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IN RANDOLPH Keeping his eyes on history
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 08/18/2008

RANDOLPH -- Dick Harriman started collecting information about the town's history 10 years ago.

Harriman's small collection of old photographs and documents grew and grew, until finally a selectman recommended that Harriman take over the role of town historian.

Harriman said the town hasn't had a keeper of local history since the 1980s. Ruth York was the last historian, but she has since passed away.

"I've always been quite interested in the history of the town and collected things off and on for 10 years or so, a little here and a little there," Harriman said. "But it's more than a little now."

A native of Randolph, Harriman, 74, was born in the last house along the river on the north end of town across from Belmont Avenue.

After graduating in 1952 from Gardiner High School, he worked for Central Maine Power Co. then moved to Florida and got a job with the Florida Power Co. He worked for that company for 25 years.

But he never lost touch with his hometown and would vacation here in the summer with his wife, Judy. When it came time for retirement, he bought a home in Randolph on Kinderhook Street.

As the new town historian, Harriman said he is busy gathering artifacts and memorabilia, town and school records, historical photographs and old documents and postcards. He would like to hear from anyone who might have material to share. He can be reached at 582-4359.

At least once a week he can be found at the Maine State Library.

"I'm trying to get it all organized," he said. "This fellow bought me some stuff last night and I've got someone coming tomorrow with some old pictures."

He said Randolph used to have close to 50 businesses in town including neighborhood grocery stores, tiny pubs where you could go in and have a beer, garages and barber shops.

Before 1887, Harriman said Randolph was part of Pittston. A fire in 1886 reduced the business district to cinders, he said. Gardiner had a water district at that time and offered to install a pipe across the river with hydrants if the town would pay for it.

When that came to the people for a vote it was defeated.

He said Pittston farmers were against the idea because they were too far away to take advantage of the hydrants in case of fire.

"But all the townspeople here near the river thought it was a good idea so they petitioned the Legislature and it passed in March, 1887," he said. "It was called West Pittston. A few days after that they decided they wanted to disassociate from Pittston so they became Randolph."

The town honored Randolph, Mass., which was named for Peyton Randolph of Virginia, the first president of the Continental Congress.

Information like this needs to be preserved. And according to Selectman Peter Hanley, that's the job of the town historian.

"It's important, especially during the summertime," Hanley said. "That's when you have a lot of tourists and visitors come and want to know different things and find out about their ancestors."

Harriman and his wife also are involved in the Kennebec Historical Society and the Windsor Historical Society.

Priscilla Brann, of the Windsor Historical Society, said Harriman volunteers at the New England Village of the 1800s erected on the Windsor fairgrounds. It's open each year to the public for the Windsor Fair.

"Dick is very diligent out in the carriage shed," Brann said. "He ushers people through and gives them tours. He's very friendly and has been doing that for a long time."

Harriman said Randolph is a nice, friendly community, a good place to grow up. But it has changed over the years.

"It lost its downtown character when it lost Booker's Drugstore on the corner of Windsor and Water streets," he said. "That's where all the kids hung out."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com

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