Western Maine Cultural Alliance

Description

Miriam Monroe was 90 years old at the time of this interview. She was born and lived much of her life in Harrison where her father, the town doctor, built a cottage on the east side of Bear Pond. Monroe spent half the year in the cottage for the balance of her very long life and was very involved in local activities.

In addition to being an innovative farmer, Monroe's grandfather, Edward K. Whitney (1824-1897) was active in the reform movements of the 1850s like woman suffrage, peace and anti-slavery.

Monroe remembers her mother describing how distressed her grandfather was "over the plight of the slaves." After church, he recited and created tunes so he could sing the verses of abolitionist poems.

Monroe recites the song of the coffle gang, chained groups of prisoners, often slaves, who worked on the roads and sang as they worked.

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