History of The Patten Lumbermen’s Museum
Dr Lore Rogers started the Patten Lumbermen’s Museum
after his retirement, when he returned to his boyhood home
in Patten. Working in the back of the town’s library, he
began the task of documenting his memories of working
with his father, a local lumberman, and others involved with
the logging industry. In the late 1950’s he and his longtime
friend, Game Warden Caleb Scribner, secured a parcel of
land on the Shin Pond Road. Together, they moved a cabin,
log by log, from the base of Mt. Chase to its present location
and officially created The Patten Lumberman’s Museum.
sizes and purposes. Operated only as a seasonal venture, the
original building and others built over the next 20 years were
not equipped with heat or running water. The vast range
of seasonal temperature caused continual deterioration
of aging photographs and printed records. Through
sheer determination, not unlike that of past lumbermen,
a modern day Reception Center has been constructed
over the past five years. This climate controlled, well-lit,
handicapped accessible facility now protects the museums
artwork, historic writings and photographs. It also contains
a small library, conference room with a video station and a
gift shop.
Over the years, the museum has developed a number of
unique logging exhibits including some of Maine’s most
notable contributions to the early mechanization of
logg [