LITTLETON, Maine — The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum will host its annual membership supper of roast beef on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 4:30 p.m. With a paid membership, one’s meal is free or otherwise it is $9.
The memberships help support the museum’s day to day expenses and projects being worked on. There are a variety of membership levels including: single, $20; family, $30; sodbuster, $50; thresher, $100 and farmer of the year, $250; single lifetime, $250 and a couple lifetime, $750.
The agricultural museum will begin its 18th year when it opens in June for the summer season. The organization has grown throughout this time to include several additional buildings constructed on the property including a: blacksmith and cooper shop, filling station, general store, one-room school, a barn for large equipment and the latest one in development is a building for snowplow equipment.
As the museum has grown, so too has its collection. Many times families who have kept items to pass on to another generation have decided more people will enjoy that item if they donate it to the museum. One such item is a wicker bassinet for infants. The bassinet is from the London family from East Hodgdon.
The bed was used by the children of Clarence and Myrtle London. Those children included: Paul, Arlene, Mansfield and Joyce, who were born between 1914 and 1923. It was then passed on to Paul’s son, Gary and Mansfield’s children: Leslie, Susan Carlene and Kent also slept in it.
Gary’s children, Greg and Shelley slept in it and then grandchildren, Erica and Whitney used it in the ‘90s. It continued to remain in the London family, with Gary’s great grandchildren, Mariah, Dayton, Launa and then in 2016 Adelyn becoming the last of the London family to use it. Now this bassinet which is just over 100 years old will continue to be preserved for many to enjoy at the agriculture museum.
For more information on the museum, visit: http://www.oldplow.net/
