The Windham Historical Society has been chronicling the story of a young woman from South Windham named Lena Megquier for the past year and a half on social media. Through her diaries from 1898-1899, readers have come to learn about her day-to-day life as a housemaid in Portland’s prestigious West End at 330 Spring St.

Information from Historical Society members and social media followers has uncovered more details about Lena’s life outside her employer’s home.

Lena was born Oct. 2, 1877, to a family of Scottish descent that dated back to her great-great-great-great-grandfather Thomas Megquier, who came to America in 1710. Her parents, Orland and Mabel, along with her sister, Ruby Mabel, moved from Waltham, Massachusetts, to Poland sometime in the 1870s, and it was there that Lena was born. The property Megquier Hill Road still looks out on beautiful Tripp Lake, where Lena may have swum as a young child.

It is unclear when the Megquiers moved to Windham, but by 1898, they were living on a farm on River Road located somewhere between the Duck Trap Variety Store and the Pleasant River crossing. Orland had purchased the property from his mother-in-law, Ruby Hibbard. He paid $250 for the homestead.

It’s believed Lena went to the Newhall School, which is where students in her neighborhood attended classes. She must have been a good student because in 1892, as she was chosen to do a recitation at the school entitled “Our Monuments of Shame” at an event sponsored by the Women’s Temperance Union.

In January 1898, when we first met Lena through her diary, she was away from her place of employment in Portland so she could help tend to her dying mother. Sadly, her momma passed away in late January and was laid to rest in Mayberry Cemetery near the grave of Lena’s sister.

Lena returned to work in Portland shortly after her mother’s death. Most days consisted of weekly tasks. On Monday, the wash was done, followed by a large load of ironing on Tuesday. On Wednesdays, Lena ran errands for her employer, Mrs. Olive Butler, and enjoyed getting some things for herself while she was out. On Sunday evenings, she would attend church. The other days were filled with miscellaneous chores from making dinner to cleaning carpets to polishing silver.

Her best friend was Rose Winie, another maid in the neighborhood, employed by a woman on State Street who lived with her two nieces. The two girls frequently attended meetings of the Christian Endeavor, an early Christian youth organization founded by the Rev. Francis Clark of the William Congregational Church in Portland, which was just around the corner from Lena’s home. They enjoyed going to Endeavor meetings at various Portland churches, including the Advent Church, the Friends Church and the Second Parish Church.

By the end of 1898, Lena began spending more of her spare time with her friend Peggy. These two enjoyed shopping trips, skating at Deering Oaks (though Lena was a terrible skater, breaking her blades often) and sharing in fun projects like making valentines and gifts for area children at Christmas. In June 1899, Lena’s younger sister Kite moved into the neighborhood, probably also employed as a maid. She may have been hired by the Lunt family, but that is still yet to be determined for sure.

We know that Lena was in Mrs. Butler’s employ until at least 1903, when she married merchant Caleb Smith. The wedding took place on May 30, 1903, at the Congress Street Methodist Church in Portland, right next door to the Portland Observatory. The church closed its doors in 1974 and the building is no longer there. Lena was 25 years old and Caleb was 30 when they wed.

After their marriage, the pair lived in North Gorham near the Cumberland Oxford Canal. Their home was near Caleb’s mercantile on the corner of North Gorham and Middle Jam roads. The store sold everyday household commodities and it may have been a mail pickup as well, so Lena probably knew most of the locals in town.

The couple had five children: Nelson was born in 1904, Orland in 1905, Eunice in 1907 and Hubert in 1912. Her last daughter, Lena Megquier Smith, was born on March 30, 1913. Just four days later, on April 3, Lena lost her life from complications from the birth and passed away at the age of 35.

Haley Pal is a Windham resident and an active member of the Windham Historical Society. She can be contacted at haleypal@aol.com.

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