Frontier Heritage Historical Society

Fort Fairfield, Maine 04742

The Town Bell

By: Bill Findlen

In 1940, Edmond L. Adams bought the famous Ames & Hacker Building on Main Street. This building was used as a school, theater and for public events. It also housed the town clock and a very large bell in the tower. Mr. Adams operated a hardware store in this building until October, 1947. A fire destroyed the store and three blocks with the aid of a 56 mile per hour wind!

The bell fell through to the cellar and was broken by the heat and the fall. Mr. Himie Towle and others rescued the bell and it sat on the back lawn at his home for years. Himie donated the bell to the Frontier Heritage Historical Society, where it was transported to the repair building at Tri-Community Landfill and a piece was welded back into the bell.

The Northern Maine Community College Welding Class, under the direction of Instructor, “Sonny” Michaud designed and constructed a stand to hold the bell. The Public Works Department set the bell on a concrete slab in front of the blockhouse where Himie requested it to be on display. Many thanks to all that made this project possible. The plaque reads: From the Hacker Building. Donated by the Hiram Towle Family.