Museums of the Bethel Historical Society

28/07/2024

One of the more memorable numbers from Saturday’s concert—a rendition of Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus.”

28/07/2024

Thank you to the Yankee Brass Band for a fantastic concert this Saturday, and to the crowd of about 60 people who came out to enjoy the music on a beautiful, summer day! It was quite a show and we are honored to support this unique and dedicated group of talented musicians.

27/07/2024

Our friends in Shelburne are holding an open house at the historic Peabody Farm House tomorrow from noon until 4 PM and would love to welcome you!

26/07/2024

How much do you know about the War of 1812??? The conflict is often known as “America's Forgotten War" and tends to be regarded as little more than a footnote to U.S. and British history. To shed some light on this little understood war, we are pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of "'Sanguinary and Cruel': The War of 1812 Narrative of Joseph Penley."

Written by a citizen of Paris, Maine, and first published in 1853, under the title, "A Short and Thrilling Narrative of a Few of the Scenes and Incidents That Occurred in the Sanguinary and Cruel War of 1812–14," Joseph Penley's memoir is notable as one of a very few first person narratives to have emerged from the War of 1812, and one of an even tinier number to have been recorded by an enlisted man. To this new edition, editor Larry Glatz has added a useful introduction, notes, appendices, and indexes, which provide helpful context and make the story useful and entertaining to lay readers and scholars alike.

This book will be released on August 21. At the book launch event, which will take place at 6:00 pm, in the MBHS Reading Room, Glatz will offer a presentation on the narrative, followed by a question and answer period and book signing.

21/07/2024

What a day we had for this year’s Bethel Summerfest! It was a privilege to team up with the Chamber to add some historical context to the celebration. Executive Director Will Chapman’s presentation at noon on “The Evolving Legacy of Mali Agat (Molly Ockett)” was attended by an engaged and enthusiastic audience, and our tireless volunteers spent the day staffing the Museum Shop, supervising children’s activities, and giving tours of the exhibits and the Mason House. Our “scavenger hunt” of stereoptic images of Bethel’s 1874 Centennial celebration placed around the Common was a hit with everyone who picked up a free pair of 3D glasses and went on the hunt to find all six posters. Thanks to everyone who supported this team effort to ensure a great time for everyone who attended!

17/07/2024

We’ve got a special activity for this year’s Summerfest: travel back in time 150 years with 3D posters of Bethel’s 1874 Centennial celebration. Stop in the Museum Shop for a pair of 3D glasses and a punch card. Glasses will be free and if you find all 6 posters around the Common you’ll even have a chance to win a prize—an original 1874 Centennial booklet and a box of Haven’s chocolates!

Thank you to the Congo Craftsmen for building the supports for the posters!

14/07/2024

Katherine Rhoda will be joining us at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society on September 18 at 6:00 pm for a program on “Songs of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.” You won’t want to miss it!

11/07/2024

You never know what secrets are lurking in an old attic. Recently, MBHS trustee John Walker discovered a trove of letters and documents relating to the Bethel Steam Mill company’s operations in the 1870s-1890s scattered throughout the attic of his grandmother Debby Brown’s home in the Skillingston/Steam Mill neighborhood. This week summer intern Nick Lyndaker and director Will Chapman started the long process of cleaning and sorting.

03/07/2024

Please join us on the Fourth for this fun annual event!

02/07/2024

We had a great crowd at the opening reception for "Birdhouses, Baskets, and Benches: Crafting Traditions of the Newell Family," including many family members in attendance--some meeting each other for the first time!

There will be some opportunities to view this exhibit before and after our Annual Fourth of July Picnic and Concert at 11:30, this Thursday, July 4th. Regular hours for the Mason House (including this exhibit) start Friday, July 5, and will be Thursday and Friday, 1:00-4:00, and Saturday, 9-12:00, through August.

01/07/2024

It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Ben Conant, a giant of local history and a longtime friend and colleague to all of us at MBHS.

The Paris resident was described as a 'walking encyclopedia of area history.'

24/06/2024

Here’s a preview of our new summer exhibit, “Birdhouses, Baskets, and Benches: Crafting Traditions of the Newell Family,” which traces the transmission of traditional craft knowledge through several generations of the Newell family. The Newells (and the Houses, Melvilles, and others) are a Penobscot family who have lived in Bryant Pond and Greenwood since the 1890s. Socklexes Newell supported his family through building twig furniture, teaching dance, dousing, caning chairs, and making birdhouses, among other activities. The birdhouse business was carried forward by “Sock’s” son-in-law Bill House, and his grandson Bellmont “Bunker” House, whose work is also featured. This exhibit draws on the collections of MBHS, the Greenwood Historical Society, the Woodstock Historical Society, and family members.

We would like to invite you to a special opening reception, this Friday (June 28), at 6:00 pm. The exhibit will then be up during our regular Mason House open hours (Thursday and Friday, 1-4, and Saturday, 9-12) and by appointment through July and August.

14/06/2024

The latest edition of our newsletter, The Courier, is now available! Print copies should be mailed out to all members and supporters next week. Follow this link to read it now!
https://bethelhistorical.org/data/uploads/courier/courier-44-1.pdf

13/06/2024

SWEET!! Our Museum Shop is now carrying a selection of Maine’s own Haven’s Candies! From the half-pound State of Maine assortment, to chocolate-covered Maine blueberries, to the 4-piece “Thank-you” or “Happy Birthday” box, we’ve got your sweet tooth covered. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1-4 p.m., and we have plenty of other new toys, books, and gifts, too—stop in and check them out!

11/06/2024

Our friends at the Northern Forest Center will be hosting a demonstration of historic restoration work at the Gehring House on June 26. Be sure to register to attend!

June 26th, 2024 9:30-11am Gehring House 77 Broad Street, Bethel ME The Northern Forest Center invites you to join us for a opportunity to learn more about the Gehring House project and how our team is restoring this historical building. Mark Sturgeon, project manager from Woodhull Construction, will...

29/05/2024

McKeen Genealogy NOW AVAILABLE!

We've worked with longtime "Cold River Chronicle" publisher and MBHS member and supporter, David Crouse, to publish a new genealogical volume on the McKeen family of Maine and New Hampshire.

This exhaustive study of the descendants of James and Margaret (Alexander) McKeen of Amherst, New Hampshire, and Fryeburg, Maine, represents many years of research into the lives of ten generations of the progeny – both male and female – of this pioneering couple. As the every-name index testifies, the McKeen line can be traced back from numerous other surnames common to a large portion of Maine and New Hampshire in the 20th century. From the earliest traceable ancestor of the early McKeens of America, William McKean of Argyleshire, Scotland (born about 1615), to descendants born during the first two decades of the 21st century, this book is sure to fill a gap in the genealogical literature of northern New England.

Order your copy here:

This exhaustive study of the descendants of James and Margaret (Alexander) McKeen of Amherst, New Hampshire, and Fryeburg, Maine, represents many years of research into the lives of seven generations of the progeny – both male and female – of this pioneering couple. As the every-name index testi...

28/05/2024

We are thrilled to announce that this fall MBHS will publish, “Just Like Glass,” the debut novel from writer Amy Wight Chapman (our own MBHS Administrative Assistant). You can pre-order the book NOW: https://mbhs-shop.square.site/product/just-like-glass-pre-order-ships-november-2024-/484?cs=true&cst=custom

Amy says about this book:

“The book I have been writing, off and on, for sixteen years, Just Like Glass, is the story of one year in my mother’s life. Told mostly in the first person, in her own voice, it is necessarily a work of fiction, because that year, between June of 1958 and June of 1959, was the year before I was born.

“In writing the book, I found myself striving for accuracy in some of the smallest details—what was the weather like in Bryant Pond, Maine, on September 3, 1958, or in Westfield, New Jersey, on March 2, 1959? what was the name of the one-armed man from West Paris who delivered sand and gravel in the 1950s?—while taking extreme artistic license with many other aspects of the story. In some cases I just made things up, as my mother would have said, “out of whole cloth.”

“What began as an attempt to tell my mother’s compelling story turned out to be a tribute to both of my parents—the widowed mother who raised me to be intrepid and capable, and the father whose legacy was to remain a vital and immediate part of the family he left behind. It also turned out to be a sort of love letter to western Maine from the child who, growing up in Connecticut but always longing for the woods and waters of Oxford County, once declared her intention to change her middle name to Oxford.

“Because the “bones” of the story are true, but many of the details are fictional, and because the story is my mother’s, not my own, the book doesn’t fit neatly into any of the categories you might find in a bookstore. But whether you choose to call it creative nonfiction, a true-life novel, or a fictionalized memoir, it is the book I felt called to write.”

You can also read Amy’s essay (also titled “Just Like Glass”), which has become the prologue for the book, on the website of Down East magazine, in which it was originally published: https://downeast.com/uncategorized/just-like-glass/

The debut novel from Amy Wight Chapman, Just Like Glass, is the story of one year in her mother’s life. Told mostly in the first person, in her mother's voice, it is necessarily a work of fiction, because that year, between June of 1958 and June of 1959, was the year before she was born.What Chapm...

23/05/2024

The Mahoosuc Land Trust and Museums of the Bethel Historical Society are partnering to present “The Power of Water,” a film about the work of Bob King, who has spent his adult life resurrecting derelict small dams and bringing them back to life. The film discusses how water power was once the economic engine of New England. Bob believes that select ones, restored correctly, could play an important role in a sustainable energy source for the future.

22/05/2024

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Mason House as a historic house museum, we are featuring a series of mini-exhibits, each highlighting a different aspect of 19th century life in Bethel as it would have been experienced by Dr. Moses and Agnes Straw Mason. Drop in at the Twitchell Education Center anytime the Robinson House is open (look for the Open flag!) to see the latest exhibit in our summer series, Crafting Memories. These exhibits are self-guided and free to all.

22/05/2024

What a fun visit we had last week from the Woodstock Elementary School 4th and 5th grades! The students toured both the Mason House period rooms and the exhibits in the Robinson House. The theme of their visit was “Doing Without.” Guided by historian and educator David Jones, an MBHS trustee, the students had a chance to imagine life without modern conveniences like electricity and running water. At the end of the visit, Mr. Jones asked all the students “How would your family fare if you suddenly found yourself in world of the 1820s?” What about you?

09/05/2024

Well, this is fun! A watercolor painting by Elina Shatalova of our own Mount Zircon Moontide Spring bottle lunch stand has been transformed into a 24-piece jigsaw puzzle. At 4.5” x 6.5”, it can even be mailed as a postcard (extra postage required). Our Museum Shop is currently open on Fridays from 12-3 p.m., but starting on Tuesday, May 28, we’ll be here to welcome you to the shop, as well as the exhibits in the Robinson House, from 1-4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Hope to see you soon!

05/05/2024

More than 30 people joined us this morning for Jane’s Walk Bethel: Historical Assets Serving Community Needs. Sponsored by the Northern Forest Center and the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, this walking conversation highlighted buildings within Bethel’s Historic District which are currently being used by local nonprofit organizations. Executive Director Will Chapman shared historical background at each stop, and representatives of each nonprofit discussed the work their organizations are doing in our community, needs that are and are not currently being met, and ways to collaborate and get involved.

Stops along the way included Gould Academy (Bingham, Hanscom, and Gehring halls), West Parish Congregational Church, Hastings Block (Maine Adaptive offices), Wiley Block (Inland Woods + Trails offices), Cole Block (Town of Bethel), Bethel Library Association, Robinson and Mason Houses (Museums of the Bethel Historical Society), the Hastings Homestead, and Gehring House (Northern Forest Center). Thanks to everyone who participated!

02/05/2024

Many thanks to Elena Brotz of Rambling Repair, who conducted a free, fun, and well-attended mending workshop this afternoon in the Mason House Meeting Room! Participants brought an item in need of repair, and Elena provided mending materials and demonstrated a variety of patching and darning techniques. A senior at College of the Atlantic, Elena is currently biking back to school from her home in Burlington, Vermont, stopping to offer mending workshops along the way. Special thanks to Wendy Youmans and our own MBHS Trustee (and sewing expert) Donna Sheerin Gillis, who connected to bring Elena to us!

30/04/2024

This Saturday!

18/04/2024

Tonight’s the night! Join us for the Goose Eye 4 launch party at the Gem! Doors at 5:00, presentation at 6:00, “Pay What You Can” tickets benefiting MBHS and BAAM-Bethel Area Arts & Music.

TONIGHT📽️
Join us for the Goose Eye 4th Edition launch party!
In collaboration with and

Goose Eye No. 4 is entitled “The Coming Woman” and is inspired by the surprising inclusion of a woman’s suffrage-themed float of the same title in the 1874 centennial parade.

Doors 5:00, presentation 6:00. Tickets are “Pay What You Can” benefitting future BAAM programming.

15/04/2024

Thanks to Rose Lincoln for featuring our Goose Eye launch party in the "The Weekly!" We hope to see you all on Thursday!

What's happening this week...