Raymond’s Ernie Knight will be 100 years old pretty soon, and if ever we named a “regional treasure” in our Lakes Region, and indeed in the state, Ernie would get the prize.

My favorite book for reference and pleasure reading is his “Historical Gems of Raymond and Casco,” a compilation of articles he wrote for the Raymond-Casco Historical Society newsletter, over a 20-year-period from 1971 to 1991.

People who like history and American folklore, are familiar with the Foxfire books and Salt magazine, among other resources. Ernie’s book is better than any of those, because its focus is so local. In the preface, he writes that the “procedures no longer needed with the benefits of current technologies have ‘withered on the vine’ for lack of use and are unknown to the unenlightened.” And so he enlightens the reader, describing such skills and crafts as brickmaking, tanning, tinsmthing, weaving, cooperage, shoemaking, cut nails, splitting granite, blacksmithing, sulfur matches, water power and wells.

His well written and easy to understand articles cover area landmarks, famous (and infamous) people, events, organizations and place names. Everything from Rattlesnake Mountain to Frye’s Leap can be found here.

If you crave to know more about the dozens of boys and girls summer camps in our area, there is a lot of information in Ernie’s book.

I never did know much about what Ernie did “for a living”, but I believe he was an engineer. I know he went to M.I.T. and was for many years, the delight of parades as he rode his “high wheeler,” a bicycle originating back in the 1800s.

Ernie Knight has published several books on the history of Raymond, and its vital statistics, as well. He is an expert on canals and traveled all over the world to see them. A very interesting book on our local Cumberland and Oxford Canal came from his mind and pen, and is one of the few accurate resources available on the subject.

If anyone would like a copy of this book, contact me and I’ll point you in the right direction.

And I know all our readers join me in wishing Ernest Knight a wonderful 100th birthday.