MECHANIC FALLS — Mechanic Falls Historical Society is holding an Open House, Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and September 12, downstairs in the Municipal Building gym from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

This is a major display of historic and noteworthy items about Mechanic Falls.

Since the society moved its collection to its present quarters at the Municipal Building, it has been organizing the collection so it would provide essential information about the history of the community.

The open house will feature almost every issue of the Mechanic Falls High School yearbook, the Pilot, including Volume 1, No. 1. The differences are very noticeable in how the yearbook changed throughout the years, particularly in comparison to current yearbook standards.

Copies of every town report since 1893 (when the town was incorporated) will be displayed, as well as bound issues of the Mechanic Falls Ledger, a weekly newspaper that was published from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.

Thanks to Pamela Penney, the society has acquired numerous issues of the Lewiston Evening Journal from the 1940s, when the headlines primarily told the story of the  Second World War and its aftermath.

The public will also view numerous photographs, advertising playbills, and assorted documents and paraphernalia associated with the town, its people, and its various commercial establishments, particularly the paper mill operation which was once the major employer and lifeblood in town.

There will be a good deal of information and items heralding the J.W. Penney Company, iron foundry, and manufacturer of machines and steam engines – notably known for building the prototype engine for the Stanley Steamer.

The society also has a number of dies from the foundry of the Penney company which Down East Machine gave to the society in 2020.  But the dies take up an immense amount of space and the society has been given permission by the Penney family and the town to offer the dies for sale as a fundraiser.  They will be on display for purchase.