Boothbay Region Historical Society

 

FISHERMAN'S ISLAND TRIP WAS A GREAT EVENT FOR THE SOCIETY

 

On Sunday, August 14, the Novelty and the classic Nellie G. II transported 130 supporters of the historical society to Fisherman's Island for an extraordinary evening. The island owners spontaneously offered us their island and home for this fundraiser. Their recognition of the importance of local history and the role of the historical society in the community prompted this great gift.

George McEvoy generously donated the use of the Nellie G. II, and she made a beautiful sight entering the little island harbor. Nat Wilson, Allen Johnson, Jim Dun, and Mary Bickerstaff helped on board during the trip out. Balmy Days Cruises very kindly did what they could to minimize the society's bill for the use of the Novelty, and Tom Perkins and Faith Meyer helped out on board her.

While ashore, guests enjoyed good food, cocktails, and live music as they explored the idyllic location. The rain cooperated by holding off until everyone was near the shelter of the house. Cathy Sherrill, society president, took on much of the planning. She, Sarah Giles, Doreen Dun, Peggy Voight, Sally Johnson, John Anderson, Darla Parker, and Bonnie Lewis prepared and served platters of hors d'oeuvres.

       Kevin Kiley provided the music and generously donated part of the cost. Guests were delighted with the party and bid generously on silent auction items. The attendees' enjoyment and generosity made the event the great success and great pleasure it was. The $13,000 raised from the auction and island event will be used to underwrite the society's endowment and the preservation and enhancement of the museum collections.

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 IT RAINED, BUT WE SOLD ALL THE CHEESE

For the 33rd year, we ordered, cut, weighed, and priced cheese for the Fall Foliage Festival. With the event rained out, Ronnie Spofford and others moved the sale of 160 pounds of cheese to the museum building. Volunteers kept the building open every day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for five days, peddling the cheese inside and from a card table out front, if the weather permitted. Thanks to all for buying!

Boothbay Region Historical Society

President Cathy Sherrill

Vice President Doreen Dun

Secretary Margaret Voight

Treasurer Sarah Giles

Trustees

Steve Alley

Larry Brown

Roger Duncan

Richard Hodgdon

John Heyl  

Jim Hunt

Sally Johnson

Faith Meyer

Tom Perkins

Robert Rice

Ronald Spofford

Trustees Emeriti

Alden Stickney

Bea Walker

Director

Barbara Rumsey

Assistant

Pat Waldman

Newsletter

Barbara Rumsey

Margaret Voight

Hours:

Friday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

72 Oak Street

Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone 207-633-0820

 Email: brhs@gwi.net

Web address: boothbayhistorical.org

 The BRHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

 

Six months is a blip in time when you are talking about history, and yet with only six months under my belt as president there is much to relay. First and foremost, the society continues to benefit from the steady guidance of our director Barbara Rumsey. For two decades she has kept the museum running smoothly, engaged members of the community in local history, written countless articles for the Boothbay Register and other publications, and kept the board of trustees on track. It is not news that Barbara is our director, nor is it news that her dedication has brought us to where we are, but as the new president I want to thank her publicly for all she does for the society.

Life-long Boothbay resident Steve Alley joined the board of trustees this May and we all look forward to his input in the months ahead. His knowledge of local history, in addition to his community leadership abilities make him a wonderful addition to the board.

The summer of 2005 saw a handful of programs at the museum, a steady if somewhat reduced number of visitors through the doors, and a sold-out event on Fisherman’s Island. On behalf of the trustees I extend my appreciation to our speakers Colin Woodard, Jim Hunt, and Tad Pfeffer, and to each of the volunteers who staffed the museum this summer. For those members who purchased tickets to the Fisherman’s Island event, your generosity helped us raise over $13,000 for the endowment and conservation efforts at the museum. Thank you one and all.

While the Fall Foliage Festival was washed out over Columbus Day weekend, the spirit of our Big Cheese, Ronnie Spofford was not. Thank you to Ronnie and his team of cheese cutters and would-be booth tenders for your enthusiasm for this year’s cheese sale. Thank you to all who made a special effort to stop into the museum to buy cheese this year.

Financially, with generous support from members and a few fund raisers, we continue to operate in the black while meeting all of our obligations. We are well into our 2005-2006 budget year and so far there have been no surprises.

One final note, over the summer we engaged a museum consultant to review our archival practices and the general physical state of the museum. While the majority of his report praised the care being given to the collection, we were advised that we needed to be more diligent in keeping light to a minimum inside the museum. As a result new room darkening window shades are being installed this fall. If you drive by and see the shades drawn, please know that it is only because we are working to preserve the archival materials and artifacts entrusted to our care. If the open flag is out, come in, even if the shades down make us look closed up for the winter!

Holidays are filled with memories. As the holidays approach please take time to visit and share a memory and the spirit of the season with us at the museum.

                                           Cathy Sherrill

  VOLUNTEER RECEPTION

Thanks especially to the many who manned the museum this summer: Edith Tauber, Judy Cook, Alice Minto, Eleanor Alley, Lucy Marlowe, Judy Davidson, Alan Fisher, Barbara Bush, Jane Cowley, Judy Burgess, Joyce Armendaris, and Alice Fossett. We always welcome new members, new volunteers, and new visitors at the museum on Oak Street! 

 

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting took place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, at the museum. A brief business meeting included the election of new trustees and officers. Jim Hunt stepped down as president with Cathy Sherrill taking on the role, Doreen Dun was voted vice-president, Peggy Voight became secretary, and Sarah Giles stayed on as treasurer. Joining the board is Steve Alley of Linekin, and re-elected to the board were Robert Rice, Jim Hunt, Peggy Voight, Cathy Sherrill, and Sarah Giles.

Following the meeting, Barbara Rumsey gave a short talk on the history of Fisherman's Island, accompanied by island photos and documents. Historically a sparsely populated fishing site, the island reflects Boothbay's evolution from a subsistence extractive life style to a tourist, summer colony orientation. A small display of Fisherman's material remained on exhibit during the summer.

 

NEW ACQUISITIONS

Teacher's desk from East Boothbay school – Alan Campbell

Humane Society cookbook – Loraine Nickerson

Souvenir dish of Heron Island – Jean Durfee

Deadeye lamp, Farmer home painting – Jean Chenoweth

Wiwurna 1885 poster, 1800s doll, old lace – Diane Saunders

Researching the Old House – Tam & Bill Green

Sail for exhibit – Nat Wilson

Antique flyswatter – Pat Farrin

Tax maps of Boothbay and the Harbor, mid-1950s tracings showing houses and owners– Region Water District

Girl Scout 1948 handbook – John & Sarah Giles

Sample shipyard badge of Arnold Cowley – Jane Cowley

Mary Cameron and CD of Ocean Point Anagnost/Pinkham book – purchased by society

Sextant of Alden Pinkham – Swett family

Doll's cradle – Margaret Kelly

Canes carved by Nick Ranco – Richard Higgins

World War II flight suit, helmet, goggles, name plate, signalling mirror, flight bags of 345th Air Apaches Battle Group – Eddie McKown

Oake Grove Hotel 1916 booklet – Ruth Ann Szostek

Painting of Brud Pierce – John Hatlem

HP Deskjet printer – Alden Reed

Claude Miller tin milk can and photos – Pam Murray

1931 Ethel Fowler map of Boothbay Harbor – Dick Rahm

Photos, Registers, Harbor town meeting tapes – Bob Barter

Edgar Poore photo – Jean Durfee

CD of family history and US censuses – Fred Bennett

DVDs of 1968 voyage of USS Acme – Ted Trebilock

John McKown history – Frank Farmer

Enoch Greenleaf Revolution pension papers – Wayne Keene

Dodge history – Christina Linscott

Abbott Revolution pension papers – Scott Walker

Ellen's Dress Shop painting – Ellen Safford

Eel spear with handle – Chester Fossett

 

BUILDINGS & GROUNDS

Outside, Dick Dexter reshingled the east side of the museum roof late in September, and the south side is planned for the spring. Inside, we're installing room-darkening shades to better protect our artifacts from light's harmful effects. Robert Rice and Bill Wilson took on the job of figuring sizes and installing shades for all the windows. In October, Larry Brown supervised Lincoln County jail inmates performing museum maintenance projects both inside and out, with Tom Carbone helping too.