Meeting Dates
May 26 '05
Minutes for May 26, 2005
The minutes of April 28 were accepted with one correction: Sue Carlson did the scanning of Edgecomb's Ivan Flye photographs solo.
Treasurer Ruth Bryant reported a May balance of $867.46, plus $1.11 in interest, and the receipt of the Maro Hammond Memorial Trust grant of $3,551.00 for an architectural history inventory of the town by Rose Marie Ballard Boak. Total after expenditures: $4,162.37.
This inventory is to comply with articles in the Edgecomb Comprehensive Plan that pertain to Historic and Archaeological Preservation. Unfortunately, Ms. Ballard Boak has been out of state and also ill, so was not able to join us. President Sue Carlson said that Christine Mitchell, Coordinator, State Preservation Office, has told her the Office will pay for the film Ms. Ballard Boak will be using, if the Office can keep her negatives. It would be worthwhile for us to get the negatives digitized as well as any positive prints. In many cases, the pictures on current tax cards will be a useful starting point.
It was agreed that once the inventory is underway, a news story will be desirable. It was deemed advisable to reassure Edgecomb residents that if a woman showed up in their yards, taking pictures, that they should not call Homeland Security!
Bruce Cameron reported on his progress with the EHS website, and distributed web addresses for both Internet Explorer and Netscape users to view what he has put together so far. He has asked Stuart Smith to link it to the www.Edgecomb.org site.
[NOTE: These later two URLs are no longer valid - the EHS page is located at The Edgecomb Historical Society.]
Among future contents for this website, besides the Ivan Flye photographs, there are our Edgecomb Schools panels, and materials pertaining to the Rosicrucian Springs, Fort Edgecomb, and other aspects of Edgecomb life long ago.
Announcements: Warren Reese, underwater archaeologist, will address the Newcastle Historical Society at their Taniscot Museum on June 1. George Dow, Nobleboro local historian, will celebrate his 100th birthday on July 23, 2:00 to 4:30 pm; donations are invited to fund the George Dow Scholarship, Town of Nobleboro, POB 168, Nobleboro 04555. Also celebrating her 100th will be Ruth Lepper Gardner, Southport artist, on June 27, with a celebration at the Boothbay Harbor Opera House.
Accessions: Iska Cole presented EHS with a framed, hand-drawn and colored map of Edgecomb by Bill Perry, perhaps from the 1940s-‘50s.
David Cole presented a mariner's chart of the Sheepscot River dated 1907 and 1914, which the Coles had found in the workshop when they first moved into their Eddy Road house. This map features engraved sketches of the shorelines as one would pass up the river; although principally of the Boothbay Peninsula, it shows Davis Island. Bruce Cameron suggested that art framers located in Damariscotta might be able to mend and mount this map on acid-free foam core relatively inexpensively.
Jo Cameron presented two items donated to EHS by the Boothbay Region Historical Society: 1) a photograph album belonging to Lawrence Clinton Washington, containing pictures from circa 1929; 2) four aerial photographs of East Edgecomb made by Donald M. Felt, Winchester, MA, date unknown.
Jo also presented two or three scanned copies of a photograph belonging to Veula Reed, showing her grandmother, Mary Emerson, standing before the Emerson house which used to be on Mount Hunger. This picture had been borrowed and scanned by Amanda Russell for the Schmid Preserve Committee's recent newsletter. The picture is also on a CD which was loaned to Bruce for website use.
Jo donated a circa-1890s magnifier and stereopticon from her family, for use by EHS in viewing stereoptical slides of the Rosicrucian Springs and other Edgecomb scenes.
Fort Edgecomb Bicentennial: In view of a lack of enthusiasm just now, it was agreed that the effort to put together a float for the Wiscasset "Neighbors on the Sheepscot" Fourth of July parade should be abandoned. Perhaps we can load ourselves into someone's pick-up truck, wave banners and shower the crowd with membership forms?
Iska Cole suggested that the Bicentennial Committee should invite Friends of Fort Edgecomb and the Edgecomb Historical Society, along with Jim Davis, the site manager and members from the several state agencies in charge of the Fort Edgecomb Historic Site to a big meeting, well publicized, to discuss ways and means of maintaining the Fort. Remembering that Ann Zak had extended hospitality at the April meeting for us to use her home on occasion, it was agreed to approach Ann about such a meeting, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 26, times to be determined.
The Coles also suggested that EHS should acquire a building as museum and meeting place. The Baptist Church is up for sale, which might be achievable. Doubts were expressed whether the membership is at present strong enough to take on such a responsibility.
Thursday, September 22 will be the Annual Meeting; we will also meet on October 28 and November 17, the week before Thanksgiving.
Respectfully submitted,
Joanna M. Cameron
Secretary