Paris Founders Day, featuring Bahre classic car collection, will be July 21

PARIS — The 40th annual Founder’s Day to support the Hamlin Library and Museum will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 21.
The event will be held on the Paris Hill Green, rain or shine.

The showpiece of the charity event is the Bahre collection of antique and classic cars. The collection, housed at the birthplace of Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln’s first vice president, is open to the public once a year, on Founder’s Day.
The collection of more than 50 vehicles includes one of the world’s finest assemblages of Packards. The Packard collection features Dietrich V-windshield body styles and LeBaron V-windshield body styles on the Packard 12 chassis for 1932-34, the one-off front-wheel-drive prototype sedan, a 1906 Model S touring car and other specialty Packards.
The collection highlights American classics such as Duesenbergs, V-16 Cadillac, Stutz, Graham-Paige, and Auburn 12; foreign classics such as Delahaye, Isotta Fraschini, Hispano-Suiza, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa-Romeo; and an eclectic grouping of brass-era cars (including two electric cars), a Tucker, a Harley-Davidson and later-model sports cars. Along with the vehicles there is an antique doll and toy collection, horse-drawn carriages, player piano, old phonographs, table-top instruments and a jukebox.
Founder’s Day festivities include music, entertainment and a crafts fair. The Celebration Barn will be performing, as well as Kristen Shortand Tim Brophy. Pat Gott will be in the library selling and signing her books throughout the day, and there will be a used book sale behind the library. There will be a bounce house for children on the Green that will raise money for a high school field trip, and the library will be selling special 2019 calendars incorporating 12 years of Founder’s Day posters to celebrate our 40th year.
Donations for admission to the Bahre collection are $10 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. All proceeds from admissions support the Hamlin Memorial Library and Museum. Information and directions to Founder’s Day are available from the Hamlin Memorial Library at 207-743-2980 and online at www.hamlin.lib.me.us .