RANGELEY – The Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society will kick off another big summer season with events at both of its museums in celebration of the big Independence Day weekend.
The Society’s recently re-titled Rangeley History Museum on Main Street will open July 1 with a new exhibit sharing the region’s first white settlers, the Luther Hoar Family. It’s the 200 anniversary of the first over-wintering in Rangeley.
Hoar and his family hiked through the wilderness to homestead on the shores of Greenvale cove in 1817. Thanks to a loan by the Phillips Historical Society, the new exhibit will feature the family’s wooden breadmaking trough that was used as a cradle their infant daughter on a sled pulled by a sibling as they snowshoed north. Upon reaching the top of a hilltop while in route, it was discovered that the trough and baby had been lost and they hastily backtracked to find her. After a panicked search, it was discovered that the trough had slid off the trail and down an embankment and was found resting against a large tree with the sleeping infant inside.
“We are very grateful that our friends at the Phillips Historical Society are allowing us to share this important artifact from Rangeley’s early history” said Rangeley Historical Society Director Bill Pierce.
Also planned for the big annual Independence Day celebration in Rangeley on July 3, the Rangeley History Museum will premiere a new exhibit featuring the story of Lt. Neil Taylor, USN. Taylor was flying his last combat mission, his 65th, over South Vietnam when his jet fighter aircraft crashed and he was killed. Artifacts and mementos of this true hometown hero will honor this brave young man. The Rangeley History Museum will be open from 11-2 Tuesday through Saturday throughout the summer.
The Society’s Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc will host Wildlife Artist Terri Mason sharing her art from 10-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 1. Mason is an accomplished artist and has been painting outdoor scenes and wildlife on various mediums for over 23-year career. A wide variety of her work Her will be available on sale in support of the museum. The Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum is located at the corner of Routes 4 & 17 in Oquossoc Village in Rangeley and is open seven days a week from 10-4 p.m. in July and August. For more information about the museum twice named by Yankee Magazine as “Best Sporting Museum in New England,” please call: 864-3091
