Mary Oak subject of Historical Society presentation
PRESQUE ISLE — Continuing their quarterly presentation series, the Presque Isle Historical Society will offer its second information session on local history for 2015 this afternoon beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the McCain Conference Room, located on the second floor of the East Annex at TAMC.
At the presentation, Kimberly R. Smith, secretary and treasurer for the Presque Isle Historical Society, will discuss the life and contributions of Mary Oak, a local photographer who owned her own studio.
“Relatively little is known about the women in our past, as women were simply thought of as extensions of their husbands with no distinct personalities or contributions to society,” said Smith. “When we are able to actually learn about, and from, these women, it is always a treasure.
“Presque Isle has a few women of particular interest in its past who were pushing the boundaries – never married, owned businesses. Mary Oak is one of these women,” Smith added. “While researching Miss Oak, we were fortunate to develop a family contact who provided us with rich inside information and photographs.”
Oak was an entrepreneur who saw a need for good housing in Presque Isle and built a hotel and apartments. She was well traveled and wintered in Florida for several seasons. In addition to her photography studio, Oak operated her housing units for many years.
The event is free and open to the public. Anyone who is interested in local history is welcome to attend, and there is no pre-registration required. Interested persons need only to simply show up and enjoy the presentation.
Smith says learning opportunities such as this one provide a valuable cultural service to society.
“Winston Churchill once said, ‘The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.’ The study of history, in general, is important as a guide to the future. Studying local history has been shown to increase community pride and provide a sense of belonging,” Smith said.
This is TAMC’s second year supporting the Presque Isle Historical Society’s quarterly presentations. They do so by providing a space and publicity for the event, but the impact community members receive from the partnership goes much deeper.
“Community collaborations such as that between TAMC and Presque Isle Historical Society are just one of the innovative ways both organizations use to more efficiently serve their community and are a key means of reaching diverse audiences,” Smith said. “There is real strength in numbers. When you have many groups with different views, resources, and skills applying their intelligence and strength to solve a problem together, the results can be like the work of superheroes.
“By networking, coordinating, cooperating, and collaborating, organizations working together can accomplish goals they couldn’t reach working in isolation,” she added.
Two more presentations will take place this year – the next on Wednesday, Sept. 2 where The Double Eagle II will be the topic, and the last one of the year on Wednesday, Dec. 2 where attendees will have an opportunity to view a special screening of “In the Blood,” a film on turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen and river drivers.
For more information about this or any of the quarterly presentations, call 762-1151, visit the Presque Isle Historical Society online at www.pihistory.org or send an email inquiry to pihistoricalsociety@hotmail.com.
