There are so many details in each story about our families and our pasts, and sometimes people don't see the details in the same way. Although two of the people interviewed for my 2022 North Star Monthly article on North Danville went over the manuscript before I turned it in -- because I was aware that the connections were complicated and the photos a generation or two way from us -- Gerard Lamothe found that the final article didn't fit what he meant to say, and he expressed some doubts about what others told me.
Here are Gerry's notes of correction; he says his own speaking style may have led to many of the confused items from his own research.
"Original dam at the bottom ... flood of '27." Gerry says North Danville's big flood took place in 1897 instead. The dam was rebuilt after 1897.
bridge ... sawmill: Gerry says this was the gristmill, not sawmill, and related bridge, also severely damaged in 1897. He notes that Arthur Sanborn bought both the dam and the gristmill so he could use both dams to run his sawmill.
He wants to make it clear that Aunt Addie was his great-aunt.
The image of the blacksmith shop and triplet houses: Gerry emphasizes that General Chamberlain was one of several early settlers, although he was the first in the village. He refers to a Tennie Toussaint article.
Gerry thinks the name McFarland was used without a D.
Rather than banning both dancing and billiards, he says the band was against both dancing and cards.
The bell mentioned, he clarifies, was a handbell.
Gerry says Arthur Sanborn's house is not in the photo; the unpainted building is the blacksmith shop, and the white Cape-style house belonged to Elgin Gates. Arthur Sanborn built his house on the former site of the blacksmith shop.
Gerry says Arthur bought the sawmill and Elgin's shop and home, and the dance hall, a building just below Elgin's blacksmith shop.
Gerry says the house was not sheathed in brick, but in wood.
Where Arthur's brother is mentioned, Gerry said that should be brother-in-law, Addie's brother Al.
Gerry says the lunches carried by Addie were not for the workers but for the students.
Gerry says Addie owned the mill and ran it with the help of Charles Sanborn.
Gerry believes Arthur's passion focused on the second mill (Walden Mountain) after he sold his own mill.
Gerry corrects the shooting of Charles in the leg, saying it took place instead in the ballroom at his house.
Gerry says Addie's sense of propriety affected the driving lessons of daughter Louella, not of Sharon.
Gerry corrects the dance hall shooting to take place at the Sanborn dance hall.
Gerry believes the mill pond did not rise to dangerous levels; instead, those waters came from the other dam by the town shed and the third dammed pond.
Gerry corrects the mention of poor flooring, saying it was to be put into the new school, not the old one.
Gerry's description of the outhouses was intended to say "limed," not "lined."
Charles was Arthur's uncle, not brother, Gerry says.
Gerry says that Elgin's blacksmith shop was built on the site of an earlier store, and that the store photo shown is not the Weeks store.
This page of Gerry's corrections should be considered in future historical writing about North Danville village.
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