Alexander-Crawford Historical Society

Description

Frank William Gray and Amelia Myrtle Hanscom were married on April 29, 1887 at the home of the bride's parents in Jacksonville, a section of East Machias. Father of the bride, Andrew Jackson Hanscom, performed the ceremony. Mother of the bride was Emeline Luzon (Pierce) Hanscom.

Frank, 25, was the son of William S. and Frances Elzima (Hanscom) Gray. His family had lived in Crawford, but like so many others had gone down river to Jacksonville looking for the opportunity for a better life.

The newlyweds are about to drive off in a Stanhope style top buggy, heading up river to Crawford, probably to spend their honeymoon with relatives. They lived and raised their family of eight in Jacksonville.

Frank and Amelia were shirttail cousins. Their common ancestors, Aaron and Sally (Seavey) Hanscom had been early settlers of Crawford. They, like others, had moved up the East Machias River to harvest logs for the sawmills and shipyards at East Machias.

Crawford had grown to 324 people by the 1850 census. The best of the logs being harvested, and the soil being poor for farming, people started moving away. When Frank and Amelia made their trip to their ancestral home, only 140 people called Crawford home.

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