WILLOW CREEK — The Willow Creek Historical Society unveiled a self-guided walking tour of downtown Thursday, a 1.5-mile loop that passes 22 historic structures ranging from the 1889 Carnegie Library to the converted millworker boarding houses on Mechanic Street.
Society president Margaret Knowles said the project grew out of requests from summer visitors who wanted more than a pamphlet at the General Store. “People come through and ask, ‘What happened here?’ and we’d point and tell stories,” Knowles said. “Now they can walk and read at their own pace.”
The tour brochure, available at the library and the General Store for $2, includes architectural notes, historic photographs, and anecdotes about the families who built Willow Creek. Numbered markers affixed to lampposts guide walkers along the route.
A companion audio tour is in development, Knowles said, with recordings by longtime residents describing life in the mill era. The project was funded by a $4,500 grant from the Maine Humanities Council.