RLRHS`s new monument and exhibit celebrating the world famous

“History is local. Everything has to take place somewhere”
-Garrison Keillor
RLRHS’s new monument and exhibit celebrating
the world famous Rangeley Boat is scheduled to be
completed in June 2015! This attractive installation
will be a most fitting tribute to an important part of
our region’s history. We thank those that provided
the initial support necessary to get this project and
it’s companion effort, The Rangeley Regatta, off the
ground. The monument will be located in the newly
landscaped park area on the grounds of the Outdoor
Sporting Heritage Museum. A brick walkway and
base will provide others with the opportunity to
support our efforts by purchasing personalized
inscribed double and single bricks.
On June 26-28th All are invited to enjoy a weekend of events
centered around Rangeley’s own Carrie Stevens and her
tremendous contributions to the world of fly tying and fly fishing. This will be a chance to see the largest collection of authentic Carrie Stevens streamer flies, ever assembled in one place.
Visitors to the museum will be able to view its entire collection of
Carrie Stevens flies including many unidentified
patterns. There will be fly tying demonstrations by
some of the most well respected tiers of Carrie’s
streamer patterns. Visitors will enjoy
demonstrations of her tying technique that evolved
over her 30 year career. Also on display will be 10
years of correspondence from Carrie to Joseph
Bates. It describes how she got into the fly tying
business, her favorite patterns, the origination of
her streamer flies, her mentor Shang Wheeler, and
many other insights into this amazing woman. If you
think you may have an authentic Carrie Stevens fly,
this will be an opportunity to have it authenticated
by renown experts Graydon and Leslie Hilyard. We
invite collectors of Carrie Stevens flies to bring those
collections for display during the weekend. This will
also be a chance for the public and collectors to
swap, buy or sell her original flies. The museum will
consider exchanging duplicates from its collection
for patterns it does not currently have and there
will be an opportunity for the public and private collectors
to swap, buy or sell their Carrie Stevens flies.
The weekend begins at 7pm Friday with a presentation
sharing a video of the Rangeley Historical Society’s first
Carrie Stevens program in 1993 and a video of Archer
Poor’s recollections of Carrie.
Also available for viewing will be an exhibit of Austin
Hogan’s analysis of Carrie’s work. The Hilyards will
also be available to sign copies of their book
“Carrie Stevens Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout
and Salmon Flies”.
The public is invited to submit flies they have tied
for a Carrie Stevens Streamer Contest and Museum
visitors will be invited to vote to determine their
favorite for prizes. There will also be a competition
for a new pattern; “OSHM Special.” The winning fly
pattern will be available exclusively at OSHM.
A party boat tour aboard “The Gray Ghost” with
Capt. Kevin Sinnett for a scenic tour of Mooselookmeguntic Lake and a visit to Upper Dam to see the
location of Carrie’s Camp Midway is also planned.
Reservations are requested for the field trip at:
[email protected] or 207-670-8391
Thank You and we hope to see you at the Outdoor
Sporting Heritage Museum for what promises to be
a great event!
“IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND TODAY, YOU HAVE TO SEARCH YESTERDAY” ~PEARL BUCK
Dear Members and Friends,
2014 was a milestone year for the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society as we recognized the long-term need to sustain and
build upon the success of the past several years. With the support of the Board of Directors, we made the major transition from a
totally volunteer organization to one with a full time Executive Director, Bill Pierce. We are now better situated to address the
needs and opportunities of an expanding and vibrant organization. Building on the tremendous strength of the existing volunteer
base, as well as Bill’s enthusiasm and energy, we tripled the number of hours at our Oquossoc Museum, dramatically increased
the number of events and programs, and enhanced the Main Street Museum’s offerings. A sad note was the passing of Carl Stern
who was RLRHS’s longest serving Director. Carl’s guidance and support will be greatly missed.
As good as last year was, 2015 promises to be even more exciting! The three traditional RLRHS summer programs in June, July and
August will offer high-quality programs that are sure to add to our appreciation and knowledge of the Rangeley Region’s rich
history. The Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum will present several new, important exhibits and events in 2015 including The
Saturday Summer Series featuring numerous demonstrations and events every Saturday in July and August. We will have also
expanded OSHM’s hours of operation in both the spring and autumn months.
In order to accomplish this challenging effort we once again call upon you, our valued members and friends, to lend a hand in a
variety of ways. Certainly, volunteers are needed as docents. They are essential to staffing the expanded hours, to coordinate the
special programs, and to use their special talents in a variety of ways. We also ask that you please consider loaning or donating
historical items for OSHM’s “From Paddles to Pack Baskets and More”, “A Presidential Visit” and the “Weekend with Carrie Stevens”. We also need your support for our major August 13th RLRHS Benefit Auction which you can do by donating items, attending
and then bidding at this important fund raising event.
Finally, if you join our Board of Directors and me in the belief that the Historical Society is doing a good job of acquiring, preserving and sharing this region’s important artifacts and proud heritage...then we hope that we can count on your continued membership support? With your help we will achieve our goal of constantly striving to provide a first-class historical society, offering two
vibrant museums that are befitting of the Rangeley region, our community and its rich history.
In sincere thanks for all you do,
Don Palmer - President, Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society
William B. Krohn, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Ecology, will speak at our RLRHS Annual Meeting on July 22, starting at 7PM
at the Historical Society’s Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, in Oquossoc. Professor Krohn will introduce us to the
adventures and accomplishments of local guide Daniel E. Heywood. His illustrated talk is entitled;
“Daniel E. Heywood (1869-1911): His Place in the Tapestry of Wildlife Conservation.” Heywood
was born and raised on a farm carved out of the wilderness on the southwest shore of Umbagog
Lake near the Maine/New Hampshire border. While a young boy he developed a deep appreciation
of wildlife as he observed swallows building their nests and raising their young in the family’s hay
barn. At the same time, he quickly became an accomplished hunter, providing the Harvard
ornithologist William Brewster with many rare specimens. As a woodsman who needed to make a
living in the wilds, Heywood was a professional guide, hunter, trapper. Later in life, he was a photographer and taxidermist in Rangeley. His grave is located in Rangeley’s Evergreen Cemetery. Join
us for what promises to be a fascinating presentation and learn more about Heywood and his fascinating life. Learn how the seemingly contradictory roles of woodsman... and naturalist helped to
shape Heywood into one of region’s (and Maine’s) first wildlife conservationists. The presentation is free and open to the public.
“HISTORY IS A CYCLIC POEM WRITTEN BY TIME UPON THE MEMORIES OF MAN”
~PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
2015 Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society & OSHM
Calendar...Great Events, New Exhibits and Good Old Fashioned Fun!
Fri. May 1st -OSHM Opens for 2015 Season (Open 10-4 Thurs-Sunday in May)
Weds. June 3rd-OSHM Opens 5 days a week in June (Weds.-Sun. 10-4PM)
Fri. June 5th - Fly Fishing in Maine’s Casting for Recovery Welcome Reception &
Social 6-8PM
Sat. June 6th - Rangeley Boat Monument Dedication & Coffee Social -Come
celebrate with complimentary coffee and pastry as we dedicate this new monument and
exhibit on the grounds of OSHM- 11 AM
Fri. June 12th New Exhibit “From Paddles to Pack Baskets & More…
The Rustic Woodcraft of the Great Northwoods” Featuring a variety of wooden
artifacts that portray our region's proud heritage of working and playing in the great
outdoors. To loan or donate an artifact for this exciting new exhibit please email:
[email protected]
Sat. June 13-20th-“Fly Fishing in Maine’s “Upper Dam Art Show and Sale” premieres at
OSHM. Handmade items and art crafted from the actual materials salvaged from the classic
old Upper Dam on display and silent auction.
Weds. June 17th -RLRHS Potluck Supper & “The Tale of Two Quilts” Presentation- 6pm in the
Undercroft of the Episcopal Church (Public invited) (see back page)
Sat. June 20th - Author Paul Doiron Book Signing and an artisan/tier TBD at OSHM
Fri. June 26-28th - “A Weekend with Carrie Stevens” Celebrating Carrie
Stevens and her contributions to the world of fly tying. (see page 1)
Weds. July 1st - OSHM will be open 7 days a week for the months of July and August
Fri. July 3rd New Exhibit- “A Presidential Visit– The 60th Anniversary
Exhibition of President Eisenhower’s Trip to Rangeley” (see page 5)
Thurs. July 9th Strawberry Festival – Gift Shop Sale with tables featuring new and used items
on the porch! 10-4PM
Sat. July 11th -Author Bob Mallard Book Signing and an artisan/tier TBD at OSHM
Mon. July 13th “Richardson to the Rapid Historical Field Trip, Hike, Paddle &
Cruise” Canoes provided. Reservations are requested for the field trip at:
[email protected] or 207-670-8391
Sat. July 18th Master Carver Gene Bahr and Watercolorist Donna Kantor-Gower
Two great artists featured at OSHM 11-3pm.
Weds. July 22nd -RLRHS Annual Meeting & Prof. Bill Krohn’s
Presentation on Daniel Heyward 7PM at OSHM. (see page 2)
Continued On Next Page
“HISTORY NEVER LOOKS LIKE HISTORY WHEN YOU ARE LIVING THROUGH IT” ~JOHN W. GARDNER
2015 Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society & OSHM Calendar…(Cont.)
Sat. Aug. 1st & Aug. 8th “Fly Casting Class with Expert Caster Bob Dionne”. Equipment & lessons will supplied for two classes on successive
Saturday mornings. Please Email: [email protected] for more information and to reserve your spot in the class.
Space is limited
Mon. Aug. 10th “Richardson to the Rapid Historical Field Trip, Hike, Paddle &
Cruise” For Reservations [email protected] or 207-670-8391
Thurs. Aug. 13th OSHM Benefit Auction & Dinner at Bald Mt. Camps
Join us at Bald Mountain Camps from 4:30 to 8 pm for a live auction that promises to be a
top highlight of the summer season! Not only will you have a chance to bid on some great
items for your camp or personal collection, but the night will be filled with many surprises
and fun including a great meal, refreshments and the terrific hospitality provided by Bald
Mountain Camps.
To donate an auction item, artifact, or service and receive a tax deduction for the value of
your item to support your Historical Society and OSHM and please email:
[email protected]
Sat. Aug. 15th Author Rob Romano/ Meet, Greet & Book Signing at OSHM
Weds. August 19TH The Historical Society will host a performance of
Dr. Jo Radner’s, “Braving the Middle Ground: Stories of Pre-Revolutionary
Northern New England,” at Rangeley High School 7pm (See page 5).
Sat. August 22nd Oquossoc Day – North Woods Law Wardens, L.L. Bean’s
Bootmobile and Rangeley Region Guides & Sportsman’s Shooting Gallery.
Come meet the stars of NWL & a great day festivities, events and fun at OSHM.
Sat. Aug. 29th - Author Cathy Scott and Master Bamboo Rod Builder Dave Van Burgel –
Book signing, Rod Building and Casting Demonstrations (11-3 pm)
Sat. Aug. 29th 1940 National Whitewater Championship Canoe & Kayak
Race on the Rapid River…Classic Film & Talk with Author and Historian Zip
Kellogg …a 20 minute color film, talk & refreshments. Come experience the thrills, chills,
and spills. - 4pm at OSHM
Weds. Sept. 2nd OSHM goes to a 5 days per weeks Wednesday –Sunday Schedule
1940 National Whitewater Championship Canoe & Kayak Race on the Rapid
Sat. Sept. 12th 1st Annual Rangeley Regatta –Regional middle school students
compete in both boys and girls divisions in Rowing Races in Classic Rangeley Boats on Oquossoc Cove! Students will also
represent their schools in Canoe & Kayak Races, Fly Casting, Fly Tying, Archery, a 1-Mile Road Race, Outdoor Trivia &
Spelling Bee and an Art Competition!!! There will also be Museum Tours and a Picnic. (Rain date: Sept. 19th). To volunteer please
email: [email protected]
Thursday Oct. 1st OSHM goes to a 4 days a week Thursday -Sunday Schedule
th
Mon. Oct. 12th -Columbus Day -OSHM will be Open Sunday Oct. 25 OSHM Closes for the 2015 Season at 4-PM.
We would be pleased to match your skills and interests with some of the many opportunities we have available to help RLRHS
as we continue to serve this great community! We need docents, indoor and outdoor maintenance, exhibit and cataloging
volunteers. Serve as often or as little as you wish. Even a couple of hours a month can be a big help. You’ll have fun, learn
about the region’s rich history and make some new friends Please contact Bill Pierce at: [email protected]
“THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE LIKE THE WAY THEY ARE TODAY IN HISTORY”
~DWIGHT D.EISENHOWER
On July 3rd, the Historical Society’s Outdoor Sporting
Heritage Museum will premiere a brand new exhibit highlighting
President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s
visit to the region 60 years ago,
this summer. This exciting new
exhibit will feature an original oilon-canvas portrait of the President’s Rangeley Guide, Don
Cameron that was painted by the
President while in office!
The exhibit will also feature vintage
film of “Ike” fly fishing at Little Boy
Falls as a guest of the Brown Paper
Company and riding through downtown Rangeley to an outdoor welcome reception. We have also
obtained a charming audio recording of the official welcome ceremony which was attended by local
dignitaries including Herb Welch, who cuts up with “Ike” and gives
him one of his fine bronze sculptures of two leaping trout. OSHM
has an exact duplicate of this exquisite bronze on loan to its
collection for this exhibit.
Sheldon Noyes also welcomes Ike and a young school girl named
Candy Tibbetts presents the President with a 3 week-old fawn deer for
the National Zoo “as a gift from the
children of Rangeley to the children
Washington”.
White House letters to Don
Cameron signed by Eisenhower as
well as wonderful photos, artifacts,
documents and many great
memories from a special moment
in time will also be featured.
If you have an artifact, memory or
item relating to this topic and would like to loan or donate it for this
exhibit, please email: [email protected].
The exhibit, entitled “A Presidential Visit” will run through OSHM’s
closing on Oct. 18th.
The Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society will host a presentation of Dr. Jo Radner’s program, “Braving the Middle Ground:
Stories of Pre-Revolutionary Northern New England,” at Rangeley High School on August 19, 2015 at 7pm. The program will be
free and open to the public. “Braving the Middle Ground” portrays a “middle ground” where English settlers and Native peoples
saw one another as defenders and trespassers, pursuers and refugees, relatives and aliens, kind neighbors and ruthless
destroyers. In the largest sense, this program raises questions about the meaning and possibility of justice in “middle ground”
situations past and present, where competing groups feel entitled to the same land. What solutions, if any, are possible?
Dr. Radner received her Ph.D. from Harvard University. Before returning to her family home in
western Maine as a freelance storyteller, writer, and oral historian, she spent 31 years as professor at
American University in Washington, DC. She has published numerous books and articles and is past
president of the American Folklore Society and the National Storytelling Network. Her recent CD,
Yankee Ingenuity: Stories of Headstrong and Resourceful People, won a 2013 national Storytelling
World Award. From the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling she has received
the 2013 Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award, presented in recognition of “extraordinary commitment
and efforts to promote a broader understanding of the art of storytelling and the support of
storytellers in the development of their art.”Please mark your calendar and join the Rangeley Lakes
Region Historical Society for a fascinating performance of “Braving the Middle Ground” this August
19th at 7pm.
The OSHM Gift Shop offers... glassware,
wildlife prints & note cards, OSHM Logo
clothing, a custom line of fly rods, reels,
flies, accessories, fly tying material, antique
fishing items and many new and out of
print local historical books. The following
quote brings to mind the great selection
of “Rangeley” themed books available in
our Museum Gift Shop:
“The best moments in reading are when
you come across something - a thought, a
feeling, a way of looking at things - which
you had thought special and particular to
you. And now, here it is, set down by
someone else, a person you have never
met, someone even who is long dead. And
it is as if a hand has come out, and taken
yours” ~Alan Bennett
Visa & MasterCard/Shipping available.
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HISTORIC TIMES
RLRHS
Board & Officers
President
Don Palmer
V.P. Gary Priest
Secretary Ann Ladd
Squire Rangeley
Historian
Wil Cushing
Curator
Jeanne Bowditch,
Directors
David Beisler
Nini Christensen
Brian Ellis
Ellen Gould
Robin Landis,
Norm LeBlanc,
Stephanie Palmer
Tony MacNaughton
Jim Quimby.
Kevin Sinnett,
Peggy Yocom
To donate or learn more, please visit our web site: www.rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org or call:
207-864-4771
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Coming Soon…
A New Book “Rangeley Through Time”…Local author Gary Priest’s latest work contains a comprehensive
collection of vintage photographs of many buildings and scenes of the Rangeley region with an accompanying current photo as they appear today. Informative captions and information will help share the fascinating story behind each building or location this intriguing new book shares. Gary has uncovered many
early photographs from private and family archives which have never been made public until now! Those
who enjoy seeing Rangeley as it was one hundred years ago will be excited to see how the town looked
then. Available this summer at the Main Street Museum & OSHM. All profits from these sales will go directly to the historical society.
The Tale of Two Quilts...On the evening June 17th’s Potluck Supper, Stephanie Palmer will present a program on the Historical Society’s treasured handmade quilts. The 1976 Sesquicentennial Quilt was carefully
designed to document our local history in fabric. Each embroidered hand stitched square shows a popular
site in our region. A Millennial Quilt presented to the Historical Society by the Rangeley Quilting Guild will
also be featured. Beautifully designed and stitched, it is a lasting tribute to our community and the Main
Street Museum. The public is invited to join us for our annual Potluck Supper at 6pm at the Undercroft.
A New Book on Herb Welch ...The long awaited book on one of Rangeley’s most important personalities,
Herb Welch, is schedule to be published in 2016! Graydon Hilyard, author of the quisicential book on Carrie Stevens, is working on the last chapter of what promises to be another winner. Presently the book is
untitled. This is where you can help. Graydon is inviting your title suggestions. If your title is used, he will
personally inscribe and gift you with one of the first books off the press. Please send you book title suggestions to OSHM at: [email protected]