As the holidays come and go, I often find myself reflecting on the family members who have shaped my life and the stories that connect generations. Of course, I think of my mother, but also of my maternal grandmother, Marylynn Moore Hickey. My grandmother was an extraordinary woman—the mother of ten children, five boys and five girls—whom she raised alongside my grandfather, John James Hickey Jr., in Melrose, Massachusetts. Just before the birth of the first of those ten children, Lisa, my maternal great-grandmother, Alice White Moore, passed away unexpectedly. My maternal great-grandfather William Herbert Moore, remarried soon after her death.
Alice Augusta White
For much of my life, my grandfather's family was the focus on our gatherings, with countless reunions and a sprawling Hickey family that now numbers well over 300 people. Because of this, there was never much connection with my extended family on my grandmother's side. That changed in the summer of 2009, when my parents, sister, grandmother, and my fabulous Aunt Jane embarked on a road to Eastport, Maine, to attend a small reunion of relatives connected to Alice. It was such a treat to meet my grandmother's extended family and to see her reconnect with relatives she had not seen in years, all against the picturesque backdrop of northern coastal Maine in the summertime. Walking through Eastport, I had a strong sense that my family's roots ran deep—but just how deep, I would not fully understand until years later.
Recently, I began using my genealogical research skills to delve more deeply into my great-grandmother's life, hoping to learn more about her years in Eastport and the generations that came before her.
Alice Augusta White was born on 31 July 1887 in Eastport, Maine, to Michael White and Julia E. Creary.1 She was baptized a year later, in July 1888, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Eastport.2 Alice's older brother, Louis A. White, owned the White Shoe Store in Eastport and later served as postmaster for the area for 17 years until his death.3 According to the 19004 and 1910 U.S. Census records5, Alice lived with her parents and siblings on Washington Street in Eastport. By the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, the family had moved to Portland, Maine, residing in the household of Alice's brother-in-law, Wilford S. Alexander.6 On 10 March 1920, Alice married William Herbert Moore in West Medford, Massachusetts.7
Alice's father, Michael White, was born around 1843 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, to MIchael White and Elizabeth Cunniff.8 He held several positions in Eastport, including chief of police and U.S. Deputy Collector of Customs for the Passamaquoddy district.9 The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, named for U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British diplomat Lord Ashburton, established the border between the United States and Canada. Because of its proximity to Canada, Eastport became an important port of entry, and Michael held his Customs position until his death.
Michael married Julia Creary of Eastport in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on 28 August 1873.10 Julia was born in June 1844 in Eastport to Thomas Creary and Alice Keenan, both of whom emigrated from Ireland and settled in the area.11 Julia devoted much of her life to supporting her household, husband, and children. She passed away on 7 February 1920 while living in Portland, Maine, with her daughter's family, her husband Michael, and two of their other daughters.12 Following Julia's death, Michael returned to Eastport, where he died just over a month later, on 10 March 1920.13
While researching this branch of my family, I turned to our own collections on the fifth floor of our headquarters at 97 Newbury Street. There, I located Vital Records from the Eastport Sentinel of Eastport, Maine, 1818-1900 by Kenneth L. Willey. Within its pages, I found obituaries for my third great-grandparents, Thomas Creary and Alice (Keenan) Creary. Thomas died in Eastport14 on 8 May 1866, and Alice followed on 19 March 1873.15 Our collections contain a wealth of resources that may not be available online, including published local histories, manuscripts, and family genealogies. I always encourage patrons to explore our library catalog—you never known what connections you might uncover!
It had been many years since I last visited Eastport or thought in depth about that family reunion. My grandmother had since passed away and during holidays and other moments of reflection, memories of her—and of that trip—often return. I never had the chance to meet Alice or many other relatives who passed away long before I was born. Yet genealogical research allows me to piece together a portrait that would otherwise be lost to time.
Through documents, photographs, and newspaper accounts, I can begin to understand who Alice was, where she lived, and the world she inhabited. Though I never met her, I can trace her path, visit the places she once called home, and draw on the stories passed down through my family. In doing this research her memory continues to live on.
Notes
[1] Alice Augusta White, Record of a Birth, City of Eastport, Maine, [GMRV 7594944], Records of birth, marriage, and death, 1811-1946, viewed at FamilySearch.org
[2] Alice August White and William Hubert Moore, page 249, St. Philip (Roxbury) Marriages, 1908-1920, Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920, viewed at AmericanAncestors.org
[3] “Postmaster At Eastport Dead at 67”, The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME), Monday, 28 August 1950, page 23, viewed at Newspapers.com
[4] Household of Michael, page 28, (Eastport, Washington, ME), 1900 United States Federal Census, viewed at Ancestry.com
[5] Household of Michael White, page 8a, (Eastport, Washington, ME), 1910 United States Federal Census, viewed at Ancestry.com
[6] Household of Wilford S. Alexander, page 2B, (Portland, Cumberland, ME), 1920 United States Federal Census, viewed at Ancestry.com
[7] Alice August White and William Hubert Moore, page 249, St. Philip (Roxbury) Marriages, 1908-1920, Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920, viewed at AmericanAncestors.org
[8] Household of Michael White, page 731, (Eastport, Washington, ME), 1860 United States Federal Census, viewed at Ancestry.com
[9] “Death of Prominent Eastport Resident”, The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME), Thursday, 11 March 1920, page 12, viewed at Newspapers.com
[10] Michael White & Julie Creary, Bridgewater, Births, Marriages and Death, Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, viewed at Ancestry.com
[11] Julia E. Creary, Record of a Birth, City of Eastport, Maine, [GMRV 7594942], Records of birth, marriage, and death, 1811-1946, viewed at FamilySearch.org
[12] “Late News of Eastport”, Commercial (Bangor, ME), Friday, 13 February 1920, page 3, viewed at Newspapers.com
[13] “Death of Prominent Eastport Resident”, The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME), Thursday, 11 March 1920, page 12, viewed at Newspapers.com
[14] Willey, Kenneth L. Vital Records from the Eastport Sentinel of Eastport, Maine, 1818-1900, (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1996), page 220
[15] Willey, Kenneth L. Vital Records from the Eastport Sentinel of Eastport, Maine, 1818-1900, (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1996), page 273