In this third episode of our series, Falling By The Wayside, Kai Watkins, Marissa Carter, Joe Gagnon, and Lily Furtado recount the story of Alonzo Mitchell, the man who built The Wayside, and his family. We learn about his life and career, his pets, and his operation of a shore dinner hall—a complicated story told through an impressive range of sources.

IMAGE: Abbie Flood (holding the cat). (Images courtesy of Peter Thomas).

References:

“A Cruel Act.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. January 1, 1892, 3. “Abigail Vaughan Lanphere Mitchell Gookin Flood.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167052633/abigail_vaughan_lanphere_gookin_flood

“Alonzo C Mitchell.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94452436/alonzo_c_mitchell

Behr, Christian J. History of the Augusta, Maine Police Department 1850-2015.https://cms6.revize.com/revize/augustame/document_center/Police%20Department/APD_history _(1).pdf

Biddeford, Maine, City Directory.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. August 20, 1885, 3.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. December 11, 1890, 3.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. May 12, 1891, 3.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. December 8, 1895, 3.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. November 26, 1909, 8.
“Biddeford and Saco.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. June 10, 1910, 8.
“Blacksmiths’ Field Day.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. September 20, 1912, 8.
“Cameo Club.” The Weekly Record. June 2, 1916, 5.
“Died [Lorenzo Mitchell].” The Weekly Record. December 2, 1904, 8.
“Doughnut Club Has Outing at Mitchell’s.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. February 25, 1918, 6.

“Expensive Shooting.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. February 12, 1892, 3.
“Five Dollars and Costs.” The Weekly Standard. February 19, 1892, 3.
“Home Personals.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. May 5, 1890, 3.
“Home Personals.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 9, 1890, 3.
“Illness Fatal to Alonzo Mitchel, Ex-Restaurateur.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. June 20, 1946. “In Injunction Proceedings to be Initiated.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 5, 1911, 6. “Inauguration.” The Union and Journal. March 19, 1880, 2.

“Injunction Proceedings.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 12, 1911, 2.

“Ira E. Hooper Takes a Bride.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. August 10, 1932, 2.

“J.J. Neilon Honor Guest.” The Weekly Record. July 14, 1916, 2.

“Locals: Biddeford.” The Union Journal. August 15, 1879, 3.

“Lorenzo D Mitchell.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167052607/lorenzo_d_mitchell

Maine, Biddeford. Copy of an Old Marriage Certificate. Alonzo C. Mitchell and Rose A. Hill, 1903.

Maine, Biddeford. Copy of an Old Marriage Certificate. Alonzo C. Mitchell and Sarah V. Sargent, 1881.

Maine, Biddeford. Copy of an Old Marriage Certificate. Lorenzo Mitchell and Miriam Lanphar, 1855.

Maine, Biddeford. Record of a Death. Lorenzo D. Mitchell, 1904.

“Miriam Lanphere Mitchell.” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167052598/miriam_mitchell

Mitchell, Miriam Lanphar. Letter to Alonzo Mitchell dated December 22, 1913. Provided by Peter Thomas.

Mitchell, Thomas. Letter to Miriam Mitchell dated August 23rd, 1904. Provided by Peter Thomas.

“New Fireman Appointed.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. March 27, 1896, 3. “Notices.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. April 17, 1924.

“Odd Fellows Made Big Strings at Banquet Tables.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. May 13, 1916, 6.

“Outing is a Big Success.” The Weekly Record. March 17, 1916, 2.

“Personal Briefs and Social Items.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. October 30, 1931, 2.

“Real Estate Transfers.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. November 11, 1885, 3.

“Republican Nominations.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. March 4 and 6, 1893, 2.

“Rose A. Mitchell [about her funeral].” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 16, 1924, 8.

“Rose A. Mitchell [obituary and funeral announcement].” The Biddeford Daily Journal. December 8, 1924.“Salt Fish Degree.” The Weekly Record. November 21, 1912, 1.
“Second Hands York Mfg Co. at Mitchell’s.” The Weekly Record. January 10, 1920, 1. “Short Lobster Complaints Lack Proof.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 31, 1918, 6. “South Biddeford.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. April 9, 1886, 3.
“Thirty Years Ago.” The Biddeford Daily Journal. December 17, 1953, 20.
Thomas, Leslie L. “The Fall of Pompey.” 1980s. Provided by Peter Thomas.
“To Determine the Damages.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. August 16, 1912, 6.
“Trull Alumni Hold Annual.” The Weekly Record. July 19, 1919, 6.
“Trull Hospital Graduates at Banquet.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. July 25, 1919, 6. U.S. Census Bureau. Biddeford, York County, Maine, 1860.
U.S. Census Bureau. Biddeford, York County, Maine, 1870.
U.S. Census Bureau. Biddeford, York County, Maine, 1880.
U.S. Census Bureau. Biddeford, York County, Maine, January 5, 1920.
U.S. Census Bureau. Biddeford, York County, Maine, 1930.

Uncover Human Bones Where The Road Runs.” The Biddeford Weekly Journal. May 4, 1911, 5.

Music: Victor Military Band, “Thanks for the Lobster,” by Chick Story and Jack Caddigan, Victor, 1914, Library of Congress.  Accessed December 1, 2024.  

Episode 2 of Falling By The Wayside picks up the story in a period of major transition for the southern Maine coast. The region was largely fueled by farming and fishing. The advent of large textile mills prompted significant movements of population. In our area, it meant that the City of Biddeford itself moved upstream from the mouth of the Saco to the falls several miles upstream. What were those left behind to do? Nascent tourism provided the answer.

In this episode, Jake Tobin, Emma Rose Seger, Quinn Hinsley, and Candace Baker tell the story of what happened next….

 

Bibliography: 

Biddeford Weekly Journal. “Shore Dinner Enjoyed.”  September 6, 1912. 

Bouthillette, ER. A Brief History of Biddeford. History Press, 2017. 

Brown, Dona.  Inventing New England: Regional Tourism in the 19th Century.  Smithsonian

Institution Press, 1995.  

Butler, J. Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned. Down East Books, 2014. 

Downes, Jacques. A Pictorial History of the Cities on the Saco.  The Donning Company, 1985. 

Moulton House. Advertisement. The Biddeford Record, September 1916. 

Tatterson, Estelle M. “A Little of Everything.” Biddeford Daily Journal, June 23, 1928. 

Victor Military Band, “Thanks for the Lobster,” by Chick Story and Jack Caddigan, Victor, 

1914, Library of Congress.  Accessed December 1, 2024.
 
Image: Flood’s Shore Dinner sign and patrons. (Image courtesy of McArthur Library, Biddeford, ME)

Here is the first of four episodes of our course podcast series, Falling By The Wayside.

This episode was researched, written, and produced by Olivia Ellis, Lucas Girard and Peyton Stevens. It traces the history of this area from roughly the last ice age to the nineteenth century, giving a sense of how our house fit into the larger history of the area.

Before the podcast, professors Arthur Anderson and Eric Zuelow chat about the Time Team New England! course before introducing this episode.

Music: “Thanks for the Lobster,” Girl from Bermuda. File courtesy the Library of Congress.
Map: Image courtesy of Old Maps Online.

            Interviews:

Anderson A. 2024. 

Dewolfe E. 2024.

McDonough P. 2024.

            Other Sources:

Biddeford History & Heritage Project. Engulfed by Nationalism: Revolutionary Biddeford. [accessed 2024 Nov 6]. http://biddeford.mainememory.net/page/1599/display.html.

Bouthillette ER. 2017. A Brief History of Biddeford. Arcadia Publishing.

Maine Historic Preservation Commission. Prehistoric Archaeology. [accessed 2024 Nov 6]. https://www.maine.gov/mhpc/programs/education/prehistoric-archaeology. 

Maine History Online. 1668-1774 Settlement & Strife. [accessed 2024 Nov 6]. https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/897/page/1308/print.

Maine State Museum. First Peoples. [accessed 2024 Nov 20]. https://mainestatemuseum.org/exhibit/regional-struggle/first-peoples/.

McArthur Library. 1945. Stories and Legends of Old Biddeford; Part 1. 1600-1747. Biddeford, ME. https://archive.org/details/storieslegendsof00unse/page/n65/mode/2up.

York D. 1945. Stories and Legends of Old Biddeford.