Sesquicentennial Museum Open This Saturday

On June 1, 2019, the Portland Historical Society and the Sesquicentennial Celebration group of Portland will be re-opening the doors of their prized walk-through museum at the Red Mill.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with Gayle Bantle, a member of the historical society, to talk about the educational values and the goals that the groups have when it comes to this year’s celebration. Ms. Bantle assured me of something that a lot of people hear in their high school history classes; teaching history has a lot to do with preventing history from repeating itself.

Ms. Bantle has lived in the Portland area for around six years, but in those six years has seen a lot of change herself. From ever-changing businesses, to the new pavilion at the red mill, the city of Portland has been going through evolutionary ups-and-downs since before it was even established as a city in the 19th century.

Ms. Bantle mentioned that one of the main goals of the Sesquicentennial Museum is to provide information to those who really do not know a lot about their town’s history. Most of the towns earliest financial influencers and original structures no longer remain in the city, meaning that younger generations never got the chance to witness their strongest times or their downfalls. Because of this, Ms. Bantle hopes to draw the attention of some of the younger generations.

Learning about the history of the place in which you live is far more important than many people realize. As I continued my chat with Ms. Bantle, I myself became very interested in how the City of Portland became what it is today, and even I am not the biggest fan of history myself. There is a lot to learn about the small rural community’s history, because the past is a key to the future.

The Sesquicentennial Museum opens its doors on Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will be open every following Saturday from 9 to 2 as well. The museum focuses on the positives and new and old industries of the city, in hopes to spread knowledge of our everchanging community.

For those who would like to be further involved in the community, be sure to check out the newsletters sent to the mailboxes from the city, attend council meetings, or visit the City of Portland’s website to gather more information.