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@ West Forks, Maine

🎩 Only Sturgis Durgin would head into the Maine woods with a hunting gun, a boatload of camp supplies, a dog—and a bow t...
10/27/2026

🎩 Only Sturgis Durgin would head into the Maine woods with a hunting gun, a boatload of camp supplies, a dog—and a bow tie.

Some old family photographs have a way of showing us just how different everyday life once was. This one from the Durgin Hill Archives certainly does.

Seated in a narrow wooden boat on an unidentified Maine lake or pond is Sturgis Durgin of West Forks, surrounded by enough equipment to suggest that somebody had some serious camp cooking planned.

A long gun rests beside him. Metal pots, kettles, and pails fill the front of the boat. A dark, long-haired dog sits comfortably at his feet, apparently more interested in something along the shoreline than in having its picture taken.

And there sits Sturgis, wearing a white shirt, wool stockings, sturdy boots, and, of course, a bow tie.

Apparently, heading into the woods was no excuse for looking untidy. 😂

📖 “A Hunting Guide on the Water” explores this fascinating photograph and the hunting, guiding, and camp traditions that shaped generations of life around West Forks and the Upper Kennebec.

The picture also reminds us how much preparation went into visiting a remote camp. Before roads reached many of Maine's backcountry destinations, boats carried everything from hunting equipment and food to cookware, tools, and supplies.

A successful trip depended on considerably more than finding game. Someone had to get everyone there, keep the camp supplied, prepare meals, and know the country well enough to get everybody home.

We don't know exactly where this photograph was taken, whether Sturgis was guiding a hunting party or traveling for his own purposes, or even the name of his four-legged companion.

🔎 Do you recognize the lake, the dog, or anything else about this photograph? We'd love to hear from anyone who might help fill in the missing pieces.

A man, his dog, a wooden boat, and a load of supplies. What may have been an ordinary day for Sturgis is now another wonderful glimpse into Maine's past.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

🪓 An axe over his shoulder, a weathered wooden building, and a mystery somewhere in the Maine woods.Some old photographs...
10/25/2026

🪓 An axe over his shoulder, a weathered wooden building, and a mystery somewhere in the Maine woods.

Some old photographs come with names, dates, and stories. Others leave us wondering who we're looking at, where they were, and what brought them there.

This photograph from the Durgin Hill Archives falls into the second category.

An unidentified man stands beside the open doorway of a small wooden building, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, suspenders, and sturdy work boots. An axe rests near his shoulder, and he looks perfectly comfortable in his surroundings.

Behind him is a curious little structure with heavy plank doors, a steep roof, and a stovepipe rising above it. Wood shavings, scraps of lumber, and scattered boards cover the ground outside.

Was it a logging camp? A hunting camp? A workshop or equipment shed?

The building's unusually wide entrance and the woodworking debris suggest it may have served a practical purpose beyond simply providing shelter. But without a name, location, or date, its original use remains a mystery.

📖 “An Axe at the Camp Door, A Mystery in the Maine Woods” takes a closer look at this photograph, the clues hidden in its details, and the everyday work that kept Maine's remote camps and working forests operating.

Not every piece of Maine woods history involves a great river drive, a successful hunt, or an enormous logging crew. Sometimes it is found in the smaller jobs—cutting firewood, repairing buildings, maintaining tools, and keeping a camp ready for whatever came next.

🔎 Do you recognize the man or the building? Perhaps someone has another photograph, a family memory, or a clue that could help identify this forgotten corner of the Maine woods.

Someone once knew exactly who this man was and where he stood. Maybe, with a little help, we can find those answers again.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

10/25/2026

We know this is last minute, but West Forks Rescue is having a Stop the Bleed class at our fire station today at 12noon.
If anyone would like to attend, it’s no cost!! Please come learn how you could help save someone’s life if they have a life threatening bleed!!

📷 A man with a pipe and a metal pail. An old West Forks house. And a handwritten message that has remained a mystery for...
10/21/2026

📷 A man with a pipe and a metal pail. An old West Forks house. And a handwritten message that has remained a mystery for more than a century.

In this photograph from 1911, an unidentified man stands in front of the old Dwyer house in West Forks, Maine.

He's dressed in bib overalls with a small bow tie, a pipe resting in his mouth, and a metal pail in one hand. Behind him stands the large two-story Dwyer house, complete with its long covered porch and rocking chairs. Farther back, the Durgin barn, which dates to 1903 at its West Forks location, is visible beyond an enormous tree.

The photograph alone is a wonderful piece of local history.

But the real mystery is written on the back.

Someone left a simple message:

“Can you get this to Doris”

The Doris in question is believed to be Doris R. Kennedy, who married Thomas Dwyer in 1917, six years after the photograph was taken.

Which raises an interesting question.

Could the man standing outside the Dwyer house actually be Thomas Dwyer?

We don't know. The message may have been written when the photograph was taken or added years afterward. Perhaps Thomas wanted Doris to have his picture. Perhaps the photograph was important for another reason entirely.

📖 “Can You Get This to Doris?” explores the photograph, the old Dwyer house, the Durgin barn, the family connections, and the clues that might eventually identify the man.

🔎 Do you recognize this man or know anything about Thomas and Doris Dwyer? Another old photograph, a family story, or a familiar face could help solve a mystery that has survived for more than 100 years.

Sometimes the most interesting history isn't on the front of an old photograph.

Sometimes it's a few words someone scribbled on the back, never imagining we'd still be trying to understand them generations later.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

🐎 In 1888, traveling from Solon to The Forks by stagecoach took more than ten hours.Today, most of us wouldn't think twi...
10/20/2026

🐎 In 1888, traveling from Solon to The Forks by stagecoach took more than ten hours.

Today, most of us wouldn't think twice about making that drive. But in the days of the old Canada Road, a journey north meant muddy roads, tired horses, unpredictable weather, and a real appreciation for finding a warm meal and a place to sleep before dark.

Along the route stood taverns, stage houses, and roadside hotels that made travel through Maine's Upper Kennebec Valley possible.

And some of their stories are fascinating.

At the Goodrich Stage House in Bingham, a meal once cost just seventeen cents. In Caratunk, a hotel established in 1816 eventually became today's Sterling Inn. At The Forks, the Sturgis brothers operated an early hotel and helped restore a bridge destroyed by the flood of 1832.

Farther north, the West Forks Hotel served travelers and woodsmen for generations. In 1924, Daisy Durgin Comber became one of its final owners before the building was destroyed by fire in 1925.

📖 “The Lost Taverns of Maine's Old Canada Road” explores these establishments, the families who operated them, and the stage drivers, logging crews, river drivers, and travelers who depended on them.

These places were much more than overnight accommodations. They were gathering places, mail stops, news exchanges, stables, and important pieces of the transportation network that connected Maine's interior with the rest of the world.

Some survived by adapting to railroads, automobiles, and modern tourism. Others disappeared, leaving little more than photographs, property deeds, and family memories.

The old road is still here. Many of the buildings are gone. But the people who kept travelers moving north deserve to be remembered.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

🔗 It's not every day you see a deputy sheriff in handcuffs while somebody else holds the gun.But then again, we're talki...
10/19/2026

🔗 It's not every day you see a deputy sheriff in handcuffs while somebody else holds the gun.

But then again, we're talking about the Durgins of West Forks.

In this wonderfully unusual family photograph, Sturgis Durgin, who served as a deputy sheriff, stands outside a rustic log building with his wrists secured in handcuffs.

Beside him, an unidentified older man stands partly inside the doorway, holding a small revolver in Sturgis's direction.

Snow covers the ground, both men are dressed for the cold, and Sturgis looks remarkably unconcerned about the situation.

Which raises a rather obvious question:

How did the deputy sheriff end up on the wrong side of the handcuffs? 😂

Was it a practical joke between friends? A demonstration? Somebody's idea of an entertaining photograph? Or was there an entirely different explanation?

We don't know, but the possibilities are certainly interesting.

📖 “When the Deputy Wore the Handcuffs” explores this curious photograph, Sturgis's role in rural Maine law enforcement, the unidentified man with the revolver, and the family history surrounding one of West Forks' more entertaining characters.

This is, after all, the same Sturgis Durgin who appears in another family photograph sitting comfortably across eight wooden crates marked “HIGH EXPLOSIVES — DANGEROUS.”

Apparently, Sturgis had a talent for ending up in photographs that leave later generations with questions.

🔎 Do you recognize the older man holding the revolver or the log building? We'd love to hear from anyone who might help identify them or explain the scene.

The Durgins of West Forks were an interesting bunch. The more photographs that turn up, the harder that becomes to argue with.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

💥 Apparently, “HIGH EXPLOSIVES — DANGEROUS” wasn't enough to convince Sturgis Durgin to find another place to sit.The Du...
10/18/2026

💥 Apparently, “HIGH EXPLOSIVES — DANGEROUS” wasn't enough to convince Sturgis Durgin to find another place to sit.

The Durgins of West Forks were an interesting bunch, and this old family photograph certainly doesn't do anything to change that reputation.

Here we have Sturgis Durgin, looking completely relaxed in a rough clearing somewhere in the Maine woods, sitting across a stack of eight wooden crates prominently marked:

ATLAS POWDER CO.
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
HIGH EXPLOSIVES — DANGEROUS

Arms folded, legs stretched out, and not a particularly worried expression on his face.

Were the crates empty? Partly used? Still packed with explosives?

We don't know.

But knowing the Durgins of West Forks, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that every single box was still full. 😂

📖 “Sitting on Dynamite in the Maine Woods” takes a closer look at this unusual photograph, the Atlas Powder Company, the role of explosives in early Maine land clearing and woods work, and the family personality captured in one unforgettable moment.

The felled trees, stumps, and disturbed ground suggest that some serious work was underway, although the exact location and project remain unknown. What we do know is that Sturgis apparently saw a perfectly good seat and decided to use it.

Old photographs preserve family history, but sometimes they also preserve a sense of humor that survives generations.

The Durgins of West Forks were an interesting bunch. Maybe that's where we get it from.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

📖 His feet are up, his magazine is open, and the work can apparently wait a little longer.Inside a rustic Maine camp, an...
10/13/2026

📖 His feet are up, his magazine is open, and the work can apparently wait a little longer.

Inside a rustic Maine camp, an unidentified man relaxes at a long wooden table with a copy of Snappy Stories in his hands. Around him is an assortment of objects that offers a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in the Maine woods during the early twentieth century.

Beside him sits a large horn phonograph, ready to bring recorded music into a building that may not even have had electricity. Several ink bottles rest among papers, tools, and other belongings, reminding us that letters, records, and camp business were often handled at the same table where people ate and relaxed.

And tucked behind the phonograph is an especially interesting detail: a Vindex clothing box, originally used to package men's clothing, apparently repurposed for storing whatever the camp needed.

Nothing in this photograph was particularly extraordinary at the time. That's what makes it so interesting today.

📖 “Reading, Records & A Quiet Hour At Camp” explores the objects, entertainment, practical habits, and quieter routines that helped make remote Maine camps feel a little more like home.

The man's identity remains a mystery, but the photograph tells us plenty about the world around him.

Maine's woodsmen worked hard, often far from home. Yet their lives weren't entirely axes, timber, machinery, and long days outdoors. They also read popular magazines, listened to music, wrote letters, reused what they had, and enjoyed an occasional hour with their feet up.

Sometimes the best glimpse into history comes from seeing what people did when they weren't working.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

⚖️ A river driver could survive the accident—and still lose almost everything afterward.Maine’s rivermen worked on movin...
10/12/2026

⚖️ A river driver could survive the accident—and still lose almost everything afterward.

Maine’s rivermen worked on moving logs, unstable jams, freezing water, and remote stretches of river where help could be hours away.

A crushed leg, damaged hand, serious fall, or explosion could end a man’s season in seconds.

But for generations, being injured on the job did not necessarily mean the company had to help.

An injured worker might have to prove negligence in court. His employer could argue that he had accepted the danger, that another worker caused the accident, or that his own mistake contributed to what happened.

And sometimes the law excluded river-driving work from protections available to other employees entirely.

📖 “When the River Went to Court” explores this overlooked side of Maine logging history through real injury claims, changing compensation laws, and cases involving men such as Joseph Gallant and Noe Gagnon.

It is a story about more than courtrooms.

It is about lost wages.

Families trying to survive after an injury.

Widows and children carrying the consequences of dangerous work.

And the long argument over a question that still matters:

When an industry profits from dangerous labor, who should carry the cost when that danger leaves a worker broken—or dead?

The old photographs show us how the rivermen worked.

The court records show us what happened when the work went wrong.

🌲 Durgin Hill — Preserving the people, places, and stories of the Maine woods.

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West Forks, ME
04985

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