Cliff Island Historical Society

The Cliff Island Historical Society is committed to collecting,
documenting, and preserving items of significance to the Cliff Island community.
To support these aims, different committees address specific needs of the Historical Society. Listed below are all current committees, with members as of August 2003.

Collections Committee:
Jon Bernard, Cynthia Whittaker, Alice Carter, Liz Ryan, and Bob Howard

There are three stages to the collection of historical objects: creating a database of artifacts on the island; temporary exhibitions; and a museum housing permanent collections. All island residents considering donations should complete and return the CIHS Questionnaire.

Documented/Illustrated History:
Pam Anderson, Cynthia Whittaker, Bob Belknap, and Peter Benoit

The objective of the committee is to write and publish a documented, illustrated history of Cliff Island. They are presently in the first stage of a five year plan, which includes collecting all available information already published. The committee is also coordinating efforts with the Collections and Oral History committees to ascertain the information already in the CIHS collections.

Oral Histories:
Artis Bernard, Bonnie Rideout, Molly Scheu, Carole Jellison, Ted Reiner, and Chris Saunders

The committee is in the process of interviewing island residents. Presently the committee is investigating the history of fishing, and pleasure boating. There are plans for an annual roundtable discussion on different historical island topics.

Exhibit Committee:
Pam Anderson, Ann Fullerton, Artis Bernard, and Cynthia Whittaker

The exhibition for Summer 2004 will address the history of fishing on Cliff Island.

Preservation/Curatorial Committee:
Alice Carter, Bob Howard, and Diane Little

This committee is collecting and cataloguing printed material, including photographs, postcards, newspaper articles, and other historical documents. Due to grant funding from MBNA, CIHS has technology available to quickly process and document loaned items. Any island residents interested in loaning printed materials to the Historical Society should contact Alice Carter.

Gift Shop and Space Maintenance:
Ellen Struble, Diane Little, Liz Ryan, Mary Ryan, and Julie Gess

The gift shop and current office space is located below the community hall, adjacent to the post office. The space is still undergoing renovations by a group of volunteers headed by Bob Howard. For more information regarding the gift shop, see Sales and Events.

Anyone interested in volunteering would be welcome to contact the nominating committee members, or members of the CIHS board.