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"Reading this vast compendium is like wandering through a personal museum...fascinating displays and curious artifacts...though the Civil War was raging, the cows had to be milked. The Sturtevants were rather ordinary people...but that's what makes the book also extraordinary for historical reasons. This is how typical Maine people lived from the 1860's into the beginning of the 20th century...invaluable as a source book of that time in Maine and in our national history." (Maine Life)

"More than anything else I've read, it helps to make comprehensible the Victorian sentimentality about death, and the real strength and courage that underlay it." (American Heritage)

"...their story may be of extraordinary importance. They are probably typical of the many Maine people who have managed to live beneath the level of historical scrutiny, even though their contributions to history and their reactions to it provide significant examples of the 'American Story' as seen by those who lived it and viewed it on a day-to-day personal level." (Ronald Kley, Head, Research and Collections, Maine State Museum)

"...skillful compilation of letters, diaries and photographs...brings us into intimate touch with the life and times of a Maine family...(The) editor never intrudes. His connectives simply illuminate and clarify...readers who are sensitive to the values of those who have gone before will be pleased. A book to treasure, a true and poignant American Story." (Maine History News)

"A Maine family truly speaks to us across the years. A treasure and a joy."

(Dorris A. Isaacson, President, The Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums)

About "Home-Nest Chronicles" --

“A veritable wealth of history and spirit. The adventurous saga and spiritual journey of a true American family. Any accurate rendering of human history must include not only the facts of the events themselves as they transpired, but also an account of the spiritual steps and sovereign hand that shaped them. A memorable keepsake for every lover of history.” (Pastor Russell C. Cotnoir, Jr., “First Light” radio ministry, Fayette, Maine)

“... intriguing ... love of history made (their books) particularly meaningful to me! I was also encouraged to learn of (the authors’) desire to use (their work) to counter efforts of revisionists in secular school settings -- as well as to introduce others to our faith.” (Dr. James C. Dobson, President, Focus on the Family)

“ .. we sat up late reading ... what a rich treasure! - not only the history, but the Godly principles Josiah & Helen used for daily living & raising their family.” (C. & P. Brandt, Knoxville, TN)

“... excellent stories .. I had no knowledge at all of how the Indians were deliberately and consistently massacred there in the New England area. It is terrifying to think that human nature is as it is, and if released can bring about such horror and misery.” (Kenneth Taylor, Chairman, Tyndale House Publishers)

“wonderful!...(the) writing is so beautiful ... the trials of the Micmacs adds historical insight and indicates the amount of research ... so much more interesting than the usual listing of names and dates. Had to be God directed!” (J. Jones, Los Alamitos, California)

“... very interesting from the historical point of view ... but it is the Providential aspects bringing events together in the writers’ family that interests me the most.” (Harold Duff, Bible teacher/educator/conference Speaker, President of Christian Ministries, Inc.)

”fascinating ... the work and love put into this book is evident .. it has been placed on our (lobby display) shelves so that our members and visitors may have (ready) access to it.” (Librarian, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA)

“so much material, it is amazing! ... so beautifully done & the pictures are so outstanding, so special!” (B. Whitehouse, Sonora, CA)

“(the authors’) words paint a vivid picture” (N. Wakefield, No. Livermore, ME)

“Incredible! ... (The authors’) emphasis on sharing (family history) in order to share the Lord will be well received now and in the future.” (K. Corbitt, Memphis, TN)

“..masterfully written ..wonderful addition to (church library). I praise the Lord for the authors.” (Rev. Stuart Hilton, So. Gardiner Baptist Church, ME)

“Home-Nest Chronicles is such a delightful family history, but makes a good read for the general public ...the story brings history to life.” (V. Gagne, Director, Free Public Library)

“... beautifully written and produced ...wonderful chronicle of Maine family history.” (Maine historian)

“I’ve never been a particularly religious person ... (but, the book’s stories) help one to realize that God is watching over us ... (it has ) given me inspiration. A wonderful book. I will always cherish it.” (grateful reader - G,W., Auburn, ME)

“Marvelous! Can’t wait to finish it, tonight! Then I’ll read it over again!” (D. P., Moncton, NB)

“A great addition to our Archives” (Archivist, Annapolis Valley Historical Society, NS, CA)

“There is sufficient material in this book to make it great. However, I think less emphasis on the religious aspect might make it more interesting to the general public” (Trustee, Maine Public Library)

“I was thrilled to see the information found by the authors .. they were able to open new doors so we all might learn about the Native people, the French, and the English trying to live together. I am amazed at the strong religious feelings uncovered. It brought memories of my childhood and how feelings have changed.” (Patricia Hart, age 90, librarian/educator, Ontario, Canada)

About "Beckets & HInges" --

Maine historian adds to ancestors' work

Review by Dale Hill for The Franklin Group, Sun Media affiliate

The new nautical history, "Beckets arid Hinges," is more accessible by its subtitle, "Sea Tales of Old North Yarmouth, Maine." Once you know what's going on, you're much more likely to enjoy this large and profusely-¬illustrated volume that details the adventures of a New England mariner, and, more' surprisingly, his wife.

The career of Charles Chandler Oakes, a Yankee cap¬tain, spanned the eras of the square-rigged clippers and the trans-oceanic steamships. His memoirs and those of his wife, Abbie, make, for reading that is as exciting as it is fascinating. This is in fact a new edition of an 80-year-old book. Yarmouth-¬born-and-bred Charles Oakes and Abbie Buxton were married in 1888 and embarked on a nau¬tica1life together. In 1932 the two seasoned mariners published "The Old Sea Chest," a collec¬tion of their personal journals and sea stories. .

The book came down through collateral family connections to Arnold Sturtevant of Fayette, who has been instrumental in preserving and publishing the centuries-long history of his extended family in Maine. Sturtevant as editor aids the reader by supplying footnotes that explain some of the more obscure archaic nautical terms, and pinpoint locations that were better known in the days of sail. In his introduction, he also explains "beckets" (or sea chest handles), fashioning from them an extended metaphor for passing down tales and traditions.

The editor's generous choice of period photographs illustrates the narratives admirably, and easily overcomes the impression of his own few embarrassingly amateurish line drawings.

Abbie Oakes writes in absorb¬ing detail of three voyages: her first, in 1890, to Shanghai; and the second to the coast of Chile, requiring two passages around deadly Cape Hom. Abbie's third account, of a voyage to Java and the Philippines, involves tense moments on the eve of the Spanish-American War.

The Oakes's ship, the P.N. Blanchard, anchored at Manila Harbor just as word arrived of the destruction of the USS Maine at Havana. They witnessed daily executions on shore as they loaded cargo and exited the harbor discretely as Admiral Dewey's Pacific Fleet was steam¬ing its way across the China Sea from Hong Kong.

Captain Charles Oakes takes us, in anecdotal form, from a pirate hide-out near Guantanamo in Cuba, to Panama, where he delivered machines and men for the con¬struction of the Canal. On another tack, Oakes and his ship were just far enough away from Halifax, Nova' Scotia in December of 1917 to witness, but not be blown to bits by, the explosion of the munitions ship Mont-Blanc, still accounted the largest non-nuclear blast in history.

For his last entry Captain Oakes returns to the days of sail, to recount the harrowing wreck of the Yarmouth windjammer S. C. Blanchard in a horrendous South Atlantic storm; a true tale, as hair-raising as anything you might read in the fictions of Patrick O'Brian.

Arn Sturtevant has added appendices that include some chapters of his own, which provide rewarding information about Yarmouth's connection to the Spanish-American War, the missionary work of the town's seafarers, and clues to a treacherous murder at sea.

Sturtevant's final entry details Charles Oakes's transition from windjammer captain to Marine Superintendent of the Ward Line's steamship fleet. Abbie's passports reveal that she continued to accompany her husband to exotic ports around the world into the Roaring Twenties. :

[Next review by Apple Valley Books, Winthrop, Maine]

“In 1932, Captain and Mrs. Oakes published their collection of stories and accounts of some of their adventures from a career of merchant sailing. The first section presents Abbie’s recounting of three voyages under sail, from Yarmouth around Cape Horn as far as Valparaiso, and around the Cape of Good Hope to the Spice Islands and as far as Shanghai. Footnotes are helpful, and Abbie presents a fascinating picture of life at sea, as experienced by a Captain’s wife. Following these recollections, Captain Charles, “the old man,” adds a number of anecdotes, wrecks and other adventures encountered. His career spanned the period when sail gave way to steam, and his direct knowledge of both make for fascinating reading. Among other lessons, I now know what beckets are, for example! This reprint, with added introduction, foot notes, and several appendices, is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone who has an interest in coastal Maine, or in our rich sailing history.” (June 2, 2010 book review by: Apple Valley Books, 121 Main Street, Winthrop, ME 04364 http://www.applevalleybooks.com telephone 207-377-3967)

“It is such a handsome publication for its interesting content, clean design and fascinating illustrations.”(Maine historian)

“This is a great book. It is nice to know we have (an author) who can actually create something that combines intellectual, aesthetic and religious meanings. We who read have a special debt to those who write … similar to music performers (being indebted) to those who compose.”(Waterville MD (avid reader and jazz trombonist)

“We have enjoyed reading (the author’s) books … (he) continues to amaze … now we learn (he) draws as well as writes and edits. Whew! Great talent!”(Representative, Maine State Legislature)

“It is great to see (Beckets & Hinges) republished, and I was thrilled to see the original, wonderful volume enhanced with photographs and illustrations from (the authors’) family.” (historical society director)

Book Review:

BDikkon Eberhart

Author

4841 Brookwood Drive

Roanoke, VA 24018

FOOTPRINTS OF PATRIOTS: Homeward Bound Through Wilderness: Fayette Baptist Church 1792 - 2017

Arnold & Leda Sturtevant

This large format paperback is excitingly detailed, heavily illustrated with photographs, and is 457 pages long, including its 108 pages of appendices.

The book has been compiled (very thoroughly) and written (gracefully) with deep affection not only for Fayette Baptist Church and the community it has served for 225 years, but for the deeper and wider idea of Baptist practice and Reform theology in America from its earliest times through to the present.

How did the people live? What did they believe? How did their belief make them stalwart in the face of what our population today would probably consider tremendous physical and economic challenges?

Will the stalwartness that the people showed in the past serve them as well today, considering our modern challenges?

This book is good for any researcher who is concerned with American church life and community life in general, in rural areas, particularly during the 19th century, but also during the 20th century as formerly rural life was impacted by the modern.

Although the book’s location is central Maine, the issues with which it deals are universal to small-town, mostly rural, mostly humane existences, all across the United States. The book is not a treatise on the subject; it’s about the people, and about their village’s major institution—their church. But thereby it is indeed about the American experience, and it may usefully be read through that lens.

FOOTPRINTS OF PATRIOTS is personal as well as historical. Nine generations of the authors’ family have served Fayette Baptist Church in almost every capacity one can imagine. We readers come to know the Sturtevants. We read about them, but also we read excerpts from their own letters, poems, and journals. We know how they look. We learn funny or touching or dire stories about them.

The authors are respectful of American forbearers, their own and forbearers of anyone else who is an American. The authors evince a sense both of perspective and of humor about humanity in general. They depict the church’s ups and downs frankly during its 225 years and speak tolerantly about mistakes.

One section of the book depicts the long and varied efforts of the church to create a Christian school in an unused, attached shed area. Members of the congregation felt it vital that they should have the authority to teach their children the life and worship skills they cherished.

Part of the struggle was with the State of Maine which had the authority to grant, or not to grant, its approval of a new school in town. One issue in contention was the school’s plan to provide an outhouse for the students to use instead of the more modern (and more expensive) flush toilets that the State required in State supported schools.

Vigorous debate ensued. It caused a pleased laugh, at least in me, when, stumped by the lack of a statute on point, the State inspector was forced by the townspeople to stand down. The outhouse was good to go!

Referring to more modern times, the authors express excitement about the church’s burgeoning radio ministry First Light (begun in 1996 and heard widely today). The authors stand four-square on the tenants of Bible-believing Christianity, and they raise theological questions and practical questions about the present-day struggle between Christian belief and secularism.

FOOTPRINTS OF PATRIOTS is a rich book to be enjoyed slowly. It presented me with such a museum of documents, photographs, memories, reflections, speculations, and just plain human stories that I found myself reading along to follow a generation’s experience but then stopping and flashing forward to an appendix, or jumping backwards to see once again what that grandmother looked like, and to re-read her long poem to her old school friend, written in her nineties, when few of those school friends were still living, in fact—“Only Four.”

FOOTPRINTS OF PATRIOTS is for imbibing an earlier time than ours, when generally there was more patriotic certainty and more biblical assumption than we experience today. At the same time, humans then were just the same as humans now. We hear about young couples chastised by the church for practicing illicit sex, or about men who could not control their alcohol intake. We hear about open debates by congregants concerning the expenditure of the church’s often-short money—some of the debates quite funny, now, in retrospect. We hear about men who are publicly thought to be parsimonious but who are secretly the generous supporters of the church when push comes to shove.

In fact, the people we learn about are just people, just a community of people from a century and more ago, whose principle difference from us may be that they were, fundamentally, more assured of the rectitude of their way of life and less self-doubtful than we are.

To read FOOTPRINTS OF PATRIOTS, for Christian believers anyway, is to remember a worthy past and to delight in the present flourishing of Fayette Baptist Church (and others like it). Fayette Baptist Church remains vigorous—even using new technology—while it carries its message of redemption to the wide world.

I was given a free copy of the book with the understanding that I would write an honest review based on my personal reading of it.

About the reviewer, Dikkon Eberhart

Author Dikkon’s recently published work bears the intriguing title, The Time Mom Met Hitler, Frost Came to Dinner, and I Heard the Greatest Story Ever Told –(Tyndale) - fascinating stories of his childhood as son of Pulitzer Prize-winning former United States Poet Laureate, Richard Eberhart.

For years, Dikkon produced “Taste & Tell” - a widely-read feature column in the Portland Sunday Telegram. Now retired to Virginia, he continues to write..

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Book Review: Footprints of Patriots

By Fayette Maine Librarian

Whenever Arnold and Leda publish a new book, I expect it to be very well researched; this book goes way beyond my expectations. The history of that section of the small town Fayette known as Fayette Corner is very well documented. The records of Fayette Baptist Church 1792-2017 are extremely important to the Town. The Patriots, Pastors and people laid the way for the beginning of our Town. I will be recommending this book to all the patrons of the Underwood Memorial Library who want to learn about the History of Fayette and the Church. This is a wonderful addition to the Maine section of our Town Library. I will be using it for historical, spiritual and genealogy references for patrons. A wonderful, historical book.

Elaine Wilcox

Librarian

Underwood Memorial Library

Fayette, Maine

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{Newspaper Review: Sun Media Group September 6, 2017}

Footprints of Patriots

the connections between a family, its church and town

by Pam Harnden, Staff Writer

Sun Media Group

Published in the Sept. 6, 2017 Livermore Falls Advertiser

FAYETTE — Authors Arnold and Leda Sturtevant completed the Home-Nest Chronicles with the publishing of the fifth book in the series: Footprints of Patriots.

Arnold has written or co-authored ten books. Footprints of Patriots is the culmination of a project started 25 years ago after his retirement. It's subtitle is homeward bound through wilderness Fayette Baptist Church 1792-2017.

The fifth and final book details the history of the Fayette Baptist Church, which recently celebrated its 225th anniversary. Journals, personal letters, pictures and poetry combined with numerous church records depict the Sturtevant family's involvement with the church.

Ripe Berry Moon, Book 1 in the Chronicles, centers on Leda's Micmac Indian ancestors from Canada. Arnold's ancestors from the Plymouth Colony to the present are featured in Book 2, Tales from Labrador.

Sturtevant ancestors during the Civil War years are the focus of Book 3, Josiah Volunteered. Book 4, Cradle to Nest, is a joint autobiography.

Arnold recently said, "The general theme of this book is God says all history is for a purpose that we might learn. The book is presented as lessons to be learned."

Starting after the Revolutionary War, the book first highlights the roles the veterans (or patriots) had in the formation of several western Maine towns. The impact other historical events had on the town of Fayette in particular are also outlined.

A chapter on the role of women in those early settlements gives insight into their many responsibilities.

The book explains how patriots Asa Wiggins and Andrew Sturtevant continued their relationship after the war. Land from their property, later named Home Nest Farm, was donated for the Fayette Baptist Church.

The many changes seen over the years in that church are captured with photographs, excerpts from clerk's reports and family documents. Of interest to many will be adaptations in seating arrangements through the years.

Readers will learn of baptisms performed in the dead of winter and possible reasons for why baptisms weren't put off until warmer months.

Chapters on setting up a Christian school at the church and building a new parsonage provide a look at some of the challenges the church has faced. Often humorous, they share how members persevered, with faith and determination, until obtaining the desired outcome.

Footprints of Patriots also includes the personal experiences of eight people living their faith in a hostile world.

This book is ideal for genealogists and history buffs. In addition to the many historical perspectives shared, it also provides several appendices. Lists of all people baptized in the church, by chronological and alphabetical order, are listed.

Also included are the names of those buried in the Fayette Corner Cemetery. Date of birth, death and ancestry.com reference # are given where available.

Footprints of Patriots provides an in depth look at the connections between the Sturtevant family, the Fayette Baptist Church, and the Baptist faith. The many historical references combined with photographs and excerpts from family journals, letters and diaries make it an interesting read.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net