Maine History Told by Mainers

South China in the early 1960's

Submitted March 14, 2007 by Larry Farrington

I had the wonderful experience of growing up in a small village on the shores of China Lake. Although it was a quaint little town in the early 1960's it had everything you could need, Spearing's General Store, Dowe's Diner, the post office and of course Farrington's Clothing Store. We had our own baseball diamond on Mrs. Pearsons back lawn, long fly balls to left field may mean a broken kitchen window. Our very own toboggan hill, affectionately referred to as "Giant Hill" elevation of maybe 100 feet. Sitting on the dock of the town landing, catching giant sunfish, some were up to five inches. We could swim at Dowe's beach and dance in the pavilion on Wednesday nights to a live band. Sundays there was church, where you could listen to verse, through the booming voice of Dr.David VanStrein, no microphone necessary when he was preaching. Rainy days, a trip to the library, where Mrs. Jones new the location of every book, no sneaking a glimpse at Catcher in the Rye, because she also knew everybody's parents.

Most of the buildings and many of the people who taught me some of life's finest lessons may be gone but the lessons and values one learns in a small town last a lifetime. Mr Wolfe you're are wrong, you can go home again, if only in one's memories.