BETHEL — One of the more important ways the Bethel Historical Society shares its collections and facilities on a regular basis is through collaboration with other organizations.

In early January, the society was able to assist a representative from the Androscoggin River Watershed Council in locating and copying historic images for possible use in connection with its Androscoggin River Trail project. Taken on or near the river and its tributaries, a number of these photographs included scenes of log driving, dam construction and logging camp life.

A water trail along the full 170-mile length of the Androscoggin River from Lake Umbagog in New Hampshire to the easterly end of Merrymeeting Bay in Maine, the trail provides public access to the vast majority of the river system through more than 40 existing sites. The Watershed Council hopes to utilize the historical society’s photographs on kiosks at popular access points.

The society has also supplied similar images for recently developed kiosks in Grafton Notch State Park.

The Bethel Historical Society also has been working with the staff of the soon-to-open Maine Mineral & Gem Museum on Main Street. Realizing that the MMGM hopes to develop a research facility where scholars and the general public can discover a wealth of information on minerals and mining in Maine, the historical society recently provided copies of numerous magazine and newspaper articles on these subjects from an extensive file donated by the Maine Geological Survey.

As a result of current efforts to locate and re-catalog its collections, the society has been able to loan MMGM two rare films of the Wheeler Mine and Main Street Mica Shop operations that were made in 1957. Hoping to make use of some of the film footage in its inaugural exhibits, the MMGM is arranging to convert the films to DVD format to make viewing easier and to avoid damaging the originals. At some future time, the historical society and mineral museum plan to hold a public screening of the Mica Shop movie, which is about five to seven minutes long, with the expectation of identifying some of the people shown.

During the upcoming Western Maine Fly Fishing Expo on March 23, the society will furnish space in the Mason House exhibit hall for various demonstrations and talks, which, last year, took place under crowded conditions at the Bethel Inn Conference Center. Arrangements for using the society’s facilities were made with the Upper Andro Anglers Association. As its contribution to that day’s educational programming, the society will mount an exhibit about Bethel-born James Barbour Daniels, who was once considered to be among the foremost bamboo fly-rod makers in Maine.

Finally, the historical society continues to plan displays and events surrounding the Bethel Inn’s 100th anniversary. Besides an exhibit of inn brochures, menus and photographs that will soon open at the Robinson House, the society’s 2013 Stanley Russell Howe Lecture on Oct. 12 will feature a talk by Dona Brown, professor of history at University of Vermont, on the emergence and impact of “auto tourism” during the early 20th century, when the Bethel Inn opened to the public.

For more information call 207-824-2908 or 800-824-2910 or visit www.bethelhistorical.org.

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