HOULTON, Maine — At the very top of the Aroostook County Superior Courthouse in Houlton, inside a cramped, sweltering attic space, lies a treasure trove of regional history.
Just behind a locked door accessible after walking through a maintenance room, countless leather bound books hold archived copies of old newspapers published in The County, some no longer in print. The books hold clippings from the early 1900’s to 1992, when the collecting appears to have simply stopped.
Today, the Aroostook County Commissioners would like to find a way to maintain and preserve the records, possibly by having The County do it or by working with a historic group or university to have it done.
The issue came up at the commissioners meeting on July 17 in Houlton.
County Administrator Ryan Pelletier said that a Houlton resident who often accesses the records contacted him about the archives, fearing that if something is not done to preserve them, the bound newspapers will start to decay. There also are a number of newspapers in the archives that are just stored in boxes and have not been put in albums, he said. There also are architectural plans and old photographs stored in the attic that likely are worth saving.
“I think she is right,” said Pelletier. “We should do something, whether we put money forth to preserve them or we partner with someone else to do it.”
The administrator said the archives are sort of a mystery in County government. He asked long time employees about the archives, but said they did not know who had been saving all the old newspapers and other items or why. They also did not know why the gathering process stopped in 1992.
“The big thing is that it is very hot up there in the summer and it gets very cold in the winter,” said Pelletier. “It is definitely not climate controlled. So it is hard to do any research up there and that also contributes to the deterioration of the newspapers. The room also is not compliant with Americans with Disability Act standards.”
Pelletier said later that it is clear that the commissioners are in favor of preserving the records and asked that any individuals who would like to assist in their maintenance to contact him at 493-3318.
