The second son of Otis and Elsie Means of Machiasport, Maine.
Eliphalet was born September 14, 1839. He married Helen J Robinson June of 1864 in Machiasport. “In War Rebellion.” He died March 10, 1888. They had two daughters, Charlotte K (“Lottie” born 1865, died 1885, age 20) and Carrie A. [Reference: 1913. The Means Family]
Eliphalet was my great grandfather William’s elder brother.
Carrie was mentioned in my grandmother Harriet’s letters of 1908. Grace Means grew up with Lottie.
As I perused the ancestors’ books and ledgers, I discovered that the two Atlases dated 1881 and 1892 belonged to Eliphalet. It was evident from his cash and freight ledgers that Eliphalet sold merchandise, eggs, meats and tropical fruits ordered from Boston. I wondered how he could do that much business in Machiasport. The answer was in the Atlas of Washington Co by George N Colby and Co.
The ES Means store was in the village of Machias: No 19 on the map, five buildings up Main Street from the P.O. and Customs House, across the street from Holway Sullivan Co Steam and Saw Mills (later the Phoenix Opera House).
Eliphalet’s photo was included in the portrait collection of Grace Adele Means. Grace wrote long descriptions of each ancestor on the back of each photo, sent to Machias, Maine from NYC.
Eliphalet was very special to Grace.
“He needs no eulogy. His face shows his sunny, sweet and lovable disposition. He had in life my deepest love and his memory is a priceless possession… Always in sympathy – never anything but serene and smiling to us children in spite of almost constant suffering from Civil War injuries. I never heard him rebuke or speak an unkind word.”
Grace wrote on the back of Eliphalet’s photo to her Uncle William, my great grandfather:
To Hattie, my grandmother, Grace wrote:
Voices of Ancestors 