THE U-TURN: Reader shares his vintage Jed Prouty poster

PROUTY PRIDE: Veteran newspaperman Alan Baker at his home in Orrington, decorated with a vintage poster from the time Maine humorist Richard Golden came to Bucksport with his signature character of Jed Prouty. Photo by John Boit.

ORRINGTON—After reading the story in The Rising Tide about downeast humorist Richard Golden, who introduced his character Jed Prouty to the world more than a hundred years ago, reader and former newspaper publisher Alan Baker contacted us with a tantalizing tidbit: In his home in Orrington, Baker has a framed poster of Golden’s 1890 visit to Bucksport, the place where he created the persona that made him famous.

Baker, an Orrington native who in his early career worked for an international publishing company but is best known for his decades as the publisher of The Ellsworth American, said the poster is one of his prized possessions.

“Friends of mine from western Maine bought it at an auction and framed it,” Baker, 96, said. “They gave it to me when I moved back to Orrington in 1980. I’ve treasured this forever.”

The vintage poster promoting Golden’s appearance on May 22, 1890 is replete with torn edges, folding creases, and misspellings (the “s” and the “n” in “Bucksport, Maine are backwards in the lower right of the advertisement). The poster depicts Bucksport’s Main Street, Emery Hall, a stove shop, a horsedrawn buggy, and a banner above the street saying, “Welcome home Uncle Jed.”

TREE NEEDS: Interested in helping out with trees in Blue Hill? Phil Norris, the town’s tree warden, is looking to sign up volunteers for tree planting in the spring. “I’m always on the lookout for strong tree planters. A resume is not necessary,” Norris said in the latest annual report of the town. Interested volunteers should email Norris at treewarden@bluehillme.gov

Got a fun pic from goings-on around the area? Send it to us at info@risingtide.media and you might see it featured here in our section called THE U-TURN!