By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
Traditions make a small community and Patten Pioneer Days brings former residents back to celebrate this special weeklong event that began on Aug. 3 and concluded Aug. 9.
There has been just about every contest imaginable held throughout the week, from hairy legs, frog jumping, bubble blowing, Miss Pioneer Pageant, pie- eating and a variety show.
Included in the daily activities were several suppers or barbeques. Just about anything you would want to eat could be found, from spaghetti, hot dogs, chicken, ribs, beans, steak and lobster. For dessert, it was strawberry shortcake, molasses cookies and gingerbread.
Saturday was the busiest with a parade, an antique car show, historical home tours, music in the park, crafts, an old fashion, Fashion Show, bean-hole beans served at the Lumberman’s Museum, Young Eagles, fly free at the local air field, music and dances.
In the park, artist Margaret Sullivan Baker from Pittsfield brought a variety of her paintings to sell. Baker grew up in Caribou, lived in Patten for 10 years and now just comes back to visit during Pioneer Days. Her paintings depict country settings and many unique to Aroostook County. She will be in Houlton during the Potato Feast Days Aug. 22.
Out at the Patten Lumberman’s Museum on the Shin Pond Road, Donald Shorey just completed his 35th year of providing bean-hole beans to more than 500 people. Shorey’s son David and daughter Rachel Campbell with grandson Cody Morse have grown up learning how to cook this popular meal. They also guard the well-kept secret recipe.
Ted Hanson, Leroy Giles and their crews keep the crowd in beans and homemade biscuits, coleslaw and red hot dogs. The delicious gingerbread and molasses cookies are solicited from local cooks in the area.
Shorey says the planning is ongoing, but really gets serious about two weeks before. The day before the supper, his crew builds a fire in the pit and hangs the pots over the fire, then waits for them to come to a boil. In the meantime holes are dug to accommodate the number of pots of beans they have. Then the hot coals are put into each hole. This year he had 18 pots, some of them are stainless steel, while others are cast iron. The hot coals surround the pots and they are buried with dirt. They cook all night and are ready by 11 a.m. the day of the event.
He uses three gallons of molasses, pork, dry mustard, onions and salt and pepper.
Shorey said, “I can’t remember any catastrophes, but sometimes they have gotten a little overcooked.”
All the biscuits are also cooked outside using reflector ovens.
David Shorey said, “It’s just kind of magic, everything just comes together. Everyone knows their role and does it.”
Many family members come home just for this event; some from New York, while others just live a mile away.
At the end of the day, Shorey filled the back of his pickup with all the pots to take home to wash. He said that he likes to cook in the cast iron type, but the stainless steel pots clean up much easier.
Rhonda Brophy, curator at the museum said that this meal is their biggest fund-raiser of the season and it is always held on the second Saturday of August.
“It started out as a thank you for people who had donated items to the organization and has just continued. This is the 44th year,” said Brophy.
The museum was open for tours during the day and Tom Kiernan of York and Gary Kenney of Hampden gave a blacksmith demonstration. These two men had met at Maine’s Common Ground Fair first and then were invited to Patten seven years ago by Elliott Hersey, a local resident.
“We wouldn’t miss coming to this,” said Kiernan, “It’s great.”
The proceeds from the supper will be used for a new building to house motorized antique equipment and the restoration of the 1820 Camp.
For more information visit www.lumbermensmuseum.org or call 528-2650.
As the activities at the Lumberman’s Museum were winding down, the ladies of the Patten Historical Society were hosting tours through their Main Street home donated by Ervin and Dawn Tower in 2004.
Ladies of the Patten’s Women’s Club dressed in period clothing and set the stage in each room of the home re-enacting activities that may have gone on in the early 1900s. In the kitchen a variety of activities were explained, while there was a tea party taking place in the dining room. In the living room several brides were modeling wedding gowns.
