Undated but very old memento advertising a Fair sponsored by Heath Post, G.A.R. at the Coliseum on Marc 18th, 19th and 20th.
Maine had two Grand Army of the Republic posts by the name of Heath, but the one in Waterville was known as the W. S. Heath Post to distinguish it from the Heath Post, which was located at Gardiner, Maine.
The GAR Heath Post at Gardiner was named for distinguished citizen, Alvan M. C. Heath, who died 16 December 1862 as a result of wounds at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. Before enlisting in the 16th Regiment of Maine Volunteer Infantry early on in the war, he had been a newspaper editor, founder of the Gardiner Home Journal.
Alvan M. C. Heath was born about 1829 at Windsor, Maine, the son of Dr. Asa Alexis Heath and Margaret (Boynton) Heath. His paternal grandparents were Asa and Sarah (Moore) Heath. His maternal grandparents were Daniel and Mary (Moore) Boynton.
On 4 August 1852, Alvan M. C. Heath married Sarah Hinkley Philbrook, who was born 23 July 1831 at Fairfield, Maine, the daughter of Milton and Orrilla A. (Kendall) Philbrook. Her paternal grandparents were Robert and Mary (Pitts) Philbrook. Her maternal grandparents were William Kendall, Jr., and wife Sarah (Chase) Kendall.
The couple had four children at Gardiner, Maine:
- Herbert Milton Heath (27 Aug 1853-18 Aug 1912), who was a prominent student at Bowdoin College, a principal at Washington Academy in East Machias; a distinguished lawyer and legislator; married Laura Susan Gardiner of Machias, Maine; five children
- Willis Kendall Heath (12 Feb 1855-10 Oct 1927), an accountant; married Lucinda S. Newell; they had at least three children; moved to Massachusetts; Willis K. Heath died at Gardiner, Maine
- Frederick Carroll Heath (19 Jan 1957-16 Oct 1918), a distinguished student, who also served as principal of Washington Academy at East Machias, Maine, before graduating first in his medical class at Maine Medical College at Bowdoin; eventually becoming a prominent opthalmologist at Indianapolis, Indiana; married 1) Mary M. Anderson, who died in 1892; 2) Agnes Ralston Cochrane, with whom he had two daughters, one of whom died in childhood
- Emma Gertrude Heath (20 Jan 1859-23 Nov 1935), graduated from Hahnemann Medical College at Chicago, practiced at Chicago and then returned to Gardiner, where she became a prominent physician in the Augusta, Maine area.
Their father was not the only military hero in their line.
Through their father, they descended from Revolutionary War
general Heath; through their mother, Revolutionary War general
Kendall.
Information on the Battle of
Fredericksburg of May 13, 1862. Alvan M. C.
Heath died three days later of wounds received in this
battle.
If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding
the information presented here, please leave a comment or contact
me directly. Thanks!
A map of Gardiner, Maine:
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