BETHEL – An exhibit, “Great Water Road: The Androscoggin and its Valley,” will be the next major exhibition at the O’Neil Robinson House produced by the staff and volunteers of the Bethel Historical Society, according to Randall H. Bennett, curator of collections at the society.

It will open on Saturday, June 2, on the first floor of the Robinson House and will replace the current exhibit on Molly Ockett, which is scheduled to end in May.

One of the largest rivers in northern New England, the Androscoggin drains an area of more than 3,400 square miles in New Hampshire and Maine. The 170-mile waterway begins its journey to the sea near Errol, N.H., at the outlet of the Rangeley Lakes and – punctuated with numerous rapids and falls – eventually meets the waters of the Kennebec in Merrymeeting Bay below Brunswick.

Through a variety of carefully selected images, artifacts and text, the exhibit will present a picture of the Androscoggin’s past – as a transportation route for Native Americans and in more recent times for logs often driven by fabled river drivers to lumber and pulp mills further downstream.

The river has also been a source of nutrients for agricultural production, waterpower for industry and as a popular destination for nature enthusiasts, canoeists, tourists and fishermen.

“I expect this exhibit will have something for everyone,” Bennett said. “It has the potential to reach a large audience, since almost everyone in the area possesses some memory or tie to that remarkable river.”

A special opening reception will be held on June 2 at the Robinson House, with further details to be announced later in May.

For more information about the society and its activities, call 824-2908 or 800-824-2910, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.bethelhistorical.org.