BETHEL — On Saturday, April 14, the Bethel Historical Society will hold its annual History Symposium from 2 to 4 p.m. in the South Dining Room of the Bethel Inn. This year’s symposium, which is free and open to the public, is titled, “Don’t Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Story: Myths, Lies and Other Traditions of Local and Regional History.”
During the program, several historians and BHS staff members will draw attention to a number of well-known historical myths and legends associated with western Maine and the White Mountain region of Maine and New Hampshire.
An introductory presentation will set the scene by describing some of the major reasons why false historical beliefs have been so essential to America’s cultural past. From Washington chopping down the cherry tree to Abe Lincoln reading by the light of a flickering fireplace, stories of our past are fraught with hallowed myths for which there is no credible evidence.
In examining the importance — and frequency — of legends and myths in this region’s history, several specific subjects will be offered as examples, including the life of the Indian “Princess” Molly Ockett, the famous “Moon Tide Spring” on Mount Zircon near Rumford and such well-known White Mountain stories as the Great Carbuncle, the Willey Slide and the “Great Stone Face.”
Finally, attention will be focused on several cherished myths and falsehoods connected with the history of Bethel itself; from Bethel’s early name of “Sudbury Canada” and “New England’s Last Indian Raid” to present-day “Robinson Hill” and “Middle Intervale Road” (neither of which exists), a collection of enduring local traditions challenge the old adage of “truth is stranger than fiction.”
For more information call 824-2908 or 800-824-2910 or email info@bethelhistorical.org.
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