SACO — Ever wonder what the 18-foot tall granite tower near Gov. John Fairfield Elementary School is?

It’s a question that is often asked by locals, according to Saco Museum officials, and now the answer can be found on page 102 of their book of historic photographs, “Images of America: Saco Revisited.”

Shown in the book is a photo from the late 1800s of the former water tower. Corresponding information tells that it stood in Pepperell Park over a 200-foot deep well and had a capacity of 7,680 gallons of water. A nearby windmill pumped to the surface the water supply for the park’s fountain and pond.

“Saco Revisited,” is authored by Executive Director of the Dyer Library and Saco Museum Leslie Rounds, Saco Museum Director Jessica Skwire Routhier and Saco Museum Collections Manager Marie O’Brien.

The three set out to write the book after Routhier was contacted by Arcadia Publishing.

“Saco Revisited” contains just under 200 photos and took about eight months to complete. It is the first book of its kind produced by the museum and library.

Images from the 1800s to the present day are included in the book, from photographs of grand homes along the downtown and the ocean front to those of local merchants, mill workers, and ice harvesters. Thornton Academy as well as portraits of local residents also feature prominently.

The photos are accompanied by brief text giving historical and local context.

Although the photos are central to the book, Routhier said she thinks of the book as “more than an enjoyable coffee book table” and sees it as a reference book in which someone could look up information on Saco.

When the authors set about looking for photos in the archives of the Dyer Library, they had two criteria. The photos, as required by the publisher, had to be originals. They also did not want to use photos that were previously used in the now out-of-print book, “Images of America: Saco,” by Jeffrey A. Scully, first published in 1994.

Many of the photos in the library, it turned out, were either reproductions or ones that had been used in Scully’s book, and the authors had to supplement the collection with photos from local collectors, the McArthur Public Library and Penobscot Marine Museum.

Rounds said she and O’Brien spent hours pouring over a century’s worth of city records. Their detective work included looking up names of people in pictures to find out when they lived and finding the years when a business depicted in a photograph was open.

Rounds was also able to recognize hairstyles, hats and clothing from different time periods. Additional help came from local historians including Roy Fairfield, who Rounds described as “quietly looking over their shoulder” as they did research.

“It was a lot of work, but it was fun,” said O’Brien.

The group described the process as a learning experience, not only on how to write and compile a book, but on gaining knowledge about Saco.

“Putting this together was a huge education for me,” said Routhier.

Despite their sleuthing, there are a few questions which remain unanswered. For example, none of the authors were able to figure out what the tall, double stacked poles were in a photo of Pepperell Square from the early 1900s.

The book is divided in four sections ”“ energy, industry, philanthropy and patriotism ”“ which correspond to a quote by Saco author John Locke when he spoke to students at the museum at the turn of the 20th century:

“And when the present and the future shall become the past and your records are read by generations which follow you, may they find in them examples of energy, industry, philanthropy and patriotism worthy of imitation.”

O’Brien said that she thought some of the most interesting photographs were those of downtown shops with the proprietor standing outside the business. They really showed what the downtown was like in the 1800s, she said.

Routhier said that one of her favorite photos was a panoramic photo which is spread over two pages. The photo of Main Street was originally printed in a booklet as a souvenir.

Rounds said that she liked a portrait of the daughters of Richard Foxwell Cutts, taken shortly after the Civil War. The photo of the five somber elderly women shows they lived  “a hard knock life” said Rounds.

“Saco Revisited” will be sold at local bookstores, as well as the museum and library. Royalties from the book, as well as profits made from sales at the museum and library, will go to the museum and library.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.