The Kennebec Explorer 2014 Visitor's Guide to Maine's Kennebec Valley | Page 46

GOOD WILL- HINCKLEY In the early 1800’s, a young George Walter Hinckley witnessed a small boy’s arrest for reaching into a working man’s dinner pail. He asked himself why this would happen; the boy was not a criminal, he was simply hungry. At that point, George Walter vowed to come to the aid of young boys in similar plight. That vow became Good Will Farm, a home for boys on a farm owned by the Chase Family in Fairfield, Maine. It later became known as Good Will-Hinckley Homes for Boys and Girls. Recently, Good Will has formed the first charter school in Maine that focuses on agriculture, sustainability, forestry and workforce skills training. Visitors are welcome on the Good Will-Hinckley campus, which is also home to the LC Bates Museum which offers seasonal activities, impressive exhibits, and detailed local and national history, a Carnegie Library, a MOFGA certified organic farm, and Good Will-Hinckley Arboretum and Nature Trail offering 5 miles of easy trails through local flora and fauna. To learn more, visit KennebecValley.org. 44