BETHEL – Bethel Historical Society’s Dr. Moses Mason House Museum will open for its 35th season on July 1. The period house museum will be open every day except Monday from 1-4 p.m. for tours until Labor Day. On opening day, a new exhibit will also be available for viewing beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the Dr. Mason House Exhibit Hall titled “To Improve the Farmer’s Lot: The Grange in Maine.”

James Owens, Master of the Maine State Grange, will be present to officiate at the opening.

For over half a century, beginning in the 1870s, the Grange or as it is officially known, Order of Patrons of Husbandry, in Maine numbered over 50,000 members in more than 400 locations throughout the Maine. Active on behalf of Maine’s rural populace, the Grange became an advocate at the Maine Legislature for improvements in rural education and reform of the tax system to make it more equitable.

It also worked to establish its own mutual aid program and cooperative stores.

The Grange also attempted to regulate railroads, insurance and banks, which did not always have the farmers’ best interests in mind. The order was committed to improving Maine agriculture through more emphasis on scientific farming and provided adult education opportunities for many farm families until the emergence of the Extension Service in 1914.

As the first major organization to grant women equal rights in 1867, the Grange provided an opportunity for rural females to escape the drudgery of the farm home and take advantage of the educational and social aspects of the Order.

This new exhibit provides insights into the history and significance of this remarkable organization and its role in Maine’s past. Everyone is welcome and the exhibit is free.

Volunteer guides are always needed for museum tours each year. The Society offers an orientation for anyone interested in becoming a guide. FMI: 824-2908.