Madison Avenue, Skowhegan, ca. 1868
Item 9071 info
Skowhegan History House
(Shown through the courtesy of Mrs. Rachael P. Webb)
"Party in street, clad in linen duster, is undoubtedly Dr. A. A. Mann. It is supposed that the horse and vehicle at the right have just been left there by him and that he is crossing the street to his office on the left. Many shade trees recently planted show in this picture. Some of them grew to considerable proportions, but all disappeared some years since."
The building which shows on the Hotel Coburn corner was the Brewster House, the third hotel to occupy that location. Its predecessors were the Red Dragon and the Skowhegan House. The Brewster House was built in 1867 and was destroyed by fire in 1872.
The octagon shaped tower (white) which shows above the Williams Block at the left was for photographic purposes. Joel Williams, the builder of the block, occupied the upper floor as a picture establishemnt for some years.
The Fuller Drug Store, formerly a wooden building, but showing brick in this picture, is on the left, near the Williams Block; a mortar, emblematic of the drug business, is shown as a transparency over the street. The peculiar sign projecting from the coping of the wooden building on the right remains to be explained. It looks like a picture of two men with a lady between.
Note wooden shelters on right, which remained there until about 1890.
One of the wooden buildings on the left, in front of which may be noted a post, a little out of plumb, surmounted by an old fashioned street light, was occupied then or subsequently by Elbridge Pierce. Mr. Pierce kept a restaurant and in those days undoubtedly some liquid refreshments as well. Both kinds of entertainment were dispensed there until the liquid refreshment business became unpopular and was discontinued, perhaps in the 1890's
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