A project I had planned for the future percolated to the top this week with the passing of Billie Gammon on Sunday.

This remarkable lady’s life was well documented on the front page of Monday’s Sun Journal and in an obituary that listed honor after honor for her dedication to Maine history. Ethel “Billie” Gammon spent 55 of her 92 years as the driving force behind the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore.

Through her efforts, thousands of schoolchildren in this area have visited that historic Androscoggin County homestead and learned about rural life of the 1800s. They also learned about the Washburn family and the seven sons who grew up there and made lasting marks on American history.

The Washburn brothers played influential roles in this nation’s rapidly evolving commerce and politics more than a century ago. They rubbed elbows with Abraham Lincoln, built railroads and flour mill empires, fought Confederate soldiers on battlefields and from a gunboat deck, and served as governors, congressmen, senators and ambassadors.

Kerck Kelsey of South Freeport, who is a great-great-grandson of one of these men, Cadwallader Washburn, wrote a book titled “Remarkable Americans: The Washburn Family.” When he introduced it about a year ago in a talk at Central Maine Community College, he said the Washburns may be “the most famous family in America that nobody ever heard of.”

That’s not quite so true around Androscoggin County, because their achievements are linked to the old house and farm buildings of the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center. That’s where Israel and Martha Washburn struggled through hard times in the early part of the 19th century to raise their 10 children, including the seven sons who comprised one of the most outstanding political dynasties in American history.

Most of the accomplishments of the Washburn sons took place away from Maine, although Israel Washburn Jr. was governor of Maine during the Civil War.

Israel and son Elihu were instrumental in founding the Republican Party (successor to the Whig Party). Kelsey pointed out that this new party was the first and only third party to gain quick and powerful acceptance in American politics. Within two years, Republican office holders dominated Maine politics and within six years the Republicans and Abraham Lincoln had the White House.

Kelsey said six of the Washburn brothers were present at Lincoln’s inauguration.

Elihu met Lincoln in 1841, and was a valued adviser to Lincoln through the years.

He championed Ulysses S. Grant for a general’s commission when Grant was not even known to Lincoln, Kelsey said. Elihu also stood up for Grant on three important occasions when Lincoln and others opposed him.

Kelsey’s book relates stories of Cadwallader’s success in founding the Gold Medal Flour mills in Minnesota that eventually became General Mills.

Cadwallader also served as governor of Wisconsin.

William Drew Washburn also left Maine and amassed a fortune in Minnesota.

He founded the SOO Railroad, which still operates, and he went on to become a congressman and senator. His flour mill merged with the Pillsbury flour company, but Kelsey said “a mystery” surrounds the unexpectedly small amount of money in William’s estate when he died.

Sam was the only seafaring son. Kelsey described how Sam was wounded aboard the gunboat “Galena” on the James River near Richmond, Va.

Charles was a West Coast newspaperman who became U.S. ambassador to Paraguay.

Algernon “Sidney” Washburn was a successful Boston merchant and Maine banker.

Kelsey said less is known about the three Washburn sisters – Martha, Mary and Caroline. He notes that they were fine examples of women in the 1800s who often led “perilous” lives. Two married and lived in Maine. Mary and her husband moved west. She died after giving birth to twin boys, who also soon died.

Maine people like to celebrate their favorite sons and daughters, and the members of the Washburn family from that country hilltop in Livermore rank among the most important figures from this state. Their legacy will live on at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, thanks to the vision and tireless work of Billie Gammon.