The Strangling Angel in Casco Bay

Epidemic Diphtheria in Coastal Maine, 1735–1750

Saturday, February 24
1:30pm to 2:30pm
Wishcamper Center, USM
Bedford Street, Portland, ME

Spirits Alive continues its traditional winter lecture series! These illustrated talks will teach us how the history of early New England helped shape the Portland and Maine we know today.

In 1735, a new disease seized the northeast of North America. The mysterious throat distempers never achieved the notoriety of other diseases of the colonial era, but no single epidemic of the period proved more deadly to European settlers. It is estimated that by 1740, deaths in New England exceeded 5,000 out of a population of roughly 200,000, and that over 90% were children. While the presence of the distempers in Coastal Maine has been acknowledged, deaths in Casco Bay have never been included due to a lack of reliable data. Combining traditional research with computational humanities techniques, Nicholas E. Bonneau brings our region into this narrative.

This lecture is generously sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council.

• Lectures are free, though donations are gratefully accepted.
• The events are co-sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science at the University of Southern Maine (USM).
• Free parking is available in the USM Bedford Street parking garage.

Find out more about our winter lecture series and who will be presenting our March talk (hint hint, it's Ron Romano).

Subterranean Celebrity: Leavitt Children

It’s well known that many people were disinterred from Eastern Cemetery—Portland’s first burying ground—and moved to other cemeteries. Three young children of John and Jemima Crabtree Leavitt were surely among those who were moved.

John, Lydia and Lydia Leavitt are memorialized on one unusual triple-tympanum (rounded part at the top). Their slate gravestone was carved by Alvan Washburn, nephew to our resident stonecutter Bartlett Adams, and features the classic rosette design that came from Adams' shop. It was set in the Eastern Cemetery.

Their father, John Leavitt, died in 1830. He was buried in a large family lot at the newly-opened Western Cemetery (est. 1829). Given the crowded conditions at Eastern Cemetery, it makes sense why he was not interred near the children there. Soon after John’s burial, it seems that Jemima decided to have the children and their slate marker moved across town.

Joseph Leavitt died Dec. 13, 1798, AEt. 4,
Lydia Leavitt died May 8, 1812, AEt. 2,
Lydia Leavitt died Oct. 9, 1813, AEt. 5 mos.
Children of John & Jemima Leavitt.

John and Jemima  had 6 other children who lived into adulthood. Jemima would join John and the other 3 children in the family plot in Western Cemetery in 1851.

Big thanks to Ron Romano for providing this fascinating scenario of a headstone removal and resetting from the Eastern Cemetery!

Eastern Cemetery Book!

Ron Romano has published a follow up to his first book, Early Gravestones in Southern Maine — The Genius of Bartlett Adams and it focuses on the Eastern Cemetery itself: Portland's Historic Eastern Cemetery—A Field of Ancient Graves. This book:

• Describes the history of the cemetery's evolution
• Includes information on special cemetery sections: African American, Quaker, Catholic, and "Strangers"
• Discusses the history of Portland, Maine, in relation to this historic landscape
• Provides vignettes of the men and women memorialized in this special place

A must-read for any cemetery aficionado, the book is filled with photographs and sketches to illustrate the text. Our website has more about how to purchase this new publication.

Ask Amazon to Donate to Spirits Alive

If you're an Amazon shopper, here's an easy way to support your favorite historic Maine cemetery:

• Go to smile.amazon.com
• Enter "Spirits Alive" in the box
• Choose the non-profit in Portland, Maine from the list

Voila! A portion of all of your purchases through smile.amazon.com will go to our efforts to support, conserve and promote this historic outdoor museum. Thank you!

Help the Eastern Cemetery

Support the work of Spirits Alive with your giving

You can help Spirits Alive keep the Eastern Cemetery alive for generations to come. Through your support, you can help us, an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, to continue to:

• Keep the gates open – encouraging the community to explore its open and safe green space
• Offer education about the cemetery and its residents to the public – through tours, lectures, and events
• Encourage and support the city in keeping the site clean and safe for visitors of all ages
• Preserve this incredible outdoor museum and sacred historic landscape