To the editor:
As outgoing president of the Nylander Museum board of trustees, I would like to ask for your help in saving the Nylander Museum of Natural History. It is quite possible that by April 1st, the museum will be mothballed for two years, which means that it might as well be extinct. There are certain procedures that should be done before the museum is closed for two years that should be implemented in order to save the collections. This tentative date does not give us enough time to follow the correct procedure so that the collections will be saved properly. The Nylander has been shut down twice before and much of the many of the collections walked out the door never to be seen again.
The Nylander is a gem in the Crown of Maine and should not be closed hastily or at all for the following reasons. It is a scientific, historical, educational and cultural facility and the only one in the country owned by the public. Anyone can go there for a tour at no charge.
Scientifically, Olof Nylander was and is respected for his work in the fields of natural history and geology. He was a self-taught, Swedish immigrant who explored Aroostook County and the state of Maine identifying rocks, fossils, flowers, and fresh water creatures. He was one of the first scientists interested in ecology in this area. Because of his work, he has three items named for him in the scientific world, a fossil, an orchid and a rock. Most scientists are lucky to have one thing named after them, let alone three.
Historically, the Nylander should be preserved because the museum itself was built under the Works Progress Administration, part of President Roosevelt’s plan to get people back to work during the Great Depression when times were much worse than they are now. Keeping the Nylander Museum open would be a great way to honor this legacy and show the true American spirit of coming together in tough times. We had plans to do some work on the outside of the building to return it back to the way it looked when it was built, but these have been put on hold due to budget constraint.
Educationally, the Nylander museum has had other collections, which are not directly related to Nylander such as Native American material related to food and plants, loaned collections such as the Dinosaur Exhibit on loan from the University of Maine. It is probably the only museum you can go to and actually touch a dinosaur bone. In the spring and summer there is an herbal garden of native Maine plants which can be viewed. Currently it is undergoing some remodeling. We have also started work on a website which anyone can go to to do research on the Nylander and the Museum.
Culturally, the Nylander has several collections which pertain to the culture of the area including the Swedish people, the Native Americans, our own children and the citizens of Caribou and a few pieces of art as well.
When Nylander was alive he visited all the Swedish settlements in the nearby area and took pictures of the homes and their owners. These are known as the Swedish Samlets and were taken by Nylander when he returned to Sweden to visit his homeland. If you are of Swedish descent or interested in homes of the past in this area, this collection is for you. We have all the original photos and are able to make copies of the print for a fee. You might find your great-grandparents, grandparents or see the house you live in.
We also have the Mudmobile Tile Collection, which is in the process of being put on display. This exhibit consists of tiles made by students and the citizenry of Caribou in Caribou in 2003. We have tried to identify them previously and have taken picture of the front and back. If you were in school in 2003 or lived in Caribou then, you might find a tile that you made. Many of these tiles express what was happening in Caribou and the world at the time. The Nylander also has one of Vincent Hartgen’s paintings.
If you care about the Nylander, please talk to someone on City Council and voice your concerns. If you are interested in becoming a patron if the Nylander Museum of Natural History, please call and give us your name and address. If you would like to see the Nylander, please come before April 1, 2011 or call and make an appointment. We are open currently Wednesday through Friday. You can call us at 493-4209 any day and leave a message or go on line and check us out at nylandermuseum.org.
Deborah Nichols
Caribou
