WINTHROP — John W. Neff and Howard R. Whitcomb will share their knowledge of the Katahdin region’s history and discuss the creation of their book, “Baxter State Park and Katahdin” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Bailey Library. The event is sponsored by the Winthrop Historical Society and is part of the ongoing Lakes Region Forum.

The book draws on collections of archival images dating back to the 19th century. Among the topics discussed will be tales of the native peoples; accounts of early scientific explorations; chronicles of adventurers, including Henry David Thoreau’s visits to Maine’s north woods in the 1840s and 1850s; and the spirited era of logging and sporting camps.

Neff is a retired pastor of the United Methodist Church and lives in Winthrop. He is the author of “Katahdin: An Historic Journey.” He first climbed Katahdin in the early 1960s and was a longtime Appalachian Trail maintainer within Baxter State Park. He is past president of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club and the founding president of Friends of Baxter State Park, as stated in a news release.

Whitcomb, a Georgetown resident, is professor emeritus of political science at Lehigh University. He is the author of “Governor Baxter’s Magnificent Obsession: A Documentary History of Baxter State Park, 1931-2006.” He also compiled and annotated a four-volume set of original materials, “Percival P. Baxter’s Vision for Baxter State Park.” Howard’s park experiences date back to the early 1950s when he climbed Katahdin three consecutive summers.

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at 6 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.


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