Odds and Ends From The MUSEUM!
Forty-five years ago, 1979, the Millinocket Historical Society Museum opened in the Millinocket Municipal Building! An ambitious group of local citizens, after several months of committee meetings and some funds left from the 1975 Bicentennial celebration created a history museum in Millinocket. Work was done by volunteers on a small third-floor room (formerly a kitchen) and the museum became a reality. Many local citizens stepped up to make this a reality! For the next 35 years, that space was the museum’s home.
Polly Segee, Belle Rush and others kept the space open one afternoon a week. Each new artifact was given a number and recorded in a notebook (mostly in Polly Segee’s beautiful cursive handwriting). The very first item listed is 79-1 plate. No description given. This plate, advertising CJ Rush Contractor & Builder is on display at the museum. The second item, an original Stearns HS teacher’s desk, accession number 79-2, can also be seen. The accession book is also at the current museum.
About 2004, the museum went to more limited hours and then closed for a time. In the spring of 2007, a resurrected Millinocket Historical Society and new volunteers reopened the museum one afternoon a week. A group of Red Hat ladies were the first visitors. A computer and museum software program were purchased for tracking the artifacts and work began on adding the 1000+ items that were in the collection.
At that same time, discussion took place about the need for a larger space. That finally led to the acquisition of the building at 80 Central Street and renovation of the first floor of that building. July 4, 2014 was the opening date! We just passed the 10th year on Central Street (45 years total) and celebrated with dressed mannequins (Katahdin Rangers, Girl Scouts & more) on the porch for the parade and many visitors stopped in!
Construction on the 2nd floor is complete (displays to be worked on this winter) and funding (grants & other donations) for the addition of 2nd floor ADA accessibility & more is in the works.
Visitor numbers this year have increased greatly. Historical and genealogical queries come in by phone, email and in person. Membership in the Society has increased as has the number of volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a member (currently members in 20 states), being a volunteer or have items to donate to the collection, stop in or contact us (see below for email, phone # or mailing address).
Many changes have occurred with the museum in the past 45 years and we look to the future and the preserving of the current artifacts and the other items that are awaiting in attics, old trunks, cellars and photo collections!
This is #800 of my columns. The first was in the Katahdin Times, 3/24/2008 and I called it Odds & Ends from the Museum! as it still is today (in the Katahdin section of the Lincoln News). For several years, items donated were the focus. Later, the switch was made to topics of local history. The very first column highlighted a world globe donated by former teacher, principal and superintendent of schools Robert Pelletier. It was found in the attic of Aroostook Avenue School in the 1970’s. It was donated to the museum in honor of all retired teachers from that school.
Visit the museum, donate or volunteer…let’s keep the museum a special place in Millinocket for years to come!
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