BETHEL – Benedict Arnold’s march through Maine in 1775 will be the featured topic at the first lecture of the Bethel Historical Society’s 2008 series, “Maine History: Varied and Vivid,” sponsored in part by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council.

The lecture will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the society’s Regional History Center in the Dr. Moses Mason House Meeting Room, presented by Thomas A Desjardin, historic site specialist for the state.

Desjardin holds a PhD in history from the University of Maine and he is the author of “Through a Howling Wilderness: Benedict Arnold’s March to Quebec,” “Stand Firm, Ye Boys from the Maine: The 20th Maine and the Gettysburg Campaign” and “Those Honored Dead: How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory.”

In September 1775, 1,100 soldiers scrambled aboard ships in Newburyport, Mass., bound for the Maine wilderness. They were American colonists who had volunteered for a secret mission to paddle and march nearly 200 miles through some of the wildest country in the colonies and seize the fortress at Quebec, the last major British stronghold in Canada.

The lecture is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about the famous march and its accompanying hardships.

Donations for the annual St. Never’s Day sale are beginning to arrive and more are needed and can be left on the back porch of the O’Neil Robinson House, 10 Broad St., or on the side porch of Stan Howe’s residence, 18 Broad St. Usable items in good condition (no clothing or computer equipment) are being sought for the annual sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, under a tent at the corner of Mason and Broad streets.

Pick-up of items can also be arranged by calling the society at 824-2908 or 800-824-2910. It is also possible to rent a space, three feet by six feet for $20 to hold a sale by calling the above number. All income from the sale will benefit the society and will be applied to cover operating expenses.

More information about the society and its activities may be obtained by calling 824-2908 or 800-824-2910, e-mailing [email protected] or visiting www.bethelhistorical.org.