Membership supper marks ninth anniversary for Ag Museum

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton is set to begin its ninth year with an annual membership supper on Saturday, Jan. 9. Anyone paying their 2010 dues will receive their supper for free. The supper will also feature the popular Music Men instrumental group from Houlton. The group is comprised of Michael Clark, Ralph Bickford, Gary Bossie and Russ Miller.
    The supper is open to the public and the cost is $8 per person if not a member. The meal includes homemade beef pie, side dishes, rolls, desserts and a beverage. Serving begins at 4:30 p.m. until 6.
    The museum was established in 2001 when organizers purchased the Littleton Elementary School. Since then volunteers have filled the building with items familiar to any Aroostook County family home and farm. From their farmhouse replica to the inside of an old fashioned potato house, memories are relived by the many guests who step through the doors. The Carl and Helen Hagan Barn built in 2005 houses a variety of large pieces of equipment, trucks and tractors, some of which have been refurbished to enhance the display.
    The Ross School, moved to the property from the Ross Ridge Road has been brought back to its original look in the early 1900s. A popular stop for not only visiting students, but also those who may have attended a one-room school in their youth.
    The museum began with just a dozen or so members and now has more than 10 times that amount. The yearly dues help support the monthly expenses of heat, lights and phone, while suppers, raffles and donations enable the volunteers to continue with the many projects ongoing at the museum.
    The most recent projects include new siding, windows and a furnace. Funds are still being sought to complete the siding on the main building and complete the steel roof.
    The museum memberships are, single, $20; family $30; sodbuster, $50; thresher, $100 and Farmer of the Year, $100. Lifetime memberships are also offered at $500 for a single or $750 for a couple.
    Current officers for the museum are, Colby Shaw, president, Jay Clark, vice president, Debbie Campbell, treasurer and Debbie Melvin, secretary.
    Meetings are held every first and third Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at the museum.
    For more information call 532-7125 or 538-9300. The museum is located eight miles north of Houlton on U.S. Route 1 and is handicapped accessible with plenty of parking. Tours will be available from 1 p.m. through the Jan. 9 supper.