Details

Written by: Ken Junkins

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• NL #10 - July 1995

During  the 1994 reunion  at York, Maine the Board of Directors discussed the possibility of a Memorial Marker being designed and produced for the site of the Junkins Garrison on Cider Hill road (Rt. 91) in York. Several suggestion were made and the board selected two ideas for investigation.

1. A Historical Marker at the road side, cast in metal telling of the historical significance of the spot. These are usually produced by the state and can be seen all over the country at historical spots. Donald Junkins agreed to investigate the process of having one of these produced.

2. A Memorial Marker of some type at the site of the garrison. Roland Junkins agreed to investigate ideas and costs for this type of memorial.

The project was brought before the Association at the general meeting and it was agreed that a Memorial Fund should be started to raise money for these projects. On the membership renewal form a place was added to allow members to donate to this fund.  We received a good response on the first dues notice and a total of $215 has been donated so far.

During the 1995 Board of Directors meeting Roland and Alan Junkins made a presentation to the board with a proposed memorial plaque to be placed on the large granite rock by the road side in front of the garrison site. This large rock shows in almost every painting and photograph of the garrison and is still a favorite spot for Junkins to be photographed. The rock has been landscaped by Alan and Betty Junkins with summer flowers planted around the base. The proposal calls for a solid bronze plaque approximately eighteen by twenty inches. An area the size of the plaque would be cut flat by a stone mason and the plaque permanently attached and made vandal proof. The plaque, with an illustration of the garrison, the Junkins Family Association logo, and a thistle (the national symbol of Scotland) would cost an estimated $760. On the next page you can see the initial proposed design for the plaque which will be refined both in copy and design over the next few months.

We are almost a third of the way there toward the cost of the plaque and hope that over the next few months additional donations will come to cover the cost and allow us to order the art and the bronze casting. Once that is done we will need a similar amount for the cost of stone cutting and mounting.

 
The "Rock" - Cider Hill Road, just south of the garrison site

Proposed Memorial Plaque

Details

Written by: Alan Junkins with Kathleen Wheeler

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• Cemeteries
• Archaeological report
• NL #10 - July 1995
• Three Trees Burial Ground

 

In the October 1994 newsletter on pages 6 & 7 I talked about The Three Trees burial ground at Rankins' field in York, Maine. Early in May of this year (1995) Kathleen Wheeler, Archaeologist, informed us that she had indeed received a grant from the state of Maine and would be able to spend a day at The Three Trees burial site on Cider Hill Road. She said that she had the 15th or 16th available, depending on the weather. We obtained written permission from Jon Levy, owner of the property, to do an archaeological examination of the area.

Monday the 15th it rained all day so no work was done but on Tuesday the sun came out and Kathleen Wheeler and three of her assistants arrived at our house at 8:30 AM. We all drove down the road lo the location and by 9:00 all were fast at work uncovering what will now be officially recorded as the Junkins Family Burial Ground #8 "The Three Trees" burial ground. As you will see by the report made by Kathy to the Maine Historical Society and the Old York Historical Society, there were three adult graves uncovered and one infant grave. Unfortunately none of these graves can be identified but we do have written evidence that they certainly were Junkins family members. We also uncovered two areas where it was evident  that a total of at least five bodies had been removed lo another site. This coincides with John C. Junkins' letter (1940) "You probably know that some of the more immediate ancestors were removed from Rankin's lot to the new cemetery on the farm of my uncle Albert B. Junkins."  In the right hand section of the Elijah Burial Ground on the Albert B. Junkins farm there are five bodies all from this 1855 to 1899 period. The following is Kathleen Wheeler's report:

Kathleen Wheeler

Historical Archaeologist June, 1995 Junkins Family Burying Yard

On private property along Cider Hill Road, a Junkins family cemetery was unearthed during the Phase 1 survey in 1995. Methods included raking and cleaning of ground cover and shovel scraping to determine the outline of grave features.  The burying yard was marked by three rock maple trees making a triangular  area where four graves were found (see Figure 1). Three sets of headstones and foot stones delineated  adult graves, while a fourth set of bead- and footstones marked a child's burial. Two narrow, linear depressions were noted north of the four burial features, and a single unmarked fieldstone laid nearby. It is believed that some of the graves were moved to another, larger family cemetery in the early twentieth century, and the single fieldstone may represent an old abandoned marker stone. (From a letter by John C. Junkins to Frank Parsons -18 March 1940... "The Rankins field (so called), owned by Junkins for a long time, is located on the north side of #91, now set out with Spruce trees. In the North West corner, adjacent to Christopher Simonds's house is the location of the old cemetery mentioned by Charles Wisdom Junkins. Three Rock Maple trees around it. Chas. W. says some of the old bodies of Junkins were moved to the new lot opposite Ruth and John Nowells house... You probably know that some of the more immediate ancestors were removed from the Rankins lot to the new cemetery on the farm of my uncle, Albert B. Junkins. My Father and Mother, Sister and Brother are buried there also in this new lot"). A much larger depression - approximately 3.5 m by 1.5 m - was detected to the northwest of the undisturbed burials, as if a group of graves was disinterred.

None of the headstones or footstones were inscribed, so the identity and dates of burial of the individuals are not known. Some members of the Junkins family believe that this may be the place where RoberL Junkins was buried, near his garrison homestead. This burial site is only about three tenths of a mile from the Junkins garrison and well within the bounds of Junkins' extensive landhold­ing.

Our thanks go to Jon and Mimi Levy who agreed to testing on their property to define the outlines of the Junkins burying  yard.

Kathleen  Wheeler, Historical  Archaeologist

 

Is Robert Junkins buried here?

We will probably never know, but certainly his two boys, Alexander and Daniel, and his grandchildren knew where he was buried. Did they plant three Rock Maple trees around the grave site of their father, the founder of the Junkins family in the new world? Could Robert be in the center of the burial ground with his wife Sarah next to him? Could the third adult grave possibly be Joseph, who was killed by indians in 1711? The three trees are easily 250 to 275 years old.   One has been struck by lightning and may someday soon have to be removed.    When it is removed it is hoped that we will be able to count the rings on a cross section of the trunk to determine the age of the trees. This can help to date the exact age of the burial ground and the bodies interred there. Three trees... why not four? The Trinity... Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Archaeological team starts to remove brush, leaves and undergrowth from the burial ground area. 

Three unmarked headstones and footstones (circled) reveal the position of three adult graves.

Careful measurements are taken and recorded to map the entire area
and the exact positions of the burial pits.

After all measurements were recorded the entire area was returned to its natural state
with all dirt, leaves and brush back in place.

Details

Written by: Alan Junkins

Hits: 39

• NL #10 - July 1995
• Mini-Reunion

Fifteen Junkins' got together at the home of Warren and Evelyn Schuster in Osprey, Florida for a mini-reunion on March 8th. After a lunch at a local restaurant they were again treated to strawberry shortcake made by Evelyn Schuster and Betty Junkins. Chet and Pricilla Junkins reported "We all enjoyed the day together with lots of laughs and lots of fun".

Those attending were: Betty and Loy Junkins, Rossford, OH; Louise and Carleton Junkins, Winterport, ME; Pricilla and Chester Junkins, Hampden, ME; Virginia  Junkins, Lady Lake, FL; Paul F. Junkins, Sr., Lady Lake, FL; Irene Trumbull, Weston, OH; Joanne and Karl Junkins, Maumee, OH; Alice and Richard Pugh, Englewood, FL; Warren and Evelyn Schuster, Osprey, FL. Earlier, six Junkins wintering in Florida in Zephyrhills, visited with Alton and Clara Junkins of Hudson, FL.

Junkins - (front I. to r.) Evelyn Schuster, Virginia Junkins, Irene Trumbull,
Karl Junkins (back I. to r.) Richard Pugh, Loy Junkins,
Paul F. Junkins, Carleton Junkins, Chester Junkins

Spouses - (I. to r.) Alice Pugh, Joanne Junkins, Warren Schuster,
Louise Junkins, Betty Junkins, Pricilla Junkins