LITTLETON, Maine — The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, which has grown steadily since it opened in 2002, is gearing up for its 16th season.
The complex includes the main building, the barn, filling station, general store and one-room school. Those buildings are now filled with items common to homes and farms throughout the state of Maine and most recently the locally made largest potato basket in the world.
Paul Klein formerly of New Jersey became a member of the agricultural museum to meet people in the area. He helps out in many capacities, including changing the road sign, solving computer issues and doing outside work. (Courtesy of Karen Donato)
Members of the museum, in collaboration with Galen Cole of the Cole Museum in Bangor, are now in the planning stage for a building to display highway snow plows. The groundwork is scheduled for later this summer.
Volunteers have made this all happen. Through the years, many hours have been given by dozens of individuals to collect, preserve and display items that over time would have been lost to neglect or randomly discarded.
Many volunteers are still actively working in their chosen careers, while others have left the paying job behind and have found a replacement.
Recent retirees or others with time on their hands are urged to consider volunteering with the museum. Dozens of volunteers have found the facility a good place to spend some time from June through September and even once a month through the winter.
Retired electrician Dee Cote helps out with some electrical connections in the General Store at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum. (Courtesy of Karen Donato)
Volunteering not only helps the organization, but can fill a void of being out of the workforce. New friendships can also develop and carry on beyond the museum work. Volunteers can put in as much time as they desire.
Joe Inman, a retired librarian along with his sister, Helen Boomer, choose to give three hours every Thursday as tour guides. Others offer to come in once a month to be a guide, catalogue items, or help in the kitchen. Some like to work outside, mowing the lawn, repairing donated items, painting or doing housekeeping chores.
The museum also is in need of people who would like to supervise events. This job requires a few hours to open the building and then secure the building following the rental.
On Saturday, May 19, at 12:30 p.m. there will be an informational meeting held at the museum located at 1664 US Highway One in Littleton. Volunteer coordinators Joellen Merry, Nancy Wright and Francis Fitzpatrick will host the hour long meeting. Attendees will enjoy coffee and refreshments, tour the facility and learn the basics about volunteering and the available tasks.
No one attending will be obligated to volunteer and other arrangements can be made for people interested in learning more but unable to participate on May 19.
The museum opens Thursday, June 27, and will continue to be open 1-4 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Sept. 15.
There also will be a roast beef supper May 19 beginning at 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. The cost is $9 per person and the museum will be open for browsing. Tickets are still available for the Spring Raffle which includes a John Deere riding lawnmower or $1,000 cash. Tickets are $10 each. The winning ticket will be drawn at the supper.
For more information, call Karen Donato at 694-6099.
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- Past president of the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum board, Francis Fitzpatrick joins in a spring work day by polishing the Duff Family Studebaker. (Courtesy of Karen Donato)
