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| Aroostook Republican Photo/Lisa Wilcox Caribou Historical Society President Richard Cilley stands next to the oldest artifact housed at the Caribou Historical Center & Museum, an ancient wooden plow estimated to have been constructed during the Revolutionary War era. The plow made the trip to Maine from Massachusetts in the late summer of 1888 via a wheelbarrow pushed by shoemaker Everett E. Reynolds during a 37-day journey on foot to bring the plow to his parents residing in Aroostook County. |
By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The Caribou Historical Society is engaging in a campaign to attract new members who may have an interest in preserving Caribou’s history by helping with the operation of the Caribou Historical Center & Museum.
The U.S. Route 1 location resides on four and a half acres of land donated by longtime Caribou citizen and historian Mildred Hatch. The center houses a collection of approximately 10,000 items located on two floors of the museum as well as in a three-bay garage and 40-foot by 60-foot barn. The property also contains a replica of an 1860s one-room schoolhouse modeled after the Lyndon Center School that used to be located next to the center, a perennial flower garden, nature trails that wind through an evergreen seepage forest, a gurgling spring brook and a picturesque foot bridge.
“While membership in the Society currently totals nearly 100, the majority of the aging members have limited ability to attend meetings and help with events,” Richrad Cilley, president of the Society, explained. “It’s a beautiful facility in a beautiful location, and we feel it should be more available to the community.”
Currently the center is open on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. According to Cilley, the number of visitors to the center and museum varies from week to week. The Society would like to begin sponsoring more events such as breakfasts and dinners to make the public aware of the facility’s many treasures, but they need able-bodied members to help plan and work at the events.
In an effort to attract more members, the Society will be hosting two membership drives at the museum on Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m., and, Saturday, May 11, at 1 p.m. Current members will be on hand to discuss the duties of managing the facility and answer questions. Tours of the museum and center will be given and refreshments will be available. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.
“We are looking for members who would like to share with others what we have at the center and to learn how people lived in the early years of Caribou,” Cilley said. “We are a historical center with many opportunities for interested people of all ages to immerse themselves in a teaching and learning environment. Our active members, although few in number, contribute greatly to our total operation as we have been able to keep what we have up-to-date and continue to improve our exhibits and facilities,” Cilley continued.
The Society meets every third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Membership dues are only $10 per year. Members are responsible for collecting, recording, publishing, displaying and preserving data relevant to the history of Caribou and the Caribou area. Assisting with the development, maintenance and promotion of the center is also expected.
Fore more information on becoming a Caribou Historical Society member, contact Cilley at 496-3213, or e-mail rcilley001@maine.rr.com.
