A pleasant early fall to all:

Summer at the Ruggles House has seen the gamut from chaos to joy to disappointment. When the House opened for tours on June 1st, work on the ell was incomplete due in part to a very wet spring. We had no septic system, plumbing or water. It seemed as if we were back in 1820, sans outhouse. By mid-July all systems were ready to go just in time for our annual ice cream social and a gala open house. That day was picture-perfect. Thomas Ruggles (aka Glenn Texter and wife Ruthie Clapp Ruggles (aka Ellen Tenan) attired in authentic 1820 costume greeted guests at the front door - approximately 125. It was indeed gratifying to have the new handicap accessible ramp well used on that day. Our architect, Chris Glass, observed that he expected those on the porch to be shelling peas.

Of course the Society is appreciative of every donation to the ell re-construction whether it be large or small. As most building projects cost more than originally expected, we still welcome any contribution. The local older residents who remember the old ell (removed in 1938) complement the design by saying that it looks as though it were always there and others say that the house now looks balanced and complete. To those who have contributed their family's kitchen items, to the ladies who arranged the collections making the space look lived-in and to those who organized the new gift area, utilizing a well-used Columbia Falls cupboard, a thank you.

During the open house, artifacts from archaeological digs were on display near the remains of the fireplace in the lower level. Please mark your calendar for this fall at the Columbia Falls Community Room when archaeologists Pamela Crane and Anne Wilder hope to offer a program on their finds. By next spring we hope to have these items on display.

The 3rd floor archives room appears at first glance to be the remnants of a tornado yet on closer inspection all House records and ephemera are neatly stored in acid-free cartons awaiting shelving. Generous people have donated office equipment and we're working on obtaining software for a donated computer. The space is light and comfortable for small gatherings. Of course, our lady doing the archival work is filling it up fast. We acquire more items at a steady pace. This winter should see the situation improve and the space will be better for all to use. We have some offers of help and will be glad to accept it. More shelving and work area items are still needed.

In the spring we realized that we had a small sum saved for archival conservation. It was decided to have some primary documents, which had been on display for ages, copied and cleaned. Much to everyone's surprise when one document was removed, a fine charcoal drawing, much like another in the house, appeared. It is probably the work of Lizzie Ruggles, granddaughter of Thomas Ruggles and last inhabitant of the house. The copies of primary documents are clear and now hang where the originals once were. The originals are now stored in archival boxes to preserve them forever. The charcoal has yet to be cleaned.

An unfortunate theft occurred in July. You may recall that there is an opened Gov. Winthrop desk in the dining room. Therein was a pen-wiper in the shape of a mouse. It is original to the house and was probably made by Lizzie. It being a family item it was treasured. After escorting a couple through the house, another tour came through and the docent went to show the "mouse" only not to find it. The house had been dusted that morning and the little mouse was there so we appear to know when it was removed and by whom. Although of insignificant monetary value, it was of great sentimental value to the museum. The local law enforcement officials have a record of the theft. It's discouraging to think that a guest would remove anything from a museum and we hope that it might be anonymously returned in the future.

A couple of weeks later when our docent arrived at the house in the morning, she found that during the previous night, a driver evading the police had run into the utility pole between the museum and the pottery. This happened with such force that the pole snapped, his pickup overturned, our new utility box on the house seemed to implode leaving us without electricity and telephone service. The handicap ramp and the porch at the pottery were damaged and the offender taken away. By late afternoon we were back together thanks to the electrician, Verizon and Bangor Hydro. We are pleased to tell you that our new gift area is being well received. We have postcards, the House collectible, some handmade items and Ruggles House tee shirts to mention a few items. You may see some items on our updated web site and they may be ordered as well at . Our new web site is finally up and running again. We are pleased with the new look and hope you will seek us out on your next visit to the Internet. We will continue to add items of interest to it.

Your secretary/historian extends apologies for misinformation supplied in the Spring newsletter on the Mayflower connection in Thomas Ruggles' genealogy. On further research of that Ruggles line, it was found to be inaccurate. We had received the information from a family web site and it proves to have the wrong line traced. We do know that Thomas' grandfather, Rev. Timothy Ruggles, does descend from a Mayflower line but no name has been mentioned in the many references that have been published, including the Ruggles Genealogy. The research will continue on this matter.

We will now be looking for other antique kitchen items, as well as farm tools, tools from the lumbering industry and shipbuilding industry. We have room in the lower level of the new wing to display some of these related articles. A wash boiler is being sought to go with tub and scrub boards. The Ruggles House Society has had for some time, a Ruggles family bed in storage. We have now retrieved it and placed it on the top floor of the new ell. It will be part of a small display of a child's bedroom complete with a trundle bed, also Ruggles furniture. This is a 'rope' bed and will be roped for visitors to see this long ago method of creating bedding furnishings. Since none of us have ever 'roped' a bed, it will be a learning process. Thanks to Neil Tenan for making us a tightening tool, we think will be authentic. The Internet is great for getting all types of instructions.

We are researching grant money to get display cabinets for the archaeology artifacts. These proved to be a fascination to the Open House visitors, as Pam Crane and Anne Wilder, our experts, displayed them on tables. Framing for more of the Ruggles artwork is another project. We are hanging more of the sisters' drawings and they are admired by our visitors. We have many more to do. A large drawing of Lizzie's, which depicts a dam, probably on the Pleasant River, has been hung in the new ell. Many people today do not remember the dams, which were so numerous on the rivers in Washington County. This drawing clearly brings back memories to many others who do. Those dams were vital to the lumbering industry of that early era. Using these drawings in other ways will be explored this winter. Prints, note paper and cards, greeting and Christmas cards, are all being considered.

The Board of Directors welcomes Larry Smith of Winter Harbor. He is a native of Washington County and has lived in Winter Harbor for many years, associated with the building trades. For thirty years, he tells us, he has managed the cottages on Grindstone Neck and therefore comes to us with valuable experience in older dwellings.

Speaking of directors, it was a pleasure recently to chat with Fran Mitchell, a long time director and supporter of the Ruggles House. Many of the items now on display in the new ell have been donated by Fran from her family. When she should be "putting her feet up", she instead has been organizing her photograph portfolio and putting pieces of it on her own web site, www.FrancesRobinsonMitchell.com . We thank her for sharing this valuable resource in history.

We are encouraging the local schools to bring their students to the museum as a first time visit or a return as we have expanded our displays with the new wing. The archaeology items always seem to be a big attraction to the younger people. This presentation will be a top priority to organize this winter. The latest gift to the House is a wooden garden type bench for the porch of the new ell. The Cherryfield branch of Ellsworth Builders Supply was kind enough to give one to us. This bench has been placed on the porch in memory of Richard Burgess, who was serving as the Society's president when he passed away. His loss is still felt by all who worked with him. A sincere thank you to EBS and Dan Curtis.

Membership donations for 2005 are much appreciated. Thank you is extended to the following donors:
Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Adams Mr.& Mrs. Robert Artinian Bar Harbor Banking & Trust Mr. & Mrs. Standish Bourne Jr Mr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Bowditch Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Bradbury Mr. & Mrs. Robert Brown Mr. William Brundage Mrs. Rebekah Bucci Mrs. Grace Bucknam Mr. & Mrs. Charles Butts Mr. Sherman R. Chandler Mr. & Mrs. James Day Mrs. Jeanne Drechsel Mr. Willard Emery Mr. Richard Grant Ms. Alice Grant Mr. & Mrs. J. Haroutunian Charles & Nancy Herr Mrs. Ellen M. Higgins	Mrs. Susan Hirschman Margaret G, Holmes Mr. & Mrs. James Iley Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kalin Mrs. Bertha Mary Kelley Mr. & Mrs. James Kellogg Rev. James E. Lindsley Ms. Linda Long Mrs. Faye Lunt Mr. Timothy Lunt Mr. & Mrs. John Lynch Machias Savings Bank Mrs. Norma Marin Ms. Joan Myers Mrs. Ruth M. McInnis Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Mirman Mrs. Frances R. Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Murphy Mr. & Mrs. Harry Pringle	Mrs. Eben Pyne Mrs. Eleanor Weller Reade Mr. Arnold N. Richter Mr. & Mrs. D. C. Roberts Mr. & Mrs. Keith Robinson Mr. & Mrs. Louis Robineau Mrs. Barbara I. Rossow Mr. & Mrs. Tony Santiago Mrs. Jenene J. Schneider Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Scott Mrs. Carolyn Slayman Mr. & Mrs. Richard Spencer Mr. Robert O. Stuart Mrs. Ellen M. Tenan Mr. Bion Tibbetts III Union Trust Company Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Ward Mr. John C. Wellington Mr. & Mrs. Edward Williams

We also wish to acknowledge and thank Richard and Patty Grant for the gift of a kerosene lamp with wall bracket and Nancy Herr for a corner shelf, both to go in the new ell.

Linda Long, President.