MARION — Older Tri-Town residents may still have memories of Dr. Benjamin Tilden or Dr. Raymond Baxter, Marion physicians who treated area families during the 20th century. 

The Sippican Historical Society’s newest exhibit, “In Sickness and in Health,” showcases these doctors alongside 20th century medical trends and equipment that would have been a common sight in the early 1900s.

“We had a decent amount of medical equipment [in our collection],” said Sippican Historical Society Executive Assistant Abigail Field. “We haven't been able to put it out because we didn't really have a context for it.”

Now, after a donation of items owned by the late Dr. Tilden, the Sippican Historical Society’s many medical novelties are on display, helping to tell the story of Marion’s well known doctors and the times in which they lived.  

Items that belonged to Dr. Tilden — a medical bag, vials of chemicals and drugs, and various medical tools — are shown with similar items owned by the historical society.

One notable item in the historical society’s collection is an antique wheelchair. 

“It was actually just in the basement and we don't know where it came from,” said Field. “The really interesting thing about it, in my opinion, is the way that accessibility and mobility aids have changed over the past 100 to 120 years.”

Field went on to explain that older mobility aids, like wheelchairs, were designed for the convenience of the person pushing the chair, not the person sitting in it — a far different design than modern wheelchairs. 

A major theme of the exhibit, said Sippican Historical Society Executive Director Alanna Nelson, is “how some things have changed a lot in the 20th century and how some things have stayed the same.”

While the exhibit shows how tools used by Dr. Tilden and Dr. Baxter have changed significantly over the past century, it also shows that historical events — like the 1918 Influenza outbreak — mirrored contemporary events like the Covid-19 pandemic.

“[Marion has] had a lot of innovative people who have a lot of innovative stories,” said Nelson, who added that this show is a way to highlight “different vocations and avocations.”

In the past, the historical society has presented exhibits with artifacts of the Gilded Age in Marion, prominent artists, the architecture of the Sippican Hotel, and more. But according to Field this show represents the more “everyday” side of Marion’s past.

“I've seen over the years that [Sippican Historical Society has] made an active effort to talk about more varied stories,” said Field. “So this is part of our attempt to talk about the actual population that lived here year round.”

And this exhibit, said Nelson, could involve the actual population who lives in Marion today. “We would love to hear [medical] stories about people who did live here,” she said.

People who have stories about Dr. Tilden or Dr. Baxter are encouraged to contact the Sippican Historical Society at info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org. Stories can be submitted by email or can be recorded in person at the Sippican Historical Society.