President – Peter Prescott
Vice-president – Thomas Tillson
Treasurer – David Pearson
Secretary – Carol Feurtado
Director – Richard Whitney

Treasurer's Report: The final figure for the 2004 fund drive was $2,460 from 83 donors, 62 desiring membership. The 2005 newsletter was sent in March, donations to date are $2,675 from 111 donors with 93 requesting membership. We also received $3,707 from the Tiger Sports Club and $500 from John Reed for the Abbott Museum. The Cultural Affairs Council granted us $10,000 for the construction of the archival vault. In memory gifts were sent for Dr. Hans Shurman; $1,645, John Irvin; $190, Thomas Tillson; $2,090, Merle Willard; $430, Raymond Goulette: $100. We raised the rent for the Dexter Public Health office and the apartment at the Millers House.

Director's Report: Work on the Abbott building continued under the supervision of Robert Crawford, including purchase of combination storm windows, framing windows and installing heating fixtures in the office and reading room, and the entrance to the ramp was paved. The Women's Literary Club made and installed curtains after Guy Ellms made rod holders. A new surface was installed on the workbench in the office and the cabinets stained after which the computer was moved in on February 23. Greg Webber built stairs to the furnace room, put new treads on the stairs to the lower floor, constructed the vault and framed up two rooms. The brick/stone front foundation wall was sealed against water penetration. Metal shelves for the vault were donated by Barbara Steller. Beverly Goldstone chose wallpaper for the reading room. Several of the lower rooms were insulated and strapped. An oval sign reading “Dexter Historical Society, established 1966” in black with gold letters was made by Tory Farris for the front of the building and the ramp railing was painted white. At the Grist Mill a broken window was repaired and window frames were painted. The telephone was removed with a trac phone used during the summer. Some of the windows and walls at the Carr School were painted.

Museums: Several artist exhibits were presented during the winter using the Wells Conference Room at the Abbott Museum; painting by Jane Belle Pieriboni and Mark Robichaud, sculpture by Rick Bjeckford and David Smus and quilts by Jeanne Carter Wright. Bert Call photos of the north woods were on display in June and again for Wild West weekend. At the gift shop a consignor/exhibitor policy was put in place and commission increased to 15% because of the credit card machine that was installed through Bangor Savings. Shop hours were reduced through the winter. Unity Pond Pottery was added to items offered and consignors now number around 31 with more than 20 product lines. The Holsapple Genealogy and Research Center was dedicated with the family present on July 3. Doug and Dorothy Doyon created an exhibit honoring one family of French-Canadian heritage, Peter and Elizabeth (Dyer) Clukey, for the Doyon Room. The Grist Mill Museum opened on June 13 after cleaning by the Key Club. Amanda Pullen returned for her second year as intern. The Exeter School and NOE toured. A new exhibit on Dr. Fitzgerald was set up as well as one featuring new acquisitions from 2005. We participated in Wild West Days with expanded hours on Friday and Saturday nights. Curator Whitney brought his classes for tours in September. Attendance nears 1300.

Acquisitions: Collections for 2004 numbered 111 with 75 to date in 2005. The office space at the Abbott Museum has been used for cataloging since February, after using the research room temporarily since October. Some items of interest include DRHS sports records and game videos, scrapbooks with wedding and anniversary clippings, items about the Crawford, Sawtelle, Yeo, Crowell/Rolfe, Strout, Dudley families as well as Bob Eaton and Albert Bush, photos of the 1901 Centennial parade.

Research and Genealogy: We responded to a total of 77 (recorded) queries in 2004 and 69 so far in 2005. The Holsapple room was furnished and research materials moved in during October 2004. Many visitors have come to work there already. Students found information for Mr. Whitney's cemetery project. Several people consulted our Brewster collection and our Barron collection. Genealogy information has been exchanged, in person and by email, particularly concerning the McKechnie family, Amaziah Davis, Sarchwell Lane, Rev. Witherell, A.H. Fassett and Francis Ireland. The display in the Doyon Room has sparked much interest in the French-Canadian collection. Bing Miller has researched Hiram Maxim for a possible video. Barry Strout presented us a binder of information on all our Civil War vets.

Publications: The 2006 calendar features the woolen mills in town and was available for Wild West Days. We assisted in two publications; “Here's to Hoops” and a history of Dexter's golf club, which are for sale in the gift shop.

Outreach: Our newsletter was sent out in March. We had a report in the Town Report. Materials on FayScott were loaned for a display at the Abbott Memorial Library and medical instruments were loaned to the Wayside Theatre for use in “Arsenic and Old Lace”. We awarded a scholarship to a DRHS student. Curator Whitney spoke about Senator Brewster on Ch. 2 and addressed the Newport Historical Society. We attended the Mid Maine Historical Society meeting in Milo in January and mounted an exhibit at the SPCCC Expo featuring Bert Call's photography business. Through Frank Spizuoco we received a grant, in conjunction with CHEt, from the Maine Humanities Council for a touring show of Bert Call's north woods photos. The tour began at the Expo and went to Dover-Foxcroft, Guilford, Greenville and Milo as well as Dexter throughout the summer. Updates were made to our website. Articles were placed in the MAM newsletter. Contact was made with the American Textile Heritage Museum in Lowell in connection with the records of the Abbott Woolen Mill which are in their collection.

Attendance at the Abbott Museum from August 2004 to August 2005 was nearly 3000 with sales of over $16,000. As gift shop, exhibit space, research facility and office area the Abbott Museum is already fulfilling our vision for it. While the Grist Mill campus will remain at the heart of our operations, the Abbott Museum now allows us to offer services year-round.