The “new” Company I, 103rd, Infantry, National Guard Armory held a formal opening and military ball on Tuesday evening, January 16, 1940. An invitation to this event is in the collection of the MHS museum. The event was to begin at 9 PM. The invitation stated that “uniforms with slacks should be worn. Kindly advise whether or not you can be present.” Ernest A. Perrow, Captain, 103rd, Infantry issued the invitation. The museum also has a dance card from this event.
Another event at the armory (date unknown) was a production called “Windmills of Holland” presented by the Junior Philharmonic Club. The program describes two acts with almost twenty musical numbers. Among the cast were: Ralph Jackson, Rita Thorne, Margaret Tippens, Catherine Jacobs, John Cotter, Stanley Seaver, Howard Tibbitts and Madeline Wilson.
Introducin’ Susan, a rollicking three act farce, was presented at the Armory. Sponsored by the Millinocket Elks, the performance featured a cast of all local doctors and dentists. Included were Drs. Grumley, Young, Stevens, Santoro, Harrigan, Brown, MacKay and Morey.
Down Penobscot Avenue at the Opera House, some well-known performers appeared. In 1927, Godfrey Ludlow, violinist performed assisted by Madame Lolita Cabrera Gainsberg, pianist. Ludlow, with his Stradivarius, had played before the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace. His Millinocket appearance was sponsored by the Philharmonic Club of Millinocket.
Rubinoff and his violin (a 1731 Stadivarius) also performed at the Opera House (1963) sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Katahdin.
Programs for each of these violinist’s performances are in the museum’s collection. Taped inside the Rubinoff program appears to be a small piece of a violin string.
The museum has a photo post card depicting Rudy Vallee and the Venetian Melody Boys.
A mega-star in the 1920’s, Rudy was a student for a time at the University of Maine before transferring to Yale. In 1930, Rudy had the #1 hit song in the country, The Maine Stein Song. Did he perform in Millinocket? Maybe…or perhaps someone from Millinocket knew him at UMaine or had attended one of his performances and acquired the post card.
These represent just a few examples of the many performances of all kinds that took place in Millinocket at the armory, Opera House, pavilion and grandstand at the ball field and at the schools and churches.
Museum open Thursday, Friday, Saturday Noon-3PM, weather permitting!
In the Museum Store! *** Get your 2021 Calendars! Theme: Millinocket, Oh! How We’ve Changed! $12 each, mail orders add $5 SH each calendar. Each page has several photos from different areas of town (Society Hill, park area, Medway Rd., Outer Bates St., Across Tracks, Aroostook Ave., and more). *** Preowned yearbooks - $10.00 each. *** Matted photos, various prices – GNP mill, Little Italy, river drives, Mt. Katahdin. *** DVD’s, Little Italy Part 1 and Part 2 available at the museum ($15 each) or mail order ($15 each). ***Books: “Within Katahdin’s Realm, Log Drives and Sporting Camps” (Bill Geller) $30.00; “Logging Towboats & Boom Jumpers” (Moody) $18.00; “Tanglefoot,” (Edwards) $15.00; “Millinocket” (D. Duplisea) $20.00; “A Little Taste of History” cookbooks - $15.00; both Laverty books, $25 history & $10 architecture; “Our Real World,” (M. Murphy); “No Time for Moss (McKeen) $15.00 and several preowned books (out of print) by local authors. *** All items may be mailed – add $5 SH each item. *** For information, groups or appointments, contact Curator Trudy Wyman, 723-5477 or trudy18@beeline-online.net or the Millinocket Historical Society, P. O. Box 11, on the web at www.millinockethistoricalsociety.org or on Facebook.