BOOTHBAY
REGION HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 2
COMING
EVENTS
Harbor Lights Open House
We
will hold an open house on Saturday, December 7, during the pre-Christmas
Harbor Lights celebration.
We'll
decorate the museum and offer cider, sandwiches, and cookies from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. Some items will be on special sale. Plan to come for pre-Christmas cheer
and to look for possible Christmas presents.
Summer 2003 Exhibit
Carol
and Alan Fisher of Sprucewold and Michigan have been working on an exhibit for
next summer concerning the Boothbay Harbor art schools of the first half of
the 20th century.
Carol
has mounted shows at Michigan State University's Kresge Art Museum, so this
coming exhibit promises to be well worth seeing. More information will be
available in the spring newsletter.
SUMMER
ACTIVITIES
The
annual meeting took place on May 21 at the museum. The brief business meeting
included the election of new trustee, Cathy Sherrill of East Boothbay,
reelection of trustees Sarah Giles, Margaret Voight, Jim Hunt, and Jim
Stevens, and reelection of officers: Faith J. Meyer as president, Margaret
Voight as vice-president, Sarah Giles as treasurer, and Bea Walker as
secretary.
After
the meeting, society director Barbara Rumsey, assisted by Pat Waldman, gave a
short slide show of old region photographs, many of which were donated by
Robert Holbrook. The attendees and trustees then socialized with each other
over refreshments.
Summer
Boat Model Exhibit
Our
exhibit, "Shipbuilding in the Boothbay Region," consisting of
locally-built models of locally-built boats, opened in mid-July and continued
to mid-September. The exhibit featured photographs of the shipyards, a map
showing their locations, and models from our collections and borrowed from
Robert Rice, Jim Hunt, and Lester Barter. Bob Blake loaned his painting of the
brig Torrent.
The
exhibit, by Natalie Scott and Barbara Rumsey, was in conjunction with the
society's 35th anniversary celebrated in August at Hodgdon Yachts.
Rousmaniere
Slide Show
On
July 19, John Rousmaniere, one of the country's most respected and widely read
boating authors, gave a slide show and talk to an overflow audience about his
latest (and nineteenth) book, After The
Storm. He covered three Maine-related sea disasters, two of which involved
Boothbay people: the Yankee gale of 1851 and the 1898 sinking of the steamer Portland.
Previous
books include Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Fastnet, Force
10. His talk was in conjunction with a New England book tour promoting his
latest book. Following the talk, those in attendance were able to speak with
him and purchase signed books.
35th
Anniversary
On
August 9, we marked our thirty-fifth anniversary with a party at Hodgdon
Yachts in East Boothbay.
The
event took place at the main shipyard shop from 5 to 7 p.m. The 160 attendees
got a rare look at Scheherazade, the 154-foot yacht now under construction, enjoyed
live music by Castlebay, light drinks, and hors d'oeuvres catered by Baggettes.
Tim Hodgdon and crew members were on hand to answer questions about the design
and construction of the vessel.
In
addition to offering guests a chance to see, up close, shipbuilding in East
Boothbay today, the party provided an opportunity to recognize the
contributions made by a number of people to the well-being of our society.
Society charter members, both in attendance and unable to make it, were
thanked.
Charter
members who attended were: George McEvoy, Margaret Hodgdon, Philip and Shirley
Haselton, Harry Leach, Bud Logan, Ruth Gardner, and Roy and Joanne Lewis
representing J. Edward Knight. Charter members unable to attend were: Robert
Barter, Stan and Jean Chenoweth, Ethelyn Giles, Jim Waugh, Dorothy Cann
Bennett, Evie Stevens, Evelyn Blake, and Alden and Mildred Stickney.
We
intended to honor Jim Stevens at the party with the presentation of a
watercolor of the two vessels he'd gone to sea on as a young man. Jim was our
last living founder and the man most closely identified with local history.
Sadly,
Jim died a month before the August event. Aware of his failing health, we gave
him the watercolor early and borrowed it back to present to his daughters,
Ella Ibarguen and Edith Stevens, as an expression of profound gratitude for
all he had done to perpetuate Boothbay's heritage. The Earle Barlow painting
depicted the lumber schooner Leona & Marion, which Jim worked on in 1935, and the sardine
carrier, Nellie M. Stanley, which he
worked on in 1950.
We
are grateful to Tim Hodgdon for his willingness to open up the shop for our
celebration. We are also thankful for the generous support of one of our
members for underwriting the celebration. The ticket proceeds were directed to
our endowment fund, helping to ensure success during our next thirty-five
years.
Death
of Jim Stevens
With
the July death of Jim Stevens, past owner of Goudy & Stevens shipyard, the
society lost its last founder. From 1967 to the present Jim was a bulwark of
the society.
He
organized the society's photo collection and developed its cataloging system,
and he almost single-handedly manned and maintained the museum when it was at
the Hyde House in the 1970s and early 1980s. He gave many talks for the
benefit of the society, and was always available to answer questions of an
historical nature. In recognition of his painstaking work in the photograph
collection, the board voted to name the photo collection in his memory.
Jim's
family listed the historical society in his obituary as one of three
designated organizations for memorial donations. Forty-seven people donated
$2,000 to the society in his memory. We plan to use these donations as a
distinct fund in memory of Jim.
Maine
Heritage Day Open House
Maine
Heritage Day on September 15 was celebrated with an all-day open house. All
visitors were given a local view (photo or postcard) that they chose from a
selection on hand. The door prize, consisting of some society publications,
was won by Geri Burke of Boothbay Harbor.
Visitors
were served refreshments and had an opportunity to see the boat model exhibit
and the museum's permanent collections.
Fall
Foliage Festival
On
Columbus Day weekend we maintained a booth at the Fall Foliage Festival at the
Boothbay Railway Village. We sold books and cheddar cheese, a 25-plus-year
tradition, of which Jim Stevens was always an integral part.
Having
about 50 pounds of cheese left after the Festival, Barbara Rumsey, Cathy
Sherrill, Stevie Hale, and Judy Dunsford spent two mornings selling the cheese
from a card table in front of the museum.
Volunteer
Recognition Reception
We
are deeply appreciative of the great contributions made by the many volunteers
who donate their time and energy to help the society. On September 24 we gave
a reception to honor our volunteers.
Attending
were members of the group who work behind the scenes in collections and those
who man the museum in the summer. We had a great attendance and the shrimp
went fast!
A
special thank you to those who welcomed visitors at the museum this summer:
Judy Cook, Marilyn Lozier, Toots Adams, Peggy Voight, John Heyl, Lynnette
Page, Lucy Marlowe, and Edith Tauber.
We
are always looking for more volunteers and urge you to contact us if you would
like to get involved. Volunteers help with small mailing parties, man the
museum in the summer, and help with collections work in the archives and
photograph collection. Special computer skills needed are scanning and
entering data. There are a variety of things to do!
ONGOING
ACTIVITIES
Members'
Tangible Gifts
During
the summer, member Reid Ervin expressed a wish to underwrite a particular
project. Since we have aging videos of interviews with local residents, Reid
agreed to provide the funds for us to transcribe some of them.
Judy
Cook has been doing the transcription; most recently she finished a 1986 video
that Barbara Rumsey recorded of interviews with people who worked at or were
familiar with conditions at Goudy & Stevens during the 1940s and 1950s
minesweeper days. The men interviewed were Jim Stevens, Tunk Stevens, Buck
Hasch, and Robert Holbrook.
We
are very grateful for this targeted gift which will increase the availability
of the information about the shipyard in the mid-20th century.
Collections
Work
We
went to our summer hours right after July 4th. A number of volunteers have
been working behind the scenes on most Wednesdays and some Saturdays.
Ken
Hanson continues the task of cataloging artifacts in the computer. Faith Meyer
and Barbara Rumsey continue the routine collection work of accessioning,
cataloging, and acknowledging artifacts and small collections. Doreen Dun is
working on updating archive box labels.
George
Patch and Lois Streett have worked on the part of the Boothbay Playhouse
collection donated by Chris Patton. Edith Tauber is maintaining order in the
family history files. Pat Moses has put in some time on cataloging the
contents of the Little Theater Group collection.
Buildings
and Grounds
Dick
Rohrer painted the horse trough in the sideyard. Tom Carbone continues to mow
the lawn and make improvements to the grounds. Dave Allen did a lot of shrub
pruning in the back and sideyards and relaid paving blocks and bricks in the
rear and side door step area. Larry Brown has taken loads of brush to the
dump.
Robert
Rice rebuilt parts of the side door steps which were getting tender. He also
filled a hole left in the ceiling of the main room when a radiator pipe was
taken out.
Assistant
Pat
Waldman has been our part-time office helper for about a year now, handling
some of the administrative chores. Starting in September, she's been keeping
the museum open on Friday mornings from 10 to 12. Her help in handling many of
the routine tasks, such as the administrative letter writing and phone calling
has been just great.
Out
Of Our Past
Articles
that have been in our Boothbay Register column, "Out of Our Past,"
since the last newsletter include five by Barbara Rumsey: the fourth part
of the Robert M. Wylie diary series, one on Penny Lake on the Meadow, one on
the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library building, and two on Outer Heron Island.
Also published were three parts of the John M. Hodgdon stories written by
Flora H. Bishop.
In
the month-long lapse between articles or a series of articles, we run a photo
with a detailed caption in the Register. Some of the photos profiled recently: a view of Boothbay
Harbor featuring Billy Sawyer's scow, a circa 1940 aerial view of Boothbay
Center, a 1942 view of East Boothbay shipyards and coal wharf, a 1940s view of
Mac's Diner in Boothbay Harbor, and the 1910s East Boothbay Murray Hill roller
coaster.
OUTREACH
Peggy
Voight does an invaluable service in placing nearly all the historical society
news items in the Boothbay Register and Lincoln County newspapers. She announces
coming events and reports on how they went, so people can follow our doings on
an ongoing basis.
Website
Bruce
Wood of Southport and Maryland continues to maintain and update our website.
He's also been invaluable in making digital images of specific museum maps and
items and in helping out with the digitization and storage of the photo
collection.
Rick
Prose put together a short slide show of some of our photos showing West
Harbor area views. The video is being shown on the community TV Channel 5.
Barbara
Rumsey spent a morning with the fifth grade at Porter Point, introducing the
children to the probable lifestyle followed at the site of a 19th-century
house foundation. She also talked to the first and second graders and
accompanied them on a bus tour, telling them about some local historic sites.
Thanks
to Larry Brown who made arrangements with Harbor Embroidery, we are offering
baseball caps at the museum with our pinky logo and name at $15.75. The khaki
caps have dark blue visors.
If
you'd like to purchase a shirt with the same logo, go to Harbor Embroidery at
71 Commercial Street and choose among the many varieties and colors. The
business is turning over part of the proceeds from shirt sales to help the
society. Thanks, Harbor Embroidery!
Our
membership now stands at 600. Since the April newsletter we've gained the new
members listed below. Thanks, everybody—your dues provide a large part of
our operating funds.
We're
sorry to report that one of our charter members has died. Ethelyn P. Giles had
been a generous member since our founding in 1967, and we, and the community
at large, will miss her.
New Members
East
Boothbay
Will Ball
Tim & Cathy Hodgdon
Richard & Elizabeth Colten (& Saddle River, NJ)
Boothbay
Norman Rau
Earl Leavitt, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Parker
Boothbay Harbor
Marcia Reese
Barbara Cundy
Mr. & Mrs. T. E. Heidenreich
Sterling Blake
Mr. & Mrs. J. D. Walton
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Davidson (& Jacksonville, FL)
Sylvia Kraemer
Barters
Island
Dave & Vicky Werner
OTHER
STATES
Francestown,
New Hampshire
Merrill Milke
Diane Noonan
Weston,
Massachusetts
Nicholas Gleysteen
Avon,
Connecticut
Stephen Wilde
Bethel,
Connecticut
Wendy Matthews
Babylon,
New York
Robert & Melodie Linekin
Dallas,
Texas
Russell Minton
Galveston,
Texas
Helen Aucoin
West
Chester, Ohio
Trent French
Seguin,
Washington
Larry & Jane Stevenson
Pat
Parker brought in a 1904 invoice from Dunton's store. Dennis Runey gave us
some typed 1890s memoirs of Horace Runey. Nat Wilson gave some stationery of
local sailmaker Selig. Southport Historical Society donated some Boothbay
Harbor Walter Farmer bills.
Early
region photos have come from Rupe Neily, Earle Barlow, Edie Vassamillet, and
Barbara Beatley Anthony. Most recently, Ray Orne brought in a rare snapshot of
the 1912 blasting on West Harbor's Orne's Hill for the water line.
Al
Dodge gave us copies of 19th-century Light, Blake, and Kelley documents and
gave us the opportunity to look over and record structural elements of his
early Meadow Cove house before he sold it. He also gave us a pair of spiked
ice shoes.
Lester
Barter gave us a 1907 Boothbay Harbor Grammar School graduation program.
Nylene Page brought in a 1945 8th-grade Boothbay Harbor yearbook, "Center
Courier," and an 8th-grade Boothbay Harbor yearbook, "The
Mariner." Laura Arsenault and Sally Sample Johnson identified the
8th-grade publications.
John
Rousmaniere gave us a copy of his newest book, After
the Storm. Sarah Giles gave a leather wallet, owned by Caleb Hodgdon Jr.
in the late 1800s and a G.A.R. button. She also donated a World War II
scrapbook compiled by Elizabeth Archer.
Naomi
Adams Blake Crowder gave us a beautiful quilt made by her grandmother Cora
Adams of East Boothbay. Naomi also gave us a number of family photographs,
principally of East Boothbay Adamses.
Jennifer
Downs gave us some wonderful 1910s photo albums and scrapbooks which focused
on the Commonwealth Art Colony on the east side. They were compiled by her
great grandmother Ina Kronk Slate, who attended the school. Next summer's
Fisher art colony exhibit will draw heavily on the albums.
Gloria
Knapp gave a copy of boatbuilder Malcolm Brewer's 1976 video. Barbara Rumsey
taped interviews which were added to the collection: with Elliott Barlow, the
Boothbay town crew, and Sherwood Leighton.
Elise
Cutler donated a "Souvenir Handbook of Boothbay Harbor." Jeannie
Godfrey gave us some handmade nails from the old Matthews place on Matthews
Road. Virginia Barlow donated a Sample's shipyard view of rescue tugs ATR9 and
ATR10. Alan Anderson gave a pastel of ATR7.
Bright-eyed
Ed Shaw saw some old town reports at the dump. He gave us the ones we lacked,
two from 1875 and 1876. There were no known copies anywhere in town, so we
copied them for the town office. Florence Harrold brought in some sleigh bells
used by Chester Holton.
Alton
Swett gave us a notice from the steamer Islander.
We purchased a copy of Warren Reiss's Angel
Gabriel. Fred Bennett gave us an updated version of his "Boothbay
Marriage Intentions, 1764-1904." Lucy Marlowe brought in a sign from Fred
Marlowe's barber shop.
Mrs.
Francis (Florence) Greene III gave us a copy of Rev. Murray's "Book of
Records," handwritten by Francis Greene I in memory of the great
contribution the family made to Boothbay history. Eleanor Miller donated
papers relating to the formation of the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund and
the Boothbay Region Art Foundation.
Andy
Hamblett donated the 1929 corporate seal of the Boothbay Harbor Cold Storage.
Nancy Hanson gave an E. L. Porter medicine bottle. Audrey and Sherwood
Leighton donateda medicine bottle from Porter & Erskine, an 1890s pharmacy
business that predated E. L. Porter.
Ed
Harding gave a 1937-1939 Boothbay region directory. Andy Matthews brought in
1962 house location maps of Juniper and McKown points. Ruth Gardner donated a
cream pitcher depicting Squirrel Inn, a Sample's shipyard pamphlet, and a
Louis Paine book of sketches.
We
appreciate all the gifts that have come our way. Our donors do the hard work
of disposing of things in a thoughtful way. Many of the recently given
artifacts are on display, and the paper items can be located easily for those
who would like to see the new acquisitions.
President
Faith Meyer provides a great service to the society by recording and
cataloging the donations and personally writing nearly all the thank-you notes
to the artifact donors.
HOURS
Hours
are 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays during the
winter. The hours expand to Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. from July 4 to Labor Day.
Barbara
Rumsey is normally there to help with any inquiries, and she and others are
usually working in the building on Wednesday afternoons, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
•
Phone: 633-0820. Email: brhs@gwi.net
•
Website: www.boothbayhistorical.org
*
*
*
DATES
TO REMEMBER
Help your Society and increase our local support—give the membership form to interested friends and encourage them to join the Society.
INFORMATION email: brhs@gwi.net_________________________
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