Philip C. Conroy

Much to my regret, the last time I saw the man we dubbed "Writer Phil" was shortly after he'd gotten hit/run over during a blizzard -- my then-spouse and I were lending a hand with feeding the kitties, making sure Phil was doing okay as he recuperated, and enjoying hearing about Portland's history. Unfortunately, I was never able to ring the doorbell to see if he still lived in that house. I am *sure* he would have found much humor in the strange journey the intervening years have brought my...

Phil was the best cellar hole digger/historian/treasure finder/doorknob expert that ever was. No one alive knew more about Stroudwater history than Phil did. He loved picking through piles of junk and finding something old and rare.
He loved cats, and had a couple of rescued ones he adopted. When you were at Phil's looking at treasure, there was always a kitty or two trying to get your attention and getting in the way.
He knew the written history of the area, but he also knew...