Dorothea (Mrs. Fred) Smith, interviewed by Joyce Butler
Scope and Contents
The “Wildfire Loose” Collection consists of a series of 37 interviews conducted by Joyce Butler in preparation for her book of the same title about the fires in Maine in October 1947. Donated in 1979.
Dates
- 1976-1980
Creator
- Butler, Joyce (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
For digitized items free from access restrictions, we are working to upload this material (pdfs, mp3s, jpgs) for public access, but it is an ongoing project. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, contact Special Collections (um.library.spc@maine.edu).
Extent
From the Collection: 37 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
1245 Dorothea (Mrs. Fred) Smith, interviewed by Joyce Butler, January 13, 1977, Goose Rocks Beach, Maine. Smith talks about the fire of 1947 in Goose Rocks Beach; how the fire sounded; taking refuge in a neighbor’s house; annoyance that effort was concentrated on saving a farm; thieves and looters; animals fleeing towards the water; fear that her daughter was lost when in fact she was safely asleep elsewhere; the neighbor reunited with his dog; Elliot O’Hara’s art studio losses; National Guard trying to keep sightseers and looters away; what parts of Goose Rocks Beach burned; lack of awareness that such a disaster could happen; cases of arson; what her house looked like after it burned; and the trend of insufficient insurance.
- Arson Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Goose Rocks Beach -- Kennebunkport -- Maine Subject Source: Local sources
- Insurance Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Looters Subject Source: Local sources
- Maine. National Guard
- Natural disasters Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Spectators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Wildfires Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Smith, Dorothea (Flagg), 1903-1988 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History Repository
5729 Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono ME 04469-5729 United States
207.581.1686