While many of the stories one hears about the old days centered around beach life, picnics, and special events associated with the Wildwood Inn, others revolve around memorable neighbors and activities.
One of America’s earliest Youth Hostels (and Maine’s first) was set up as a memorial to her husband in 1936 by Dr. Florence Covey in what had been her home at 20 Pine Lane. Only two years earlier had the idea of hostels come from Europe–the concept of a network of inexpensive places where hikers or cyclists could stay overnight. Dr. Covey–an osteopath who held degrees in both medicine and law- had a keen interest in hiking and other outdoor recreation.
In 1940, ninety travelers with AYH membership passes stayed at 20 Pine, still the only unit in Maine. For about 30 cents a night they found basic sleeping space, a kitchen area, a lending library, and a resident hostess, often Dr. Covey herself. Hostelers cooked their own meals, washed their own dishes, made their own beds, and generally cleaned up before they left. When Dr. Covey died in 1943, the Portland newspaper which had once reported at length on the hostel garbled her obituary, crediting her erroneously for eight years of operating a “hospital” in Wildwood. (The joys of trying to get history straight!)
During World War II, blackout precautions were associated with fears of enemy action along the coast. Blanche Heldman remembers an FBI man stopping at her door and asking her to call if she saw anything unusual. Later on, washing dishes one day and looking out toward the water, she watched a man put on a heavy jacket and boots and go down to the beach. Blanche followed him and watched him leave a briefcase on the floor of the rustic house. As soon as he had gone away, she called the FBI. There was fear along the Maine coast about incursions by the Germans, though a U-boat operation in the shallows of Broad Cove was hardly a threat.
During the drought of 1947, Maine had several forest fires. Concerned residents of the Park formed the Wildwood Park Fire Department. The fire department acquired a portable fire hose which was placed on a trailer and hand-carried to fires. Equipment was stored in a garage at 21 Birch Lane. Women kept watch for fires during the day and the men at night. They positioned themselves at different strategic places in the Park and watched for cigarette butts and any sparks. Mrs. Mikkelsen can remember standing at the entrance to the Park watching cars as they came in and out. She says, “I felt pretty silly standing there, but we were all doing it for a good cause.” LeRoi Syphers says that eventually the fire department’s drills and meetings became “a good excuse for a penny-ante poker game.” Other fire department members living in the Park included Henry Steinfield, Lloyd Heldman, Niels Mikkelsen, LeRoi Syphers, and Norm Leighton.
In 1982, Steve Reilly brought back to Wildwood perhaps its first Russian visitor. Steve was one of a dozen American newspaper editors selected for a first-of-its-kind conference with counterparts from the Soviet Union.
The feeling of community within Wildwood has always been one of its attractions. Work days to dress the entrance from Route 88 and clean up the reserve and beach were partly social events. The neighborhood has organized many meetings to meet political candidates, sometimes as in 1996 with competition across the street: the Dills at 25 Birch promoting Angus King and Barbara Keefe at 28 Birch introducing Bob Woodbury. There have been progressive dinner benefits for groups like the Portland Symphony Orchestra and, now and then, even Wildwood flotilla cruises to the Goslings.
Even when complaints fester about such things as driving too fast, leaving litter on the beach, or letting dogs run loose, there is often a bit of style and neighborly hopefulness in how they get registered. A 1980 letter to residents about loose dogs dumping on lawns and the beach and scaring children starts: “A canine problem has reached the level where it becomes necessary for someone to speak: ruff! . . .”