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The Otisfield Historical Society’s first program for 2024 will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, at the Otisfield Town House on Bell Hill Road. OHS President, Derek Dorr, will focus on Forrest Edwards (1877–1954). The program will focus on Forrest Edwards, Otisfield’s legendary apple farmer. One of his many hobbies was building with stone and cement. One of his stone projects that remains to be admired is seen in this photo of his stone garage that survived the 1974 burning of his farm. 

OTISFIELD — The Otisfield Historical Society’s first program for 2024 will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, at the Otisfield Town House on Bell Hill Road. OHS President Derek Dorr will focus on Forrest Edwards (1877–1954). Forrest was Otisfield’s legendary apple farmer. He was large in stature, hardworking, frugal, plain-spoken, and often unkempt in appearance. He was probably one of the best examples of “you can’t tell a book by its cover”. Driving to Portland one day, he appeared at the teller’s window of a prominent bank and ordered a $5,000 savings bond. Noting his untidy backwoods appearance the teller asked if he didn’t mean to order a $50 bond. When Forest reiterated that he had really meant $5,000, the alarmed teller disappeared into an inner office and returned with a bank official who, to her astonishment, not only recognized Forrest on sight but called him by his first name and gave him a vigorous handshake. Edwards worked from dawn to dusk and was often seen out on his land taking advantage of the extra hours of light provided by a full moon. In addition to leaving acres of apple trees when he died, he was worth more than $287, 000 in 1954 money.

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