"A Yankee Tinkerer," by C. A. Chicoine
On October 19, 2005 I met with Carl Robare at his home in Stamford, Vermont. We discussed the work he did
on the Soldiers' Monument.
I had met Carl a number of years ago. My mother worked with his wife, Jane, in the hospital. I'd see her when
I'd visit my mother at work, and on a few cross-country ski jaunts on their acrerage. And I also remember stopping
by their home on my way through the area on my 10-speed. I was fortunate to have stopped by one time to see the
monument in his garage (the first time).
And now, over 15 years later, I have the opportunity to visit with two of the most wonderful folks anyone could ever
meet. And I genuinely mean that. Still, I was very nervous. He hadn't seen this website at that point, and
I wasn't sure what was going through his mind in regards to my interest in this important part of North Adams history.
What was presented to me was a researchers dream come true. Not only had he a scrap book chock-full of articles
pertaining to the monument, he had photographs of the different stages of development in the reconstruction of the Soldier...
both times.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Mr. Robare was was born in the Braytonville section of North Adams in 1923 and from age six grew up in the Briggsville
section of Clarksburg. He graduated from Drury High School in 1942, served in the Army for four years, and then spent 31 years
as a technician with the New England Telephone Company until his retirement in 1984. He has experimented with and built
wind mills and solar panels in the 1970's. He has been active in the community over the years serving on the School
Committee, Zoning Board, and Volunteer Fire Department. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. His ideas, experiences,
and accomplishments would fill a book. And what a read I'm sure it would be.
As I thumbed through the scrap book Carl was sorting through some large manila envelopes containing more gems. I
was truely overwhelmed with joy. Not wanting to overstay my welcome I asked if I could scan the articles and materials
so that I could ask him the questions I came prepared with. He obliged me.
Craig: Why and how did you get involved with rebuilding the monument?
Carl: It was something that was important to me. It went down and that's when I suggested to the writer
(Michael E. Burke) to write something about this. (To read article go to "!00 Years" page of this website). A couple
of years went by looking for a replacement statue, or for somebody to fix it. They advertised in Yankee Magazine...and all
over the place. There were alot of people that said it couldn't be fixed. And they had some estimates that were
way out of line, as far as replacing it. And they advertised in communities to see if they had a statue of the same
type. And they didn't get any answer. We kept reading about it in the paper, and I said to Jane one
day, 'You know what? They're going no place. I think that I can take a look at that, and fix it.' She
said, 'Well, why don't you?' So I contacted Dick Lamb, he was the mayor at the time, Art Spencer was his son-in-law,
and I knew Art. I said to Art, "I'll take a look at that...see if it's possible'. We went over to the sewage
disposal plant, where they had it stored for a couple of years, and I looked at it and I said, 'Bring it up the house,
I think that I can do it'...if I can't you're no farther than where you are now. You've still got a bunch of pieces...you're
not out anything'. So...they brought it up and I decided on how I was going to do it. I got it ready for
it's rededication on it's original anniversay date, for 1981. A hundred and three years later.
Craig: Did you experiment with samples or did you know straight off how you were going
to reconstruct this?
Carl: The first time I did. I wanted to come up with a material that was actually the same color as the marble.
So I used marble sand and White Portland Cement. Local material. And it worked out great.
Craig: What of the brown freestone pedestal? Could that not be repaired?
Carl: I offered to do that the first time I had worked on the statue. I even got some brown pigment, concrete
pigment. Yes...the emblem there, really needs repairing. I said to them, 'I"ll repair it if you want it done.'
They never took me up on it. It's so strange... the first time I did it (repaired the soldier) everybody makes
a big thing about getting something done. But after it's done they lose interest in it. Back in 1981, when I did it
the first time, they were going to put an iron fence around it. Never got done. The second time, in 1999, I fixed
it again. And John Barrett said we're gonna put the fence. I even drew up a diagram how I thought the
fence should go. They had fencing. The first time they had some fencing from the era. There was a house
up on West Main Street, where K-M Motors is, and that was surrounded by a cast iron fence.
Craig: You know where that is today?
Carl: Where?
Craig: At the North Adams Museum of History and Science.
Carl: The second time they had a fence like they made around the library. I drew up a diagram, I said this
is the way to do it. And it never got done. Of course, once the interest is gone...[it is forgotten].
Craig: What were your impressions the second time around?
Carl: There's a picture in there (searching through one of the folders layed out before us on the table) when it
came down the second time. (laughs) I walked into the coffee shop the next morning. John Barrett was
there, and he said, "Whatta ya think? Think you can restore it?' And I said, "Let's go up and look at it.'
And I said, ' Aw...man, oh man'. The time before the legs were broken off, but they were in one piece.
There were alot of things broken off. But, again, they were in one piece. But this time the legs were shattered.
Alot of stuff shattered, and alot of stuff missing. The last time all I had to do was attach the legs to the base, attach
the torso to the legs...you know...I drilled the holes with rods. I had most of the musket. But this time
there was stuff shattered. I said to Barrett, "I don't know. I'm going to take the head home'. They
took the rest of it to the city garage. So, I brought the head home and I worked on it. And I
said, "Alright. I'm going to have them bring the rest of it up'.
Craig: You used the same materials?
Carl: The second time I used the same materials, but I had to make alot of parts. The base that it's on,
that is brand new. One whole leg and half of the other leg is new. The first time I just put rods in the legs,
and a rod in the rifle. So, it had three points like a tripod. The second time, I put three galvanized
steel rods into it. I had to build a metal support for it. To stand it up before I poured the new base cast
and put the new legs on. It's held up well over the last five years. It's maintained the color. Every
couple of years I go up there and waterproof it.
Craig: I see from your scrap book that you were quite the celebrity.
Carl: When the Associated Press picked it up it went all over the country. People sent me copies
of the articles from all over the place.
Just to get an idea of the coverage, here are some of the newspapers and publications that featured Carl
Robare's efforts back in 1981.
The Phonix Gazette
Louisville Kentucky Times
The Dallis Morning News
Middletown Ohio Journal
Springfield Union
The Stars & Strips (Authorized Unofficial publication for US Armed Forces)
Times (Reading, Pennsylvania)
New Haven, Conneticut Register
Bay Stater & Green Mountainer ( New England Telephone newsletter )
The Transcript (North Adams, Massachusetts)
The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Carl has graciously allowed me to copy some of his personal photographs taken of the monuments' reconstructions to post
on this site. His contributions have been invaluable. I was truely honoured to have spent this time talking with
him about a passion dear to our hearts.
