Discovering, Preserving & Sharing the History of the Dennys River Area
The mission of the Dennys River Historical Society is to discover, preserve and share the history of the Dennys River area, a 123 square mile watershed, focusing on the Town of Dennysville and Edmunds, Marion and Cathance Townships in Eastern Maine. The Dennys River has served for over 9000 years as a seventeen-mile corridor linking the inland community of the ancestral Passamaquoddy tribe at Meddybemps to Cobscook Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This native American homeland hosted European exploration by French Acadians in the early seventeenth century and permanent settlement following the American Revolution. The nineteenth century saw an expansion of lumbering and economic development. The depletion of natural resources ushered in the economic and social challenges of the twentieth century and led to the twin tasks of natural conservation and historic preservation in the new millennium.
The Dennys River Historical Society collects, records and publishes its research in a number of sources, including books, pamphlets and a regular newsletter, engaging a community of interest in the discussion of local, regional, and national historical topics and issues. The Historical Society offers regular monthly presentations at the Lincoln Memorial Library in Dennysville, and summer exhibitions at the Academy/Vestry Museum, in addition to sponsoring expeditions and opportunities for public engagement at many levels.
The Dennys River Historical Society is a non-profit corporation in the State of Maine and recognized by the Federal Government as 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization. Officers elected annually include the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, with standing committees represented by a Curator of Collections, Archivist, Program Director and Editor.
The DRHS benefits from a staff of volunteers who carry on the work of the organization with the curator and two assistants, a half-dozen docents at the Academy/Vestry Museum, and two librarians to assist the archivist at the Lincoln Memorial Library.
The Dennys River Historical Society is an active member of Maine Archives and Museums (MAM) and participates in their educational and professional development programs. We are eager to work collaboratively with other historical organizations on the local, County and Statewide level wherever possible. The public may contact us at [email protected], on Facebook at Dennys River History, or write to Dennys River Historical Society, P.O. Box 11, Dennysville, Maine 04628.