Rangeley Lakes Historical Society Summer Highlights

Friday, July 2,2021 11-2 pm – Rangeley History Museum Opens for the Season

This “little Gem” of a museum will premiere a new Rural Medicine and Narrow-Gauge RR exhibit this year. Always Free to the public! Museum will be open Weds. -Sun. 11-2pm throughout the summer.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021 – 6:30 pm -Rangeley Lake Historical Society Annual Meeting & Historical Presentation at Bald Mountain Camps Outdoor Tent

Members and guests are invited! At 6:30 Please join the Board of Directors of RLHS for a brief meeting to elect officers and share the status and plans of your historical society. Immediately following the meeting please join us for a Free Presentation by retired UMaine Professor Bill Krohn: “Samuel Farmer (1828-1913): Early Promoter of Rangeley Lakes” Please note that Bald Mountain Camps will be offering Local’s Night “2-Fer” Dinner Specials, so come make an evening of it and enjoy the program and the Sunset at this beautiful location.

Friday, July16, 2021 – 7:00 pm -”19th Century Rangeley in 3D” Lakeside Theater – 2493 Main Street, Rangeley Tickets $7 per person. An ALL-NEW Presentation for 2021 of the popular programs the Historical Society has presented for the last 4 years. Come “beat the heat” with “Rangeley in Winter” a unique show featuring an entirely never-before shared series of Vintage Stereoviews all in 3D! This new collection images have been converted by the Historical Society staff to now share on the Big Screen using modern 3D glasses. The fun evening will also feature a collection of rare regional short films and Live Music provided by the Sandy River Ramblers. The presentations will be narrated by Historical Society Executive Director, Bill Pierce. Please join us and step back in time to view the Rangeley region as it was so many years ago! Cash bar and the popcorn will be poppin’ in support of the Rangeley Friends of the Arts. Tickets available in advance at the Outdoor Heritage Museum, in Oquossoc. For more Info, please call: 207-864-3091. There will be an ENCORE PERFORMANCE of July Show on Thursday, August 12, 2021, 7:00 pm

Saturday, July 24th OR Friday, August 6th – “International Fly-Fishing Film Festival” two dates at Bald Mountain Camps

Doors open at 6:00PM for Silent Auction, Raffle and Cocktails. Bald Mountain Camps Tent on Mooselookmeguntic will be the place to be! Limited Number of Tickets at $35.00 each, Includes Hor d’Oeuvres. All in Support of the Outdoor Heritage Museum. All new films for 2021! You do not have to be an angler to enjoy this collection of short films and breathtaking cinematography. Stunning films of different “bucket list” fly fishing trips from all over the world. Tickets are $35.00 per person and includes hor d’oeuvres with cash bar. This event will take place in a large outdoor tent at Bald Mountain Camps and will be limited to 50 people with just two exclusive showings, July 24th, and August 6th. Event will also feature a raffle and silent auction offering art, gear, trips and more to support the efforts and programs of the Outdoor Heritage Museum. Tickets available For Both Dates at the Outdoor Heritage Museum in Oquossoc or online at: www.outdoorheritagemuseum.org (events page).

Saturday, August 21, 2021 – 10-4:00pm – Oquossoc Day -Over 30 Vendors will be on the grounds of the Outdoor Heritage Museum for our Annual Art, Crafts & Antique Show offering bargains on a wide variety of items. Specials in our Gift Shop. A great family fun day. At 10am, The Historical Society is proud to host the 2nd Annual Challenge Cup on Oquossoc Cove. This regatta-style competition features teams of First Responders in Crew-Style

Rangeley Boat Rowing Races, Kayak Relay & the mayhem packed… “Blind Canoe” Race. Come see if the Team from the Maine Warden Service can defend their 2020 Cup Title against teams from

Rangeley PD, Rangeley Fire Department, Franklin Sheriff’s Dept., the Maine State Police and U.S.

Border Patrol. Come cheer on the folks who serve our community so faithfully, as they battle it out!

Friday, August 27, 2021 – 7:30PM (Doors open at 7:00PM for Silent Auction, Raffle and Cocktails) International Fly-Fishing Film Festival (IF4) at Lakeside Theater, 2493 Main Street, Rangeley Tickets are just $15.00. Adult refreshments and theater munchies will be available at the concession stand in support of Rangeley Friends of the Arts. Come support two great non-profits! OR …Sunday, September 5, 2021 – 7:00 pm at Narrow Gauge Drive In Cinema,

Farmington, ME. A LAST CHANCE TO SEE IF4 in 2021. Just $15.00 per carload!!!

Tickets $20.00 per carload at the gate, if not sold out). Both Events will also feature a raffle and a silent auction offering art, gear, trips and more to support the programs of the museum. Tickets for either last chance IF4 events available at the Outdoor Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, or online at: www.outdoorheritagemuseum.org (Events Page)

Saturday, September 18, 2021 – 10- 3:00 pm—Fall Festival – Arts, Crafts and Antiques

Sculptor Steve Brettell Outdoor Heritage Museum. The grounds of the museum will have over 30 vendor booths offering bargains on unique Art, Antiques and Crafts. Wood sculptor Steve Brettell of Little River Decoys will be on the grounds carving and offering his beautiful bird carvings in support of the museum. He received Best of Show at the New England Decoy Championship three years in a row.

Please Watch for additions to our schedule on Saturdays All Summer, featuring Authors, Fly Tiers & Artists!

The Outdoor Heritage Museum is located at the corner of Routes 4 & 17 in Oquossoc Village and is open 10-4pm Weds. -Sunday. To learn more: www.outdoorheritagemuseum.org

New Exhibits for 2021 at Outdoor Heritage Museum

Oquossoc- Back in the 19th Century, the great showman P.T. Barnum used to say this about the ever-changing wonders to be found at his famous world-famous Barnum Museum, “If you haven’t been to the Barnum lately, then you’ve never seen the Barnum!”

“Since we opened in 2010, each new season has brought with it a new exhibits and artifacts to enhance the galleries and visitor experience at Outdoor Heritage Museum”, shared Executive Director, Bill Pierce. The sharing of the fascinating story of Rangeley’s great outdoors is at the heart of what this fascinating collection is all about. “For 2021 virtually every gallery has impressive additions and many of our existing exhibits have been reimagined with new additional treasures”, added Pierce.

On June 5th, the new “Early Skiing in Rangeley” exhibit will open featuring photos and artifacts from the town’s first ski area, Haley Hill. The exhibit will also share artifacts, film, photos and more from the early days of Saddleback and Bald Mt. Ski Areas as well.

On June 9th, just in time for Rangeley’s Annual Birding Festival, OHM will premiere a new exhibit featuring the amazing Bird Egg Collection of Capt. E. L. Haley shared “en masse” in a brand-new custom display case constructed especially for the collection. For many years this amazing and unique Oological collection has been housed at the Historical Society’s Rangeley History Museum. Ernest L. Haley came to Rangeley in the 1890’s to work as a carpenter on the “new” Rangeley Lake Hotel. He, like many of us today, fell in love with the community, and started a career as a boat builder and excursion boat captain. He went on to build over 100 wooden boats here and began a hobby of collecting bird eggs. “The practice is now illegal, but we have over 180 different egg species represented in the captain’s collection for display at the museum and it’s really special”, shared Pierce.

In July, OHM will unveil a brand-new exhibit sharing Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, perhaps the greatest promoter of the region, recipient of Maine Guide badge #1, as well as prolific writer and accomplished sportswomen. The exhibit will be centered around a 6-foot tall (and she was that tall) Original wood carving of Fly Rod herself, crafted by the master woodcarver, Brian Stockman. “The artistry, detail and skill Brian is bringing to this sculpture is truly astonishing and our visitors are going to love it”, added Pierce. The new exhibit will also share rare never-before-exhibited ephemera and documents from her fundraising efforts to build Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church, located in Oquossoc.

The Native American exhibit has also expanded with new artifacts including basketry, root clubs, and stone points found here in western Maine. Former Penobscot Chief, Barry Dana will provide new perspectives on our collections as an advisor, and the museum will be sharing short ongoing film on Penobscot and Wabanaki culture and history in our mini theatre adjacent to our Native American collections. The Outdoor Heritage Museum has been selected to share an extremely rare and important artifact. The Native American exhibit now shares an extremely rare, fluted spear point, painstakingly crafted out of quartz crystal by a determined and talented Native American craftsman, many centuries ago. This rare find is perhaps one of three clear quartz-fluted points known to exist and came from the Wheeler Dam area on the Little Magalloway. It was sought after by several prestigious institutions, but the generous owner wanted to offer a “homecoming” to re its region of origin and provide our visitors an opportunity to appreciate it.

The museum has also added new Carrie Stevens flies to its existing “largest collection in the world”. There are many newly acquired documents & artifacts scattered around the museum that we have never featured before as well. The museum will also offer Audio Tours of the Outdoor Heritage Museum in 2021.

The Rangeley Lakes Historical Society also offers the Rangeley History Museum located in downtown Rangeley, so do not miss the Narrow-Gauge RR exhibit with the working model of the famous Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes RR, as well as vintage film & photos, and many wonderful artifacts sharing the town’s history.

Outdoor Heritage Museum is open 10-4pm Weds. – Sunday. Admission is $7.00 and family memberships are just $35.00. Members may bring 2 guests free of charge and visit as often as they wish. Children 12 & under and all active duty and retired military are free. The Outdoor Heritage Museum & Rangeley History Museum are proudly offered by the Rangeley Lakes Historical Society, a 501C3 nonprofit. To learn more about events and both museums of the RLHS, please go online to: www.outdoorheritagemuseum.org

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