We’ve all been fascinated with lighthouses – the mystique, the lore, the resilient people who lived there and help maintain these noble structures. Come join historian Delia Farris as she recounts how Lighthouse people are hardy folks and good storytellers. Using the magnificent background of Cutler Harbor with its Little River lighthouse, Delia will take us on an intimate 20-year journey of daily life in the remote lighthouses along our rugged shores with the many stories she acquired from her family. She will share many artifacts from her family’s times while serving as lighthouse keepers. We will hear her recount stories like how her grandfather, Willie Corbet, decided Velma Johnson was the woman for him when she arrived for a visit in a bosun’s chair strung between a ship’s mast and the island holding Saddleback Ledge Light. “He thought, ‘If she can handle this, she can handle anything,’” also saying “He called that station ‘nothing but a damned bare rock.’”
Presenter: Delia Mae Farris is a Cutler native, and an historical archivist for the many generations of her family’s lives on four lighthouse islands and fishing boats. She is a prolific storyteller, sharing her talents with young and old alike, in schools and communities throughout the downeast region. She is an interpreter for the historic McCurdy Herring Smokehouse Museum in Lubec, and leads shoreline tours for APPLE. “Reflections from Destiny Bay,” Delia’s essays on coastal nature and people, can be found in the Quoddy Tides Newspaper.
Class Information: This is an in-person only class - held at the Cutler Town Hall - Louise Clements Memorial Library, 2655 Cutler Road, Cutler, ME. The building is handicap accessible and has bathroom facilities. If the weather is good, we are planning to hold this meeting at the picnic tables on the grounds, but you are welcome to bring your own lawn chairs. If the weather is inclement, it will be held in the library.
All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant. The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms. Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible. SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.
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This class is Free to Members of Sunrise Senior College if your membership is current for June 2024 to May 2025. There is a $5.00 Administrative charge for all other MSCN Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $10.00 fee.
Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, the materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.