LIVERMORE FALLS – Antique post cards and Minnie’s Quilt, were the topics when the Livermore-Livermore Falls Historical Society met Nov. 4 at the Legion Hall.

Several members had brought albums of cards to share with others, some of which were from relatives while others were their private collections.

Showing her uncle’s album was Muriel Bowerman and showing the one his father started was Don Newcomb. Barbara Letalien showed an album from the late Ella Morrison.

Displaying their albums filled with cards, many of them of the local area, were Lew Lyman, Francis Therrien and Cora Briggs.

Dennis Stires told about the beginning of the postcard industry in Maine and the major influence on it by Hugh Chisholm who purchased the Umbagog paper mill on the West Side in Livermore so he could make the card stock for the booming industry.

He displayed an enlargement of a post card of that mill, printed on paper made at the mill. He told how the stock then traveled to Portland, then to Germany to be printed and back to Portland for sales.

Also on display was an antique patch work quilt made by Minnie Wheeler (1865-1943) of Stricklands.

Stires also distributed information on the Coolidge Cemetery in Canton that was recently restored, and the need to remove two huge pine trees from Hillman’s Cemetery in Livermore.

He also told about a proposal for preservation of local newspapers, spoke about the financing needed to support Maine National History Day and announced that two new books will soon be out, one on Androscoggin County and the other on Native American Indians in the county.

Don Simoneau reported that Kilbreth Cemetery near Brettuns Pond is in dire need of preservation. It has been vandalized repeatedly over the years.

The lot contains the graves of veterans of the Civil War, the War of 1812, the Militia and World War I. Only two headstones remain of the 28 there originally.

A potluck lunch was enjoyed followed by the meeting led by President Muriel Bowerman. She welcomed David Buell as a new member. He had done a great deal of the restoration work on the Deacon Livermore House and is now helping the historians on their new home, North Livermore Reading Club building.

Members work at the house each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and volunteers are always needed. Clint Boothby is doing the easement deeds and Stires filled a planter in front of the house with plants donated by Ernest Boothby, Bowerman said.

Lew Lyman is working with the electrician and Buell will be replacing some windows.

Secretary Don Newcomb and Treasurer Linda Lyman gave their reports.

The next meeting will be a joint session with the Livermore Falls Women’s Club for a Christmas dinner at First Baptist Church on Dec. 2. Members are reminded to take items for the food pantry. A musical program will be presented by Jerry Ellis.