New Contributions of Old Artifacts

During the past few months, the New Gloucester Historical Society has been the recipient of town-related artifacts donated by various benefactors. The new exhibit at the society’s History Barn focuses on these new acquisitions.

A sampling of these items includes a complete set of class photos and other memorabilia from the final class to graduate from New Gloucester High School in 1962, believed to have originated from the Marois family. Lincoln Merrill, of North Yarmouth, donated several Golden Sheaf pamphlets of the local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star that he had picked up at a flea market in Bridgton. Additionally, he contributed enlarged photos of Opportunity Farm, the originals of which he had acquired through eBay. Abby Lumsden donated letters and a copy of a photo from her great-grandmother who was a student at the Bailey School, a private school that was located on the Cobbs Bridge Road. Peter Wills gave a sign, a 1917 calendar and a wall thermometer from his grandfather’s store, J.W. Rideout & Co.

The public is welcome to visit the History Barn, located behind the New Gloucester Town Hall, open from 9 a.m.-noon on the first Saturday of every month. Admission is free.

Shaker Exhibit at the Farnsworth Museum

Take a trip to Rockland to see “The Shakers: From Mount Lebanon to the World,” an exhibition of about 200 works organized in partnership with the Shaker Museum of Mount Lebanon in New Lebanon, N.Y., and the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village Museum in New Gloucester. While the exhibit is a historical overview seen through artifacts from Mount Lebanon, it importantly also includes a section on the Shakers at Sabbathday Lake, the last active Shaker settlement.

The Farnsworth Art Museum, 16 Museum St., Rockland, has collaborated with the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake in the selection of works from its collection. Rarely, if ever, have the Shakers assumed such a role in a project of this scope to tell their own story.

The exhibit, housed in the Morehouse Wing, extends through Sunday, March 8. For hours and admission fees, see www.farnsworthmuseum.org.

Snowmobile Club to Meet

The sport of snowmobiling is promoted locally by the New Gloucester-based Royal River Riders Snowmobile Club, comprised of about 35 members. About a dozen volunteers perform the grooming, trail maintenance, equipment maintenance and fundraising.

Club treasurer Andrea Segars says that the club welcomes new members, and the fee is $25 for a family and $40 for a business. Joining the local club also gains complimentary membership into the Maine Snowmobile Association. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Community Building, 387 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, located behind Town Hall.

Any snowmobiler is welcome to use the groomed trails, and trail maps are available at area stores for a nominal cost. Club members would like to remind all riders to respect landowners, since without their cooperation, there would be no trails to ride on.

For more information on the club and its upcoming events, see royalriverriders.com, check its Facebook page, or call Andrea Segars at 577-2563.

Chatty Chickens

Socialize with chatty chickens at this Pineland Farms family education program taking place from 10-11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 13. The program will also be conducted on Saturday, Jan. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 22.

Buy tickets at The Market and Welcome Center, 15 Farm View Drive, New Gloucester, for $5 per person, a few minutes before the program starts. For more information, contact the education department at 650-3031 or education@pinelandfarms.org.

Historical Society Annual Meeting

The 2015 annual meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society will be held on Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., at the New Gloucester Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road. All members are urged to attend.

Dog Licenses

Dogs must be registered by Saturday, Jan. 31, or there will be a $25 fee per dog added to the registration, as per state mandate. The standard annual fees are $6 each for spayed or neutered dogs and $11 each for unaltered dogs.

This ice cutter sledge recently was donated to the New Gloucester History Barn by Dana Chute from the former Warner Chandler home on Intervale Road. The Chandler family used the sledge on Sabbathday Lake back at the turn of the 20th century to mark out the cubes of ice to be cut.Helen Edwards Davis donated her uncle’s complete Navy uniform to the New Gloucester History Barn on May 3, 2014. Her uncle was Ralph Edwards, a 1910 graduate of New Gloucester High School, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War I and was injured in France.Photos by Patti Mikkelsen