Maine Burns in the Fire of 1947

In October 1947 a weeklong series of forest fires swept across Maine, burning over 200,000 acres.  Among the hardest hit areas was northern York County. Brad Fletcher will discuss the events of the historic fire that left 16 dead, nine communities decimated, 2,500 people homeless, and caused $30 million in property damage. This lecture will be held Thursday evening, November 18, starting at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 

 

The Yeat that York County Burned

Sponsored by the Old Berwick Historical Society, the program will be held at Berwick Academy's Jeppesen Science Center on Academy Street, and the public is invited.  Refreshments will be served by volunteers.  

Fletcher is an upper school history teacher at Berwick Academy.  The upcoming program is part of the Old Berwick Historical Society's 2010 series of talks, walks and historical events. The series, supported by member donations and a grant from Kennebunk Savings Bank, includes seven monthly evening presentations as well as other local history events around South Berwick.  

More information on the Counting House Museum and all the Old Berwick Historical Society's programs is available on the society WEB SITE or by calling (207) 384-000.

For more information visit Olde Berwick Historical  

 

A NOTE FROM A READER
How well I remember the fires of 1947.I was living in North Rochester at the time. The NH fire started above Farmington and came down and crossed the road where the Lilac Mall is today. A stone house owned by the Beard family was burned because the cellar windows were left open. The house next door was wooden and survived; it's still there today. The fire continued down and burned 34 homes in Rochester and went down past Frisbie Hospital and eventually died out at the Salmon Falls river. It was quite a forest fire, never to be forgotten. -- BRAD HARRINGTON