AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine State Archives will celebrate American Archives Month this October with public tours, a genealogy resource session and presentations from local historians.
The theme of this year’s fall exhibit is the Aroostook War, Maine’s northern border dispute. All visitors will be able to view the exhibit, and a limited number of participants can also take part in a one-hour tour of the Archives, visiting areas that are not normally accessible to the public.
The tours will coincide with two of these events:
– Saturday, Oct. 1: Archives Month will kick-off with a presentation on “The Bloodless Aroostook War” by historian Hank Lunn, at noon in the Archives lobby. State Archivist David Cheever will introduce Lunn and read the official Archives Month proclamation. A public tour of the Archives will follow, at approximately 1 p.m.
– Tuesday, Oct. 18: University of Maine at Augusta history professor Thomas McCord will present “Detours and Details: Unearthing the History of Maine Highways at the Archives” at 6:30 p.m. in the Archives lobby. McCord’s presentation will focus on the stories of Maine’s highways and their role in shaping the state’s 20th century image and economy.
– Saturday, Oct. 29: Archivist Samuel Howes will give a presentation on Family Search and using the Archives’ digital collections for genealogy research, at 10 a.m. in the Archives lobby. A public tour of the Archives will follow at approximately 11 a.m.
To reserve your spot on a tour, please contact Communications Director Kristen Muszynski with your full name and phone number. The Maine State Archives is located in the Cultural Building, 230 State St., across from the statehouse in Augusta.
Also during American Archives Month, the Archives will offer extended hours for researchers. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, but during October, the Research Room will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the Maine State Archives will also be participating in the #AskAnArchivist event on Twitter, in which people from around the world can submit questions for archivists to answer. To take part in this outreach event, sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, simply include #AskAnArchivist in your tweet and participating archivists will respond.
Visit www.maine.gov/sos/arc or our Facebook page, Maine State Archives, for more information and updates about our plans for American Archives Month this October.
