For Those Interested in Memoir Writing -- Parent, Students, Individuals Who Love to Work with Horses

The Maine Spirit and the Horse is a Maine 200 Grant, celebrating 200 years of statehood. Our history and personal stories and family histories are part of this history. As it has been stated in the past, the horse replaced the ox and the automobile replaced the horse. When I started my lost trotting parks research I was researching Maine's Champion Trotting Stallion, Nelson 4209 out of Waterville, Maine, and his bloodline through the horse Nelson Bingen. As I reviewed newspapers, I found a short article that stated, "In 1925, the automobile surpassed the horse as a means of transportation." This statement represents the importance the horse played in Maine and throughout the United States. People who work in horse related activities need to tell their stories. They need to keep the history alive. People need to know that the tradition of the horse is still a Maine tradition that exists and for many is their way of life.

If anyone is interested in telling their story, please contact Stephen Thompson at the Maine 200 Grant e-mail address: themainespirit@gmail.com.

In addition, if there are any youth group who would like to enter into Memoir Writing through Interviewing, that too would be an activity of interest.

I know these are difficult times. Skill building and writing might be one way to occupy your time in a meaningful way.

My best,

Stephen D. Thompson

Founder and Creative Director

The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center.

Interviewing Skills for Memoir Writing

For students and others who would like to interview their parents, grandparents, other relative, and persons one finds interesting to write memoirs, the following links will allow you to explore interviewing skills. Best of luck in your research, interviews, and writing.

Links to Explore Interviewing Skills

Heather Sellers on Memoir Writing with link to Interviewing

Read Write Think -- Interviews and Memoirs

How to Write Someone Else's Story

Memoir Interviewing

19 Questions to Help You Write a Memoir

For Teachers: Classroom Resources for Memoir Writing

Memoirs -- Telling Your Story -- Sharing Your Memories for Your Children, Your Future Children and Closest Friends

Writing your personal memoir is easy not to do. Making the time and commitment will create a wonderful statement of your life, memorable moments, or even moments you may regret. However, what you write may be significant for one who reads your memoir. 

Once one can write, one can write a memoir. If as a child you write a memoir you may write about a moment that in future years you may not remember.

For many family older generations, for whatever reason, did not tell their stories. I encourage anyone who reads this post to take a look at the links below and make a commitment to tell your story.

Note:    For individuals or families that work in horse related activities: -- Breeders, Trainers, Blacksmiths, Grooms, Farmers, Veterinarians, Photographers, Judges, Statisticians, Announcers, Drivers, Barrel Racers, Show Horses, Jumping, and horse pulls -- Share your story, your memoir of how you became part of horse related activities. Who got you started? How old were you? What were your initial tasks and responsibilities? Where are you today? What have you gotten from being involved with horse related activities. Below are links to websites that may help you write your memoir!

Click on the title and the link will appear

How to Write Your Memoir by Jerry Jenkins 

How to Write a Memoir that People Care About

20 Top Tips for Writing a Memoir

Tell Your Amazing Story in 8 Steps

Creative Writing Skills and Tips -- Includes Tips for Teachers

The Story of the Butler Head Numbers

In January of 2015, I visited John Butler in his Lewiston, Maine home. At the time, John was 93, He went to work everyday for two hours. In the mid-1930's his Uncle Jim Butler invented the Butler Head Numbers. When John came back from World War II, his uncle asked him to join the company. John's first day of work was at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Quickly, John decided this work was not for him. He did, however, with his brother Frank invent and hold the patent on the clip version of the Butler Head Number. (Interview by Stephen D. Thompson)

Click this link to go to the Lost Trotting Parks Post.
Read the Post's text and within this text you will find the video.

The Story of the Butler Head Numbers -- Lewiston, Maine

Jean Emerson and the Northeast Harness News

The Maine Harness Racing Community has been fortunate that in 1980 Jean Emerson began publishing The Northeast Harness News. The News captured the stories and images of Maine Harness Racing from 1980 to 1995. At in its title, the News covered harness racing news in the Northeast. I thank Jean Emerson for her work documenting the sport of harness racing for fifteen years.

The Link to the Northeast Harness News:

The Northeast Harness News --- 1980 to 1995

Guy Kendall -- Maine's Premiere Track Photographer beginning in 1924 to the formation of the Maine State Racing Commission in 1924

Explore the Guy Kendall Collection at DigitalCommons@UMaine:

Link to the Guy Kendall Collection at Digital Commons UMaine

Blue Skies -- A Song based on Economic Conditions in the early 1890s and the Story of C.H. Nelson, the Proprietor of the Sunnyside Stock Farm on the Oakland Road in Waterville, Maine

I doubt if my performance of the song, Blue Skies, will launch my singing career. However, this video demonstrates that the stories of the 19th century tied to the Maine Spirit and the Horse can create content and motivation to write songs that tell stories of 19th century history that is documented in historical periodicals and newspapers.

For anyone who would like to take a look at the stories of 19th and early 20th century Maine as possible content for creative expression, I encourage you to join this Maine 200 initiative.

Walking Riverside Park in Machias, Maine

In 2009, I connected with Clark Thompson, who had spent many researching the history of Maine Harness Racing. As a result of his research, Clark wrote a book, Maine's Trotting Horse Heritage Trail. As we talked Clark asked if I would help him with his research on the fairgrounds and trotting parks of the North Kennebec Agricultural and Horticultural Society in Waterville. I joined Clark in his research of the Waterville based fairground. I was surprised that today the fairground is the back half of the Pine Grove Cemetery. Eventually, Clark and I met the cemetery's groundkeeper and walked throughout the cemetery as we talked. At one point, I walked off by myself and asked myself, "if this fairground and trotting park became a cemetery, what happened to other trotting parks through the State of Maine. Weeks later, I learned that there were more than 90 communities in Maine that supported trotting parks that were registered with the National Trotting Association between the years of 1890 and 1930. The video below is my walk around the trotting park in Machias called Riverside Park. It was my good fortune that the owner of the property had mowed the track before my arrival.

The Maine Starting Gate Museum at the Statehouse -- Maine History Atop the Bedsides of a 1967 Pickup Truck

This photo was taken two years ago with with Maine State Capitol in the background, A frame has been mounted on the top of each bedside. When the 67 Chevy Pickup is in place, the panels within the frames open up to provide a total of ten panels to place informational displays. The second photo was taken at the Fryeburg Fair.

Introducing you to Maine's Starting Gate Museum -- Images from the Cornish Horsemen's Day at the historic fairgrounds in Cornish Maine

The images in this post feature the Maine Starting Gate Museum. The museum is set up on the bedsides of a 1967 Chevy Pickup that was the last truck my father, Keith M. Thompson, purchased when he farmed in Limestone, Maine. The Maine Spirit of the Horse Initiative will re-brand the truck to tell a variety of stories of Maine as it achieved statehood and evolved into present day. Click on the first image to enlarge.

Maine's Lost Trotting Parks -- Between 1890 and 1930 more than 90 Communities supported Trotting Parks

Links to Explore through Lost Trotting Parks for the Maine 200 Grant

The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center
Links to Project Images & Stories

              — From the Collection of Herbert Way —
The Images and stories of horses with Maine Connections:

https://losttrottingparks.blogspot.com/search/label/From%20the%20Herbert%20Way%20Collection

19th Century Maine Leaders in Agriculture:

https://losttrottingparks.blogspot.com/2012/01/maine-leaders-in-agriculture-benjamin.html

From the Lost Trotting Parks of New England—Images of Maine ‘s Trotting Parks

http://losttrottingparksne.blogspot.com/search/label/Maine

The Lost Trotting Parks of New England — Identifying Towns with Trotting Parks by State

http://losttrottingparksne.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-lost-trotting-parks-heritage-center.html

Imagine 19th Century Kennebec County: A Business Directory 1862

http://kennebeccounty.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-business-directory-of-subscribers-of.html

The Maine Starting Gate Museum at the Fryeburg Fair

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205094967966093&set=a.1781858478499&type=3&theater

The Poem, The Old Pioneer by Warren Long—One of the County’s Best Citizens

http://limestonemaine.blogspot.com/2019/05/warren-alonzo-long-1840-to-1919-his.html

Welcome to The Maine Spirit of the Horse

 -- Alloway with Wendall Wathen up at the Skowhegan Fair --

The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center received a Maine 200 Grant from the State of Maine. This grant will allow the Center to re-brand The Maine Starting Gate Museum to present displays that will provide content celebrating The Maine Spirit of the Horse along with content displaying other aspects of Maine becoming a state. 

The purpose of the Maine Spirit website is to provide greater content for the subjects displayed on the Starting Gate Museum. The website will also be designed to provide content to reach educators and their students that would have interest in the Maine Spirit topics.

The Lost Trotting Parks Heritage Center, its directors and founder appreciate receiving the Maine 200 Grant.