Discover your own history at the Moosehead Historical Society

By Shelagh Talbot

GREENVILLE— More and more people are interested in their family history as evidenced by the many genealogical websites that have popped up in recent years. Folks may not realize it, but right here in Greenville we have our own gem of genealogical information, the organization known as the Moosehead Historical Society and Museums. It was described by William Cook, past President of Maine Archives and Museums as one of the finest small town

Nancy Ayers helps a visitor with some information at the Carriage House on the grounds of the Eveleth-Crafts-Sheridan Museum on Pritham Ave. This service is one of many offered by the Historical Society.
~Talbot photo

museums in Maine, if not all of New England. The Carriage House, where the office is located on the Pritham Ave. campus, holds a treasure trove of archival information about the area as well as the people who lived here.

It all started on a summer evening 50 years ago this July, when a group of dedicated residents thought something should be done to preserve the rich history of this unique part of the world. Activities in those early days focused on collecting ephemera and artifacts of historic interest and finding them an appropriate home. Early meetings were held in the Greenville Town Hall and exhibits were scattered about town at places including the Shaw Public Library, Bangor Savings Bank and the Northeastern Bank.

One of their most popular fundraising events at the time was the Silver Tea celebration, held at the Shaw Public Library and hosted by Mrs. Julia Sheridan, whose beneficence to the society resulted in their acquiring the Eveleth-Crafts-Sheridan house. Businessman John Eveleth built this elegant Victorian home in the early 1890s as a wedding gift to his daughter Rebecca. Rebecca and her husband Arthur loved their home and filled it with the latest in technological advances for the time as well as the finest in furnishings and amenities. Julia Sheridan made it her home also after her parents passed away. When she died, she made provisions in her will that her home be given to the historical society as her lasting memorial. And what a gift it was! At first, a great deal of time was spent on repairs and needed safety-related improvements, but it wasn’t long before the Eveleth-Crafts-Sheridan Historical House was opened on a limited basis for guided tours. When Julia’s husband Phillip died 20 years ago, the Moosehead Historical Society became the benefactor of a trustee-managed investment endowment, which helps to maintain the museum.

Since 1981 the three executive directors, Elliot Levey, Dr. Everett Parker and current Director Candy Canders Russell have worked tirelessly to bring the Moosehead Historical Society and Museums to the point they are now. The most difficult tasks of artifact accessioning, accountability and preservation have allowed for the astounding collection of files in addition to the extraordinary items and artifacts on display.

The Carriage House, with its distinctive cupola, provides people with an ideal place to go for research about families and history of the Moosehead region. A wealth of information about so many subjects is there for your discovery. Perhaps you are looking for information about your own family history in the area. Perhaps you want to know more about Moosehead Lake’s first residents, the Native Americans. Maybe you want to know more about the logging industry and how it shaped Maine as well the United States in the early days. So many of these fascinating tidbits await your discovery at the Carriage House, which is open all year. Volunteers are glad to help you with your questions and offer direction when you are seeking information. There are also numerous books, CDs and videotapes available to enhance your own library. You might also find the perfect gift for someone special at the same time.

The Eveleth-Crafts-Sheridan house is open for tours Wed. through Friday until early October from 1 to 4 p.m. As mentioned earlier, the Carriage House, which also houses the Lumberman’s Museum, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tues. through Fri. all year. You will also enjoy the Center for Moosehead History at 6 Lakeview St. the Center is open Thurs. – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and it houses the Aviation Museum as well as an extensive exhibit of Native American artifacts. Visit these museums on line at mooseheadhistory.org or email mooseheadhistory@myfairpoint.net. You may also call them at 207-695-2909.

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Indian Hill Caption Contest Week 3

“Anyone got an epi-pen?”
~Lisa Misek

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Stocking Maine’s Lakes and Ponds by Air

Inland Fisheries & Wildlife plane stocking fish from the air using 70 gal. inside tank.
~Photo Courtesy Moosehead Historical Society

Courtesy Moosehead Historical Society

The Maine Warden Service began aerial fish stocking even before it acquired its first official aircraft in 1939. These first attempts consisted of simply removing the back seat of the departments borrowed Gull-Wing Stinson and transporting the fish in metal milk barrels. After landing on the selected body of water the pilot would stand on the float and pour the fish into the lake.

Soon internal tanks were designed and constructed to fit inside the aircraft. These tanks could hold more fish and now the fish could exit the aircraft through a valve and stove pipe affair. This allowed faster unloads and also the opportunity to stock some remote ponds that were unsuitable for landing. These internal tanks held their own as the department upgraded through a variety of aircraft including the Cessna 180.

This stovepipe exit had its own limitations. Water would drain similar to a sink, and the fish, rightly so, tried to avoid this whirlpool. Although a major improvement over handling the fish in the barrels, the drain time from full to empty proved to be a limitation in regards as to the size of the water body that could be stocked. A better system was needed.

During the 1960’s warden pilots and their staff mechanic designed and constructed the roll top, external tanks that are still in use today. The large opening on these tanks, combined with the spring assisted ability to roll and empty their contents, now allowed the department to efficiently stock waters that previously were not possible. Added benefits of an externally mounted tank are the ease of on-loading water and fish and it is no longer necessary to remove substantial amounts of the aircraft interior. Warden Pilots could not convert their Cessna from patrol vehicle to fish hauler in less than two hours.

Today’s aerial stocking program is run much the same way as it was in the late 1960’s. One difference is that the department now flies all Cessna 185’s and bottled oxygen is directed into each fish tank. The dispersal of oxygen directly into the water allows them to carry up to 90 pounds of fish in each tank, or 180 pounds per flight. On a typical day it is common for warden aircraft to deliver in excess of 10,000 pounds of fish into various lakes and ponds. During one particularly busy fall in recent years it was calculated that they stocked 16,000 pounds in one day, a department record.

Aerial stocking begins soon after ice-out in mid May and again in late September when water temperatures cool so as not to shock the fish. Not all fish are air dropped. The pilot will land and release fish whenever feasible and especially with the more delicate species such as Landlocked Salmon. Brook Trout are highly adaptable to air drops as substantiated by divers whom have observed the effects on fish during actual airdrops. The time savings involved with utilizing aircraft proves to be less stressful on any fish that needs to get to an inaccessible or distant location when compared to an all day truck ride then a distant carry in buckets or specially designed backpacks.

*There is no date on this article or where it originated…will do a follow up story to see how stocking is done today….

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Antique Truck Fall Tour

Sat, Sep 15th, 2012

8:30 a.m.
Indian Hill Trading Post 148 Moosehead Lake Rd. Greenville

The Antique Trucks will be coming to Moosehead Lake. On Saturday they will be meeting at Indian Hill Trading Post at 8:30 and driving up the east side of Moosehead Lake to Kokadjo. Many more activities later on Saturday and Sunday. Contact Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce for more information 207 695-2702 or info@mooseheadlake.org…

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Antique & Vintage Quilt Exhibit

Sat, Sep 1st, 2012

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Center for Moosehead History Lakeview St. Greenville, Maine…Along with quilts and other fiber arts on display there will be a Raffle drawing and Lunch on the Veranda at DKB on Pleasant Street. What better reason to bring the family to Moosehead Lake and enjoy the last weekend of summer in our beautiful area. Contact Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce for more information at 207 695-2702 or info@mooseheadlake.com…

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Moose Hunt Begins 1980

Courtesy Bangor Daily News Archives, September 22, 1980

Associated Press

Courtesy Bangor Daily News

Packing high-powered rifles and lottery-won permits, the first of 700 hunters began arriving in the northern Maine woods Sunday for the first moose hunting season in 45 years.

Maine’s state animal may be hunted legally for five days-beginning a half-hour before sunrise Monday and ending at sundown Saturday.

“There have been a lot of hunters coming through Greenville,” a the southern end of Moosehead Lake, said Fish and Wildlife Department spokesman Thomas Shoener in a telephone interview Sunday.

Shoener said many hunters are stopping at his department’s regional headquarters in Greenville to leave their location in case they need to be notified of an emergency while they are in the wilderness.

Greenville is one of six “bagging stations,” set up on major routes in the northern two-fifths of the state, where killed moose will be registered and inspected by biologists studying the condition of the herd, Shoener said.

But a New York City based animal protection group called “Friend of Animals” last week called upon Gov. Joseph E. Brennan to call off the hunt, threatening to boycott Maine as a vacation spot. The group contended that Maine’s moose herd is so tame after 45 years of protection that shooting them would be “easier than shooting fish in a barrel.”

This actually marks the first time in 91 years that moose of either gender are legal hunting targets in Maine. During the last moose season in 1935, only bull moose in three counties could be killed.

More than 32,000 Mainers gambled $5 to win one of the 700 permits for the experimental, one-year season that was approved by the Legislature last year. Those whose names were drawn in June paid an additional $10 to hunt, and those who kill a moose must pay another $10 for the right to take it home.

The enabling legislature required that at least $85,000 of the income generated by the 1980 season be set aside for scientific research on the moose. Biologists will weigh, measure the antlers and check the reproductive systems of animals registered at the bagging stations this week, Shoener said.

Shoener estimated the size of Maine’s moose herd at between 15,000 and 20,000-up from about 6,000 in the late 1930’s and considered healthy enough now to stand the loss of 700 animals. Each permit holder can name another person to accompany him or her in the woods, but only one animal can be killed per license.

To prevent illegal hunting, additional wardens have been stationed in the woods and all other forms of hunting have been banned for the entire week, Shoener said. Simple possession of a firearm will be ample evidence to convict illegal hunters, he added.

“If they’re there with a gun, the law says they’re hunting,” he said.

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Indian Hill Caption Contest Week 2

“Here in Greenville…even the animals are praying summer never ends!”
~Sherri Owens Pelletier

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The Benefits of Eating “Locally Grown” Foods

Locally Grown Produce available at Indian Hill Shop ‘n Save. Fresh Broccoli & Broccoli Crowns from Presque Isle, Fresh Carrot Bunches, Swiss Chard & Kale from Lakeside Farms in Newport.

Recently there has been a lot of buzz about eating locally grown foods, but why?  Eating locally is oftentimes less convenient and more expensive than buying mass produced foods, yet the benefits that these foods provide for your body and the environment may make it worthwhile.

Why locally grown food is better for your health:  According to the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD), small farms are less aggressive than large factory farms about using chemicals on their plants. Even the non-organic small farms are less likely to have dangerous pesticides and herbicides.

Why locally grown food tastes better: Farmers that sell directly to local consumers select and harvest crops based on when they are at their peak quality of freshness, nutrition, and taste.  In contrast, many large corporations give priority to packing, shipping and shelf life instead.

Why locally grown food is better for the environment:  Small farms are more likely to grow a wide variety of crops.  Variation protects biodiversity and preserves a larger agricultural gene pool, which is important for ensuring long-term food security.  In addition, buying local foods eliminates the carbon footprint left behind when food is transported great distances.

Why eating locally helps farmers: On average farmers only receive 20 cents of each food dollar spent because of the cost of transportation, processing, packaging, and marketing.  When you buy locally, the farmer receives the direct profit of the money spent.

At Indian Hill Shop ‘n Save we understand this need. We appreciate your local support and whenever available we “Buy Locally”. Stop by and look for the “Locally Grown” signs in our produce case. We have new items arriving weekly.

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The Center for Moosehead History Celebrates the Earliest Residents

Henry Perley, better known as Chief Henry Red Eagle
~Photo courtesy Moosehead Historical Society

By Shelagh Talbot

GREENVILLE— Well over fifty years ago, a group of local residents founded the Moosehead Historical Society and Museum. The acquisition of the “Ready Worker’s Community House” in 2005, which is now known as the Center for Moosehead History has allowed the society to highlight more of the history of the Moosehead Lake region, a history that goes back thousands of years to the time of Paleo-Indian tribes and later the Red Paint People. Over the years, many artifacts have been found in the area. The quality of fishing and hunting, combined with the site of rhyolite-laden Kineo made this part of the northeastern United States special for native people. It became a great gathering place during the warmer months. Essentially the Moosehead Lake Region has been attracting tourists for ages.

The exhibit at the Center for Moosehead History contains fine examples of spear points, arrowheads, and other weapons and tools from the Paleo-Indian period to the 16th century when there was initial contact with Europeans. As late as the 1890s, local tribes camped on Kineo beaches to enjoy the fishing and socializing.

Greenville has had its share of famous Indians as well, including Louis Annance, who settled with his family at the southern end of Moosehead Lake. According to Mable Rogers Holt, writing Maine Indians In History And Legends, and, specifically in her chapter titled Aborigines at Moosehead Lake, “Louis Annance was the type – the true type – of North American Indian – tall, straight, broad-shouldered, athletic in his general make-up, copper-colored, high cheek-boned, a fine figure to look upon. Louis was an educated man, having attended Dartmouth College for two years, the tuition being free, according to a treaty once made between the English government and his tribe, the St. Francis Abanakis.” Annance was chief of this tribe as well. “He was prevented from finishing his course (of study) by the War of 1812,” according to Holt. “He spoke pure English, was an easy speaker and could converse with any educated person on almost every subject. Although he lived in the wilderness, he kept well-informed (sic) on the events of the times. He became a member of the Congregational Church in Greenville and of the Free and Accepted Masons.” During a canoe trip with his sons, the then Governor of Maine, Dr. John Hubbard was delighted to spend a day with his former Dartmouth classmate reminiscing about old times.

Holt also mentions, Mary Newall Tomah of Churchill Lake. “I remember (her) as a dignified old lady with whom I bartered vegetables or money for beautifully designed and woven baskets for various purposes, greatly prized by me,” she wrote. Mary Tomah was the grandmother of Henry Perley, better known as Chief Henry Red Eagle, of whom Holt penned, “ A full-blooded Algonquin, he is well-versed in woods lore, an experienced camp counselor, an instructor in wilderness camping. Much in demand as master of ceremonies at sportsmen’s shows, he is, more than this, an authority on Maine legends, a lecturer of note and a gifted writer, having sold more than a thousand articles and stories to prominent magazines.”

Red Eagle was much more than that. Valedictorian and Class President at Greenville High School, the young man had already achieved prominence by becoming the youngest licensed guide in the state of Maine at the age of 14. The Museum is in possession of a photograph of a teen-aged Red Eagle, impeccably dressed in suit and starched collar, holding a slide trombone. After he graduated he worked for a time at Harris Drug Store, but adventure called and he answered in a big way. He joined traveling shows, starting with the Kickapoo Medicine Show and including Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. He was in the movies too – in the early days of short reels, working with such notables as Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. He met his wife Wanna, an accomplished diver and swimmer appearing at the Hippodrome in New York City, while he was working with horses at Coney Island’s Dreamland. According to an article written by Dr. Everett L. Parker in the spring 2009 edition of Memories of Maine, Red Eagle once remarked, “ I got killed 90 times” in the movies. He brought Wanna with him to Greenville and she established a camp, Eagle Haven on Sugar Island for people who had been stricken with polio. The water therapy and swimming was beneficial and many, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who suffered from the disease, recognized her work.

There is so much to discover at the Center for Moosehead History. In addition to the fine Native American artifacts on display, books about the Native Americans of Moosehead Lake, including those mentioned, are available. Other displays including the Aviation Museum are equally fascinating. The building is located at 6 Lakeview Street in Greenville. Call 695-2909 for further information or visit online at moosheadhistory.org

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Indian Hill Nears Expansion End 1983

Ken and Dolly King, formerly of Arundel, are the new managers of the Indian Hill Trading Post Sporting Goods Department.
~Photo courtesy Moosehead Messenger April 27, 1983

Courtesy Moosehead Messenger April 27, 1983

Whether you are a year-round shopper or a visitor to Greenville, there are surprises in store at the newly expanded Indian Hill Trading Post.

Always a favorite top of those wishing to snap a panoramic photo of Moosehead Lake from Indian Hill, the Trading Post has now taken on the role of a complete supply center for the family budget planner and sportsman alike.

“Offering a wider variety in all areas to our customers was the goal,” store manager Dick Wheelden said of the expansion. “And, basically, the expansion is complete, except for our bakery department, which will be in operation soon.”

The wider variety referred to encompass all areas at Indian Hill. A new dairy case, produce case, meat and fish case, and expanded canned goods as well as cosmetic lines are part of the new look at the Trading Post. Sale prices are currently in effect in most departments.

In the deli department, as well as a fine line of meats and cheeses, prepared salads will be offered.

Indian Hill owner Jack Goodwin has not limited his expansion and improvements to food products alone.

The sporting goods and gifts departments are rapidly expanding to meet shoppers’ needs.

Under the new direction of Ken and Dolly King.

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