Whozit-Wherezit Exhibit
The Strong Historical Society received a grant from Maine Historical Society, through the Maine Community Heritage Project, to develop a web-based project about the town's history. The project team, comprised of Historical Society members, the Strong Public Library, the Strong Elementary School, and the High Peaks Alliance, pledged to meet monthly and develop five unique presentations, with a community celebration to share their work in June. They joined grant recipients from the coastal towns of Surry and Swan’s Island in July, 2011, and January, 2012, at the Maine Historical Society in Portland. The three teams learned to build their exhibits and websites for their projects. Each month, the Strong MCHP team members met to fine-tune their theme, select complementary artifacts and photos, and document "good history." In September, 2011, they launched the project at a community celebration.
7th and 8th Grade Exhibit
Ben Godsoe, a Muskie School for Public Service graduate student, has helped develop the Sandy River Land Trust and High Peaks Alliance and a new 45-mile Fly Rod Crosby Trail. Ben assisted teacher Crystal Knapp Polk with class mapping activities in the Strong Elementary School and wrote an exhibit on Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby.
Valerie Tucker is a freelance writer and a member of the Strong Historical Society. She enjoys researching local history and ancestry. Originally from Vassalboro, she regrets not appreciating her hometown roots, but she’s making up for that neglect by working extra hard on this project.
Carl Stinchfield, an officer of Strong Historical Society, was born and raised in Strong. Although he left for 28 years, he returned to the family homestead and has become active in tracking down the many unidentified people and unknown locations in Society’s archived photos. He started a Facebook page and has posted many intriguing photos of the town's history.
Kathy Lambert was born and raised in Phillips, but has raised her family in Strong for the past 42 years. She and her husband Roger are history buffs and were among the founders of the Strong Historical Society. They have a wonderful collection of books and artifacts, and they enjoy genealogy.
Crystal Knapp Polk teaches social studies and reading at the Strong Elementary School. Students in her 7th and 8th social studies classes participated in the local history research for this project. She and her students also created an interactive Google Earth map based on historical locations that are part of the Maine Memory project.