Matthews Musings Vol 1, No. 2

Matthews Musings
The Newsletter of the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage
Union, Maine

Volume 1, Number 2 May, 2003

Message from the President:

Dear All,
We are standing on the brink of our second season as an independent museum, and it promises to be an exciting season. Last year was a very successful opening year, and this year we want to continue building on the results we achieved.

We will start with a general clean up day on Saturday, May 10th, to which everyone is invited. On May 20th, Union Fair will host a luncheon for a group of national fair representatives, organized by the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, and the museum will be one of their stops. During July and August the museum will enjoy the help of two college interns. They will help us document our entire collection (10,000 items), for which purpose we will purchase computer equipment, museum software and a digital camera, made possible by a grant from MBNA. The two students, whose names are Sarah and Donna, will be staying with museum volunteers, and their only compensation will be room and board. If anyone who lives near the museum would like to host one of the students this summer, please let us know. I hope you will all join me in making them feel very welcome. As always, we can use many volunteers to help out at the museum, especially during Union Fair. This year we will have a booth in the Exhibition Hall again, where we will be promoting the museum, and raise funds for the Moxie Bottle Stand thru sales and activities. Wednesday August 20th will be Moxie Day at the fair. If you are interested in helping out in one way or another, just let us know. Many other activities are going on. To name a few; we are in the process of getting our own web site (www.matthewsmuseum.org), and George Gross is working very hard to get plans and funding for a new carriage house. At the end of June, a professional conservator will teach volunteers about the conservation of the Moxie Bottle Stand. Anybody interested in joining this, please make it known.

With a few personal notes as a conclusion, I would like to welcome Gay Bogard as our new treasurer, and to thank Judy Gross for filling that role very capably in an interim fashion. Furthermore, congratulations to Ken and Marge Conklin as our Volunteers of the Year. They have been volunteering at the museum for many years, so the choice was an easy one. Of course there are many more people making important contributions, and I can't possibly thank them all. It is clear, however, that without the efforts of our volunteers, members and the help of the community, we would have a very hard time making the museum work.

Here is to a wonderful summer,

Ben van der Schaaf, President.

Who Was...? EDWARDS A. MATTHEWS
1876 -- 1969
by Janice Harriman Do you know what a croze, an adz, a crooked froe, and a bare-footed auger are? Many people do not know, but thanks to Edwards A. Matthews you can see and learn about many tools that were used and made by our ancestors 200 years ago.

Edwards A. Matthews was born and raised on a farm in North Searsport, Maine near Swan Lake. He moved to Union in 1898 and spent most of his life as a machinist. He began collecting tools as a young lad. His background as a machinist gave him a working knowledge of these of the tools that he collected.

He served as a selectman in Union from 1947 to 1953. In 1950 he published his book “Horse and Buggy Days”, a history of the Town of Union. As he neared the age of 85 he decided to sell his collection of early tools. He sold his collection to the Union Fair for $1200.00 and the Museum was built and opened in 1969.

This collection and many other donated tools and household goods are displayed in the Museum located in Union on the Fairgrounds and thanks to the forethought of Mr. Matthews and our ancestors we can now see how the croze, the adz, a crooked froe, and a bare-footed auger were used.

New Brochure Now Available
After several years, the Museum has recently revised and reprinted its advertising brochure. This brochure is distributed to rest areas, visitor centers and places of business around the area.

If you think you, your business or some other facility might be interested in distributing copies of this brochure, please contact the Museum to obtain a supply of them. We would like to know where they are placed so we will not duplicate your efforts.

It is only through such outreach that we will be able to grow and expand our programs and offerings to you and visitors. Good locations include B&B’s, summer rentals and stores.

Yankee Community Partner: Update
The Matthews Museum is a Community Partner with Yankee Magazine. If you subscribe to Yankee or give it as a gift to anyone, the Museum receives a donation from Yankee Magazine of $8 for each subscription. You MUST use one of the special cards available in this Newsletter, at the Cricket On The Common, or from the Museum by writing and requesting them.

The proceeds from this effort go to the Moxie Bottle Stand Project and will continue until the building is complete.

Remember that ALL RENEWALS must be done on one of the special cards or MUST have noted prominently the Matthews Museum Code Number CBB5FIX. With this number, any subscription or renewal will be credited to the project fund raiser.

Yankee makes a great gift. Ask your doctor or dentist to subscribe, too. When done on one of the cards, an $8 tax deductible gift goes to the Museum for each subscription.

Moxie at the Fair
Last year, the Museum was present, big time, at the Union Fair.

This year there will be even bigger and better Museum and Moxie events. Included will be Moxie bike decorating at the Parade on Saturday, a Moxie hat decorating contest on Wednesday, Moxie Day, and of course the booth and free samples of Moxie all day Wednesday. There will also be a build a Moxie bottle contest. All contests carry prizes!

As a special added attraction, Taurus the Clown will be on site all day on Wednesday entertaining as he walks among the visitors. Taurus is being sponsored by the New England Moxie Congress.

Your help will also be needed. Volunteers to assist at the booth in the exhibit hall are always needed. Volunteer a few hours, a day or more. You will enjoy it and the service to the Museum will be invaluable. Contact the Museum after July 1, to volunteer or contact Judy Gross, Fair Coordinator, at 207-563-1544.

Moxie/Museum Items Available at The Cricket On The Common
Special Moxie related items are available at The Cricket on the Common. Thanks to Gary Sukeforth there is a Moxie corner at the shop. Buy Matthews Museum t-shirts, Moxie caps, refrigerator magnets, Ted Williams tin signs and enameled steel signs and support our on-going fundraising effort.

Purchase gifts and support the Museum’s Moxie Bottle Stand project while making your shopping easy. Gifts may be shipped for nominal postage costs which will be added at time of purchase, usually Priority Mail postage.

Watch for an all new Moxie T-shirt this summer at the Fair.

Memorial Donations
The following Memorial Donations were made during the year. These contributions will go a long way in improving the Museum.

In Memory of

Dr. Doris White, Colleague and Friend, Dedicated Educator

Raymond H. Liebold, Father of Neighbor and Good Friend Barbara Schneider

Mrs. Randy Haselton, Neighbor and Friend

Mrs. Pat Honeycutt, Dear Friend and Devoted Wife

Dr. Thomas Fangman, Colleague and Friend

George R. Hague, Professional Colleague and Good Friend

Staudt Memorial for W. Lindsey

*Dr. Irwin Gawley, Professor, Mentor, Professional Colleague and Good Friend

*Mrs. Opal Mills Wright, Neighbor and Dear Friend

Remember a loved one or honor someone special by making a special contribution to the Museum in their Memory/Honor. A Memorial Book commemorating the above individuals will be on display at the Museum.

Business Membership
The Constitution provides for a special class of Museum support in the form of a Business Member. This annual fee of $25 provides 25 passes to visit the Museum during the year. The passes may be used by employees, family members or customers. The cards should be presented at the door.

Business Members for 2002-3 are:

Mic-Mac Market

Consumer Water Company

Union Farm Equipment

Athearn Enterprise

*Damariscotta Bank and Trust Co. (Union)

Our special thanks to these supporters of the Museum and its programs.

Invite your employer to support the Museum by becoming a Business Member also. Encourage local employers, businesses and professionals to become Business Members and support the Museum. Remember the Museum is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and these monies are tax deductible since all funds go to the operation of the Museum.

Hats Off !
Ken and Marge Conklin were recognized as our Volunteers of the Year in October. They have many hours of volunteer service and been great supporters of the Museum for many years.

We welcome Gay Bogard, of Hope, as our new Treasurer. Gay assumed duties in March.

Grants Received
MBNA has awarded a grant to the Museum to purchase technology to enable us to record and document the collection housed at the Museum. Included are computer software and hardware.

We will now be able to inventory, photograph and place on-line information about our collection enabling others to benefit from this valuable resource for research about the history of Maine and Union. The Musuem is funding a web site, www.matthewsmuseum.org to make this a reality. The site should be up and running by summer. Be patient with us in the attempt to modernize and grow.

The second grant, awarded last spring, a Historical Collections Grant Program Grant, (a collaborative effort of the Maine State Archives and Maine State Museum with financial support form the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the New Century Community Program) has enabled us to begin restoration investigations and to work on the restoration of the Moxie Bottle House beginning in June. Supplemented by funds from the Museum, the restoration will take place before the Bottle Stand is put in place in the new structure to be built.

Ronald S. Harvey is the conservator that has been working with us on this project. He is with Tuckerbrook Conservation, Lincolnville ME.

Volunteers are needed to do much of the work after special training once the final evaluations and plans are in place. Dates for this work are June 21 and 28, and will take place in Bristol. Contact Judy Gross if you think you can help with this careful work. 80 Atwood Lane, Bristol ME 04539 or 207-563-1544 or njmoxie1@worldnet.att.net

Educational Outreach
One of the major goals for the Museum is to be educational outreach. Local school groups are to be encouraged to take field trips to the Museum while studying relevant topics of Maine culture and heritage.

We would like to have several programs available to offer to students during June and September for field trip opportunities. Such might include demonstrations of activities that might have been done during colonial times like horseshoeing, canning, quilting, use of farm implements, etc. It is envisioned that they be about one hour in length and possibly involve hands-on experiences for some of the youth.

If you think you could help with such an effort please contact us. If you would like to discuss this phone George Gross, 973-379-1566 or njmoxie1@worldnet.att.net

If your school might be interested in running a field trip to the Museum contact us at P.O. Box 582, Union ME 04862 c/o Irene Hawes.

Curator’s Corner
By Archie Mitchell
Perhaps you have noticed the hearse on the main floor of the Museum. It was a gift of Mr. Robert E. Laite of Camden in 1979. It is a one horse-drawn hearse and include four runners. It was made by Wingate and Simmons of Union, est. 1844. The actual hearse was built about 1855 and was used for many years in Warren. It was stored in a hearse house at Warren Cemetery until about 1957.

Mr. Laite found the hearse in 1972 at the Rockville Cemetery. Donated in 1977, it was restored and delivered to Matthews Museum on July 3, 1979.

In 1822 Warren purchased it’s first hearse. As it was passing Mrs. T. Howard’s house, her sister Miss Abby Kean, then stopping there, looked out of the woindow, exclaiming, “What a handsome carriage! I should like to have a ride in it.” Her’s was the first funeral it was used for. Such is life, the irony of it all. (Annals of Warren, p. 335)

Museum Wish List
By Irene Hawes
The Museum displays hundreds of items of Maine Heritage and History. The day to day operation of the Museum relies on the generosity of the public and members. From time to time certain items are needed to make operations run more smoothly.

umbrella stand

mannequins, adult and/or children

barbers’ case

men’s nightshirts (pre-40)

copy 4 photos of Cider Mill Union Common

organize books in the Hodge School

relocate manure spreader to Museum

100 solid concrete blocks for carriage house

replace/repair old tags on displays

remove and replace windows with new sash

Pre 1954 items for the Hodge School

period ceiling lights

photos

wall kerosene lamps

wastebasket

broom

pitch pipe

snow shovel

oil can

Can you help with one or more of the above items?

Don’t forget the Spring Clean-up on Saturday, May 10th. Bring a friend and spend some time getting the Museum ship shape for the summer months. All equipment and supplies will be provided.

Dues Extension
All memberships paid in 2002 will be honored in 2003, so save those membership cards. Of course, if you would like to send in a donation to help out, it would be greatly appreciated. Additional funds will be utilized to improve ventilation in the Museum.

New members since summer include: William and Rosalie Gleason, John and Nancy deWilde, Anita Tracy, Cliff Smith and Angela Burns. WELCOME!

Invite a friend or neighbor to join the Museum and share in this growth experience.

Life Membership
Life membership in the Museum has been set at $100 per person/family. This one time fee entitles you to all privileges of membership for life including free attendance at the museum and all special programs.

We welcome five (5) new Life Members(*) since our last issue.

LIFE MEMBERS:

George Gross

Judy Gross

R. Bliss Fuller, Jr.

Muriel I. Heath

Josephine F. Hart

Mary Olson

Lee D. Webb

Ralph Blackington, Jr.

*Ben van der Schaaf

*Archie Mitchell

*Maryann Mitchell

*Richard Roy

*George and Barbara Fang

Internships
Can you help to house one of our interns this summer? Do you live near the Museum? Do you have an extra bedroom?

Our first will arrive in June, the second after July 4.

If interested, or you know someone who might be interested, contact Irene Hawes or Archie Mitchell by mail at the Museum, P.O. Box 582, Union ME 04862

Constitutional Object
On February 9, 2002 your Board of Directors and membership of record approved the Constitution for the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage, Inc.

Article II: OBJECT states the following: The Museum shall have as its purpose the presentation of programs of interest and exhibits for the education of the public and preservation of antiquities relating to the history of Maine culture since colonial times.

Since that date the activities of the Board have been directed toward fulfilling the Object of the Museum.

The full Constitution may be obtained at the Annual Meeting in October at the Old Town Hall. Copies may also be obtained by requesting them from The Matthews Museum, P.O. Box 582, Union ME 04862

Bottle Stand Fund
$50,000

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$13,000 4/03

$10,000

Follow our progress toward our goal to build the Bottle Stand Building at the Museum.