“Born between 1730 and 1740, Mollyockett was the daughter and granddaughter of chiefs. She lived in Fryeburg in the 1760s and in the Bethel area after 1770 among the first settlers of those towns. She continued to live in an Indian fashion, traveling through the Androscoggin Valley, for the rest of her life. Mollyockett has been called ‘the great Indian doctress’ and instances of her cures are recorded in local histories.
“Her most famous patient was the infant Hannibal Hamlin of Paris Hill. Arriving at the Hamlin home on a stormy night in 1809, after being refused shelter at Snow Falls, and according to legend, cursing the place, Mollyockett found young Hannibal near death. Her prescription of warm cow’s milk saved his life and he went on to become governor of Maine and Abraham Lincoln’s vice president. Second only to her medical reputation, was Mollyockett’s fame as a storyteller.”
The schedule for the 2014 festival includes these events:
Saturday, July 19
9 am-5 pm — Craft, food, and community vendors on Main Street and on the common
10 am — Parade
10-11 am — Traditional Penobscot basket-making demonstration
11:15 am-12:15 pm — North American Wildlife Encounter at the gazebo
12:30 pm — Parade winners and essay challenge winners presented with awards at the gazebo
1-1:45 pm — ARTirondack Chair Auction
1 pm — Frog jumping contest
2-4 pm — The Burnurwurbskek Singers featuring authentic traditional Penobscot Nation drumming and dancing on the common, with narration on the meaning of the songs and dance instruction
4:30-5:30 pm — Points North, fiddling at its best
9 pm — Fireworks over the golf course at The Bethel Inn Resort
Sunday, July 20
MollyOckett Days Classic: The MollyOckett Days Classic features a 5-mile loop over Paradise Hill and a 2-mile walk. For the kids, races include a 1-mile run for ages 3-14 and the Diaper Dash for toddlers up to 24 months. Prizes are awarded in age categories, and proceeds benefit the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. Online registration will be available closer to the event.
7-8:15 am: 1-mile kids’ race (14 & under)
7-8:45 am: 5-mile run and 2-mile walk
Start times
8:30 am: Kids’ 1-mile run
9 am: 5-mile run and 3-mile walk
9:05 am: Diaper Dash
Noon — Tubing & Treasure Scavenger Hunt at Bethel Outdoor Adventure
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- Terry Karkos / Sun Journal file photo A large crowd reacts as Derek Small of The W.I.L.D. Center and Zoological Park of New England brought out a young American alligator from inside the Town Common gazebo during the MollyOckett Days festival in Bethel in 2012.
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