BETHEL – William B. Krohn, PhD, USGS Biological Resources, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Maine in Orono, was the featured speaker following the Bethel Historical Society’s 42nd annual meeting on Sept. 13 in the meeting room of the Dr. Moses Mason House.

Krohn’s presentation, titled “Joshua Gross Rich (1820-1897): Western Maine Pioneer and Wildlife Writer,” provided details of Rich’s life as a hunter, trapper, lawyer, writer, pension agent, humane officer and publicist.

Born in New Sharon, he lived in a number of Western Maine communities, including Bethel, where he is buried in Woodland Cemetery with his wife, Mary. He was married twice, fathered a large family and was a prolific and frequent writer for local newspapers, hunting/fishing magazines and journals.

The lecture was one of the 2007 series on “Maine Character and Characters” made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council.