Family Connections

Pemberton Ridge

The Community of Pemberton Ridge

Pemberton Ridge, situated 3 miles north of Forest City on a hill overlooking Grand Lake and Spednic Lake, is of unknown origin. In the early 1860’s it was called "Skedaddle Ridge" because of settlers who fled there to avoid draft into the US Civil War. Some of the settlers include Leeman and MacKenney, of which descendants are still living there. In its heyday, Pemberton Ridge probably had a population of 15 - 20 families; around 75-100 people. The community never had a Post Office, relying on the services in Forest City, N.B. and Maine, as well as letter delivery to a driveway mailbox. Neither did it have a church or any industry other than farming. It did have a school house and occasionally church services were held therein. While the larger centers of Canterbury, twenty-five miles distant, or Danforth, Maine, some twenty miles across Grand Lake in the winter or thirty miles by road, provided access to train, grain, and condiments, Forest City was the "convenience store" of the area.

Church and Sunday School was usually held in the school house, although residents would occasionally attend a meeting at Green Mountain or Forest City. Predominantly Baptist by faith, meetings, or services, as they were sometimes called, contained an aura of quiet tranquility and not given to emotional renditions, testimonial or otherwise.

Some of the teachers mentioned in diaries included: Beatrice Briggs, Lois Boone, Miss McNerlin. Bertha Higgs taught here in 1946. Lois Graham, Gladys Graham, and Irva Higgs also taught here. The school was located directly across the road from John Higgs home, now owned by Susan O’ Connor. It has been long since demolished with trees and bush occupying the lot.

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