Hello, folks! We are just six weeks out from the Fourth of July, and the Independence 250 program series is in full swing! From programs, exhibits, and more, there is so much on the horizon that we wanted to share some updates about everything that is going on.
Upcoming event:
“Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier: The Narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin” with William Huntting Howell
June 13, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Mason House, Museums of the Bethel Historical Society
14 Broad Street, Bethel, ME
Memoir of a Revolutionary War Soldier
First up, on Saturday, June 13, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. we will welcome Professor William Huntting Howell of Boston University to share his research and analysis of an unusual Revolutionary War memoir. Howell writes that “Joseph Plumb Martin’s Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, first published in Hallowell, Maine, in 1830, offers both a counter-record of the facts of the War and a counter-method for relating them.”
Howell is the author of “Starving Memory,” an article on Martin’s Narrative which appeared in Commonplace: The Journal of Early American Life.
“Connected by a Thread” Puzzles Available for Pre-Order
We are excited to announce that the remarkable “Connected by a Thread” quilt will soon be available as a 504-piece puzzle. The quilt was created to honor the 250th anniversary of American Independence with the collaboration of quilt guild chapters across Maine. This project was led by our very own Donna Gillis as part of the Independence 250 series! Expected availability is early July. Pre-order here!
Fourth of July Community Celebration
Let’s not forget about the big day itself! In honor of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society’s traditional Fourth of July Community Picnic and Concert will be expanded into a full day of festivities.
We’ll kick things off at 10:00 with a parade up Main Street. This will be followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence on the lawn of the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society’s Mason House (10 Broad Street, Bethel, ME), and the 33rd annual concert by the magnificent Portland Brass Quintet.
After the concert, we will have games and activities for both children and adults, refreshments available for purchase, and an informal music jam (open to all!) until 3:00.
Mornings at the Museum
July also means the return of our popular summer children’s program, Mornings at the Museum. Bring your children, grandchildren, or other little ones (ages 5-10) in your care to the museum grounds on Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30, 9:30-11:30 a.m. to take part in some free, hands-on activities. In celebration of 250 years of independence, the theme this year will be “Happy Birthday, America!”
Book Discussion Series
The third event in our Independence 250 Book Discussion series was held on May 9. The series will resume this fall with a discussion of Gordon Wood’s Pulitzer Prize-winning analysis The Radicalism of the American Revolution to be held at the Waterford Public Library on Saturday, September 12 at 2:00. Copies of Radicalism are available for purchase at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society at the special rate of $10. You do not have to have attended any previous discussions or to have finished the entire book to take part.
