Events at Member Institutions

The Kennebec Historical Society’s June Public Presentation: “Risking Lives and Fortunes, Maine’s Underground Railroad”

With America embroiled in the Civil War and the issue of slavery tearing apart friends and neighbors, many Mainers, including families Kennebec County, put their lives and fortunes at risk by helping escaping slaves get to Canada in the 1860s. From Kittery to Fort Fairfield, like-minded abolitionists formed an extensive “underground railroad” connection that broke the law, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Jail time and heavy fines faced anyone caught in this endeavor, but brave families from the Nasons to the Farwells and Lambs refused to buckle to the dangers. The result was thousands of slaves, often chased by slave hunters, made the treacherous trip to freedom.

The Kennebec Historical Society’s speaker and winner of six national magazine writing awards, Mark Alan Leslie began his career as a journalist, reporting for the then-Waterville Morning Sentinel and then as an editor for the Lewiston Sun, Portland Press Herald and Sunday Telegram. He was the founding editor for Golf Course News, a publication that shot to the top of golf industry publications. Leslie has written 11 books, including three historical novels, four modern-day mystery/thrillers, two golf books, a devotional and a Christian self-help book.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, at South Parish Congregational Church at 9 Church Street, Augusta, author Mark Alan Leslie will weave this story, complete with photographs and narratives, that helped him write the Publishers Weekly Featured Book, True North: Tice’s Story.  The Kennebec Historical Society June Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will be followed by some light refreshments.

The Tate House Museum at 1267 Westbrook Street, Portland announces their 7thAnnual Tate House Tea in the Garden on Sunday, June 9^thfrom 1 until 4PM. The garden which overlooks the Stroudwater River will be the location for various hot and iced teas prepared and served by Nellie's Teas of South Portland. To accompany your tea numerous other sweet confections and savory appetizers will be served and ofcourse there will be strawberry shortcake to enjoy. This is a great opportunity to spend an afternoon with friends or family enjoying this civilized British activity while supporting the museum.

The Tate House will be open for tours for those who have never seen this special Georgian Colonial house. The charge for this event is $15 for members and $18 for non-members. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling the Tate House at

774-6177 or e-mailing the museum at assistant@tatehouse.org. Links to Eventbrite will be found on the website of www.tatehouse.org

FMI:

Peg Puza

Tate House Museum

1267 Westbrook Street

Portland ME 04102

Tel: 774-6177

assistant@tatehouse.org

Portland – The Tate House Museum welcomes noted author and historian, Alan Taylor, to an evening lecture on the events leading up to Maine's statehood entitled Bicentennial Reflections: Maine& the Crisis of the Union in 1820.Dr. Taylor is the author of eight books and numerous scholarly articles on American history and is a two time Pulitzer Prize winner. Currently the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair of the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville he will be sharing his perspective on the politics which led to Maine being admitted to the Union as a free state in 1820.

Please join us at 5PM on May 29th to meet the author and enjoy light refreshments at the Stroudwater Village Church, 1729 Congress Street, Portland, across the street from the Tate House. The lecture will follow at 6PM. This event supports the Tate House Museum in its continuing mission to share history with the public.

Copies of some of Dr. Taylor's books will be available for purchase and signing before the lecture begins, supplied by Print: A Bookstore.

Tickets are available through Eventbrite, by linking to the event at www.tatehouse.orgor by calling the Tate House at 207-774-6177.

FMI: Contact Peg Puza.

Tate House Museum

1267 Westbrook Street

Portland ME 04102

207-774-6177

assistant@tatehouse.org

Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 PM

Jane Woodman and Rob Lively of Western Maine Storytelling will talk about the importance of storytelling--particularly as it pertains to preserving history.  They will discuss how to get started with storytelling and suggest some techniques.  You will hear their stories—and some from willing audience participants as well.

Canton Historical Society
25 Turner Street
Canton, Maine
Questions? cantonmehistorical@gmail.com, 207-500-9893
www.cantonmehistory.org 

On Thursday, June 6, 2019, the 75^th anniversary of D-Day, the Canton Historical Society hosts an interactive program, What They Carried on D-Day: A WWII History Presentation and Exhibit.  Doug Culver presents the history of D-Day, using original artifacts to tell the story of the day that changed the course of WWII – the day that ultimately changed the world. The program includes a presentation and interactive exhibit.  

This is not just an ordinary history talk – you will learn about D-Day through vivid stories about  ordinary men and their extraordinary achievements, made even more vivid by a first-hand view of the uniforms they wore, and the equipment and supplies they carried. You will gain a new understanding of WWII and the events of D-Day, and you will be sure to come away, saying, “I didn’t know that!”

Doug Culver has presented free WWII programs for the past 30 years for high school history students, veterans’ groups, museums, historical societies, and other organizations. He has consulted with countless individuals on the identification of military artifacts in family collections. For more information on Doug’s programs, visit: www.wwiiconsulting.com

This program is great for anyone interested in history, high school students, young adults, and those who want to learn more about how the events of WWII shaped our nation and the world as we know it today.  Admission is free and open to the public. Program times: 6:30-8:30 PM. Doors open at 6 PM. Seating is limited. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Not recommended for very young children.

For more information, contact the Canton Historical Society:
Email - cantonmehistorical@gmail.com, or call 207-500-9893.

May 18^thfrom 9 am to 2 pm will be the annual Tate House Museum Herb and Plant Sale. The sale will be located at the museum on 1267 Westbrook St., Portland. The Museum garden contains heirloom plants that would have been found in an 18^thcentury garden for medicinal, culinary and fragrant uses. The sale will include perennials thinned from the historical garden. There will also be herbs and annual flowers supplied by Broadway Gardens as well as plants from the museum volunteers.

This year there will also be a used book sale so come and check out these greatly reduced volumes.

FMI

Peg Puza

Tate House Museum

207-774-6177

info@tatehouse.org

Join Yarmouth History Center for Antiques Appraisal Day on Saturday, May 4, from 10:00-2:00! This long-standing fundraiser returns this spring with appraisers Colleen Donovan and Christopher Considine from Foreside Antiques in Falmouth.

Prices: $10 for 1 item; $18 for 2 items; $25 for 3 items. The first item is free for members of Yarmouth Historical Society. Limit of 3 items per person. Single items only; please no large collections.

Yarmouth History Center is located at 118 East Elm Street in Yarmouth. Please visit www.yarmouthmehistory.org or call 207-846-6259 for more information.

New Senior Arts Program Coming to Museum L-A

            Museum L-A is thrilled to invite you to participate in its first senior arts workshop program! For the first installment of a three part workshop series, the museum will be hosting a free poetry workshop called “Seeing with the Heart’s Ear” lead by guest teaching artist Martin Steingesser. Martin is Portland Maine’ first Poet Laureate, an accomplished author, a performance poet, and a teacher. He will be guiding our workshop members on their poetry journey over the course of an 8 week session.

            This poetry workshop offers inspiration and opportunity for participants to learn new writing tools to serve their consciousness in expressive ways. The aim is to encourage and nurture stronger, clearer, and more expressive writing and poetry. The museum is looking for 12 willing participants over the age of 50 to join us on this poetry journey from April 13 to June 1, 2019. The workshops will happen at Museum L-A every Saturday from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. After the 8 week session has ended, the poets, their friends and family, and the general public will be invited to attend a poetry reading event on June 7 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm to celebrate the amazing work they have accomplished.

            In addition to “Seeing with the Heart’s Ear”, Museum L-A will be hosting two more senior arts programs over the next year through a grant program called Seeding Vitality Arts in Museum. This initiative is funded by Aroha Philanthropies and was designed to support the development and expansion of successful creative aging programs. The goal is to inspire and enable older adults to learn, make, and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex, and socially engaging. This work is driven by teaching artists whose creative process and understanding of older adults bring joy, connection, improved health and well-being, and a renewed sense of purpose to older adults. Museum L-A was chosen as one of only 20 museums throughout the United States to receive this grant and although this is one of Museum L-A’s first dedicated senior arts programs, they are looking towards being able to continue this practice for many years to come.

            If you’re interested in registering for this poetry workshop, please call Museum L-A at 207-333-3881. Emma Sieh, Museum L-A’s Collection and Exhibits Coordinator, will be fielding all registration queries. For more information about the program, please visit www.museumla.org.

Come join the Tate House Museum on April 11 as we welcome Maine Historic Preservation Level 1 Archaeologist Norman Buttrick as he discusses the Zachariah Stevens’ Tavern site with an eye towards what it can tell us archaeologically. Buttrick studied history and archaeology at the University of Southern Maine and University of New Hampshire and received his master’s degree from the University of Maine. He is certified as a historical archaeologist by the Maine Historical Preservation Commission and taught for 38 years at Freeport High School. Buttrick received one of three historic preservation awards in 1993 for teaching archaeology to secondary students.

Norm will be exploring this 18^th century site on Stevens Avenue which was built in 1767-69 and was run as a tavern during the Revolutionary War by Sarah Brackett and continued as such into the 19^th century under the proprietorship of her son, William. The excavation of this site is being conducted this Spring under a Portland Adult Education class and with volunteers from the Deering Center Neighborhood Association. Norm will be providing information on that project.

This lecture will take place at 6:30PM at the Means House across the street from the Tate House Museum, 1267 Westbrook Street, Portland ME. Seating is limited so please call the museum at 207-774-6177 for reservations. Tickets are $15 ($12 for members and volunteers).

Travel from Portland to the Kennebec Valley by stagecoach had begun long before Augusta had been selected for the Capitol site.  As early as 1792, Caleb Graffam rode the post and conveyed newspapers from Portland to Hallowell.  By December of 1793, he carried passengers from Portland to Hallowell in a sleigh. This was just once every two weeks, but it made a good start.  Up until the advent of the railroads in Maine, stagecoaches carried visitors, politicians and business men between Portland, Maine’s interim capital, and Augusta.  Stage owners were frequently tavern owners as well.  What better business model than being able to physically carry your customers to your tavern’s front door!  The presentation will cover the roads, stage lines, and taverns used to convey and accommodate travelers from Portland to Augusta and include stories of actual travelers who braved the winter snows, summer storms and some reckless stage drivers.

KHS speaker, western history author, entrepreneur and inventor, Leland J. Hanchett, Jr., has now published his first book on Maine’s history and his ninth book overall.  After sixteen years in computer design and manufacturing, Leland started his own manufacturing company, founding Hanchett Entry Systems, Inc.  A Swedish company bought him out in 1998.  Lee then wrote six books about Arizona followed by one on Montana.  During his engineering career, he patented thirty electronic, optical and mechanical devices.

The Kennebec Historical Society April Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted).  The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hope Baptist Church, located at 726 Western Avenue in Manchester.