly dying on July 2, 1945, just 26 days before I was born!  She was but 44 years old.  My family was stricken, as was Ken.