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MF 015 Curran Family Homestead Project
Number of
Interviews: 19
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1996
Time period covered: early to mid-twentieth century
Principal interviewers: Tosca DeVito, Megan Foreman, Dena
Winslow York, Shawna Chesto, NAncy Dudley, Barbara Sumner, Robin Fre,
Melissa Johnson, Angela Herbert, Brandon Portwine
Finding Aides: transcripts
Access Restrictions: none
Description: A series of student interviews done for Edward
D. “Sandy” Ives’s class focused on the Curren Family Homestead, a
living history musuem in Orrington, Maine. Interview topics include:
memories of Alfred, Eddie, and Catherine Curran; dairy farming in
East Orrington during the first half of the twentieth century; MA
Crook and Sons Hillside Dairy; relationship between the Kimball
family and the Currans; swimming in the Fields Pond in the summer;
tobagganing on the Curran property in the winter; a genealogy of the
Curran family; growing up in Orrington and spending time on the
Curran farm; daily management of the farm; food preparation during
the winter; an ice house; farm livestock; making alcohol during
prohibition; working on the Curran farm; Alfred’s younger years;
farming practices; life in Orrington in the early part of the
1900’s; the layout of East Orrington in the 1920’s – 1930’s; East
Orrington’s saw mill; and the Audubon Society.
2441 DeVito, Tosca. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
23pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Elizabeth Cook
regarding dairy farming in East Orrington during the first half of
the twentieth century. Focused on MA Crook and Sons Hillside Dairy.
Curran Family Homestead Project. C1522.
2442 DeVito, Tosca. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
23pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Joanne Kimball
regarding the relationship between the Kimball family and the
Currans. Swimming in the Fields Pond in the summer and tobagganing
on the Curran property in the winter. Curran Family Homestead
Project. C1523.
2443 Foreman, Megan. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Holden. 30pp.
Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Dickie Crawford who
lived next door to the Curran family since 1945. Stories of playing
as a boy in the barn and swimming in Field’s Pond with other
children in the area. Curran Family Homestead Project. C1524.
2444 Foreman, Megan. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Bangor. 23pp.
Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Joann Wicks regarding
her childhood playing on the Curran family farm. Ms. Wicks also
shared a genealogy her husband has made on the Curran family. Curran
Family Homestead Project. Also included are three copies of
photographs of the Curran farm and Curran family members. C1525.
2445 Foreman, Megan. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
3pp. See NA 2444 for journal and photographs from unrecorded
conversation with Eulalia Harriman. Stories about growing up
in Orrington and spending time on the Curran farm. Curran Family
Homestead Project.
2446 Winslow York, Dena. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Hampden.
57pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Carolyn Clark, Mary
C. Fernald and Lawrence D. Fernald regarding information and
genealogy of the Curran family. The daily management of the farm is
also discussed. Curran Family Homestead Project. See NA 2447 for
first interview with Carolyn Clark. C1526.
2447 Winslow York, Dena. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Hampden.
52pp. Tape: 2 w/ transcript. Interview with Carolyn Clark
regarding her memories growing up next to the Curran farm. Stories
about everyday life on the farm and Alfred Curran. Curran Family
Homestead Project. C1527 & C1528.
2448 Chesto, Shawna. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
26pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Sherman Hinks
regarding his life living near the Curran farm and working there.
Descriptions of food preparation during the winter, an ice house,
farm livestock and Alfred and Catherine Curran. Included also are 12
original photographs taken by the interviewer and a diagram of tools
drawn by the interviewee. Curran Family Homestead Project. See NA
2449 for follow up interview with Sherman Hinks. C1529. P7766 -
P7777.
2449 Chesto, Shawna. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
11pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Follow up interview from NA 2448 of
Sherman Hinks. Stories about life on the farm during the winter
and education for farm boys at the turn of the century. See NA 2448
for journal and catalog, photographs and drawing. Curran Family
Homestead Project. C1529.
2450 Chesto, Shawna. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Brewer. 25pp.
Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Brian and Anna MacLeod
regarding making alcohol during prohibition and their relationship
with the Curran family. Curran Family Homestead Project. C1531.
2451 Dudley, Nancy. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Bangor. 17pp.
Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Michael Goodman
regarding his relationship with the recollections of Alfred and
Catherine Curran. His family had a camp on Field’s Pond and they
spent every summer there during the 1940’s – 1980’s. Curran Family
Homestead Project. C1532.
2452 Dudley, Nancy. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Thorndike.
15pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Nancy Raich
regarding her time as a "handy hand" for Alfred and Catherine Curran
until their deaths. Many anecdotes about life on the farm and of
Alfred’s younger years. Curran Family Homestead Project. C1533.
2453 Dudley, Nancy. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: East
Orrington. 36pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview mainly with
Benjamin Goldberg and some with Bennett Steward. Mr.
Goldberg talked about his youth following Alfred Curran around the
Curran farm. He discusses farming practices and talks about where
things were on the Curran farm. Curran Family Homestead Project.
C1534.
2454 Sumner, Barbara. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
24pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Abigail Williamson
regarding life in Orrington in the early part of the 1900’s, the
layout of East Orrington in the 1920’s – 1930’s, her relationships
with her neighbors, her role during World War II, East Orrington’s
saw mill and dairy farming. Curran Family Homestead Project.
C1535.
2455 Fre, Robin. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington. 62pp.
Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Jim Kearns and
George Chapman about life on the Curran farm, how they felt
about Catherine Curran and her brothers Alfred and Eddie. They also
talked about their feelings regarding the Audubon Society. Curran
Family Homestead Project. C1536.
2456 Johnson, Melissa. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Unity.
24pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Nancy Raich
regarding her time as a handy hand on the Curran farm, her chores
around the farm and stories about Alfred Curran’s youth. Curran
Family Homestead Project. C1537.
2457 Hebert, Angela. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Orrington.
18pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Evans Hart
regarding his memories of the Curran family and farm and his own
life stories. Curran Family Homestead Farm. C1538.
2458 Hebert, Angela. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Bangor. 29pp.
Tape: 2 w/ transcript. Two interviews with Florence Smith
regarding the Curran family and farm, her relationship with the
Currans, what they were like and what the farm was like. Curran
Family Homestead Project. C1539 & C1540.
2459 Portwine, Brandon. (AY 425) Fall 1996. Maine: Brewer.
32pp. Tape: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Morris and Lucille
Cronkits regarding Alfred and Catherine Curran in their later
years and also information on the interviewee’s lives. Curran Family
Homestead Project. C1541.
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