Dennys River Historical Society

General Lincoln Featured at April DRHS Meeting
2025-04-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
The next DRHS program, on April 29, features General Benjamin Lincoln. He was the first proprietor of the townships of Dennysville, Pembroke and Perry after serving with General George Washington in the American Revolution.

Join us on Tuesday evening, April 29 at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville. Learn more about the life of this remarkable man, whose quiet perseverance has left such a mark on the communities on Passamaquoddy and Cobscook Bays. This free program begins at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Childhood Memories Featured at March DRHS Program
2025-03-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Ellen Lincoln Matthew’s recollections of growing up in Dennysville, Maine,
are the subject of the Dennys River Historical Society’s monthly program
on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Memorial Public Library.
Called “Nellie” by her family, she was born in 1906 and published her
reminisces in a small book entitled Childhood Memories in 1989 for her
children and grandchildren. Her well-written and delightfully informative
account vividly recalls her childhood on the Lincoln Farm, rebuilt by her
grandfather Dr. Albert Lincoln, a Civil War surgeon who turned country
doctor.
Her winsome descriptions of the place are easily recognizable to this
day: “A cedar lane, with occasional maples on both sides approximately an
eighth of a mile long led up to our house…. There was no heat upstairs, but
registers over the dining room stove and kitchen stove helped to heat the
two rooms directly over them…. Snow would sometimes sift through the
widows.”
Stories of everyday activities, washing, cleaning, schooldays and farm
work, interspersed with special events such as Memorial Day, picnics,
Thanksgiving and Christmas, connect the past to the present. Of the
holidays she wrote: “November, of course, was Thanksgiving. We always
had roast chicken and sometimes roast goose with all the farm vegetables,
and of course wonderful pies, apple, squash, pumpkin, and mincemeat—all
homemade, of course.” Of Christmas she says, “It was very simple, but
nothing can match the magic of that time.
The presentation at the Dennysville Library will be illustrated with
pictures provided by her daughter, DRHS member Priscilla Swanson, now
living in Connecticut. The public is welcome. For more details, please call
the Historical Society at (207) 726-3905.

Show and Tell at the DRHS: Bring your historical treasures!
2025-02-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln House Woodshed, 49 Main Street (Route 86), Dennysville, Maine, 04628
Join us for Show and Tell at Dennysville’s Lincoln House on Tuesday, February 25, at 6:30 p.m., and bring along a historical treasure to share. Examples of things people have brought in the past include photographs, clothing and textiles, small home furnishings, and objects like this sampler from the 19th century. Bring your questions, and we will try to answer them. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome.

Update to January 28 Program
2025-01-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Meeting Update: Identify Local Photographs

Can you help?

Please come to view and identify old photographs of the area on Tuesday evening, January 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial Public Library in Dennysville. We will be working with old images that cover a wide range of local subjects from people to houses, schools, businesses, industrial sites, and natural scenery.

Dating from the late nineteenth century, many of these pictures were collected by Keith Kilby, a longtime resident and storekeeper in Dennysville. His family donated them to the Tides Institute in Eastport, and they are used courtesy of the Tides Institute and its director, Hugh French.

Those who cannot attend in person may use this Zoom link to access the meeting: https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/87101164188.

Following the program, refreshments will be served. In the days following the program, members of the DRHS be able to view updated identifications in the Member Access on the Society’s website, at https://dennysriverhistory.org/drhs-newsletter-archive/.

Questions? Email the DRHS at drhs.museum@gmail.org.

BOTANIZING WAY DOWNEAST: Botanist Merritt Lyndon Fernald and His Summer in Pembroke, Maine
2024-10-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Dr. Fernald in pursuit of a plant on the rocky coast of Washington County, Maine
The next DRHS program will take place on Tuesday, October 29 at 6:30 PM at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville, Maine. The presenter will be Kris Paprocki, the program coordinator of the Pembroke Historical Society. Part history and part natural history, Kris’s talk will focus on the life and accomplishments of Dr. Merritt Fernald, his 1909 trip Downeast, and the local flora in and around Pembroke that you can observe today.
Doris Bridges, in her memoir Growing Up Way Downeast, briefly mentions that her family hosted two botanists at their home in Pembroke during the summer of 1909. One of these scientists was none other than Merritt Lyndon Fernald, the leading authority on plants of northeastern North America during the early 20th century. Fernald was a true field botanist with a sense of adventure, which will be apparent to attendees of the program.
Kris Paprocki graduated from the Maine Master Naturalist Program in 2022. He and his wife Allison have led nature walks for local organizations such as Downeast Coastal Conservancy and the Lubec Garden Club. All are welcome to this free program.

As Maine Goes, So Goes the Nation
2024-09-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
On Tuesday, September 24 at 6:30 PM, the Dennys River Historical Society will present a program on local voting patterns in presidential elections by Professor Jim Oberly, entitled “Dennysville the Bellwether: Voting and Voter Enthusiasm in Dennysville when Maine Forecast National Election Results, 1820-1956.” The public is invited to attend this program, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville.
A saying about presidential elections in the 19th century went, “As Maine goes, so goes the Nation.” The basis for that phrase was Maine’s laws for holding elections for state and local offices in September, followed by a second special election in November to pick Maine’s slate for the Electoral College to help decide the president-elect and vice president-elect. Maine showed an uncanny pattern in which the winning party in the September statewide election also won the presidency nationwide in November.
National party managers and candidates paid very close attention to turnout and vote totals from Maine in September to gauge enthusiasm and turnout in November. This presentation makes use of the information found in Town of Dennysville records to see if the town, not just the State of Maine, was a bellwether for predicting which party would win the November presidential election.
Jim Oberly taught history and historical methods at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for 36 years, and in retirement, he is a seasonal resident of Perry and an active volunteer for Sunrise Senior College and the Dennys River Historical Society. The public is welcome to attend this free program, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville.

The House That Moved Tour
2024-08-20 09:00 - 12:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
ALR Gardner’s front door, now in Perry, Maine.
Everyone is invited to join an expedition to explore the story of a house that moved twice after it was first built by Ebenezer Gardner in Dennysville, Maine in the1830’s. The tour will begin at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20th, for an introduction to the topic, after which people will drive (please carpool) to the three sites. Participants should bring their own chairs and a bag lunch to enjoy afterwards, while savoring the house’s new view overlooking Lincoln Cove in Perry, Maine.
Aaron Leeman Raymond Gardner purchased the house from his brother Ebenezer for his wife Abigail, where they raised a family while he operated a blacksmith’s shop in the village. After his death in 1891, his two sons, Edwin R. and Fred L., had their mother’s house, barn, carriage house and woodshed moved by oxen to a new location overlooking the A.L.R. Gardner Company Store on Water Street.
The house moved again when a Gardner family descendant acquired it with her husband and moved it to Perry. What happened next, and the story of its reconstruction, will be told during the tour as participants follow the house from its original to its current location, and evaluate the challenges of moving an old house.

For more information, please call 726-3905.

Dennysville Tide Mill Tour
2024-07-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Did you know one of the earliest tide mills in the area was located on the estuary of Wilson’s Stream? The Dennys River Historical Society is inviting the public to join a tour to visit this early industrial site. It is marked on a hand drawn survey of Townships 1 and 2 prepared by Rufus Putman for General Benjamin Lincoln, when he was considering purchasing the land for settlement immediately following the American Revolution.
Participants will learn about the original builder, Robert Wilson, a veteran of the Seven Year’s War, who settled in this area by the early 1770’s and operated a cross-border business with his home on Campobello Island. Discover the origins of the Dennysville Tide Mill Company, which later located on this site in 1832, run by a group of local entrepreneurs including Ebenezer C. Wilder, Daniel Kilby, William Kilby, Jr., John Kilby, Bela R. Reynolds, William Mayhew, Jr., and Ebenezer C. Wilder, Jr.
As time and tide allow the tour will take in several tide mill sites in and around Cobscook Bay. Following the visit, we will travel to the site of Robert Wilson’s grave on Leighton’s Neck in Pembroke and enjoy a picnic lunch at the Reversing Falls Park. Bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes, your picnic lunch, and a chair of your choice.

Wildflowers of Cobscook Bay
2024-06-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Would you like to learn how to recognize and identify wildflowers in the region? On Monday, June 24, the Dennys River Historical Society is featuring a presentation by Kris and Allison Paprocki on “Wildflower Identification Around Cobscook Bay” with the use of field guides and other tools at the Lincoln Memorial Library in Dennysville at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Washington County is rich in natural history, and is known for its many excellent hiking trails along the coast. When exploring these grand landscapes of coniferous forests, sand beaches and rocky ledges, what may go unnoticed are the many wildflowers under foot. Kris and Allison Paprocki will give a presentation for the Dennys River Historical Society about the trailside flowers of eastern Washington County. Participants will learn some basic skills in identifying flowers as well as where to look for some of our more common and less well-known treasures. Exploring nature is wonderful pastime for young and old, and families are encouraged to attend.
Kris and Allison are graduates of the Maine Master Naturalist program. They have led nature walks for local organizations such as the Down East Conservancy and the Lubec garden club. They also lease a summer nature club for kids through the Porter Memorial Library.

This Old House
2024-05-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
“This Old House” is the featured topic for the May program of the Dennys River Historical Society, on Tuesday, May 28 at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville at 6:30 p.m. Society President Ronald Windhorst will explain the process by which Dennysville became a National Historic District in the 1970’s, and the houses and structures that contribute to this significant federal designation. Anyone with an interest in the older houses in the village are welcome to attend and learn more about the unique honor and preservation of these historic properties. The program is free, and refreshments will be served.

Benedict Arnold Down East, Part II
2024-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Join us for a continuation of the story of America’s most notorious traitor and his wife, Peggy Shippen, following the American Revolution, at Dennysville’s Lincoln Library. Special attention will be given to Peggy’s letters written during their sojourn in St. John, New Brunswick, and the second part of the video detailing their disloyalty and treachery during the Revolution will be shown. The Society will discuss topics for upcoming programs and plans for our popular summer tours and expeditions. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

Benedict Arnold Down East
2024-03-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Did you know that this country’s most notorious traitor once did business with Dennysville’s John Allan and invited General Benjamin Lincoln to dinner? Join us for our monthly program on Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Dennysville’s Lincoln Memorial Library for a lively presentation on Benedict Arnold Down East, with documents, pictures and stories of this talented, but flawed commander. Bring your questions, and stay for an engaging video presentation exploring the character and circumstances that turned his allegiance during the American Revolution.

Show and Tell
2024-02-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln House Woodshed, 49 Main Street (Route 86), Dennysville, Maine, 04628
Join us for the annual Show and Tell program at Dennysville’s Lincoln House (right off Route 1) on Tuesday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m. Bring a personal or historical treasure or two from your own collection with an interesting story to share. ADDED BONUS: At 6 p.m. a short video will be presented from the Northeast Film Archive on ice harvesting in Maine. Questions? Call (207) 726-3905.

The Story of Ice Harvesting
2024-01-30 18:30 - 20:00 | Lincoln House Woodshed, 49 Main Street (Route 86), Dennysville, Maine, 04628
Join the Dennys River Historical Society for a program on the Story of Ice Harvesting on Tuesday, January 30 at 6: 30 p.m. at the Lincoln House Woodshed in Dennysville. We will see short video with historic film footage of ice harvesting in Maine, hear the story of “Kennebec Crystals” by Robert P. Tristram Coffin, and share our reminiscences of how people kept things cold before the days of modern refrigeration.

Discovering the Dennys: A River Through Time
2023-11-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Merrill Library, University of Maine at Machias
The Merrill Library on the University of Maine at Machias Campus will host a discussion on the making of the Dennys River Historical Society’s interactive story map Discovering the Dennys: A River Through Time. The project traces the history of the Dennys River through the past 9,000 Years. Members of the team that created this interactive map and narrative a reality will discuss the research and mapping skills that made this project possible.
Join us in Merrill Library on Friday, November 3, 2023 at 3 pm to learn more about the geology, people, and industries that have sustained and nurtured life on the Dennys for over 9,000 years. All are welcome.
Presenters: Dr. Colin J.C. Windhorst, DRHS Project Director; Dr. Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias; Dr. James Oberly, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Louise Merriam, Archivist for the Dennys River Historical Society; Patricia Tilton, University of Maine, Student Intern/Data Scientist.
To register in advance for a Zoom link to this webinar:
https://maine.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_r08-c11RSmK7PcSWD_9wLA

Hearing a Pembroke Treasure
2023-10-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Join us for a Concert of New England Fiddle Tunes and Civil War Songs performed by Kris Paprocki on the restored 1903 Leighton Violin,
with a brief illustrated biography of the life and work of Captain William E. Leighton, 1840-1925:
Inventor, Civil War veteran, organ manufacturer, violin maker, sardine factory owner, Justice of the Peace,
In a joint presentation of the Pembroke Historical Society and the Dennys River Historical Society.

John P. Sheahan's Experience of the Civil War, 1862-1865
2023-09-26 19:00 - 20:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
Do you know this man? Join us for John P. Sheahan’s Experience of the Civil War, 1862-1865, at Dennysville’s Lincoln Memorial Library, on Tuesday evening, September 26, at 7 p.m. Dr. James Oberly of Perry and the Dennys River Historical Society will present the story as seen through John Sheahan’s letters home to his family in Dennysville during the war. In 1862, at age 21, John Sheahan of Dennysville joined up to fight as a private in the 1st Maine Cavalry. From his enlistment and training in Augusta, his experience of battle, to his capture at Petersburg, imprisonment and escape, you will hear the account in his own words.

To join us by Zoom, please email the Dennys River Historical Society at drhs.museum@gmail.com at least 24 hours prior to this presentation. For more information visit the Historical Society’s website at www.dennysriverhistory.org, or call 726-3905.

Dr. James Oberly is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a summer resident of Perry, Maine, with his wife Louise, whose family has roots in Dennysville.

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Community discussion
2023-06-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Lincoln Memorial Public Library, 17 King Street, Dennysville, ME, 04628, United States
