Getting to Know the Region

History is her thing

Wed, 08/26/2015 - 4:00pm

Barbara Rumsey, long-time Boothbay Region Historical Society volunteer, museum curator and historian, stands on a Boothbay Harbor landmark, the footbridge. KEVIN BURNHAM/Boothbay Register

Barbara Rumsey (front, dark jersey) is surrounded by Boothbay Region Historical Society volunteers during the gathering to honor her on April 25, 2013. Courtesy of Betsy Spekke

Barbara Rumsey is the go-to person for historical information about the Boothbay region.

Rumsey, who began volunteering at the Boothbay Region Historical Society museum on Oak Street, Boothbay Harbor in 1985 after her children started high school, has penned close to 600 articles about local history for the Boothbay Register. She has also written seven books on local history.

“I loved research and cataloging, so I started volunteering,” she said. “Pretty soon, some inquiries about local history came in, and no one knew the answer. One was about a house move, so I went to see the Giles boys, who did that work. They became my contacts for 30 years.”

Rumsey said her goal was to “do justice to people who were neglected in newspaper write-ups. The seafarers, summer colonies and businesses got a lot of publicity, but the farmers, builders, the 'working man' were often shortchanged.

"Once you get pulled into local history, you're pulled every which way because you want to help people find the truth," Rumsey said.

The museum had a lot of great and interesting items when Rumsey started.

“I threw myself into it. Organizing boxes of information, items and photographs. Bess Reed had given the museum a lot of material, and she helped historians like Francis Greene and others with their written histories.”

In November of 1988, Rumsey started writing a monthly history column for the Boothbay Register, asking then Managing Editor Mary Brewer if she thought it was a good idea. She also started a historical society newsletter, sharing news, history and "the great pictures" from the museum.

Rumsey believes in original research. She would drive around and talk with the older residents of the region.

"I would see an old foundation or an old wharf site and asked them what used to be there," Rumsey said. “I would come up with mysteries about things and try to solve them."

Rumsey would often go see Lester Barter of Boothbay Harbor to solve a mystery.

"I could drop by his house or his shop anytime. I had to yell questions at him because he was hard of hearing, so I couldn't stay long or I'd lose my voice."

Rumsey has also preserved history though the use of video recordings, doing 30 to 35 interviews with local people and their reminisces.

Though she has been the face of the Boothbay Region Historical Society for the past 30 years, she credits Bea Walker and Alden Stickney for helping her through the early years.

"Alden was an inspiration to me. He was a brilliant guy who did a lot of work for the Society and museum."

"I think one of the best compliments about my work came from Alden's wife, Mildred. She said 'You let me see things the way they used to be.'"

In April of 2013, the society honored Rumsey for her many years of service to the society as a volunteer, director, curator and writer of local history. In honor of her dedication, Barbara's favorite room at the Oak Street museum was named the Barbara S. Rumsey Reference Room.

For more information about the Historical society go to www.boothbayhistorical.org.