When Karen suggested doing a Zoom program back in March 2020, I had no idea what it would become. History Room Live has been such a joy to produce every week. We’re both going to miss seeing our patrons’ faces while we focus on bringing the 17th Annual Town History Series online.
We started in April with the idea that we could help patrons access local history and genealogy resources on the web while we were closed to the public. Karen, with her deep knowledge of genealogy databases, kicked off the series with a tour of Ancestry.com resources, then introduced us to the multitude of genealogy resources available on the web. Then, since the first week of the transition from my old job as cataloger to my new job as archivist was also National Postcard Week (May 3-9), I dug into our awesome postcard collections to share some highlights with you. We finished out the first month with Coffee Hour, a casual session which would soon become my favorite day of the month. (Watch recorded History Room Live presentations here.)
In the early days of the pandemic, it was nice to have something challenging to focus on. We brainstormed, studied, brought on guests, learned the ins and outs of PowerPoint, Zoom, and YouTube. At first, my number one goal was to know what next week’s topic would be by the time we started recording on Friday afternoon. Then, as we started getting the hang of things, I managed to slow down and recognize the faces in the audience. Some were faces of people I had already met in person, but many others had been strangers just a month or two before.
The best thing about making History Room Live this year has been meeting people from the community! It has been huge for me to be able to learn about the history of this place – during lockdown, no less! – from the experts who love it. Next best was learning from our guest presenters, Jack, Anna, Craig, Brenda, Tim, and Nathan—and from Karen, who has been a great collaborator.
Once the library reopened to the public in July, I had made some new friends. Some of them came in to do research, some became volunteers and correspondents, and some sent in materials to add to the collection. When we returned to curbside pickup in November, History Room Live was there to keep us connected.
I hope all of our History Room Live friends can join us on January 16 at 10:30 AM, when we kick off the Town History Series with Nathan Lipfert’s presentation Two Centuries of Working for Bath Customs.
Here’s what Karen has to say about History Room Live:
When Jill and I were planning and developing this program, some of my own personal goals for it were to provide a program for the community, connect with the community, and provide a way for you all to get to know your new archivist (and vice versa). All of those things happened, but there have been other results, too, that I hadn’t expected, though I probably should have. A few people are now volunteers and some of you have donated materials to the History Room. Best of all, we’ve had a lot of great conversations. Sometimes, it can be a challenge to get an audience to participate in programs, but we’ve never had to be concerned about that. In fact, I don’t think of you folks as an audience. I feel more like you’re all partners with us, sharing your own stories and expertise, asking great questions, and helping us better understand our communities and the people and places in them. You also don’t limit these conversations to this one hour; I know many of you reach out to Jill often, and one of you has even emailed me with resources, ideas, and general knowledge. I’ve enjoyed these weekly gatherings with all of you and I truly appreciate all your contributions to us, both personally and professionally. Thank you so much for helping us, and each other, survive this year and find some bit of joy.
When we resume History Room Live in the spring, I hope to welcome even more experts and local organizations who serve Sagadahoc County and Maine as a whole, to share current projects and research, collection highlights, special skills, or the history of their organization. Interested in presenting? Email Jill at history@patten.lib.me.us or call 207-443-5141 x18.
In 2016, at age 54, Dani Shapiro’s life took quite a turn. On a whim, she sent in a DNA test kit to a genealogy website. As it turned out, her father (or the man she identified as such) was not her biological father. Almost miraculously, some friends were able to use genealogy websites to help her identify and reach out to someone who very likely was. Her biological father was in the twilight of his life, happily married, with kids and grandkids, and never dreamed that he would ever hear from any child resulting from an anonymous sperm donation made when he was a poor medical student at Penn.
Shapiro also learns that she is not biologically related to her half-sister, as she thought she was, and that her biological father was not Jewish. Shapiro was raised an Orthodox Jew, and was taught to take pride in the history of her Eastern European ancestors. To discover she was only half-Jewish was a shock to her foundations, and deeply challenged her sense of self. At the same time, she admits that the discovery helped her come to peace with the feeling that she had never really fit with her family or her community. “I knew in a place beyond thought that I was seeing the truth — the answer to the unanswerable questions I had been exploring all my life.”
Both Shapiro’s parents had died before the DNA test, so Shapiro can’t get to the story at its source. She takes the reader on quite an amazing journey of discovery: she digs up as much as she can about her family and her parents’ relationship, about how she was conceived, about her new identity and how it impacts her faith, and about the evolution of medical ethics. She also pursues a relationship with her biological father and family as compassionately and gently as possible. (No spoilers.) You struggle with her throughout the journey, and of course, you know that there can be no real resolution in the end.
In the end, the book is not so much about the discovery of her true father’s identity, but the meaning that she makes of everything she learns. She slowly comes to accept a new sense of her heritage, seeing her “family” as a construct of memory, history, biology, and experience.
As an amateur genealogy buff, I found this an engaging and thought-provoking read. I have found a few skeletons in the closet as I construct my own family trees, but I can’t imagine making a discovery like Shapiro’s. I admire how she came to grips with this huge family secret, and the fact that had been kept from her for so many years. Shapiro has written several other memoirs before this one, and I look forward to reading them as well.
Review by Roberta Jordan, the Outreach and Instruction Librarian.
Click here to request a copy.
To see a list of our staff favorites for 2020, click here.
Click here to order the 2021 Bath Historical Society calendar.
The Bath Historical Society issues a calendar every year to spread the word about Bath history. This year’s calendar honors Robin Haynes and Peter Goodwin after their retirement from Patten Free Library. Each month features one of Peter and Robin’s picks from the Sagadahoc History & Genealogy Room collections, representing their favorite events, places, and people of Bath, Maine.
The calendar will be available for sale at the Library Bookstore, Mockingbird Bookstore, Wilson’s Drug Store, Main Street Design, Lisa Marie’s Made in Maine & the Bath Sweet Shoppe. Unfortunately, the calendar will not be available for purchase at Patten Free Library during curbside-only service.
The Sagadahoc History & Genealogy Room at Patten Free Library thanks Bath Historical Society for their partial support, and for the work they do to preserve and share Bath’s unique history.
Click here to order the 2021 Bath Historical Society calendar.
Frederick Backman has a gift. He is at once an aloof observer and conspiratorial in his commentary, while challenging the status quo as absurd and celebrating life’s mundane moments. His works are though-provoking, funny, and just a touch melancholic. Anxious People is no exception.
The story deftly takes the reader to a police interrogation room, an apartment open-house, a tragic event decades in the past, a therapist’s office, and several other locales of various significance. The central event is a hostage situation after an attempted bank robbery. The hostages are each interviewed by the police after the perpetrator disappears. While attempting to glean details about the bank robber’s demeanor, motivation, etc., we learn a lot about the hostages. Their struggles, losses, insecurities, and outlooks all seem to color their perceptions of the event. The police officers have some interpersonal issues of their own, and they affect the investigation. The individual interviews are comical, and it’s hard not to feel sympathy for the officers as they grow increasingly exasperated.
As the reader learns more about the situation, the line between accountability and compassion begins to blur. The nature of crime becomes difficult to articulate. Actions that are never accountable to a court of law are exposed as devastating, life-changing tragedies. Along the way, we also get to witness true love through simple gestures that can so easily become complicated by outside expectations.
By the end of the book, each character seems to have their own path to redemption for whatever burdens they’ve been carrying. Hope and forgiveness seem to light the way. It’s really a wonderful feeling to take from a book as we approach the holiday season and the darkest days in our calendar year. This was one of my favorite reads this year and I hope you enjoy it, too!
Book review by Emily Read, Development Director
To request a copy, click here.
Do you want to share your favorite book of the year? Join us on Wednesday, December 9 for “Weekly on Wednesdays,” in which anyone can share a two-minute book talk on their favorite read(s) of 2020. Click here for the details.
I loved this book! It was the second selection for a book group I recently joined called “The Coven.” I was not optimistic when I realized that ALL of the titles we would read would most likely be in the SciFi/Fantasy genre, and I struggled with this book for the first 75 pages or so. I was encouraged by my girlfriends to keep going, and I am so glad I did! I soon came to the point where I couldn’t put it down.
The storytelling is elegant and “magical,” the characters are well developed and distinct, each having their own backstory in addition to the experiences they share as siblings, co-conspirators, and lovers. There is enough true history in the story to make it relatable and recognizable, but the author has also taken great liberties to invent an imaginary world. Harrow refers to herself as “a professional liar” and relies on the old adage that “the best lies are the ones that are based on the truth.” This feminist adventure story is a fierce and beautiful homage to the power of women in all their forms, including the three female archetypes represented by the Eastwood sisters, the mother, the maiden, and the crone.
Here’s a book summary from Goodreads:
“In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters–James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna–join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.”
Review by Leslie Mortimer, Adult Services Manager.
Click here to request a copy.
November is Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month. We’re honoring Maine’s indigenous peoples by learning more about the Native Americans who have lived in Sagadahoc County.
We’ll start by identifying books in our collection that focus on indigenous history at a local level. Next, we’ll share tips for finding other books about indigenous history on a regional and national level. Finally, we’ll share links to a few online resources.
Baker, Emerson W. “The Clarke & Lake Site, 1654-1676: A Place of Trading as Well as Planting.” Thesis (M.A.) in History. University of Maine, 1983.
Cranmer, Leon E. Cushnoc: The History and Archaeology of Plymouth Colony Traders on the Kennebec. Augusta, Me.: Maine Archaeological Society: Fort Western Museum: Maine Historic Preservation Commission, c1990.
Congdon, Isabelle P. Indian Tribes of Maine : With Particular Reference to Indian Activities in the Regions around the Present Locations of Bath and Brunswick. Brunswick, Me. : Brunswick Publishing Co., 1961.
Sewall, Rufus King. Ancient Dominions of Maine: Embracing the Earliest Facts, the Recent Discoveries, of the Remains of Aboriginal Towns, the Voyages, Settlements, Battle Scenes, and Incidents of Indian Warfare, and Other Incidents of History, Together With the Religious Developments of Society Within the Ancient Sagadahoc, Sheepscot, and Pemaquid Precincts and Dependencies. Bath : Elisha Clark & Co. ; Boston : Crosby & Nichols, 1859.
Shute, Samuel. “Georgetown on Arrowsic Island, Aug. 9th 1717. Annoque regni regis Georg II magnae Britanniae &c. quarto. A confession of hs excellency the governour, with the sachems and cheif men of the eastern Indians.” In Collections of the Maine Historical Society. Vol. 3 (1853), p.361-375.
American Friends Service Committee Wabanaki Program. The Wabanakis of Maine & the Maritimes: A Resource Book by and About About Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Micmac, and Abenaki Indians: With Extensive Resources for All Educational Levels Including Sample Lesson Plans. Philadelphia, PA : Wabanaki Program of the American Friends Service Committee, 2002, c1989.
Brooks, Lisa Tanya. Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War. New Haven : Yale University Press, 2018.
The following websites from across Maine are portals to learning more about the state’s indigenous heritage.
Ancestral Voices “This first presentation in the Ancestral Voices project is the result of a collaborative venture among the AFC, the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine, and the creators of TK Labels and Mukurtu CMS. Passamaquoddy elders have provided cultural narratives and added traditional knowledge about Passamaquoddy recordings, which were spoken in a French-influenced dialect of the Passamaquoddy language in 1890.”
Indigenous Law Web Archive “(The Law Library) collects and preserves primary law sources of indigenous nations, which are sovereign governments by treaty with the United States.”
Maine Memory Network Holding up the Sky exhibit
Penobscot Nation Information and sources for tribal members, also includes some information on Cultural and Historic Preservation.
Passamaquoddy People Knowledge Portal “This website is a glimpse of our rich cultural traditions and history. It will allow future generations of Passamaquoddy to learn about OUR STORY in OUR WORDS.” A project involving wax cylinder recordings expanded into this website which is used as a way to share the language and culture as the Passamaquoddy choose to share them.
Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal “The Portal is designed as a resource for language learning and research.”
Resources for Truth, Healing and Change in Wabanaki Territory from Maine-Wabanaki Reach
Wabanaki Collections “The Wabanaki Collection connects postsecondary educators, grade school teachers, and the general public with a variety of resources that support enhanced relationships between all the peoples of Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States.”
At the beginning of this novel, Jack and Mabel are preparing for their first winter on their new homestead in Alaska in 1920. Still reeling from the loss of their baby, the couple struggles to connect with one another amid the brutal wilderness. On the night of the first snowfall, Jack and Mabel set aside their grief and build a girl made out of snow.
The next morning, their creation is gone, but they spot a young girl running through the trees. The child, who calls herself Faina, hunts with a red fox and survives by herself in the woods. As the novel progresses, the couple comes to see Faina as their own daughter, even though she only stays with them for the winter and disappears into the mountains when the snow begins to melt each spring. Mabel is convinced Faina is not a real girl at all but a character straight out of the books she read as a child.
This novel is based on Russian fairy tales and is filled with magical elements, yet Ivey manages to make the story believable through a command of character and sensory detail. The characters in this novel are vibrant, empathetic, and deeply human. When I read Ivey’s descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, I can taste snow on my tongue, feel my toes grow numb with cold, smell wood-smoke wafting out of a cozy log cabin. Because of these vivid details, the reader feels as deeply rooted to the landscape as Jack, Mabel, and Faina. This is a great book to read if you want to curl up and lose yourself in another world that feels at once familiar and surreal.
Review by Shannon Bowring, Tech Services Coordinator
Click here to request a copy.
In 1913, Laura Lyons lived in the New York Public Library’s superintendent’s apartment with her husband and two children. While her husband managed all of the caretaking duties of the busy and awe-inspiring library, Laura raised her children and wrote an amusing column for the library’s newsletter about her family’s experience living in the famous building. Vassar educated, Laura begins to dream of more for herself and applies to the Columbia Journalism School. Soon, she is a student juggling a full course-load in addition to navigating the demands and prejudices of early twentieth-century women while also supporting her husband’s efforts to write the great-American novel in his precious spare time.
In 1993, Sadie Donovan holds her dream job as the curator of the New York Public Library’s famous Berg Collection. As she prepares for a huge new exhibit, her story begins to weave with that of her grandmother, the famous feminist essayist Laura Lyons. What unfolds is a tale of self-discovery, mystery, and chafing against expectations for both women. It’s an enjoyable read that feels timely given everyone’s current adjustment to making our homes function as workplace, school, canteen, and place of respite and rest. Living in a New York City Public Library employee apartment seems like the ultimate work from home opportunity!
Fans of historical fiction, women’s history, family dynamics, romance, and whodunits will find something to like in this book. Find yourself a comfy chair and allow yourself to be transported to NYC of yesteryear and contemporary times.
Review by Emily Read, Development Director
Click here to request a copy.
If you aren’t going door to door for candy this Halloween, you can still Trick-or-Treat down the streets of Bath as they were 100 years ago with the Confectionery Challenge! A confectionery is also known as a candy store. Yum!
Here are the rules:
*Read on to learn how to find and use the 1919 Bath Sanborn Maps.
Want more candy? Repeat with the 1890, 1891, 1896, 1903, 1909, and 1950 maps!
Sanborn Maps are a candy-colored key to the way our towns looked 100 years ago. Before they became a treat for historians, they were used by insurance agents to assess fire risk for the property they insured. They were published irregularly. For Bath, maps exist between 1890 and 1919. Plus, the Library of Congress has a 1919 copy that was updated through 1950 as the city changed.
The maps’ color code indicates what each building was made out of. Pink is cinnamon and yellow is vanilla. Wait… I mean pink is brick and yellow is wood! (Bonus points for figuring out what blue and green stand for.)
The Library of Congress has digitized Sanborn Maps for hundreds of cities and towns across the country.
The maps were originally published in books. The first page shows which part of town you’ll find on each page. There is also an index by street.
Have fun wandering around the city! Remember, there are at least four confectioneries in 1919. Let us know if you find more at history@patten.lib.me.us and enjoy your confections!
Nat Turner by Kyle Baker was an incredibly emotional and eye-opening experience. It is the true story of Nat Turner and his slave rebellion, which took place in Southhampton County, Virginia in 1831. Told in graphic novel format, Baker uses vivid, wordless images alongside excerpts of Turner’s confession to convey the brutalities of slavery and the details of Turner’s life story, which ended with his execution for leading the bloody slave revolt. Library Journal gave this book a starred review, calling it “suspenseful and violent.”
Baker’s retelling is historically accurate; he lets readers come to their own conclusions about whether Turner was a hero or a monster. Baker’s approach to the material helped me understand more fully the atrocities of slavery, and I was especially interested in reading about Turner’s religious righteousness and his firm convictions about his destiny.
Nat Turner was originally self-published as a serial in four issues. The four parts are preserved in the complete work, which also includes an afterword by Baker and a teacher’s guide. Baker has won numerous awards for Nat Turner, both for the writing and the artwork, including: the Glyph award for Best Artist, Best Cover, and for Best Story of the Year, 2006; the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work, 2006; and the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album — Previously Published, 2009. This work also received an Eisner Award nomination for Best Limited Series, 2006; and Harvey Award nominations for Best Writer, Best Artist and Best Single Issue or Story, 2009.
Review by Katy Dodge, Head of Children’s Services.
Click here to request a copy.
