Bowdoinham Story Bridges is a story listening and story sharing project centered on local history in Bowdoinham, Maine. 

On Sepember 10 at Celebrate Bowdoinham, we launched our first small display of stories. The signs displayed QR codes, linked to a brief clip from an interview with an elder Bowdoinham resident about life in Bowdoinham in the early-mid 1900s. QR codes to different stories were posted at sites in downtown Bowdoinham, all within walking distance of the waterfront. The interviews were conducted in 1982-1984 by 8th grade students from Mt. Ararat Junior/Senior High School.

This activity is the first offering in a series of invitations to listen, to respond, and to share your own stories about life in Bowdoinham. 

The QR codes look like this one:

If you aren’t familiar with how to read and open a QR code on your iPhone, HERE is a brief explaination. If you own an Android phone, HERE is a brief explaination.

 

This project is produced by the Bowdoinham Public Library in partnership with local Theater Artist Dana Legawiec and supported by a grant from the American Library Association through the Civic Imagination Stations program.

Here is a sample audio, of Linwood Rideout (recorded in 19830 explaining the phrase “Getting up March Hill”.