William Spurr, who left $500 to the annual Joe Holden picnic and may have been a relative of Holden’s, also left a more peculiar legacy.
In his will: $15,000 to Otisfield, in trust, for a middle name fund.
Spurr wanted interest from the trust divided among families in town who gave their babies the middle name Spurr.
Since 1984, 10 children have had that middle name, according to the town office, a mix of boys and girls. The latest, Abigail Spurr Fowler, was born in February.
The town sets up a fund for the child the year it’s born and adds to it until they reach 18. Five have claimed the money. One boy got $11,000.
“(Spurr) was a real miser. It was really amazing he gave any money,” said Otisfield’s unofficial historian, Jean Hankins.
An eccentric fellow, she said everyone in town who still remembers him has a different story about Spurr.
Back in 1930, when Hankins’ mother-in-law married her father-in-law, Spurr presented the bride with a gift.
“It was a large box of candy, chocolates,” Hankins said. “You know how they have two layers? She opened up the box and discovered one layer was missing. He had given her half a box of chocolates. But she was his favorite, that’s why he gave her anything.”
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