For over half a century, beginning in the 1870s, the Grange ("Order of Patrons of Husbandry") in Maine numbered some 50,000 members in more than 400 locations throughout the State.  Active on behalf of Maine's rural populace, the Grange lobbied the Maine Legislature to improve the quality of education in the State's public and vocational schools, and to reform the taxation system to make it more equitable.  In addition, as the first major organization in the United States to grant women equal rights, the Grange provided an opportunity for rural females to escape the drudgery of the farm home so they could take advantage of the educational and social aspects of the Order.  Based on the book "A Fair Field and No Favor": A Concise History of the Maine State Grange (available in our Museum Shop), written by Bethel Historical Society Executive Director Stanley R. Howe, this exhibit delves into the history and significance of this remarkable organization and its role in Maine's past.  (Please note that this exhibit is open by appointment only November through May.)

One of the largest rivers in New England, the Androscoggin drains an area of over 3,400 square miles in New Hampshire and Maine.  The 170-mile waterway begins its journey near Errol, New Hampshire, and, punctuated with numerous rapids and impressive waterfalls, eventually mingles with the waters of the Kennebec River in Merrymeeting Bay below Brunswick, Maine, before flowing into the Atlantic.  Due mainly to the dumping of tons of industrial and municipal wastes into its water over a period of several decades, the Androscoggin was one of the ten most polluted rivers in the United States by the 1960s.  However, thanks to the Federal Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966 and other similar legislation, the river has gradually made a comeback and is becoming a significant recreational resource for communities along its banks.  Through the use of selected images, artifacts and text, "A River's Journey" presents a vivid picture of the Androscoggin's past—as a transportation route for Native Americans and, more recently, for logs destined for lumber and paper mills; as a source of nutrients for agricultural production and waterpower for industry; and as a popular destination for artists, photographers, nature enthusiasts, boaters, and fishermen.

This modest display of mineral specimens, mining equipment and related materials features an exhibit case containing a variety of mineral specimens have been loaned to the Society by Larry Stifler and Mary McFadden, as well as Jim and Anne Mann.  A second case includes specimens and associated items that have been donated to the Society by Addison W. Saunders, Vandall T. King and Jim Mann.  Finally, a third display case holds selected specimens from the "Stuart Martin Collection of Maine Minerals," which was presented to the Bethel Historical Society in 2001 by the late Mr. Martin's children, Kimball Martin and Anne Martin Smith.

Situated in the midst of high mountains and fertile river valleys, the town of Bethel traces its origins to a 1768 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to men whose ancestors had fought in a campaign to conquer Canada in 1690.  Known throughout the latter part of the eighteenth century as "Sudbury Canada" (in honor of these original grantees, many of whom were from Sudbury, Massachusetts), the town was incorporated as "Bethel" (from the Book of Genesis, meaning "House of God") in 1796.  This on-going exhibition provides an overview of the town's past through the use of historic images and selected artifacts from the Bethel Historical Society's permanent collection.  (Included is a scale model of the 1886 Bethel Chair Company mill, constructed and donated by Society member James Auman.)  Click here to visit the online version of "Bethel: A Historic Town."

This mini-exhibit features text, photographs, and architectural renderings to present the story of one of Bethel's most historic nineteenth century properties, now an important part of the Bethel Historical Society's Regional History Center.  Constructed on Broad Street in the Federal style in 1821 and completely transformed into an impressive Italianate residence in the 1880s by Enoch Foster, one of the town's most successful lawyers, the historic Robinson House has been home to several locally prominent families.  The building's conversion into a small hotel by the Bethel Inn in 1923 and its current transformation into a museum facility by the Bethel Historical Society are also highlighted in this modest but informative exhibit.  (The Robinson House photo shown here appeared in the 6 January 1904 "Extra Illustrated Edition" of The Bethel News; the barn was removed in the early 1930s when the property was owned by the Bethel Inn.)

Begun in 1813 and opened to the public in 1974, the Bethel Historical Society's Dr. Moses Mason House is one of the few period house museums in northern New England available for tours year-round (appointments required September through June; please call our main office at 207-824-2908 or 800-824-2910).  Discover life as it was lived in the highlands of western Maine during the first half of the nineteenth century as you join one of our trained guides in a tour of nine rooms filled with fine examples of the decorative arts, many of which are original to the house.  During your tour, you will see portraits of Dr. and Mrs. Mason painted by Chester Harding of Boston, and view their grand entrance hall with its exceptional circa 1835 wall murals attributed to the itinerant artist and inventor Rufus Porter.