Preserving Our Local History
The Sherman Area Historical Society was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2023 with an initial membership of 8 people. The initial focus of this group was to collect memories and memorabilia from local residents to preserve and share the rich history of our local area.
As the collection quickly grew, it became apparent that we would need a "home" of our own to preserve, store, and display our burgeoning collection. There were several buildings in the town of Sherman that we looked at but only one seemed practically achievable. However, it would still require a significant amount of funds that we did not have. We applied for a grant thru the McKenzie Foundation founded by Gloria McKenzie (nee Perry from Sherman) a longtime resident of East Millinocket. We were awarded the grant but fate had other ideas so we ultimately had to turn it down.
During the year long application and selection process, a historically appropriate house in Sherman was put on the market. In a twist of fate that could not have been better scripted by Hollywood, this house was given to the society by the purchaser, Mr. Richard Bonner, on behalf of his late mother's estate. She was born Esther Garnett in Sherman in 1901, the daughter of Lafayette and Lydia (Bryant). She married Richard Bonner and settled in California where she founded and operated The Bonner School.
In December of 2025 the purchase was completed and "The Red House", former home of lifetime residents Carl (Cap) and Thelma (Thomas) Perrin, became our new home.