Genealogy Research – Family Files

By Don Taylor, Historian

The Scarborough Historical Society has many resources for genealogy researchers.

Resources include SHS Family Files, Digital Collection, Bill Tolman Memorial Database, Obituaries, Cemetery Records, Genealogies, Vital Records, and the Linwood Dyer Genealogy Collection.

My first recommendation for researchers is to review the material in our SHS Family Files.

The SHS Family Files Collection comprises 647[i] file folders (about 15 linear feet) with information on various surnames and several key individuals. Besides specific details, the file folders often include pointers to other records, such as Vital Records. Several file folders have been digitized and are available electronically through our Surname Files Webpage.  Contact the Society via email (ScarboroughHist@gmail.com) for the availability of the files not included on the Surname Files Webpage {Library | People | Surname Files}.

(Use the searchbox below to narrow your view to specific surnames[ii].)

Family File Folders.

Surname Files

Next time, I’ll briefly examine the Digital Collection, what is available, and how you can access that information.


Endnotes

  1. [i]  The number of folders is subject to change. There were 647 Folders on 6 April 2024. 
  2. [ii] Our thanks to Linda Broadwater & Betty McKown for their indexing these folders. 
Posted in Genealogy, Surname Files | 2 Comments

Coast Watch Newspaper’s News Index

                                                       By Linda Snow McLoon 

“The Coast Watch,” binders are located on shelf K-3.

Beginning in the latter part of the 19th century, a local weekly newspaper served Scarborough residents by bringing them local news from the various villages in the town. At a time before most residents had a telephone, they enjoyed having a weekly newspaper that let them know what their neighbors were up to.

Often the news covered in the Coast Watch might be considered insignificant by today’s standards, but people were interested to read, for example, in the East Scarborough news on March 25, 1898, that Mr. and Mrs. Savage are rejoicing over the advent of a little daughter, Helen Mabel. They also appreciated learning from West Scarborough’s column on March 28,1898 that the gramophone concert that was to have been given by Mrs. S.H. Guptill at Good Templars’ hall Monday evening was postponed until Saturday evening on account of the weather.

The complete program of the 1898 Scarborough/Cape Elizabeth Fair which was held at the fair grounds at Pleasant Hill was included in the newspaper, and genealogy scholars will welcome snippets such as the 1897 obituary for Pine Point’s oldest resident, Oliver C. Merrill. The article included the names of Mr. Merrill’s seven children: Oliver Jr., Aaron, Elbridge, Jefferson, Henrietta, Laura (wife of Austin Leavitt), and Minnie (wife of John Meserve).

The number of Scarborough villages that had their own news columns was large. In addition to the easily recognized sections of Black Point, Blue Point, Eight Corners, Oak Hill, Pine Point, West Scarborough (Dunstan), and Scottow’s Hill, there were also separate columns for news from the East Scarborough, Nonesuch Meadows, North Scarborough and Upper Scarborough neighborhoods.

An index containing over 1,200 names mentioned in the Coast Watch articles is now available online. This finding aid helps in finding articles mentioning individuals. At the museum, you can have great fun checking out the general news items involving horse & carriage accidents, robberies, and much more.

Below is an index to “The Coast Watch,” clippings, Volumes 1 & 2 (AN #99.3.1 and 99.3.2), is available with the collection (Shelf K-3). To find  a particular item, enter it into the Search box. The results shows the pages on which the name appears in “The Coast Watch” book.

This database was updated on 27 April 2024.

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Pages Updated – March 2024

Library

Books

Books Available Online

History of Cumberland Co., Maine by Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford), Published 1880. Available via Internet Archive (Search for both Scarboro and Scarborough).

Videos

March 2024 – Slavery in Maine by Alicia Harding


Due to weather, the January 2024 presentation was rescheduled for April 2024.

Research

Annual Reports

1863-64 Scarborough Annual Report: Archive.org

1870 Scarborough Annual Report: Archive.org (Partial)

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Pages Updated – March 2024

Pages Updated – February 2024

Library

Bibles

The Stone Bible – Surnames include Stone, Haskell.

Rev. Tilton Bible (61.1.1) – 2nd Parish (Dunstan) Congregational Church – Dated 1801. 

Plummer Bible #2 – 2023.01.401 – Appears to be the Bible of David and Alice (Stone) Plummer. It included entries from 1846 to 1931. Surnames include Dyer, Laidlaw, McKeen, Plummer, Roberts, Sinnott, Smith, & Stone.

Videos

Maine’s Logging Heritage
By Mary Morton Cowan

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Pages Updated – January 2024

About

I added a link to the Society’s bylaws.
I corrected the list of current officeholders.

Library

Collections

Linwood Dyer Genealogy Collection – Newspaper Clippings

Personalities – 2023.01.38 – 42 clippings – Surnames: Milliken, Barrows, Baxter, Burleigh, Libby, Dyer, Haigis, Harmon, Lothrop, Snow, Winter, Delaware, Poulin, King, Laughton, Burnham, Lindquist, Lorfano, & Moody. Areas of Interest: Pine Point, “Cider Barrel Elm”, Volunteers of America summer camp,

Library | People | Genealogy

Scarborough Families

Scarborough Families – Sawyer – 2023.01.28 (Sections, A, B, C, D, Edward of Rowley, and Addenda)

Scarborough Families – T – 2023.01.27

Scarborough Families – U – 2023.01.27

Scarborough Families – V – 2023.01.27

Scarborough Families – X-Y-Z – 2023.01.30

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Od4tCYOS7s?si=iXuo0G16loNEPzfdScarborough Historical Map Tour
1871-2024
By Dominic Tracey

Library | Videos

Scarborough Historical Map Tour
1871-2024
By Dominic Tracey

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