Who Was Molly Ockett?
Portrait of Molly Ockett, by Arla Patch
Molly Ockett was a Pequawket Indian who lived among and befriended the early settlers of Western Maine. As one of the few Indians who remained in the area, she became the subject of legend to succeeding generations. Born between 1730 and 1740, Molly Ockett was the daughter and granddaughter of chiefs. She lived in Fryeburg in the 1760’s and in the Bethel area after 1770 among the first settlers of those towns. She continued to live in an Indian fashion, traveling through the Androscoggin Valley, for the rest of her life.
Molly Ockett has been called “the great Indian doctress” and instances of her cures are recorded in local histories. Her most famous patient was the infant Hannibal Hamlin of Paris Hill. Arriving at the Hamlin home on a stormy night in 1809, after being refused shelter at Snow Falls, and according to legend, cursing the place, Molly Ockett found young Hannibal near death. Her prescription of warm cow’s milk saved his life and he went on to become governor of Maine and Abraham Lincoln’s vice-president. Second only to her medical reputation, was Molly Ockett’s fame as a storyteller.
Most famous are the “treasure stories”– the burying of Indian gold in West Paris beneath a trap hung in trees, and similar tales involving White Cap in Andover, and Hemlock Island in East Bethel. These stories set off many a treasure hunt, but to no reward. Andover, Maine, was Molly Ockett’s final home when she became too ill to travel. There she was cared for in her final days by the Thomas Bragg family. She died on August 2, 1816, and was buried in the Andover cemetery. Fifty years later the women of the Andover church raised money for a grave marker, installing it on July 4, 1867, an event marked by a large community celebration.
In the 1950’s Norma Jodrey and Beatrice Brown organized a day of festivities to raise funds for families of the community in need of assistance. After a few years, the Bethel Bazaar was taken over by the Bethel Health Council, who changed the name to Molly Ockett Day in 1957. They sponsored it up until 1970, when the Bethel Lions Club began organizing the event. The Mahoosuc Arts Council sponsored Molly Ockett Day from 2000 to 2009. In 2010, organization of this event was handed over to the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. Molly Ockett’s generosity, self-reliance, and accomplishments are qualities as worthy of community honor in our time as they were in the days of the early settlers, and they provide a fine inspiration for Molly Ockett Days.
For more information about Molly Ockett and Her World, check out the Bethel Historical Society's online exhibit.
Read more about Molly Ockett at blog, History of American Women.
Molly Ockett has been called “the great Indian doctress” and instances of her cures are recorded in local histories. Her most famous patient was the infant Hannibal Hamlin of Paris Hill. Arriving at the Hamlin home on a stormy night in 1809, after being refused shelter at Snow Falls, and according to legend, cursing the place, Molly Ockett found young Hannibal near death. Her prescription of warm cow’s milk saved his life and he went on to become governor of Maine and Abraham Lincoln’s vice-president. Second only to her medical reputation, was Molly Ockett’s fame as a storyteller.
Most famous are the “treasure stories”– the burying of Indian gold in West Paris beneath a trap hung in trees, and similar tales involving White Cap in Andover, and Hemlock Island in East Bethel. These stories set off many a treasure hunt, but to no reward. Andover, Maine, was Molly Ockett’s final home when she became too ill to travel. There she was cared for in her final days by the Thomas Bragg family. She died on August 2, 1816, and was buried in the Andover cemetery. Fifty years later the women of the Andover church raised money for a grave marker, installing it on July 4, 1867, an event marked by a large community celebration.
In the 1950’s Norma Jodrey and Beatrice Brown organized a day of festivities to raise funds for families of the community in need of assistance. After a few years, the Bethel Bazaar was taken over by the Bethel Health Council, who changed the name to Molly Ockett Day in 1957. They sponsored it up until 1970, when the Bethel Lions Club began organizing the event. The Mahoosuc Arts Council sponsored Molly Ockett Day from 2000 to 2009. In 2010, organization of this event was handed over to the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. Molly Ockett’s generosity, self-reliance, and accomplishments are qualities as worthy of community honor in our time as they were in the days of the early settlers, and they provide a fine inspiration for Molly Ockett Days.
For more information about Molly Ockett and Her World, check out the Bethel Historical Society's online exhibit.
Read more about Molly Ockett at blog, History of American Women.
