The Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society is the oldest mineral society in New England. it was started in 1927 by a group of Portland area men. They met at 500 Forest Ave., Portland and organized what was then called the Maine Mineralogical Society. Their goal was to promote an interest in and to share knowledge of minerals of Maine, their occurence, their distribution and their uses.
The charter members at the first meeting were Herbert M. W. Haven, P. Byron McCord, Dr. W. B. Moulton, William H. Emmons, Arch H. Morrill, Arthur H. Norton, Roy M. Wheldon, Charles A. Sawyer, and Bertrand E. Smith.
Stress was laid upon the fact that a member need not be an expert on minerals, provided he had a liking for the study. Field trips that year were to the "Maine Desert" and to the old amethyst workings on Pleasant Mt. in Denmark, Maine.
In 1928 membership increased and in November 1928 several of the members were elected to honorary membership: Prof. Edward S. C. Smith, Dept. of Geology at Union College, Schenectady, NY, Prof. Freeman F. Burr, Dept. of Geology at Colby College, Waterville, Maine, and Arthur H. Norton, Curator of the Portland Society of Natural History, Portland. Steps were also taken to form a collection of rocks and minerals for general use. Specimens from the Maine Development Company at West Pembroke, Maine were placed in this collection.
At this same meeting in November the name of the Society was changed to the Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society. Work of indexing the Maine minerals by town was begun. In December, the following officers were elected: President, P. Byron McCord; First VP, William H. Emmons; Second VP, Christian M. Jurgenson; Secretary Herbert M.W. Haven; and Treasurer Charles M. Mower.
At this same meeting the formation of a Maine State Geological Survey was discussed and it was voted to sponsor action on this.
The 1928 field trips were taken to Mount Mica in Paris, Dennis Hill in Litchfield, the Winthrop gold mine in Winthrop, Mount Apatite in Auburn, and the old Winslow tin mine in Winslow.
In May 1929 the society voted to have unlimited membership. Field trips were taken to the granite quarry in Redstone, NH, Bumpus Quarry in Albany, Maine where the giant beryl crystals were found, and the old lead mine in Kezar Falls.
In Jan. 1930 a series of what has been termed "Opening Exercises" based on the study of some phase of mineralogy or geology was introduced. William H. Emmons, teacher of Earth Sciences at Deering High School, Portland, introduced a series of talks on geology. Stanley I. Perham, owner of the Maine Mineral Store, at West Paris, discussed the possibility of housing the giant beryl crystals at the Bumpus Mine in Albany, Maine.
In March 1930 seven cut stones, the gift of Stanley I. Perham, were added to the collection of the Society. Members numbered 36 this year.
Ah... the good ol' days.
by Bob Canney
Originally published in Rockin' Around- Newsletter of MM&GS, Vol. 3, No. 9, Jan. 1992.