BATH

Arrowsic resident Fred Hill will be giving a talk on his soon to be published book at Bath Historical Society’s annual meeting later this month.

Titled “ Ships, Swindlers and Scalded Hogs: The Rise and Fall of the Crooker Shipyard in Bath, Maine,” Hill’s book delves into the history of a successful shipyard in Midcoast Maine run by brothers Charles and William Donnell Crooker in the mid-19th century.

At the time, in the early 1850s, Bath had built more ships than any other city in the country, other than Boston and New York, and by 1854, there were 22 shipyards along the western shore of the Kennebec River, according to Hill.

“ It is all set in a dynamic period of growth in Maine, New England and the United States from 1800 to 1875 or so,” he said.

The book explores Crooker’s “rise, development from store owners — like so many other shipbuilders — to its decline due to a series of missteps, antagonism between two brothers and their being swindled out of a substantial money at the height of their success,” Hill said.

“It’s a very interesting story of a very successful shipyard that came apart from a combination of illegal activities, not on their part — the swindles — some antagonism and differing views about doing business,” he added.

The Crooker brothers also owned tracts of land around Moosehead Lake and Bethel, where they built a steam saw mill, said Hill. Their presence in the Bath community was also notable with their involvement in city council and the school board, while their historic homes are still located on 71 and 83 South St.

While Hill served as president of Maine’s First Ship, a local organization dedicated to reconstructing a ship built by colonists in 1607, he said his interest in the Crooker family was piqued after reading “The History of Bath, Maine” by

Henry Owen. Hill himself is also the great-great -grandson of

William Donnell.

Although

Hill’s book had started out as a family history, after four years of poring through original letters and documents, captain’s letters and accounts and completing significant research at the Maine Maritime

Museum, Patten Free Library, Maine state archives, as well as those out of state, he said it eventually developed into a book about the Crooker Shipyard.

“Bath has a fascinating history as one of the most important centers of shipbuilding in the U.S., indicated by the presence today of Bath Iron Works and one of the leading yards in the world,” he said.

Robin A.S. Haynes, manager of the Sagadahoc History and Genealogy Room at the Patten Free Library and a member of the Bath Historical Society, said the group usually hosts speakers like Hill two or three times a year.

“One of the board members suggested ( Hill) a year ago when the book was thought to come out initially,” she said on Wednesday. “I’m always interested to learn about Bath History.”

Hill’s book will officially be released on Sept. 1.

The Bath Historical Society’s annual meeting will take place in the Community Room at the Patten Free Library on Saturday, April 23. The program will begin at 10:30 a.m., preceded by a short business meeting. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call (207) 443-5141 ext. 18.