Collections
MF 095 Dowsing and Dowsers in Maine
Collection
Number of
Interviews: 51
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1971-1984
Time period covered: twentieth century
Principal interviewers: various
Finding Aides: transcripts
Access Restrictions: none
Description: A series of fifty-one interviews and supplemental
manscipt material on dowsing or water witching, most conducted as
part of a class project in Edward D. “Sandy” Ives’ folklore and oral
history field work course at the University of Maine in 1984.
Accessions 596, 597, 599, 730, and 1349 were added to the series
because of their focus on dowsing. Dowsers discuss techniques and
materials; uses of dowsing in archeology; learning to dowse; beliefs
about dowsing; dowsing as a way of healing; locating ley lines; and
tell dowsing stories.
596 Webb, Carleton. (FO 2) Spring 1971. Maine: Franklin. 17
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ trans. Interview with George Picard, a
water dowser. T335
597 Faunce, Michael. (FO 2) Spring 1971. Maine: Monmouth. 24
pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ trans. Interview with P. H. York, a
water dowser. T335
599 Gallant, Lawrence. (FO 2) Spring 1971. 10 pp. Tape: 1/4
hr. w/ trans. Interview with Marie Megquier about water
witching; photos, P1008 - Pl0l0. T336
730 Taylor, David. (FO 2) Spring 1972. Maine: Waterville,
Benton Falls, Orono. 34 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ trans. Interviews with
Theresa Couture, Wilson Shores, and Ronald Siviski about
water dowsing. P999 - P1004 / T554
1349 Stevens, Gifford. Maine Folklife Survey. Summer 1980.
Maine: Hodgdon. 17 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Charles
Heath about techniques and materials used in dowsing; and
dowsing stories; 4 slides, S226 - S229 / T1474
1559 MacGregor, Christopher. (AY 125) Fall 1981. Maine: Orono.
10 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Tyke McKay about
his experiences with dowsing. T1660
1560 MacGregor, Christopher. (AY 125) Fall 1981. Maine: Old
Town. 26 pp. Tape: I hr. w/ cat. Interview with Clark Brink
about dowsing. T1661
1726 Collins, Jane. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono. 7 pp.
Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Steve White about his
experiences with dowsing and its specific uses for archaeological
purposes. C160
1727 Collins, Jane. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono. 10
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Carol Bombard about
her experiences with dowsing or water witching; how she learned and
how she practices it. T1844
1728 Collins, Jane. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono. 18
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Cathy Fox about her
experiences with dowsing; how she started, her technique, and basic
belief as to why it works. T1845
1729 Collins, Jane and Mutchnick, Patrice. (AY 125) Spring
1984. Maine: Orono. 40 pp. Tape: 1 hr. audio; 1 hr. video, both w/
cats. Interview with Daniel LaPoint about dowsing techniques,
theories, and experiences. He talks about his own psychic abilities
and its connection with dowsing. Video tapes demonstrate the various
tools used for dowsing, including L-rods, Y-rods, aura meter, and
pendulum. T1846, V45 - V46
1730 Mutchnick, Patrice. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono.
12 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Erling Skorpen
about his experiences with dowsing a well on his property; theories
behind why it works. T1847
1731 Mutchnick, Patrice. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono.
46 pp. Tape: 2 hrs. w/ cat. Interview with Dana Hashey about
his experiences as a dowser, how he got started, how to do it, and
why it works; dowsing as a way of healing. T1848
1732 Mutchnick, Patrice. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono.
15 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Leon Shute about
how he learned to dowse and his experiences dowsing wells on the
coast of Maine. T1849
1733 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 7
pp. Tape: Video, 1/4 hr. w/ cat. Video recording of Edward Ames
demonstrating dowsing techniques and teaching others to do it.
V44
1734 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 11
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Albert Bean, Sr.
about his dowsing experiences; dowsing as a medical tool to diagnose
illnesses. T1850
1735 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 9
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with a woman who wished to
remain anonymous about past life regression; dowsing with a
pendulum; premonitions; and her experiences under hypnosis. T1850
1736 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1884 Maine: Orrington.
12 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Ralph Fielding
about dowsing; demonstrations and discussion about how and if it
works. T1851
1737 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono. 7
pp. Tape: 1/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Jim Fastook about
dowsing his own well and another local dowser (Dale Kitchen) who has
been successful; discusses geology and offers some ideas about
finding water. T1852
1738 LaPlante, Mark. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Costigan.
14 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Dale Kitchen
about dowsing; how he traced a vein; the magnetism of his body and
how it affects him. T1852
1739 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Ashland. 9
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with George "Pete" Sawyer
about his contact with water dowsing. T1853
1740 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Presque
Isle. 19 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Dr. William
Forbes about his contacts with water dowsing as a well driller
and as a geologist. T1853
1741 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Yarmouth.
14 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/cat. Interview with Adam Lewis about
his experiences and theories on water dowsing. T1853
1742 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 29
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Jenny Landa about
water dowsing and healing. T1854
1743 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Penobscot.
13 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Duane Bunker
about water dowsing and about Paul Eastman, a prominent dowser in
the area. T1854
1744 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Penobscot.
20 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Paul Eastman about
his experiences dowsing for people; his fishing experiences in the
1910’s and 1920’s. T1855
1745 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Mass.: Beverly,
Newburyport. 18 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Shaun
Hutchinson about his contact with two dowers he knew while
growing up; also describes the Beverly, Mass. area and tells of its
history. T1856
1746 Lowrey, Nathan. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Mass.: Beverly. 8
pp. Tape: 1/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with John Murphy about
his experiences with a local contractor who used "L" rods to locate
pipes and underground wires. T1856
1747 Flipse, Sara. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Fort Kent. 12
pp. Tape. 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Thomas Beaulieu
about his experiences with dowsing. T1857
1748 Flipse, Sara. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Marshfield.
12 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Carl Heilsberg
about his experiences with dowsing; information about Mr. Buford
Grant, a dowser in Camden, Maine. T1858
1749 Flipse, Sara. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Lincoln. 27
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Kenneth Merrill about
his experiences with dowsing. T1858
1750 Flipse, Sara. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Houlton. 21
pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Paul Glidden about
his experiences with dowsing. T1858
1751 Day, Matthew. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bar Harbor.
11 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Roslyn Strong
about her experiences with dowsing and with "Ley Lines," which
traverse the earth and intersect at "Power Spots." T1859
1752 Day, Matthew. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Hull’s Cove.
8 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr w/ cat. Interview with Robert Frye about
his experiences with water dowsing; Has successfully dowsed 50 to 60
wells. T1860
1753 Day, Matthew. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bar Harbor.
13 pp. Tape: 1/2 hr w/ cat. Interview with David Harding
about his experiences with dowsing; parapsychology; looking for
ghosts in haunted houses; performing "psychometry." T1860
1755 Day, Matthew. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bar Harbor. 9
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Michael Kimball
about his experiences as a beginning dowser; water dowsing; map
dowsing; the location of "Ley Lines." T1861
1756 Day, Matthew. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono (UMO).
12 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Charlie Washington
about his one experience with dowsing. T1862
1757 Waters, William. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine:
Millinocket. 10 pp. Tape: 1/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Mr.
Kelsie Fish, Jr. about his experiences with dowsing and how he
learned to dowse. T1863
1758 Waters, William. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Lincoln.
24 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Harley Murchie
about his experiences with dowsing and E.S.P. T1864
1759 Waters, William. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Lincoln.
29 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Doris Clifford
about her experiences with dowsing and supernatural occurrences such
as spiritualist messengers and E.S.P. T1865
1760 Waters, William. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono (UMO).
24 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Prof. John Wilson
about potential for supernatural experiences to occur and how they
relate to dowsing; automatic writing, the ouija board, and energy.
C161
1761 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Caribou. 20
pp. Tape: 2 hrs. w/ cat. Interview with Preston Cote about
his experiences with dowsing; how he learned to dowse, why it works
for him, what equipment works best, and how he reads the lay of the
land. C162 - C163
1762 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 15
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Margaret Forbes, a
member of the Bangor Dowsing Society, about dowsing as a diagnostic
technique in healing ailments; photos, P5992 - P5994. C164
1763 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Portage. 21
pp. Tape: 21 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Lorne Boyles
about his dowsing ability; his theory of why it works; photos,
P5986 - P5989. C165
1764 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Caribou. 21
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Vernon LeVesque who
discusses his beliefs about dowsing and describes how veins run and
how drilling is practiced. LeVesque is a well driller who often
employs a dowser to find water. C166
1765 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Woodland.
18 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Jasper Cote about
his dowsing experiences, including the types of devices he uses to
find water. C167
1766 Bergwall, Anne. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Caribou. 26
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with George Gallagher about
his experiences with dowsing and the use of brass, "L" rods and coat
hanger as dowsing devices, photos, P5990 - P5991. C168
1783 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Brewer. 11
pp. Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Robert Stetson about
his experiences with dowsing. He is not a dowser himself. T1872
1784 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono. 5 pp.
Tape: 1/2 hr. w/ partial cat. Interview with Martha Croasmun
about her experiences with dowsing. T1872
1785 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Hermon. 34
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Allen Faloon about his
experiences with dowsing over the last forty years. T1873
1786 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 15
pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Linda Maynard about
her experiences with dowsing and why she thinks it works. T1874
1787 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Orono (UMO).
7 pp. Tape: 1/4 hr. w/ cat. Interview with Eileen Farrell
about her experiences with dowsing and how she learned to do it.
T1874
1829 Webb, Deanna. (AY 125) Spring 1984. Maine: Bangor. 24
pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ partial cat. Interview with Warren Southworth
about dowsing. T1894
2023 Ives, Edward D. (AY 325) Spring 1984. Maine. 91 pp.ms.
Miscellaneous materials on the subject of dowsing collected in
conjunction with Ives' fieldwork course in which dowsing was used as
a common project. Includes mimeographed article "A Brief History of
Dowsing" by Norman E. Leighton; references to other accessions
containing material on dowsing; reprints of articles; a brief
interview guide; references to articles in the Bangor Daily News.
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