Collections
MF 097 Frank Spizuoco / Dexter Town
History Collection
Number of
Interviews: 6
Dates When Interviews Were Conducted: 1963-1970
Time Period Covered: late nineteenth to twentieth century
Principal Interviewer: Frank Spizuoca
Finding Aides:
Access Restrictions: none
Description: This collection consists of a series of
interviews with residents of Dexter, Maine, conducted by Frank
Spizuocco between 1963 and 1970, about the history of the town.
Specific topics include local characters; nineteenth-century Baron
Bank cashier murder; poem about Dexter people; working life; and the
formation of the Dexter Historical Society. Also included is a paper
written by Spizuoco in conjunction with a course in folklore taken
at the University of Maine.
567 Spizuoco, Frank. (FO 191) Spring 1970. Maine: Dexter. 15
pp. ms. Humorous anecdotes told by Erma Bentley recorded by
Frank Spizuoco at Dexter, Maine, March 19, 1970. Accession includes
a report written by Spizuoco in conjunction with a course in
folklore taken at the University of Maine, but does not include any
recordings although the material was apparently taped. The report
presents information about the primary informant, Mrs. Bentley, and
relates her stories about local characters near Dexter, Maine,
around the turn of the 20th century, including Tom Bickell, William
Pooler, John Toner, Charles Favor, Old Man Hodgkins, Ed Dexter,
George Brawn, Bement, Frank Tait, Ed Fifield, Steve Haynes, Benny
Beals, Uncle Dave Henkins, Deacon Glass, Hiram Clapp. The report
contains several black and white photos of Erma Bentley and her
brother-in-law, Albert “Bert” Call. See also NA 2015 - NA 2019.
2015 Spizuoco, Frank. Spring 1963. Maine: Dexter. 5 pp. Tape:
1 3/4 hrs. approx. Interview with retired Dexter photographer
Albert L. Call, age 97, in which he talks about local history.
Includes personal anecdotes about Mr. Call witnessing the test
firings of the Maxim gun and about the Baron Bank cashier murder
which occurred in Dexter in 1889. Also, an article written mostly by
Spizuoco about Call which appeared in Maine Line, a
publication of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. T1987
2016 Spizuoco, Frank. Spring 1964. Maine: Dexter. 2 pp. Tape:
2 hrs. approx. Tape reel containing two interviews with retired
photographer Albert “Bert” Call (age 98) and Erma Bentley
(age 86) about the history of Dexter, Maine. First interview with
retired photographer, Albert L. Call and Erma Bentley about the
history of Dexter, Maine, recorded by Frank Spizuoco at Mrs.
Bentley’s home in Dexter, March 28, 1964. Second interview with
Albert Call, recorded by Spizuoco August 5, 1964. Interviews include
amusing anecdotes about Dexter citizens, a poem about Dexter people,
and information about the nineteenth century Baron Bank cashier
murder. T1988.1 / T1988.2
2017 Spizuoco, Frank. Spring 1965. Maine: Dexter. 2 pp. Tape:
2 hrs. Continuation of a series of taped interviews with retired
photographer, Albert L. Call (age 98), in which he talks
about his working life before and after moving to Dexter, Maine in
1886. Interview recorded by Frank Spizuoco at Dexter, Maine in
March, 1965. Tape also documents a planning meeting held to propose
strategies and legal issues relating to the formation of the Dexter
Historical Society. T1989
2018 Spizuoco, Frank. Spring 1965. Maine: Dexter. 2 pp. Tape: 45
min. approx. Tape recorded interview with Erma Bentley about
early Dexter history and citizens, recorded by Frank Spizuoco at
Dexter, Maine, March 21, 1965. T1990
2019 Spizuoco, Frank. Spring 1970. Maine: Dexter. 2 pp. Tape:
1/2 hr. A second taped interview with Erma Bentley about
local town characters and history of Dexter, recorded by Frank
Spizuoco at Dexter, Maine, March 21, 1965. T1991
Back to Collections
