Map Atlas 1881 Old Town Maps of Washington County Maine. eBay.
12. McCurdy Had a Low-Key Yet Troubled Childhood
Elmer McCurdy was born on January 1, 1880, in Washington, Maine. His mother, Sadie McCurdy, was 17 years old and his father was nowhere to be found. In fact, no one knows who his father was, but many believe he was Charles Smither, Sadie’s cousin. Because Sadie’s family did not want to see her shamed for raising an illegitimate child, McCurdy was adopted. Fortunately, for Saide, it was her brother, George, and his wife, Helen, who adopted McCurdy. Tragedy struck the family in 1890 when George died from Tuberculosis. Sadie and Helen then took McCurdy and moved to Bango, Maine.
McCurdy’s life began going downhill after Sadie told him the truth. When he was a teenager, Sadie informed McCurdy that she was his biological mother and had no idea who his father was. Many people speculate it was this news that made McCurdy rebellious. As a teen, Elmer McCurdy became very unruly and started to drink often, which is something he would continue to do until his early death. No matter how hard Sadie and Helen tried to guide McCurdy, they were unable to get through to him. Therefore, they made one last-ditch move to try to help McCurdy in his mid to late teens.