Mellie Dunham, a native of Norway, has two claims to fame. He designed and built the snowshoes for Robert Peary’s North Pole expedition of 1906 and he was a fiddler famous around the country for his down-home charm.

And now, he has his own day, duly proclaimed by Governor Baldacci. Mellie Dunham Day will be celebrated Saturday, June 12.

David Sanderson, local historian, explains Dunham’s appeal during the mid-1920s. America was experiencing, for perhaps the first time in its history, “a mass youth culture The country was at a balance between technology and tradition.” Sanderson says that this was a “more radical culture change than most people had ever seen.” Even Henry Ford, who played a large part in creating the new culture of technology, longed for the simplicity of his childhood. In the early 20s, he began hiring fiddlers to teach old-time music and dances to his employees and children.

After Dunham won a fiddle contest in Lewiston, he contacted Ford. “Should you have need of an old-time fiddler I would like to ‘try out’ for it,” Dunham wrote. Ford sent Dunham and his wife, “Gram,” an invitation to visit him in Michigan. Dunham rose to instant fame. He and Gram were seen off by crowds that included Maine’s governor. They arrived in Michigan with reporters from the Boston Herald, Maine’s director of publicity and a gift of snowshoes for Ford.

After performing for Ford, Dunham signed on with the Keith vaudeville organization and set out on a six-month tour of the eastern states. His first performance, in Boston, was “wildly successful,” says Sanderson. Bostonians with ties to Maine, more than 75 of whom belonged to the Norway, Maine, Club of Boston, wrote letters to friends in Norway, who sent them along to the local newspaper. This continued on every stop of Dunham’s tour, so there was always an eye-witness account of his latest performance in his hometown paper.

When Mellie and Gram arrived in New York, they sent for their son-in-law, Nathan Noble, and his daughter Cherry. The trio, with Nate on bass and Cherry on piano, recorded eight songs with Victor records. The Nobles performed with Dunham for the next few weeks, earning $500 a week, compared to the dollar a night the group had made playing for local dances just a few months before.

Although Mellie and Gram returned home considerably richer than they had been when they left, the Dunhams didn’t care much about the money, and it was soon gone. “They repaired the barn,” Sanderson says, “but they never repaired the house.” A piano was bought for the nine grandchildren, who the Dunhams had cared for since the death of their mother a year earlier. The rest of the money was loaned to friends, and not expected to be repaid.

Mellie continued to perform around the Northeast with his son-in-law and granddaughter. Even after Mellie’s death in 1931, the Nate Noble orchestra remained a staple in the local grange halls.

Those wishing to learn more about this extraordinary local hero will have many opportunities to do so at the Norway Summer Festival, which celebrates Dunham’s 150th birthday. Dunham memorabilia will be on display at the Norway Historical Society and the Weary Club, including rare film footage of a performance. At 8 p.m. on Saturday, David Sanderson will give a performance as Dunham at the Grange Hall, accompanied by a recreation of the Dunham orchestra. In addition, a 24-page commemorative booklet will be on sale at the festival.