For Immediate Press Release
The idea of forming an association of blacksmiths was recently conceived by a few people from eastern Maine interested in learning about and creating through this traditional art. Building a forge that this interested group can use for this end is integral to our mission. The forge is scheduled to be built at The Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum. On Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 7PM, the first meeting of this association will be at The Curran Homestead, 372 Fields Pond Rd., Orrington, ME. All blacksmithing enthusiasts are invited to join us.
The Maine State Museum, with funds from the State of Maine’s New Century Community Program awarded The Curran Homestead a $2,651.44 Historical Facilities Grant to both improve their facilities for housing their historical collections and creating educational programming that focuses on blacksmithing. The farm and museum preserves and perpetuates family farm life as it was at the turn-of-the-20th Century. It recently purchased local rough cut hemlock to build a blacksmithing shed with the State Museum award. The structure will be built entirely by volunteers. In addition to housing its collection of blacksmithing tools and accoutrements, we anticipate that it will be an inviting learning and work place for amateurs, hobbyists, and professional blacksmiths alike, according to Robert Schmick, director of education at The Curran Homestead.
Schmick added that “the materials for the project have been delivered, but rain has delayed us only temporarily. We hope to break ground soon. A masonry forge will be located in one corner, and additional portable farrier forges will serve for blacksmithing round-ups and large group instruction and productivity. Through generous donations, we have amassed the key equipment for a typical late-19th century forge, including leg vises, a hand drill press, anvil, hammers, punches, chisels, hardy (s), tongs, but charitable donations of additional items are always welcome.
Bob Robinson of the Split Rock Forge in Stockton Springs, ME was especially instrumental in the original design of our smithy plan and the acquisition of much of our equipment. Robinson went through a formal apprenticeship as a blacksmith in his youth, and continues to work at a forge he built in the 60s. He has done demonstrations at some of The Curran Homestead's past events, and their popularity largely influenced our decision to create a permanent forge for the purpose of hands-on education at the farm.”
“These grants support community efforts to preserve and share the stories of our people, our towns, our families and how we lived our lives,” noted Joseph R. Phillips, Museum Director of the Maine State Museum. “Without these objects and buildings, important pieces of our Maine heritage would be lost.” Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap says a recent report to the Maine Legislature indicated many of Maine’s historical collections (photographs, paintings, natural history collections, letters, etc.) are in danger of being lost to mold, fire, theft, or misuse. “Maine has an estimated 200 million historical objects and records, many in facilities with little or no security, fire protection, or environmental controls. Maine people in local government, historical societies, and libraries are seeking help to preserve heritage,” Secretary Dunlap commented. Small grants have stimulated local citizens and organizations to commit more of their own resources to these projects. “Although financial support is important, recognition of local concerns and effort through an award should also generate a substantial amount of enthusiasm,” Phillips noted.
For more information about the Historical Facilities and Historical Museum Collections Grant Program, call the Cultural Resources Information Center at 287-7591 or email: maine.cric@maine.gov. For information about The Curran Homestead or the first meeting of the blacksmithing association, please contact: Robert Schmick at rpschmick1@aol.com, or 207-843-5550.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Home Depot Volunteers Spend the Day Building and Roofing at the Farm
John Mugnai, President of The Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum announced today that twelve Bangor home Depot associates will be spending the day Wednesday (August 19) working at the farm on Fields Pond Road in Orrington.
Mugnai said this is the third year that Bangor Home Depot has committed to spending a day assisting with completing various projects proposed by The Curran Homestead. The Associates use the exercise as both a team-building experience and as a way to contribute to their skills and abilities in support of the non-profit organization’s mission of capturing for future generations the values and customs of rural America and demonstrate a time when self-reliance, cooperation, industry, and thrift were honored traditions.
Some of the Home Depot Associates will concentrate on replacing an asphalt shingled roof on a small carriage barn that houses the farm’s horse-drawn wagons while other Associates construct a new wood-frame garden shed with some new and some reused materials from a shed donated by Fred Hartstone of Bangor, who is a Bangor Home Depot Associate and a member of The Curran Homestead Board of Directors. The new materials were supplied by an award from Home Depot for the garden shed construction and the carriage ell roof replacement. Curran Homestead volunteers dismantled the Hartstone shed and transported used materials to the new site on the Holden side of the farm’s rock wall that defines a division in the town lines of Holden and Orrington. Curran Homestead volunteers will support the effort and offer a barbecue and other home cooked fare in appreciation for the Home Depot Associates’ volunteer contribution.
John Mugnai said "the family farm is vanishing and with each lost farm goes another symbol of Maine’s unique culture"; our goal at The Curran Homestead is to keep some of the traditions of that culture alive. Additionally, Andy Pursaitus and members of Troop 8 are working at the farm restoring an equipment shed as part of the requirements for Andy's Eagle Scout Project. Another project to begin soon involves the construction of a blacksmithing shed made possible through a State of Maine Historic Facilities Grant. This structure will allow for the demonstration of blacksmithing skills, the display of tools and equipment from the museum’s collection, and as an education center for those interested in learning or expanding their blacksmithing skills.
Robert Schmick, Director of Education at The Curran Homestead said "these projects will help us enrich the lives of our children, offer our community many opportunities for wholesome family fun, and serve as an excellent educational resource through museum displays and hands-on activities and programs."
Mugnai said this is the third year that Bangor Home Depot has committed to spending a day assisting with completing various projects proposed by The Curran Homestead. The Associates use the exercise as both a team-building experience and as a way to contribute to their skills and abilities in support of the non-profit organization’s mission of capturing for future generations the values and customs of rural America and demonstrate a time when self-reliance, cooperation, industry, and thrift were honored traditions.
Some of the Home Depot Associates will concentrate on replacing an asphalt shingled roof on a small carriage barn that houses the farm’s horse-drawn wagons while other Associates construct a new wood-frame garden shed with some new and some reused materials from a shed donated by Fred Hartstone of Bangor, who is a Bangor Home Depot Associate and a member of The Curran Homestead Board of Directors. The new materials were supplied by an award from Home Depot for the garden shed construction and the carriage ell roof replacement. Curran Homestead volunteers dismantled the Hartstone shed and transported used materials to the new site on the Holden side of the farm’s rock wall that defines a division in the town lines of Holden and Orrington. Curran Homestead volunteers will support the effort and offer a barbecue and other home cooked fare in appreciation for the Home Depot Associates’ volunteer contribution.
John Mugnai said "the family farm is vanishing and with each lost farm goes another symbol of Maine’s unique culture"; our goal at The Curran Homestead is to keep some of the traditions of that culture alive. Additionally, Andy Pursaitus and members of Troop 8 are working at the farm restoring an equipment shed as part of the requirements for Andy's Eagle Scout Project. Another project to begin soon involves the construction of a blacksmithing shed made possible through a State of Maine Historic Facilities Grant. This structure will allow for the demonstration of blacksmithing skills, the display of tools and equipment from the museum’s collection, and as an education center for those interested in learning or expanding their blacksmithing skills.
Robert Schmick, Director of Education at The Curran Homestead said "these projects will help us enrich the lives of our children, offer our community many opportunities for wholesome family fun, and serve as an excellent educational resource through museum displays and hands-on activities and programs."
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Curran Family Genealogy
A typed version of this family history was recently given to The Curran Homestead by Mary Elaine Curran Crowe, granddaughter of Dennis Curran ( Chief of the Bangor Fire Department during the Great Fire of 1902), great-granddaughter of Nicholas Curran, and great-great granddaughter of John Curran, brother of Bartlett Curran, the first of the Currans to immigrate from Ireland in the early 1830s, and the great-great-great granddaughter of Nicholas and Bridget Fallon Curran of Cloghmore, County Galway. Mary Katherine Curran and Alfred Curran, the benefactors of The Curran Homestead, descended from another brother of Bartlett Curran, possibly John Curran.
The foregoing pages are a brief review of the events in the lives of the Curran brothers and their cousin Pat, where they came from, where they settled in Orrington, Holden and Brewer, something about their descendants as far as we could gather from our researches including non personal opinions by the writer. There may be some errors but they are not of sufficient importance to affect the current in the lives of the Currans.
The Currans of Orrington, Maine and its environs originated from Cloghmore, County Galway, Ireland. Among the early Irish immigrants to arrive on the shores of the Penobscot River, and probably the first among the Currans was Bartlett Curran (c.1812-1872), who evidently sailed from the Port of the City of Galway in the early 1830s to the United States. In those days the approach to the City of Galway was not difficult; Curran lived in a small village situated on the shores of Galway Bay, on the road that leads to the wild and mountainous regions of Conenara, a western province of County Galway. The reason for his immigration and how he came to accomplish it remain uncertain and unrecorded; however, in June, 1836 there is a record of shared ownership with John Dean of Brewer a lot of land situated in the confluence of Orrington, Brewer, and Holden. It is also recorded that Curran bought Dean’s interest in the east half of the lot on June 23, 1836 so that he became the sole owner of a piece of land.
During this time Curran became acquainted with Catherine Patton of Orrington, the daughter of Tom Patton, and they married in 1838. They lived on his recently acquired land until in 1852 he purchased 120 acres from his father-in-law increasing his land holdings. In 1863, he bought another 50 acres from a Goodwin in Orrington, presumably adjacent to his other holdings. Curran continued to live and function on his farm along with his wife, Catherine, and a son Daniel E. Curran who worked the farm with his father. Bartlett Curran died in 1872 and left his estate to his wife and son. There is no record of Daniel E. Curran after this time. In 1880, Catherine remained on the estate alone, and there is no record of her death. In 1863, Bartlett Curran and his wife Catherine had granted 30 acres of lot 92 in Holden to John Curran and his son Nicholas B. Curran for the sum of $450. Bartlett Curran applied for citizenship with the local courts in 1840 and said that he was 28 years old.
In the late 1840s what are assumed to be the brothers of Bartlett Curran are recorded to have been living in the Bangor area. “These Curran Brothers were the sons of Nicholas Curran and Bridget Fallon in Ireland, and all were born in the vicinity of Cloghmore, County Galway. Cloghmore means “Big Rock,” and tradition tells us that on the shores of Galway bay and near this town there stood a boulder. There were a lot of smaller boulders which seemed to be the predominant product of their farms [ this passage was out of sequence, and it seems it belongs here making “Nicholas” the father of Bartlett, Tom, John , Mike, and cousin Pat the first of the Currans to immigrate to the US from Ireland ].”
They may have come during the Irish famine of 1846-1847. Their names were Tom, John, Mike, and a cousin Pat. They were 20-30 years of age at the time. Tom Curran declared that he had come to the US in 1848 having been born in 1816. Likely as the result of a suggestion from Bartlett Curran, Tom Curran bought 35 acres from Wiswell in January, 1853. This lot was in the vicinity of Field’s Pond in Orrington and not far from the holdings of Bartlett Curran. He married Bridget McDonough [?-1903]. Tom Curran died in 1861. He was survived by his children: Nicholas, William [?-1930], The foregoing pages are a brief review of the events in the lives of the Curran brothers and their cousin Pat, where they came from, where they settled in Orrigton, Holden and Brewer, something about their descendants as far as we could gather from our researches including non personal opinions by the writer. There may be some errors but they are not of sufficient importance to affect the current in the lives of the Currans.
The Currans of Orrington, Maine and its environs originated from Cloghmore, County Galway, Ireland. Among the early Irish immigrants to arrive on the shores of the Penobscot River, and probably the first among the Currans was Bartlett Curran (c.1812-1872), who evidently sailed from the Port of the City of Galway in the early 1830s to the United States. In those days the approach to the City of Galway was not difficult; Curran lived in a small village situated on the shores of Galway bay, on the road that leads to the wild and mountainous regions of Conenara, a western province of County Galway. The reason for his immigration and how he came to accomplish it remain uncertain and unrecorded; however, in June, 1836 there is a record of shared ownership with John Dean of Brewer a lot of land situated in the confluence of Orrington, Brewer, and Holden. It is also recorded that Curran bought Dean’s interest in the east half of the lot on June 23, 1836 so that he became the sole owner of a piece of land.
During this time Curran became acquainted with Catherine Patton of Orrington, the daughter of Tom Patton, and they married in 1838. They lived on his recently acquired land until in 1852 he purchased 120 acres from his father-in-law increasing his land holdings. In 1863, he bought another 50 acres from a Goodwin in Orrington, presumably adjacent to his other holdings. Curran continued to live and function on his farm along with his wife, Catherine, and a son Daniel E. Curran who worked the farm with his father. Bartlett Curran died in 1872 and left his estate to his wife and son. There is no record of Daniel E. Curran after this time. In 1880, Catherine remained on the estate alone, and there is no record of her death. In 1863, Bartlett Curran and his wife Catherine had granted 30 acres of lot 92 in Holden to John Curran and his son Nicholas B. Curran for the sum of $450. Bartlett Curran applied for citizenship with the local courts in 1840 and said that he was 28 years old.
In the late 1840s what are assumed to be the brothers of Bartlett Curran are recorded to have been living in the Bangor area. “These Curran Brothers were the sons of Nicholas Curran and Bridget Fallon in Ireland, and all were born in the vicinity of Cloghmore, County Galway. Cloghmore means “Big Rock,” and tradition tells us that on the shores of Galway bay and near this town there stood a boulder. There were a lot of smaller boulders which seemed to be the predominant product of their farms [ this passage was out of sequence, and it seems it belongs here making “Nicholas” the father of Bartlett, Tom, John , Mike, and cousin Pat the first of the Currans to immigrate to the US from Ireland ].”
They may have come during the Irish famine of 1846-1847. Their names were Tom, John, Mike, and a cousin Pat. They were 20-30 years of age at the time. Tom Curran declared that he had come to the US in 1848 having been born in 1816. Likely as the result of a suggestion from Bartlett Curran, Tom Curran bought 35 acres from Wiswell in January, 1853. This lot was in the vicinity of Field’s Pond in Orrington and not far from the holdings of Bartlett Curran. He married Bridget McDonough (?-1903). Tom Curran died in 1861. He was survived by his children: Nicholas, William (?-1930), Mike [Michael J. Curran or M.J. Curran ?] ( ?-1942 [actually 1941]), Tom Jr. ( ?-1913), and Martin. William left two sons, William and Tom; they lived in Bangor. A daughter married and moved to Portland.
John Curran (?-1885), next to Bartlett and younger by a year or two, probably came to the US about the same time as Tom along with his wife Sara [ or “Sarah” a.k.a “Sally”] Bearwell (?-1872), son Nicholas, and daughters Margaret and Bridget. In 1863 he acquired 30 acres from Bartlett Curran and presumably lived on this farm. His daughter Margaret married Coleman Lee, son of Mike Lee, an early Irish immigrant; they bought 40 acres of lot 25 adjacent to the land of Mike Curran (brother of Bartlett Curran) in 1866. Margaret died in 1925.
Bridget Curran (?-1913)( daughter of John Curran) married John Ford (?-1893), an immigrant from County Galway, one of the three brothers who settled in Holden. Their children were John Ford Jr., Margaret, Mary, Joseph, Thomas, Mrs. Arthur Barton of Bangor, and James.
John Curran’s son Nicholas married Mary Mennihan (?-1877), sister of Dennis Mennihan, from the Town of Craughwell, County Galway. The children included John, Dennis, and Mary. Dennis married a Varley, daughter of William Varley, and their children included: Thomas R. Curran, US Marshall for the District of Maine, and proprietor of the Curran Bott Shop [sic Boot]. Dennis Curran, proprietor of the Connors Shoe Company, William Curran, US Internal Revenue agent, and John, Edward, Raymond, and Emmett [see family portrait].
When John Curran died in 1885, his grandson John inherited 10 acres. The remained of his land holdings went to his son Nicholas B. Curran. After the death of his first wife, Nicholas B. Curran married Alice Hamel. With this second marriage came Dan, James, and Alice. Dan lived on Broadway in Bangor and James lived in Dexter.
“The writer [of the original version of this genealogy ] contemplating the aforesaid deviations by one of the descendants of the Curran from the County Galway, feels that this is only one of the many evidences of aportasy [sic] [apostasy] which is occurring around us every day and can be attributed mostly to apathy and environment. In other words second marriages are sometimes fatal to sons of Irishman as far as maintaining their consistency in religion.
Mike Curran ( ?-1894), another brother of Bartlett, declared that he came to the US in 1851. He was a few years younger than John. In 1854, he purchased 30 acres in Holden and Orrington from Andrew Staple. This land was near Field’s Pond and adjacent to the land of John Curran and John Ford. Mike Curran married Margaret Moylan, the daughter of Martin Moylan and Maria Curran, who died in 1904 at the age of 87. In 1868 Mike Curran bought ½ lot 25, known as the Cobb Lot, and thereby increased his holdings in that vicinity.
In 1880 or thereabouts, there was a Nicholas Curran, about 40 years of age living near the Holden and Brewer line. At that time there were two sons, William and John, living with him, but there is no evidence of his wife. She must have died in the 1870s.
Nicholas Curran, son of Tom, is believed to have married Rosanna Dougherty, daughter of John Dougherty and Alice McAvey of Brewer.
Pat Curran, a cousin of the first Curran brothers, and probably a little younger, came later than the others. His mother, Sara McDonough Curran, came from Cluck a Lora, as it reads on her marker in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. This is probably meant to be Cloghmore, and this is the only evidence that we have for asserting that the Currans came from that town. Pat Curran married Barbara Morton, daughter of Mike Norton and Margaret Hannon (?-1897). In 1864 he bought 26 acres on the Wiswell Road in South Brewer from Goodwin. Here he lived with his wife and children: Dan E., Rose W., and Hannah. Eventually he moved to Rumford where he died as we have stated above; he is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor, ME.
Pat’s mother, Sara Donough Curran, died in 1864., Tom Jr. [ ?-1913], and Martin. William left two sons, William and Tom; they lived in Bangor. A daughter married and moved to Portland.
John Curran (?-1885), next to Bartlett and younger by a year or two, probably came to the US about the same time as Tom along with his wife Sara [ or “Sarah” a.k.a “Sally”] Bearwell (?-1872), son Nicholas, and daughters Margaret and Bridget. In 1863 he acquired 30 acres from Bartlett Curran and presumably lived on this farm. His daughter Margaret married Coleman Lee, son of Mike Lee, an early Irish immigrant; they bought 40 acres of lot 25 adjacent to the land of Mike Curran (brother of Bartlett Curran) in 1866. Margaret died in 1925.
Bridget Curran (?-1913)( daughter of John Curran) married John Ford (?-1893), an immigrant from County Galway, one of the three brothers who settled in Holden. Their children were John Ford Jr., Margaret, Mary, Joseph, Thomas, Mrs. Arthur Barton of Bangor, and James.
John Curran’s son Nicholas married Mary Mennihan (?-1877), sister of Dennis Mennihan, from the Town of Craughwell, County Galway. The children included John, Dennis, and Mary. Dennis married a Varley, daughter of William Varley, and their children included: Thomas R. Curran, US Marshall for the District of Maine, and proprietor of the Curran Bott Shop [sic Boot]. Dennis Curran, proprietor of the Connors Shoe Company, William Curran, US Internal Revenue agent, and John, Edward, Raymond, and Emmett [see family portrait].
When John Curran died in 1885, his grandson John inherited 10 acres. The remained of his land holdings went to his son Nicholas B. Curran. After the death of his first wife, Nicholas B. Curran married Alice Hamel. With this second marriage came Dan, James, and Alice. Dan lived on Broadway in Bangor and James lived in Dexter.
“The writer [of the original version of this genealogy ] contemplating the aforesaid deviations by one of the descendants of the Curran from the County Galway, feels that this is only one of the many evidences of aportasy [sic] [apostasy] which is occurring around us every day and can be attributed mostly to apathy and environment. In other words second marriages are sometimes fatal to sons of Irishman as far as maintaining their consistency in religion.
Mike Curran ( ?-1894), another brother of Bartlett, declared that he came to the US in 1851. He was a few years younger than John. In 1854, he purchased 30 acres in Holden and Orrington from Andrew Staple. This land was near Field’s Pond and adjacent to the land of John Curran and John Ford. Mike Curran married Margaret Moylan, the daughter of Martin Moylan and Maria Curran, who died in 1904 at the age of 87. In 1868 Mike Curran bought ½ lot 25, known as the Cobb Lot, and thereby increased his holdings in that vicinity.
In 1880 or thereabouts, there was a Nicholas Curran, about 40 years of age living near the Holden and Brewer line. At that time there were two sons, William and John, living with him, but there is no evidence of his wife. She must have died in the 1870s.
Nicholas Curran, son of Tom, is believed to have married Rosanna Dougherty, daughter of John Dougherty and Alice McAvey of Brewer.
Pat Curran, a cousin of the first Curran brothers, and probably a little younger, came later than the others. His mother, Sara McDonough Curran, came from Cluck a Lora, as it reads on her marker in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. This is probably meant to be Cloghmore, and this is the only evidence that we have for asserting that the Currans came from that town. Pat Curran married Barbara Morton, daughter of Mike Norton and Margaret Hannon (?-1897). In 1864 he bought 26 acres on the Wiswell Road in South Brewer from Goodwin. Here he lived with his wife and children: Dan E., Rose W., and Hannah. Eventually he moved to Rumford where he died as we have stated above; he is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor, ME.
Pat’s mother, Sara Donough Curran, died in 1864.
The foregoing pages are a brief review of the events in the lives of the Curran brothers and their cousin Pat, where they came from, where they settled in Orrington, Holden and Brewer, something about their descendants as far as we could gather from our researches including non personal opinions by the writer. There may be some errors but they are not of sufficient importance to affect the current in the lives of the Currans.
The Currans of Orrington, Maine and its environs originated from Cloghmore, County Galway, Ireland. Among the early Irish immigrants to arrive on the shores of the Penobscot River, and probably the first among the Currans was Bartlett Curran (c.1812-1872), who evidently sailed from the Port of the City of Galway in the early 1830s to the United States. In those days the approach to the City of Galway was not difficult; Curran lived in a small village situated on the shores of Galway Bay, on the road that leads to the wild and mountainous regions of Conenara, a western province of County Galway. The reason for his immigration and how he came to accomplish it remain uncertain and unrecorded; however, in June, 1836 there is a record of shared ownership with John Dean of Brewer a lot of land situated in the confluence of Orrington, Brewer, and Holden. It is also recorded that Curran bought Dean’s interest in the east half of the lot on June 23, 1836 so that he became the sole owner of a piece of land.
During this time Curran became acquainted with Catherine Patton of Orrington, the daughter of Tom Patton, and they married in 1838. They lived on his recently acquired land until in 1852 he purchased 120 acres from his father-in-law increasing his land holdings. In 1863, he bought another 50 acres from a Goodwin in Orrington, presumably adjacent to his other holdings. Curran continued to live and function on his farm along with his wife, Catherine, and a son Daniel E. Curran who worked the farm with his father. Bartlett Curran died in 1872 and left his estate to his wife and son. There is no record of Daniel E. Curran after this time. In 1880, Catherine remained on the estate alone, and there is no record of her death. In 1863, Bartlett Curran and his wife Catherine had granted 30 acres of lot 92 in Holden to John Curran and his son Nicholas B. Curran for the sum of $450. Bartlett Curran applied for citizenship with the local courts in 1840 and said that he was 28 years old.
In the late 1840s what are assumed to be the brothers of Bartlett Curran are recorded to have been living in the Bangor area. “These Curran Brothers were the sons of Nicholas Curran and Bridget Fallon in Ireland, and all were born in the vicinity of Cloghmore, County Galway. Cloghmore means “Big Rock,” and tradition tells us that on the shores of Galway bay and near this town there stood a boulder. There were a lot of smaller boulders which seemed to be the predominant product of their farms [ this passage was out of sequence, and it seems it belongs here making “Nicholas” the father of Bartlett, Tom, John , Mike, and cousin Pat the first of the Currans to immigrate to the US from Ireland ].”
They may have come during the Irish famine of 1846-1847. Their names were Tom, John, Mike, and a cousin Pat. They were 20-30 years of age at the time. Tom Curran declared that he had come to the US in 1848 having been born in 1816. Likely as the result of a suggestion from Bartlett Curran, Tom Curran bought 35 acres from Wiswell in January, 1853. This lot was in the vicinity of Field’s Pond in Orrington and not far from the holdings of Bartlett Curran. He married Bridget McDonough [?-1903]. Tom Curran died in 1861. He was survived by his children: Nicholas, William [?-1930], The foregoing pages are a brief review of the events in the lives of the Curran brothers and their cousin Pat, where they came from, where they settled in Orrigton, Holden and Brewer, something about their descendants as far as we could gather from our researches including non personal opinions by the writer. There may be some errors but they are not of sufficient importance to affect the current in the lives of the Currans.
The Currans of Orrington, Maine and its environs originated from Cloghmore, County Galway, Ireland. Among the early Irish immigrants to arrive on the shores of the Penobscot River, and probably the first among the Currans was Bartlett Curran (c.1812-1872), who evidently sailed from the Port of the City of Galway in the early 1830s to the United States. In those days the approach to the City of Galway was not difficult; Curran lived in a small village situated on the shores of Galway bay, on the road that leads to the wild and mountainous regions of Conenara, a western province of County Galway. The reason for his immigration and how he came to accomplish it remain uncertain and unrecorded; however, in June, 1836 there is a record of shared ownership with John Dean of Brewer a lot of land situated in the confluence of Orrington, Brewer, and Holden. It is also recorded that Curran bought Dean’s interest in the east half of the lot on June 23, 1836 so that he became the sole owner of a piece of land.
During this time Curran became acquainted with Catherine Patton of Orrington, the daughter of Tom Patton, and they married in 1838. They lived on his recently acquired land until in 1852 he purchased 120 acres from his father-in-law increasing his land holdings. In 1863, he bought another 50 acres from a Goodwin in Orrington, presumably adjacent to his other holdings. Curran continued to live and function on his farm along with his wife, Catherine, and a son Daniel E. Curran who worked the farm with his father. Bartlett Curran died in 1872 and left his estate to his wife and son. There is no record of Daniel E. Curran after this time. In 1880, Catherine remained on the estate alone, and there is no record of her death. In 1863, Bartlett Curran and his wife Catherine had granted 30 acres of lot 92 in Holden to John Curran and his son Nicholas B. Curran for the sum of $450. Bartlett Curran applied for citizenship with the local courts in 1840 and said that he was 28 years old.
In the late 1840s what are assumed to be the brothers of Bartlett Curran are recorded to have been living in the Bangor area. “These Curran Brothers were the sons of Nicholas Curran and Bridget Fallon in Ireland, and all were born in the vicinity of Cloghmore, County Galway. Cloghmore means “Big Rock,” and tradition tells us that on the shores of Galway bay and near this town there stood a boulder. There were a lot of smaller boulders which seemed to be the predominant product of their farms [ this passage was out of sequence, and it seems it belongs here making “Nicholas” the father of Bartlett, Tom, John , Mike, and cousin Pat the first of the Currans to immigrate to the US from Ireland ].”
They may have come during the Irish famine of 1846-1847. Their names were Tom, John, Mike, and a cousin Pat. They were 20-30 years of age at the time. Tom Curran declared that he had come to the US in 1848 having been born in 1816. Likely as the result of a suggestion from Bartlett Curran, Tom Curran bought 35 acres from Wiswell in January, 1853. This lot was in the vicinity of Field’s Pond in Orrington and not far from the holdings of Bartlett Curran. He married Bridget McDonough (?-1903). Tom Curran died in 1861. He was survived by his children: Nicholas, William (?-1930), Mike [Michael J. Curran or M.J. Curran ?] ( ?-1942 [actually 1941]), Tom Jr. ( ?-1913), and Martin. William left two sons, William and Tom; they lived in Bangor. A daughter married and moved to Portland.
John Curran (?-1885), next to Bartlett and younger by a year or two, probably came to the US about the same time as Tom along with his wife Sara [ or “Sarah” a.k.a “Sally”] Bearwell (?-1872), son Nicholas, and daughters Margaret and Bridget. In 1863 he acquired 30 acres from Bartlett Curran and presumably lived on this farm. His daughter Margaret married Coleman Lee, son of Mike Lee, an early Irish immigrant; they bought 40 acres of lot 25 adjacent to the land of Mike Curran (brother of Bartlett Curran) in 1866. Margaret died in 1925.
Bridget Curran (?-1913)( daughter of John Curran) married John Ford (?-1893), an immigrant from County Galway, one of the three brothers who settled in Holden. Their children were John Ford Jr., Margaret, Mary, Joseph, Thomas, Mrs. Arthur Barton of Bangor, and James.
John Curran’s son Nicholas married Mary Mennihan (?-1877), sister of Dennis Mennihan, from the Town of Craughwell, County Galway. The children included John, Dennis, and Mary. Dennis married a Varley, daughter of William Varley, and their children included: Thomas R. Curran, US Marshall for the District of Maine, and proprietor of the Curran Bott Shop [sic Boot]. Dennis Curran, proprietor of the Connors Shoe Company, William Curran, US Internal Revenue agent, and John, Edward, Raymond, and Emmett [see family portrait].
When John Curran died in 1885, his grandson John inherited 10 acres. The remained of his land holdings went to his son Nicholas B. Curran. After the death of his first wife, Nicholas B. Curran married Alice Hamel. With this second marriage came Dan, James, and Alice. Dan lived on Broadway in Bangor and James lived in Dexter.
“The writer [of the original version of this genealogy ] contemplating the aforesaid deviations by one of the descendants of the Curran from the County Galway, feels that this is only one of the many evidences of aportasy [sic] [apostasy] which is occurring around us every day and can be attributed mostly to apathy and environment. In other words second marriages are sometimes fatal to sons of Irishman as far as maintaining their consistency in religion.
Mike Curran ( ?-1894), another brother of Bartlett, declared that he came to the US in 1851. He was a few years younger than John. In 1854, he purchased 30 acres in Holden and Orrington from Andrew Staple. This land was near Field’s Pond and adjacent to the land of John Curran and John Ford. Mike Curran married Margaret Moylan, the daughter of Martin Moylan and Maria Curran, who died in 1904 at the age of 87. In 1868 Mike Curran bought ½ lot 25, known as the Cobb Lot, and thereby increased his holdings in that vicinity.
In 1880 or thereabouts, there was a Nicholas Curran, about 40 years of age living near the Holden and Brewer line. At that time there were two sons, William and John, living with him, but there is no evidence of his wife. She must have died in the 1870s.
Nicholas Curran, son of Tom, is believed to have married Rosanna Dougherty, daughter of John Dougherty and Alice McAvey of Brewer.
Pat Curran, a cousin of the first Curran brothers, and probably a little younger, came later than the others. His mother, Sara McDonough Curran, came from Cluck a Lora, as it reads on her marker in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. This is probably meant to be Cloghmore, and this is the only evidence that we have for asserting that the Currans came from that town. Pat Curran married Barbara Morton, daughter of Mike Norton and Margaret Hannon (?-1897). In 1864 he bought 26 acres on the Wiswell Road in South Brewer from Goodwin. Here he lived with his wife and children: Dan E., Rose W., and Hannah. Eventually he moved to Rumford where he died as we have stated above; he is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor, ME.
Pat’s mother, Sara Donough Curran, died in 1864., Tom Jr. [ ?-1913], and Martin. William left two sons, William and Tom; they lived in Bangor. A daughter married and moved to Portland.
John Curran (?-1885), next to Bartlett and younger by a year or two, probably came to the US about the same time as Tom along with his wife Sara [ or “Sarah” a.k.a “Sally”] Bearwell (?-1872), son Nicholas, and daughters Margaret and Bridget. In 1863 he acquired 30 acres from Bartlett Curran and presumably lived on this farm. His daughter Margaret married Coleman Lee, son of Mike Lee, an early Irish immigrant; they bought 40 acres of lot 25 adjacent to the land of Mike Curran (brother of Bartlett Curran) in 1866. Margaret died in 1925.
Bridget Curran (?-1913)( daughter of John Curran) married John Ford (?-1893), an immigrant from County Galway, one of the three brothers who settled in Holden. Their children were John Ford Jr., Margaret, Mary, Joseph, Thomas, Mrs. Arthur Barton of Bangor, and James.
John Curran’s son Nicholas married Mary Mennihan (?-1877), sister of Dennis Mennihan, from the Town of Craughwell, County Galway. The children included John, Dennis, and Mary. Dennis married a Varley, daughter of William Varley, and their children included: Thomas R. Curran, US Marshall for the District of Maine, and proprietor of the Curran Bott Shop [sic Boot]. Dennis Curran, proprietor of the Connors Shoe Company, William Curran, US Internal Revenue agent, and John, Edward, Raymond, and Emmett [see family portrait].
When John Curran died in 1885, his grandson John inherited 10 acres. The remained of his land holdings went to his son Nicholas B. Curran. After the death of his first wife, Nicholas B. Curran married Alice Hamel. With this second marriage came Dan, James, and Alice. Dan lived on Broadway in Bangor and James lived in Dexter.
“The writer [of the original version of this genealogy ] contemplating the aforesaid deviations by one of the descendants of the Curran from the County Galway, feels that this is only one of the many evidences of aportasy [sic] [apostasy] which is occurring around us every day and can be attributed mostly to apathy and environment. In other words second marriages are sometimes fatal to sons of Irishman as far as maintaining their consistency in religion.
Mike Curran ( ?-1894), another brother of Bartlett, declared that he came to the US in 1851. He was a few years younger than John. In 1854, he purchased 30 acres in Holden and Orrington from Andrew Staple. This land was near Field’s Pond and adjacent to the land of John Curran and John Ford. Mike Curran married Margaret Moylan, the daughter of Martin Moylan and Maria Curran, who died in 1904 at the age of 87. In 1868 Mike Curran bought ½ lot 25, known as the Cobb Lot, and thereby increased his holdings in that vicinity.
In 1880 or thereabouts, there was a Nicholas Curran, about 40 years of age living near the Holden and Brewer line. At that time there were two sons, William and John, living with him, but there is no evidence of his wife. She must have died in the 1870s.
Nicholas Curran, son of Tom, is believed to have married Rosanna Dougherty, daughter of John Dougherty and Alice McAvey of Brewer.
Pat Curran, a cousin of the first Curran brothers, and probably a little younger, came later than the others. His mother, Sara McDonough Curran, came from Cluck a Lora, as it reads on her marker in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. This is probably meant to be Cloghmore, and this is the only evidence that we have for asserting that the Currans came from that town. Pat Curran married Barbara Morton, daughter of Mike Norton and Margaret Hannon (?-1897). In 1864 he bought 26 acres on the Wiswell Road in South Brewer from Goodwin. Here he lived with his wife and children: Dan E., Rose W., and Hannah. Eventually he moved to Rumford where he died as we have stated above; he is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Bangor, ME.
Pat’s mother, Sara Donough Curran, died in 1864.
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