Culture

New Gloucester Historical Society exhibit: Did You Know?

Editors’ note: NGXchange will run pieces from the 2016-18 “Did You Know?” exhibit on a regular basis. Thanks to Jean Libby for organizing these materials. |Jean Libby, New Gloucester Historical […]

Editors’ note: NGXchange will run pieces from the 2016-18 “Did You Know?” exhibit on a regular basis. Thanks to Jean Libby for organizing these materials.

|Jean Libby, New Gloucester Historical Society|

The New Gloucester Historical Society has created a new featured exhibit every year or two at the History Barn since it was opened in 2009.  “Did You Know?” was a special exhibit at the History Barn from 2016 to 2018.

This exhibit came about after a member had spent time researching for the New Gloucester Veterans Monument.  While searching on the internet to find famous people from New Gloucester, Maine, they were very surprised to see the result, finding a list of names from William Pitt Fessenden, the 26th US Secretary of the Treasury from July 1864 – March 1865, to Katie Whittier, the 2010 Miss Maine USA, finishing 4th runner up in the Miss USA Pageant, the highest placement ever by a Maine woman.

At the next History Barn Open House, the member asked other society members “Did you know….?” After a discussion about some of the information, it was decided “Did You Know?” would be a great exhibit for the History Barn.  The members of the historical society, with the help of many people, put this great exhibit together.

At the opening on May 7th, 2016, some of the people highlighted in the exhibit were in attendance, along with items donated for the exhibit.

“Did You Know?” closed in June 2018 and was replaced with an exhibit based on New Gloucester “From Then ’Till Now”, the prize-winning paper by Eleanor Clark Curit in a contest at New Gloucester High School in 1935.   Early this summer, a new exhibit to go along with the State of Maine 2020 bicentennial will feature New Gloucester “Celebrating Our Celebrations”.

The History Barn is open the 1st Saturday of each month from 9 AM to Noon, and in the winter months we are in the Meeting House where the archives are open for research.  Please take time to stop by and see just some of New Gloucester’s history.