Page 27 - North Haven Magazine Issue 14 Summer 2020

Union soldiers pass through the town. To many during this time, this event
would remain ingrained in their mind for the rest of their lives. Sheldon
was no different in that respect. What was different is Sheldon Thorpe kept
a diary. First starting at 18 years old, Sheldon continues to keep a diary until
his death. In it, he writes about raising the first flag in North Haven to show
support for the Union. He also writes about the men who enlisted in the
war, where they fought, and if they were wounded, killed, or mustered out.
Thorpe himself was one of the first of nineteen to enlist in 1862 and by the
end of the war, he was one of eighty-five men from North Haven to fight in
the Civil War. Throughout his time in service, Sheldon kept diaries, but his
most poignant memories came from after the war when he and his fellow
soldiers came home from war. People cheered for them in the streets and
church sermons were dedicated to the soldiers.

In his downtime, Sheldon was avid about the town’s history. His popularity
within the town’s population (as he was a member and served on many
town committees) proved to be an asset when compiling an in-depth and
definite history of North Haven. For North Haven’s centennial, Thorpe pro-
duced articles pertaining to the town’s history, which later became part of
his 1892 book, North Haven Annals. A year later he published a history
on his regiment, along with another book, North Haven in the Nineteenth
Century.

As we know, Sheldon Thorpe never forgot about the men who served in the
military from North Haven. When World War I came, over one hundred
men and one woman from town volunteered to fight. Sheldon Thorpe com-
piled a scrapbook including a photograph, personal information, newspa-
per clippings, and whether they mustered out or were killed in action. At
the memorial for one fallen soldier, Sheldon Thorpe gave a speech focusing
on the young man’s determination and courage, com-
paring him to fellow soldiers who fought and died in
the Civil War.

Without Sheldon Thorpe’s attentiveness to history
through his diaries and his own personal passions,
North Haven’s history would be nearly as comprehensive
as it is. Thorpe spoke for voices long gone and spoke for
soldiers of all ages. He penned countless articles, books,
and speeches which helped educate the townspeople
about where they lived, along with helping future his-
torians understand our town’s history. Sheldon Thorpe’s
life was anything but boring; from experiences during
the war which created a passion to preserve the history
of soldiers and veterans, to creating an in-depth history
of North Haven until the nineteenth century, Mr. Thor-
pe had a passion to make sure no person, place, or event
disappeared into history.

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