"Ellsworth's John A. Peters, Esq. & the Father of Acadia" Ellsworth P.L., July 28, 2016 7/3/16 1 "Ellsworth's John A. Peters, Esq. & the 'Father of Acadia' Ronald H. Epp Ph.D. Ellsworth Public Library July 28, 2016 Thank you for this opportunity to speak about one of Ellsworth's most distinguished citizens, focusing not on his legal career but instead on his relationship with George B. Dorr, Acadia's 'Father.' Even though this library was erected on what is historically known as the Peters Block, I'll remind one and all that John Andrew Peters (1864-1953) attended Ellsworth public schools before moving on to graduate from Bowdoin (1885). Two years later he gained membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He would come to hold many of the titles of his same-named uncle. Admitted to the bar, in 1887 Peters Jr. started a practice in Ellsworth where he was judge of the municipal court from 1896-1908 until he was elected to three-terms in the Maine House, and a four-term member of the U.S. Congress where he represented the Third District for nine years. He maintained a reduced private practice. In 1918 he successfully advanced in the House a bill passed in the Senate (S. 4957) to establish Lafayette National Park. In 1922 he returned to the law as Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, two years before he became a member of the HCTPR. Warren Harding appointed him Judge of the United States District Court, an office he held until 1947 when he retired. That year he completed the disposition of the Dorr estate, six years before his death in 1953. His office archive is located three hundred feet distant in the attic of the offices of Hale and Hamlin (much more about this firm later) 2 Knitting together the benchmarks in the Dorr-Peters relationship is not a topic I discussed in my biography of Mr. Dorr. In fact, establishing precisely when the Dorr-Peters relationship began has not been possible. In Dorr's published memoir, The Story of Acadia National Park, he says that before 1913 Peters "had aided me professionally in various matters at Bar Harbor and I knew him, well." According to a biographical profile written by Ellsworth's Herbert T. Silsby II, following Peters admission to the bar he practiced law briefly in Bar Harbor before relocating to Ellsworth; at this time he and Dorr may have established a relationship. In 1913, twelve years after the HCTPR was established as the second American land trust, Peters writes (three decades later) that a bill was introduced in the Maine legislature to revoke" its charter...[for] it did not matter that the commercial value of its lands were small and the scenic value immense [since] some people could not see beyond their own noses." And here the vivid language of Peters has its fullest expression: Dorr "descended upon the Maine Legislature like an aroused lion in defense of its cubs." Peters says that the battle was "one-sided..[for] there was no resisting Mr. Dorr when fighting for the public welfare." Peters does not mention here that he was Speaker of the House and that for ten days he and Dorr raised the profile of the Trustees among the members of the Maine legislature.. (Dedication of the George Bucknam Dorr Memorial, 1947) Complicating our understanding of the evolving relationship between the two men is the small number of surviving letters from Dorr to Judge Peters. None have been found in Park archives, not surprising since so many documents were irresponsibly discarded by the NPS in the town landfill after Dorr's death. Dorr wrote to Peters in February of 1915 detailing 3 expenses and revenue needed to advance national park status for the national monument but there is nothing here that discloses Dorr's view of Peters' character. Even though firm bonds between the two were developing out of their common concern for the preservation of landscape within Hancock County, throughout Dorr's life he relied principally on verbal persuasion. sternand, "Frightened" about the whimsical nature of state and local through legislatures, Dorr convinced President Eliot in 1913 (to offer "his child to the federal government for adoption." Having become a Charles. U.S. congressman, Peters states that the two fought "jealousy as ACTER well as ignorance and the usual governmental inertia." Finally, after Peters secured an appointment, they went to the White keek House to meet with President Woodrow Wilson. He told Wilson that Dorr was the most public-spirited man he had ever known, quite a claim for a Mainer in the nation's capital. Shortly July 8 thereafter, a June 25, 1916 proclamation federalized roughly 5,000 acres of island landscape as Sieur de Monts National Monument. Peters concludes his remarks by acknowledgi Eig the assistance of other public-spirited citizens, insisting that the Park owes much to them; but more to Mr. Dorr than to all others, because he gave all he had." Similar remarks were voiced two months later (on Refunds August 22nd ) during a celebration at the Building of the Arts in Bar Harbor. For those inclined to see the work of divine bureur Providence in what others see as coincidence, exactly 10 years to mouth the day after this celebration, Dr. Charles W. Eliot died at his home in Northeast Harbor. For dismiss this as coincidence, Cone should take into account the fact that John A. Peters died on August 22, 1953, thirty-seven years to the day after the celebration, twenty-seven years to the day after Eliot's death. Parenthetically, John Quincy Adams called the coincidence 4 of his father's death on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- and within hours of Thomas Jefferson's death-- a "visible and palpable remark of Divine Favor". Three days after the Building of the Arts celebration, the National Park Service was established and the effort to elevate the national monument to national park status began. Congressman Peters and Maine U.S. Senator Frederick Hale both draft bills in 1918 to that effect. When news was received in September 1918 that the national monument passed through the committee structures, an editorial in the Kennebec Journal praised John A. Peters for a record of service to the state and the nation "that is unsurpassed by that of any statesman Fand President [Wilson] recognizes a reliable, patriotic statesman of breadth and power, loyal to every national interest, and too big to play politics." (9.11.1918) As I explained in chapter 16 of my biography, despite park growth and popular local and national success in the first years of park development, by 1922 the seeds of resident discord were sprouting. Not only were park officials planning a Cadillac Mountain summit road but also a bisecting motor road enabling rangers to pass easily between the northern and southern sides of the mountain; at the same time news was received that Mr. Rockefeller was not only prepared to cover the cost of a motor an 8-mile road network but also planned the extension of his carriage road system some eight miles to encircle Jordan, Sargent, and Parkman mountains. How would all this development be viewed by the seasoned village improvement associations, especially groups of hikers concerned about the erosion of island wild lands? 5 In July of 1922 such concerns went unmentioned when Judge Peters was guest of honor at an Echo Lake luncheon hosted by the AMC. Though the documentation is scant and ill-defined, it was appears that this event the handiwork of Mr. Dorr who had owned the 13 acres of land by Beech Cliff until he deeded it to the outdoor organization as a base of island-wide exploration. The AMC would later accept the gift as a memorial to the park founder but on this occasion Peters described Dorr in a particularly memorable way: the park superintendent is "our own prince of altruists." Despite such accolades, a summer resident of Northeast Harbor and U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania by the name of George Wharton Pepper had aroused popular support for protection of interior wildlands. Private warnings to Dorr and fellow Trustees escalated into threats from this primitivist that Park road construction would be brought to the floor of the U.S. last Senate. As I mention in my article this month in the FOA Journal, Pepper strained public credulity when he said that visitor experience atop Cadillac would be marred by the sight of any vehicle not there when Champlain discovered the island! Dorr and Rockefeller could not be intimidated So Pepper requested a meeting with the new Interior secretary, physician Hubert Work. Peters played a key role in arrangements for the Road Hearings. He first acted as a mediator, writing collegial letters to Pepper explaining the rationale for development in the hope that a meeting with the Secretary could be avoided. Pepper so as proclude the need for the March 1924 hearing (3.8.1924) That proved ineffective, and fellow Trustee, Seal Harbor relator George L. Stebbins, wrote to Peters about preparatory planning being executed independent of Dorr, for some fear " that if Mr. Dorr is in charge he will try to prove too much and talk too long." There 6 was the well-intentioned effort to "relieve Mr. Dorr of that sort of responsibility.' " The views of other summer residents are described, including some who are so set against Senator Pepper that efforts will be made to keep their views confined to paper rather than verbal comments that would "rile things up." There was confidence that the proposed road development plans will be would be approved Dorr's allies can prevent the superintendent from trying to prove too much. Bear in mind that Pepper distaste for what he perceived as Dorr's free-hand led the Senator to propose creation of a governmental oversight committee to counteract Dorr's alleged overuse of his authority. Pepper had a way of getting under the skin of Peters as well. The Congressman wrote to fellow Maine congressman Ira G. Hersey, that "One man from Pennsylvania, even if he is a senator, should not control the destinies of all the people of Maine. think it is an outrage on us, but I cannot say that except to you." Dorr Arno admitted to the NPS director (Cammerer) more than a decade later that if this case had been decided in Pepper's favor "it would have spelt disaster to the park," for the role of Mr. Rockefeller would have been narrowed or worse; the very existence of the Abbe Museum & the JAX might have been negated if Dorr's hands had been slapped as Pepper intended. But the case was settled in favor of the "defendants." This is not to say that Dorr and Peters did not differ on a few Park development issues. Most notable was the mountain naming controversy which came to public attention at the onset of the Great Depression. Since 1918 Dorr had applied for permission (from the U.S. Board on Geographic Names) to rename island mountains whose ancestry was unknown or undistinguished-that is, those that lacked historical associations (Dry, Round, etc.). Relatively quickly more than a dozen mountains were renamed, 7 irritating conservatives who favored the old names. The Trustees were divided in their loyalties and some sought to undo what Dorr had achieved. Peters writes in 1930 that he favors local history for "I think it a shame to abuse them [as when] Mr. Dorr called one "Cadillac," and I told him at the time, if he was going to do that he ought to call another one "Buick" and certainly a peak near Seal Harbor ought to be called 'Ford.' Is this tongue-in- cheek or a serious disagreement? The jury is still out This chiding by Peters is related to another area of common concern, the impact of increased tourism on park management and the NPS role as the county's foremost agent of preservation. these The phenomenal success of the automobile not only increased vehicles park visitation system-wide, tourists arrived with expectations about an array of services: hotels, lodges, gift shops, campgrounds, restaurants, service stations, and an increasing array of concessions (e.g., MDI water and ocean transports) geared to the local environment As the Great depression years arrived, golf links, tennis courts, swimming pools, and other outdoor pastime facilities were planned for some parks (M. Mantell, "Preservation and Use: Concessions in the National Parks"), but at Acadia Dorr through his weight behind CCC development of park infrastructure. The NPS evolved strict policies governing concessions within its holdings, a lesser issue at Acadia since supportive services ringed the park. Conversations about these issues between Dorr, Rockefeller, Peters, and others led to the formation of the Acadia Corporation in 1933 (Because of his official position, Dorr had ex- officio status). One of its presidents, Charles Savage, wrote that it is "owned and directed by people whose primary interest is Mount Desert and the preservation of its traditions," that is year- round and seasonal residents of Hancock County. 8 Despite the lofty rhetoric, Rockefeller candidly wrote that he Acadia Corporation was formed "because it was thought that some such organization was necessary in order to protect the park against concessionaires from outside who [would likely ignore] MDI traditions." (RAC. B.62.f.620. 10.27.41) Local control involved shares of stock to raise capital, with little promise that the revenue would be sufficient over time to pay dividends. Peters was a Director whose career credentials positioned him to shoulder for nearly two decades continuing relationships with the most senior yet distant NPS officials and who an officio AC. Yet it was not only private enterprise that required strict OF oversight the Department of Defense under war power acts laid 1941 claim to the summit of Cadillac as a military observatory, They prohibit access for more than five years not only by the public but also by the NPS. When the Army released the summit, buildings owned by the Acadia Corporation were left in ruin, with no recompense forthcoming. Knowing of Dorr's convictions about the summit, Peters was as persistent as the superintendent would have been. He fought against the Army position "that the Acadia Corporation exclusion from our place of doing business, was not a particular damage to us." (RAC. B. 62.f. 622. D. Rodick to JDR Jr. 6/22/45) One year before Dorr's death, the Father of Acadia finalized another will and named John A. Peters his Executor, stating that he had "complete trust and confidence" in him and four estate trustees: family friend Mary Hale, her son Richard W. Hale Jr., the president of Bowdoin College, and Dorr's secretary, Phyllis S. Sylvia. The superintendent had been afflicted with impaired sight since his teenage years. In his final months, residing in Storm Beach Cottage, Dorr admitted that he could no longer see; when 9 visited in the final months by Peters and other Trustees, Dorr's identity in tact. remainded Dorr's death on 5 August 1944 prompted the administration of the Dorr estate. Yet prior to that complicated process, Peters proposed one week later at the annual HCTPR meeting that the Trustees take steps to rename Dry Mountain as Dorr Mountain, a renaming approved by the USBGN on February 20, 1945. Peters was immediately faced with actions undertaken by the park service that were either unspecified in the Dorr estate plans or at odds with it. For example, "As negotiated several years earlier, the inventoried possessions became federal property a few would be added to the collections of the park archives." The bulk were sold, including the contents of a twenty-by-forty foot Park Library. While some park documents accumulated over a thirty year career were salvaged, the majority were sent glammed the landfill A small safe contained family letters and most correspondence with prominent literary and political figures-th these documents Mary Hale directed to appropriate New England historical societies and Harvard University. (CANP, 306) Bear in mind that Beters still had judicial responsibilities and was not on site to see how fellow Trustees and park staff evaluated and disposed of the estate content. But written reports were sent to Peters and this is how we know of specific actions. Because Only the records of Judge their Peters were preserved over the last sixty years. fallness This is the fascinating story that ought to find its place into local history. It is a classic tale of hiding in plain sight. Located in the Peters Block--in the attic of Hale and Hamlin since 1953-- was a treasure vital to understanding the history of Acadia National Park, not to mention the evolution of Ellsworth. Here was the law 10 office of Judge Peters. Whether the attorneys working there were aware of this is unclear to this day. Nowhere in the public record that I have uncovered is there an indication that this legal office existed. Why the silence you might ask? Bear in mind that confidentiality is foundational to the client- attorney relationship. Keeping private matters private is essential, Historically, legal archives are not part of the scholar's enterprise their to domain, regardless of their usefulness to historical completeness and truth. At the death of a client, records are directed to family members or a designated recipient; if these are not available, the records are destroyed. Yet in an attic nearby the John A. Peters archive endured. And how was it uncovered? A contractor roofing the Woodlawn Museum mentioned to the Executive Director (Josh Torrance) that his crew had just opened the roof downtown at Hale and Hamlin. When they looked down between the rafters an intact office remained amid the attic debris. This casual comment prompted Josh to contact Hale & Hamlin, explaining his interest from a Trustee perspective. Permission was secured in early October 2008 when Josh, local archivist Martha Harmon, Woodlawn collections manager Roz Rae and I gingerly stepped across rafters into the enclosed office. I had traveled then from New Hampshire because of the relationship between Dorr and Peters; my research had led me to conclude falsely that the Peters archive had been lost. Yet here were bound legal tomes, a professional library, and a phenomenal 225 lineal feet of numbered files containing matters of public record but also a vast collection of private correspondence relating to Woodlawn, Bowdoin College, HCTPR, Ellsworth, and 11 the establishment and development of ANP. We were permitted to move resources to a work area on the floor below, remove layers of dust, and photocopy unique documents that bore the signatures of Dorr, Rockefeller, and Roosevelt amid a bounty of persons, names, and issues of interest to scholarly communities at the local, state, and national level. Of special interest were hundreds of pages of unique correspondence relative to Peters role as executor of the estate of Mr. Dorr. And to think that this had come to my attention as I was completing the first draft of my biography of the park founder! Photocopying was just the start of a research process involving the investigation of hundreds of new data elements, previlously unresearched persons and events, an$d the integration of my findings into new drafts of the concluding chapters of the Dorr biography. In the end, the historical record of Dorr's achievement had been significantly amplified; and the actions rate of Judge Peters elevated the contributions of local figures to the establishment and development of Acadia National Park. As far as I know, that archive-- several hundred feet away-has not been inventoried and remains in the state it was when we examined it. In the concluding chapter of the Dorr biography, I trace in great detail the activity of Judge Peters in administering the Dorr estate. Suffice it to say, his continuing personal attention to the complexities of the estate plan over more than three years provides all the evidence needed about the character of speters esteem for Dorr and the depth$ of their friendship. This obligation was undertaken as the promise of retirement vied with continuing Dorr judicial responsibilities. When the estate was finally settled in November 1947, roughly $25,000 was available for distribution (one-quarter went to the HCTPR); the commission earned by 12 Judge Peters for his labor over four years was $338.57 (After inflation, in 2016 currency this is $3,640). tookover Peters assumed Dorr's role of bringing to Rockefeller's attention Echo Lake properties that the philanthropist might want to purchase as an addition to the Park (RAC.B.98.f.968.7.21.1945; 7.12.45;7.31.45). This led to difficulties since some were Dorr properties that Rockefeller believed ought to be gifted to the federal government directly through the estate; Dorr's executors saw them as a revenue generator to offset Dorr's debts and to raise funds for other projects that part of his estate plan. were Hundreds of pages in the Peters archive detail projects outside the scope of Dorr's will that were conceived and painstakingly executed by the judge. The well recognized Sieur de Monts Spring memorial stone honoring "the Father of Acadia" involved assistance from Ben Hadley, the new superintendent. A plaque once designed would be affixed to a large slab of granite taken from the summit of Cadillac. A Harvard chum of Dorr named R. Clipston Sturgis-the former president of the American Institute of Architects-agreed to design the tablet. The iconic language on that tablet was adapted by Peters from the 1936 memorial to Boston banker James Jackson Storrow. Again, Peters tried his best to honor Dorr's principled partiality to contextualize actions within "historical associations." All of this could have been lost to the historical record were it not for a chatty roofing contractor, a zealous Woodlawn director, and an agreeable group of Ellsworth lawyers. When completed, Judge Peters gave the keynote address at the August 29, 1947 dedication of the Dorr Memorial in the grassy area at the Sieur de Monts Spring. The narrative is not a eulogy. 13 What follows is Peter's adept characterization of his friend: "he was resourceful, indefatigable, and irresistible. A modest scholarly gentleman, a philosopher, a scientist, a man dealing with ideas [In those years beginning with the 1913 challenge to the Maine legislature] Dorr seemingly turned into a shrewd, hard- boiled, effective master-lobbyist" despite the belief that he was "somewhat impractical in business affairs." For "he appeared to know the strings that control men's actions and how to pull them." A man who had served both state and federal governments reminded us that "government inertia clog (s) initiative and had to be overcome by [the] personal energy and intelligent persistence" of George B. Dorr." Unfortunately, Peters continues, the Government cannot be counted on to express the appreciation and gratitude of its citizens for such altruistic effort [as demonstrated by Mr. Dorr]." Consequently, it remains for the Trustees "to advise posterity of the name of their benefactor and the boundaries of his life." of this remained kidden from posterity were it not for roofing contractor zealous Woodlawn director, and an agreeable group lawyers. Two months after the dedication, the MDI fire of October 1947 ruined the Dorr memorial. The memorial we stand before these days replaced the original. When Peters writes to Rockefeller about this loss, the philanthropist's response is one of sorrow. Yet he reminds Peters that "like the boulder on which the tablet was erected, which neither fire nor frost will effect throughout the ages, stands the record on the Island itself of Mr. Dorr's great life work." lays bare 14 that In conclusion, I hope this talk outlines the contribution of a Ellsworth native to the conservation of landscape now incorporated in Acadia National Park. His legal colleagues and close associates in Bar Harbor, Luere B. Deasy and A.H. Lynam, did far more than render legal services. They went beyond the parameters of their profession both in terms of their relationships with their clients and in service to the core principles of conservation that their judgments helped advance. All three, in my judgment, are founders of Acadia National Park. When John Peters was considering retirement from the Bench, he undertook--at 80 years of age--this three year project that advanced the Dorr legacy. Ben Hadley had argued that by this in 20K day Dorr's legacy would be forgotten. Because of Peters' actions and the uncovering of this hidden archive, Hadley was proven wrong. There was more than one "Prince of Altruists." The words that Peters applied to Dorr in 1925 describe the speaker as well, since the sacrifices of both resulted in the creation, growth, and development of Acadia National Park. Dorr & Peters_EPL_716 To: Joshua Torrance From: Ronald Epp Date: 9 October 2008 Re: Papers of Hon. John A. Peters In a one hundred and fifty square foot enclosed attic space of the Ellsworth (ME) Hale and Hamlin office building, a professional library, legal documents, and extensive correspondence of John A. Peters (1864-1953) were uncovered in September 2008 during the installation of a new roof. It cannot be determined if what is extant constitutes the whole of his professional papers. Since his retirement from the bench in the mid-1940's, it appears that the collection was untouched. Most resources were shelved, poorly identified (if at all), and not arranged. Many were scattered on the floor, more deteriorated than the bulk of the collection. Ellsworth native John Andrew Peters (1864-1953) was educated at Bowdoin College where he received the A.B. (1885), and read law prior to received the A.M. (1888) degree. Two decades of private practice in Ellsworth (1887-1908) were marked by service as a Judge in the Municipal Court of Ellsworth (1896-1908), three terms as Maine state representative, and a U.S. Representative from Maine (1913-22) prior to appointment to the U.S. District Court, District of Maine where he served more than two decades. Woodlawn Museum Executive Director Joshua Torrance immediately recognized the cultural significance of this collection and enlisted the aid of Woodlawn curator Rosamond Rea, archivist Martha Harmon and library consultant Ronald H. Epp. Ph.D. With the exception of bound legal tomes (many originally belonged to his namesake uncle), the Peters collection was relocated to a work area where layers of superficial dirt were removed, legal documents were segregated, and the remaining correspondence received a cursory examination. The documents span seven decades (1885-1950), with the bulk concentrated in the 1915-45 timeframe. Since this was an initial survey, no comprehensive inventory was undertaken although more attention was given to documentation that related to the professional interests of the inquirers: that is, documentation on the Black House, Bowdoin College, the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations (HCTPR), the establishment of the Sieur de Monts National Monument on Mount Desert Island, the development of Acadia National Park, and attorneys Deasy, Lynam, and Rodick. The relationship of Judge Peters with the Black family (and Woodlawn officials), George Bucknam Dorr, Beatrix Farrand, the Richard W. Hale family, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and George L. Stebbins received scrutiny. There are approximately 225 lineal feet of documents, all but 25 feet being thousands of legal documents that have a numbering scheme; no client index has been uncovered. These packets most likely duplicate documents that are in the public record though sampling discloses correspondence contained therein in more than a few instances. The Peters correspondence provides the richest cultural information. Black House documentation is more than incidental, the life of Beatrix Farrand is expanded by new findings, and Peters role as a Bowdoin College Trustee is treated superficially. On the other hand, the collection includes hundreds of pages of unique documents relating to the Acadia National Park founder George Bucknam Dorr (1853-1944), in large part because Peters was executor of Dorr's estate. Cumulatively, these areas of special interest represent less than five percent of the correspondence. Hale and Hamlin should be informed in writing as soon as possible of the significance of this intellectual legacy. Hopefully, they will release the stewardship of this collection to Joshua Torrance. These resources contain a bounty of persons, themes, and issues of interest to the scholarly community. Graduate students and seasoned scholars now have the opportunity to examine Peters biographically, placing him within the legal, political, and social territory spanning the decades between the Civil War and the end of the WWII. Since the social impact of Peters was felt primarily in Maine, every effort should be made to find an institutional setting within the State where the resources will be expeditiously processed and made available to the public, attaching the requirement that within a specified timeframe that a searchable fulsome online finding aid will be available to researchers. A law library may be interested in the entire collection, including the legal tomes On the other hand, it is the correspondence that will arouse the greatest interest. To that end, the character of the collection seems most suitable for the complementary collections of the Maine Historical Society. Its location in Portland also speaks for its accessibility to researchers who will find there related collections, a situation that may not be equaled elsewhere in the State. On the assumption that the collection remains intact, alternative repositories that should be considered are Special Collections at the University of Maine (Orono) and Bowdoin College. On the other hand some organizations may not have an interest in the whole of the collection- they may accept it and then dispose of what is not germane to their interests. Acadia National Park would likely have interest solely in that part of the collection related to Park historical development. Similarly, the Maine State Archives collection policies may be too restrictive given our initial experience with the array of correspondence; moreover, a recent online search of their holdings discloses nothing especially of interest about Judge Peters. Input from the Maine State Historian should be invited. Discrete inquiries should be made to several repositories before an agreement is formalized. A status report should be provided to the HCTPR at their next scheduled meeting-and the media should be informed when a decision is reached on the relocation of the Peters Papers. At this time it is not clear what criteria will guide the decision on where the public will best be served by depositing the Peters Papers. Input from team members that initially analyzed the collection is important. When an agreement is struck with the organization that will conserve these Papers, written assurances that the Hon. John A. Peters Papers will be fully processed and made available to the public within a specified timeframe must be secured. This is the least that can be expected in order to honor the quality of John A. Peter's character and the extraordinary level of service provided to clients. 4/12/2016 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size Re: Ellsworth Event From : Sandy Abbott Tue, Apr 12, 2016 12:46 PM Subject : Re: Ellsworth Event To : Ronald Epp Hello Ron, Thank you so much for your prompt reply! I have confirmed the date on our calendar for July 28 at 6:00 pm. If we can come up with a title and brief 2-3 sentences for a brief description, be fore the day ends, I can submit it to Down East Magazine and meet the deadline for the Special ANP Centennial Edition coming out in June. Will you be doing a PowerPoint presentation? Do you ask an honorarium? Will you have books available for sale and signing? I am looking forward to your presentation. Best, Sandy Quoting "Ronald Epp" : > Dear Sandy, > > Thank you for the compliment about the Dorr biography. > > The EPL was on my list of libraries to approach about an event and > so I was pleased to receive your invite. > July 28 at 6 p.m. would work for me. Please confirm this. > > I'll be passing through Ellsworth April 22nd and will stop by to > introduce myself and get a more recent > sense of the lay of the land. I've been scheduled for a "Talk of the > Towns" radio interview at nearby WERU > that morning. > > I've attached a copy of my C.V. > > Looking forward to this experience. > > Cordially, > > Ron > > Original Message > > From: "Sandy Abbott" > To: eppster2@comcast.net > Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 12:20:01 PM > Subject: Ellsworth Event > > Dear Ronald, > > I was thrilled to receive two copies of your recent book for our > library collection! https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=363825&z=America/New_York&xim=1 1/2 4/12/2016 XFINITY Connect > As a Centennial Partner, our library has a self imposed commitment to > offer a program each month supporting the ANP Centennial. I am aware > that you will be doing presentations in different areas. How would you > feel about sharing your knowledge and book at the Ellsworth Public > Library in July? I currently have Thursday July 14 at 6:00 pm or > Thursday July 28 at 6:00 pm available. I could possibly do something > in August, but I think that is too close to the Blue Hill Library > offering. > > Thank you for your consideration, looking forward to your reply. > > Sandy > > > > Sandy Abbott > Assistant Director > > Ellsworth Public Library > 20 State ST > Ellsworth ME 04605 > 207-667-6363 > www.ellsworth.lib.me.us > > Sandy Abbott Assistant Director Ellsworth Public Library 20 State ST Ellsworth ME 04605 207-667-6363 www.ellsworth.lib.me.us https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=363825&tz=America/New_York&xim= 2016 ACP Revised Scheduled Events for Ron Epp July 28 "Ellsworth's John A. Peters' Relationship to the 'Father' of Acadia National Park." Ellsworth Public Library. 6:00 p.m. August 3 "Writing about Conservation Giants: Two Decades of Living with G.B. Dorr, C.W. Eliot, and JDR Jr." Northeast Harbor Public Library. 5:30 p.m. August 10 "Surprising Revelations: Intimacies in Letters between Charles W. Eliot, G.B. Dorr, and J.D. Rockefeller Jr." Jesup Memorial Library. 7:00 p.m. August 16 "Creating Acadia National Park." Camden Public Library. 7:00 p.m. August 18 "My Two Decades of Writing About Acadia's Founder." Blue Hill Public Library. 7:00 p.m. August 19 "Researching and Writing the Early History of ANP." Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society. 4:00 p.m.? August 22 Sieur de Monts National Monument Celebration. "Addresses Upon Its 1916 Opening: Key Readings" St. Saviours Church. 2:00-4:00 p.m. August 29 "Writing about Conservation Giants." Parker Ridge Retirement Community. Blue Hill. 4:30