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Winter 2023 · Issue 29 · Editor: Jean Hankins · Layout: Jessica Dorr.
This is an archived annual newsletter to the society’s membership. Appeals, officers, plans, and event details below reflect the time of publication. For current information, see society news, events, or support the society.
Your support helps
We thank each and every one of our members for their past donations. They have enabled us to continue to maintain our collection, allowed us to preserve the 1905 Town House and keep Otisfield’s history alive for generations to come! In 2022, the society saw the most successful Strawberry Festival to date and our second cemetery tour was a resounding success! That being said, we do still need your continued support to keep the society energized!
You can mail in your contribution in the enclosed envelope and we thank you again for your support.
OHS 2022 in review
New Constitution Voted: At a covid-necessitated Zoom meeting on April 14th, OHS formally approved its new constitution, a long time in coming. At our first meeting in May, we will be holding one final vote to allow for more flexibility in the number of trustees. The Constitution will be updated to allow between 6 and 11 trustees. To read the whole thing, check it out via our website.
View photograph: Julia Ann Patch’s 1824 sampler, digital facsimile
Strawberry Festival, July 10th: This year we set up a shady tent adjacent to the Bell Hill Meetinghouse and treated a goodly number of folks with sweet biscuits dripping with strawberries and whipped cream. 2022 saw our most successful festival to date! An innovation this year was the art show simultaneously happening inside the meetinghouse and sponsored by the Bell Hill Meetinghouse Association. It featured local watercolorist Steve Philbrook who was on hand to display and sell about 20 of his original paintings, some of local scenes. A good time was had by all.
Bell Hill Cemetery Tour, October 1st: Starting at the Bell Hill Meetinghouse, two large groups of visitors took turns moving across the road to the old cemetery where they met along the way representatives of some old and notable Otisfield families: George Peirce, the town’s first settler, followed by the Patches, Rays, Holdens, Knights, Nuttings, and Robeys. A number of knowledgeable impersonators from the Historical Society, most dressed in costume, explained how the individual strengths of various families—masons, preachers, diarists, farmers-- helped build the town we know today. The tour ended back at the meetinghouse with a seasonal offering of cider and gingerbread.
Donations
Most notable was the gift of Otisfield items from Janet Rugg, dating back to the early 19 th century.
Among these we were especially delighted with a 12-page catalog of the Otisfield Library, printed in 1892. We are grateful for all such gifts and hope to see our collection grow even stronger. What do you have to contribute to our carefully archived collection?
Town House available
Would you like to hold an event at the 1905 Town House? The building may be listed on the National Register of Historic Places but, we can assure you it comes with many modern amenities. If you would like to consider using the Town House for your event, please send us an email at otisfieldhistorical@gmail.com. Our building use policy is available on our website.
Archivist to come
Jean Hankins has been managing and enlarging our collection of documents and historic objects since 1993.
She also claims she can find most things when necessary.
But now that she’s attained the grand age of 87, obviously we need to find her replacement.
Fortunately, Director Maureen Howard has bravely stepped up to volunteer. She has been working with Jean most Wednesday afternoons for the last few months, learning the job and getting acquainted with our system.
Programs for 2023
On May 18th join us as we return to our normal Thursday evening programs at 7pm at the Old Town House. Jean Hankins will present a power point on the Origins of Otisfield. In case of cold weather, program will moved to Community Hall.
On Thursday June 15th, Thursday at 7 pm at the Town House, Derek Dorr will present “Glenn Henry, The Folding Man” and give us a hard look at how this ingenuous inventor, living at Spurrs Corner, contrived such novelties as a folding boat and a folding rostrum.
Come one, come all on July 9th for our annual Strawberry Festival, at Bell Hill Meetinghouse from 4-6 pm. We’ll be collaborating again with the Bell Hill Meetinghouse Association, who will open their doors for an art display and sale to coincide with the shortcake. The 1839 Bell Hill schoolhouse will also be open to the public.
Still to be scheduled: Ryan Adams, of Bell Hill Forge, has agreed to show off his talents at a special program still to be announced. Stay tuned! This will probably take place in the back parking lot of the Town House on Bell Hill Road.
OHS officers for 2023
- President - Derek Dorr
- Vice-President - Callie Zilinsky
- Secretary - Jessica Dorr
- Treasurer - Polly Bartow
- Archivists - Jean Hankins
- Archivist in Training - Maureen Howard
- Directors - Alan Douglass and Mike Thorne
Call for volunteers
The Otisfield Historical Society could use your help! We need volunteers! Our programs and events can take a lot of work and extra hands are always appreciated.
If you have an interest in helping to preserve the history of our community, the ability to serve shortcake, or the know-how to run a camcorder, please let us know by sending us an email at otisfieldhistorical@gmail.com
Calendar for 2023
As announced in this newsletter.
- May 18 — Origins of Otisfield — Old Town House, 7 p.m.
- June 15 — Glenn Henry, the “Folding Man” — Old Town House, 7 p.m.
- July 9 — Strawberry Festival — Bell Hill Meetinghouse, 4–6 p.m.
- Date and time to be announced — Blacksmithing with Ryan Adams
Original newsletter
Download the Winter 2023 newsletter (PDF). The source is labeled Winter 2023; this article is filed under February, the society’s annual mailing month. The exact mailing day is not recorded.