HOPE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MINUTES
August 15, 2023

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM by Society President, Juanita Hunt. There were 16 members in attendance: Jim DellaPenna, Margaret Morse, Juanita Hunt, Marie Berry, Gwen Brodis, Bernice Gleason, Ann Leadbetter, Mary Ireland, Donovan Bowley, Linda Hillgrove, Bruce Linthicum, Linda Black, Ron Smith, Bill Jones, Judith Jones, and Cindy DellaPenna; there were 4 guests: Ron Kley, Kit St. John, Janice True Baxtrom, Carol Brown Jaeger and our speaker for the evening Jane Radcliffe.

The minutes for the July 18, 2023 meeting were sent out to all members via email. One correction is necessary, the refreshments for that meeting were provided by Marie and Juanita. With that correction notated, there was a motion to accept the amended minutes, the motion was seconded and approved.

Gwen distributed the July treasurer's report. Income for the month was $348.32; the two largest amounts were $80.00 in raffle tickets sold during the True Park celebration and $126.00 in donations made on July 23rd when Cindy opened the house for a tour by over 20 people attending a Bartlett family reunion. Expenses for the month totaled $2,041.52; the largest amounts were $1,527.00 for insurance and $290.00 to Maritime Energy. Marie corrected one small expense that was listed as supplies for the True Park celebration but is actually for the upcoming Fall Fest. With the correction notated, there was a motion to accept the treasurer's report, the motion was seconded and all approved.

Jim DellaPenna was asked to discuss the latest quote for gutters. He had been asked to check whether we could get the work done sooner by another contractor rather than continuing to wait for the company we had authorized to install the gutters since last year. The quote by Horch came in over $5,000 and they are booked until next year. So, we will wait and hopefully Midcoast will be able to complete the job sometime this year for about $1,500 less.

Juanita discussed our Friday open houses. So far, few visitors, mostly members. Cindy had two visitors on one of the Fridays she covered, one local and one from Cape Cod researching her Harwood family.

Margaret discussed the developing plans for our September 19th meeting. It is to be a cranberry-themed luncheon after a tour of a cranberry bog in Lincolnville. She is trying to firm up the tour and will provide additional information to Cindy who will email it out to all.

We enjoyed a good laugh when Juanita asked about the whereabouts of a donated tobacco stand. She was afraid it had possibly been taken. Marie stated she had forgotten all about placing it in the telephone stand in the garage so it would not be sold during the yard sale. So, the stand has been well protected sitting in the telephone booth.

Marie briefly spoke about HHS participating in the October 8th Apple Fest. She will be soliciting apple pie bakers next month.

Earlier in the summer, several HHS members met with Andy Limburg and his family, descendants of the True family. His mother donated 16 Civil War letters to HHS written by Edward Alonzo True. Beatrice (Bunny) Gleason is transcribing the letters. She provided a brief sketch of Edward; he was born in Hope on the 4th of July 1836 and was a member of Company H, 8th Maine Volunteers; he enlisted in August 1861 as a First Lieutenant, rose through the ranks, and was discharged in January 1866 as a Colonel. Cindy suggested the transcribed letters could be put on our website when the transcription is completed. Bunny is compiling research data to accompany the letters.

Juanita and Bunny with help from Margaret set up a booth at the Union Fair - the theme "Children's Toys of Yesteryear". They won first place for their display. Congratulations! Bunny prepared a wall hanging of their ribbon and pictures of the booth.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.

Margaret introduced our speaker for the night, Jane Radcliffe, President of The Center for Painted Wall Preservation in Hallowell, Maine.

Jane gave an interesting talk and slide show on early stenciled walls in Maine. She pointed out the slight differences in the stenciled patterns, which she believes indicates copying by various itinerant painters. She referred to our HHS walls as Moses Eaton, Jr.'s style, but would not commit to the stencil painting as being definitely by Eaton. She showed us drawings in a book written by Dorothy H. Candage from Blue Hill; our HHS home is in her book. The book's title is A Record of Early American Wall Stencils Found in Blue Hill and Nearby. Carol (Brown) Yaeger, who grew up in our HHS home, thrilled Jane and the rest of us by showing us a wall hanging that Candage had produced for Carol's mother, Katherine Brown, after she, Candage, had visited and copied the stenciled walls.

Thanks go to Jim DellaPenna for setting up his projector for the speaker's presentation, to Margaret for presenting the speaker with a gift of a cookbook and personal handmade items (Margaret should be thanked numerous times for her gifts to speakers), and to Bunny and Linda for providing refreshments for the evening.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy DellaPenna, Secretary