Searching the Maine Family Tree

The journey south from Acadia National Park has taken us to Duck Puddle Campground in Nobleboro, Maine. This family-run campground is located on the shores of Pemaquid Pond.

Strategically close to the towns and villages of Damariscotta, Damariscotta Mills and Newcastle to the southwest and Waldoboro to the northeast. We planned on spending some of our three days here researching my father's side of the family tree.

This area of Maine is where three generations of the Teague family clan originated, beginning with my great-great grandfather Samuel Teague (1818-1894).

Starting the process with what I already knew from my father, Warren Arthur Teague (1929-2021). I knew he lost his father, Walter Emil Teague (1884 - 1931) at the age of 47 in an automobile accident on Christmas Eve when my dad was only two years old. His mother, Irene Hayhow Teague (December 16, 1903 - May 25, 1932) was in the same accident but survived 6 months longer before passing away from complications. She was able to arrange for a close family friend, Helen Olson to raise my father with the help of a trust fund she had prepared with a Los Angeles bank.

We journeyed to the Damariscotta Public Library to collect information with their genealogy resources. We were extremely lucky to actually meet with Patti Whitten, a genealogist who volunteers at the library on Thursday afternoons. She helped us find all kinds of family records.

My grandfather, Walter Emil Teague was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine on March 2, 1884. Cape Elizabeth, is part of South Portland, Maine. His father was Warren Ludwig Teague (my great-grandfather) and his mother was Luella M. Archer. It appears Luella may have died before 1891 because Walter Ludwig remarried Jennie Irish June 15, 1891.

The 1900 census shows Warren Ludwig (age 43), Jennie Irish (age 34) , Harry M. (age 19) and Walter E. (age 14). Fascinating to learn so much about my family tree.

We were able to copy birth records, death records, marriage records and census records as far back as 1870. The oldest record we were able to find was the record of a death belonging to my great-great grandfather Samuel Teague. An added benefit was discovering the name of his parents, William Teague and Grace Oliver. I hope we can drill back faster with this information. I still need to do the maternal side as well.

Our stay at Duck Puddle Campground was very fruitful for genealogy research. From here we head to Freeport, Maine to stay at the Winslow Memorial Park and Campground. In 1953, Adelaide Winslow Harb gave this scenic oceanfront gift to the Town in memory of her mother, Delia B. Powers Winslow. She entrusted some 90 acres “with the buildings and improvements thereon known as Stockbridge Point with the proviso that the land and its buildings shall be used as a public park and for public recreational purposes." The Park is located at the end of Staples Point Road on a peninsula between Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River.