Below: Kathy Amoroso, Director of Digital Projects for Maine Historical Society, shows (l-r) Kathy Lambert, Valerie Tucker, Ben Godsoe, and Carl Stinchfield how to organize narratives and photos for their website.
Maine Community Heritage Project Training
At the July training, each team shared their work to date, presenting an outline of one of five exhibit topics. Carl Stinchfield's “The Bridge that Changed the Map” recounts how a $5,000 suspension bridge drove a wedge between residents in 1856 and resulted in the secession of East Strong to New Vineyard. Maine maps had to be redrawn to reflect that change.
The team has uploaded narratives and artifacts from the wood products industry, history of town schools, groups and organizations, and the story of the bridge. Crystal Knapp Polk's 7th and 8th graders have researched Strong's post-Civil War life and the story of Fly Rod Crosby, Maine's first registered Maine Guide. Larissa Vigue Picard, Maine Memory's Community Partnership Coordinator for the three teams, has guided the teams' website development. For examples of other inspiring and creative grant project results, visit Maine Memory Network's Community Partners page. Each project has provided a unique and very personal look at the past from their hometown perspective.
We have had wonderful support from Maine Historical Society, with visits from archiving expert Jamie Kingman Rice and photographer and Image Services Coordinator Dani Fazio. Other contributors include Cheryl McLeery, the Director of the Strong Public Library; Jami Badershall, Strong Elementary School's librarian, and Steve Pinkham, author of Mountains of Maine: Intriguing Stories Behind Their Names.
Photography Workshop
At right, Dani Fazio, Image Services Coordinator for the Maine Historical Society, taught a photography workshop for students. They learned about lighting, angles, and shadows that will best display some of the artifacts that the Strong Elementary School and Historical Society will upload to Maine Memory Network. Student Liam McCarthy Edwards adjusts his camera and tripod to photograph a butter mold that is part of the SHS collection.