In a time when forests, trees and lumber dominated the local economy in Raymond, there was a period when sheep farming mattered to area residents and that topic will be explored during a presentation by the Raymond-Casco Historical Society.
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| Cheryl Callahan will discuss 'Processing Wool and the Sheep Boom of New England' during a free presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11 at the Raymond-Casco Historical Society campus at 1 Shadow Lane in Casco. COURTESY PHOTO |
Callahan says that some tools used in the 18th and 19th centuries to process sheep’s fleece into yarn for spinning are still in service today.
During her presentation, she will demonstrate how some of them worked and discuss options that were available to spinners, weavers and dyers of days gone by to transform sheep wool into products.
According to Callahan, Raymond’s history of the sheep boom in New England was a direct reflection of economic uncertainty facing New England at that time.
“Cloth production increased when exports were restricted,” she said. “We will look at a local business that thrived here in Raymondtown to meet demands of the community.”
During the 19th century, Maine farmers tended almost a million sheep that produced wool and for a 35-year period in New England history, in what was called “Sheep Fever” from 1810 to 1845, sheep farming thrived across the Pine Tree State.
At the onset of “Sheep Fever,” many Maine farms kept native sheep, which were small and not very good to eat, but in spite of short fleece they were hardy enough to stand up to cold winters. The Merino sheep breed had finer fleece and tasted better and became the preferred choice for sheep farmers.
New breeds of sheep from Europe, specifically the German Saxon and the British Leicester and Southdowns, were introduced and by 1860, Maine sheep were producing 33 pounds of wool each spring.
Merino sheep farms in Raymondtown grew in the 19th century as a result of the War of 1812, which disrupted the supply of English wool to New England. To contain the sheep to a farming property, numerous stone walls were constructed to contain the flocks.
A historical account uncovered by the late Raymond historian Ernest H. Knight reveals that a farm gifted to Major Simon Fog in Raymond in 1814 was initially a cultivated vegetable farm, before becoming a sheep farm, and then transitioning to dairy farming in the late 1930s and 1940s.
The popularity of sheep farming in Maine declined somewhat after 1840 as developments such as the opening of the Erie Canal and westward migration to more fertile agricultural properties continued. But it enjoyed a brief revival in the early 1860s, when the need for wool uniforms during the Civil War rose.
Raymondtown in the era included several mills that played a significant role in the area's economic development and one of them will be discussed by Callahan during her presentation.
Early Raymondtown settlers, including Dominicus Jordan and Joseph Dingley, had established sawmills to meet the immediate needs of the community and these early sawmills were typically located on sites with waterpower and the availability to shipping routes on land and by water. Raymond sheep farmers used these local mills to refine their products for growing cities like Portland.
The Raymond-Casco Historical Society was created in 1971 as an educational, charitable, non-profit organization devoted to collection, preservation, and experiential learning which highlights the culture and working history of the Lakes Region Area.
For questions about the “Processing Wool and the Sheep Boom of New England” presentation, or to learn more about the historical society and programs it offers, call 207-655-6389 or visit raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org/. <
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