BETHEL – A $400 grant from the New Century Community Program and the Maine Humanities Council has been received by the Bethel Historical Society to support its 2003 Lecture Series, “Transportation in Maine History.”

The grant will be used to defer expenses connected with the following lectures: June 12, “Working on the Railroad,” by Edwin “Bill” Robertson, author; Sept. 11, “Maine Made Automobiles” by Richard Fraser, author; Oct. 9, “The Great Gale of 1898 and the Loss of the Steamer Portland” by Mason Philip Smith, author; Nov. 13, “Aviation in Bethel: 1920s to the Present” by Stanley R. Howe, Ph.D., executive director, Bethel Historical Society. All of these lectures are free and open to the public. They are being held in the meeting room of the Dr. Moses Mason House, 14 Broad St.

The next lecture in the series, “Transportation in Maine History” will be Thursday, June 12, and feature Edwin “Bill” Robertson speaking on the topic, “Working on the Railroad.” The lecture by Robertson, who has written widely on railroad and covered bridge topics, will be held in the meeting room of the Dr. Moses Mason House, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored in part by a grant from the New Century Community Program and the Maine Humanities Council, the lecture is free and open to all interested persons.

Further information about the society and its activities can be obtained by calling (207) 824-2908 or (800) 824-2910 or emailing: [email protected]