Intro to Researching Our Region’s History

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Our Collections

History Trust Online Archives

History Trust online archives provide finding-aid access to 12 of our member organizations’ collections. The archives store and presents images and information about people, places, events, organizations, and objects associated with coastal Maine’s Blue Hill and Frenchman Bay communities. Our “one-stop” approach makes it easier to learn about local history through access to many collections.

History Trust Newspaper Archive

The History Trust provides FREE access to 87 years of local news recorded in three newspapers—Bar Harbor Times (1902-1968), Bar Harbor Mount Desert Herald (1881-1889), and Bar Harbor Record (1887-1962). These three papers offer a view of our region’s past that compliments other records in Trust members’ digital collections.

Newspapers were principal sources of information in the past. Today, some of the benefits of using newspaper articles as primary historical sources include: learning how people viewed an event when it happened; seeing multiple points of view about a topic provided by different contemporary writers; tracing the historical development of a topic over time; examining how people lived, what they purchased, etc. for a specific time which is helpful for writers, playwrights, historians, etc.; and examining issues in context.

This latter point distinguishes the History Trust newspaper archive from items in our online archive. In the newspaper archive, you can view articles on the page in juxtaposition with other articles that may inform your research in ways not available when looking at a single item. For instance, suppose you’re looking at the obituary for an ancestor and notice that there are several entries nearby for the same date and cause of death. Are the deaths related; was there a conflagration or an epidemic?

Another advantage is you can browse the entire newspaper for context and reading continuity, which is in some ways similar to holding a newsprint edition. Of course, you can also arrange access to the physical copies, which are held by History Trust member Jesup Memorial Library. (The research guide “Using Newspapers for Research” by the University of Cincinnati Libraries useful in framing this post: https://guides.libraries.uc.edu/newspapers/guidehome#s-lg-box-21765447)

Check out tips for using the History Trust Newspaper Archive

Each title offered by The History Trust is fully searchable individually or all three papers may be explored at once. Historical content is available via an interface that allows you to view, search, zoom, print, and save digital page images. Search terms are helpfully highlighted in the search results.

One straightforward approach is as follows.

1. Browse Newspapers by Location.

Select By Location, Browse Now in the lower-left portion of the newspaper archive landing page.
Choose Bar Harbor Newspapers.

2. Choose Bar Harbor Newspapers

Select: United States of America > Maine > Bar Harbor > All Newspapers.

3. Search

a. Enter your search terms.
b. Select Search.

There are other ways to search and manipulate the content offered by The History Trust, a few of which require a free account with the newspaperarchive.com platform. Happy hunting!

Other Member Collections

Some History Trust members, such as libraries, can accommodate onsite research at their locations during regular hours and may offer research assistance. Others have seasonal museums, can only accommodate research requests by appointment, or have limited physical access. Each organization’s capabilities differ due to staffing and other constraints.

Check out these History Trust member organizations in addition to the online archives linked above.

• Bar Harbor Historical Society
• Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association
• College of the Atlantic archives and special collections
• Ellsworth Historical Society
• Great Cranberry Island Historical Society
• Great Harbor Maritime Museum
• Islesford Historical Society
• Jesup Memorial Library archives and special collections

• Jonathan Fisher House
• Mount Desert Island Historical Society
• Northeast Harbor Fleet
• Northeast Harbor Library archives
• Southwest Harbor Public Library digital archive
• Tremont Historical Society
• Woodlawn museum

Other Research Resources

After checking our members’ collections, you may discover what your looking for in one of the following virtual collections. Listed alphabetically, they are known to have material related to coastal Maine’s Acadia region.

A&B | C&D | E-L | M&N | O-Z

A & B

• Abbe Museum online collections database (https://abbemuseum.pastperfectonline.com).
• Acadia National Park, William Otis Sawtelle Collections and Research Center (https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/collections.htm).
• Bangor Historical Society online collections (https://bangorhs.pastperfectonline.com/).
• Bangor Public Library Digital Commons online collection of photographs, books, maps, and more (https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/).
• Bowdoin College Library special collections and archives (https://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/collections/digital-collections-and-projects).

C & D

• Champlain Society Resources at MDI Historical Society (https://mdihistory.org/champlain-society).
• Digital Commons full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide, including Maine; e.g., search term “Mount Desert Island” (https://network.bepress.com).
• Digital Commonwealth photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials from consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts, of which Maine was a district until 1820 (https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/).
• Digital Public Library of America catalog for public domain and openly licensed content held by U.S. archives, libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions (https://dp.la/).
  • Education Guide
  • Family Research Guide
  • Guide to Lifelong Learning
  • Scholarly Research Guide

E – L

• Ellsworth American historical newspapers are available in two online resources.
  • Digital Maine, presented in rather awkward PDF format (https://digitalmaine.com/ellsworth_american_archives/).
  • Library of Congress has scans that are word searchable (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022374/1890-08-28/ed-1/seq-1/#tab=tab_advanced_search).
• Gouldsboro Historical Society online collections provide access to town and vital records, books, photos, maps, videos, and more (https://gouldsborohistory.org/online-collections/).
• Hancock County Registry of Deeds houses records regarding ownership of real property, much of which is searchable online (https://www.hancockcountydeeds.com/search).
• HathiTrust Digital Library, e.g., search term “Mount Desert Island” or Historical Researches of Gouldsboro Maine, a 1904 local history compilation (https://babel.hathitrust.org).
• Hudson Museum at University of Maine online collections database of ethnographic and archaeological objects (https://hudsonmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/).
• Internet Archive, e.g., search term “Mount Desert Island” (https://archive.org).
• Library of Congress digital collections of maps, photographs, letters, diaries, newspapers, audio and video recordings (https://www.loc.gov/collections/).

M & N

• Maine Memory Project, e.g., search term “Mount Desert Island” (https://www.mainememory.net).
• Map List at MDI Historical Society (https://mdihistory.org/maps).
• Mount Desert Island Historical Society Collections Overview & Catalog (https://mdihistory.org/research).
• Newspapers.com claims to be the largest online newspaper archive; unlike the FREE access to Bar Harbor papers offered by The History Trust—see above—subscription is required to access the following.
  • Bangor Whig and Courier 1832–1900 (https://www.newspapers.com/paper/bangor-daily-whig-and-courier/399/).
  • Bangor Whig Courier 1893–1894 (https://www.newspapers.com/paper/bangor-whig-courier/1084/).
  • The Bangor Daily News 1900–2011 (https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-bangor-daily-news/23487/).
  • The Weekly (Bangor ME) 2001–2011 (https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-weekly/23575/).

O – Z

• Penobscot Marine Museum (https://penobscotmarinemuseum.org).
• Rockefeller Archive Center online collections and catalog (https://dimes.rockarch.org/xtf/search).
• Smithsonian Institution Collections (https://collections.si.edu).
• Seal Harbor Library collection of old photographs and glass plate negatives (https://www.sealharborlibrary.me/wp/).
• Town of Bar Harbor Archives (http://archives.barharbormaine.gov).
• University of New England archival materials, including Maine Woman Writers Collection (https://library.une.edu/library-resources/find/archival-materials/).
• William Otis Sawtelle Collections at Acadia National Park (https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/collections.htm).

Many local libraries have subscriptions to additional online databases that allow you to search for free.

• Bangor Public Library has free library cards for any Maine resident that give access to their digital library content (https://www.bangorpubliclibrary.org/).
• Maine State Library Online Library Card provides free access to online databases for any Maine resident (https://www.maine.gov/msl/services/libcard.htm).

Online Genealogical Databases

• Ancestry requires a paid account but is free if accessed at many local libraries (https://www.ancestry.com/).
• Family Search is free, though requires users to create an account (https://www.familysearch.org/).
• Findmypast requires registration and offers both free and paid access to newspaper archives as well as genealogical records in the US and UK (https://www.findmypast.com/).
• Find A Grave is free resource with records about more than 20 Mount Desert Island area cemeteries (https://www.findagrave.com/).
• MyHeritage offers a free trial, but requires a paid account to continue (https://www.myheritage.com/).

Print Resources

Books, articles, and other physical resources are available at libraries and similar locations.

• Books for Sale from Tremont Historical Society (https://www.tremontmainehistory.us/booklist/).
• Beatrix Farrand Society Library at Garland Farm (http://www.beatrixfarrandsociety.org/library-collections/).
• Chebacco annual journal from Mount Desert Island Historical Society (https://mdihistory.org/shop).
• Founders and Followers: Movers and Shakers Who Built Gouldsboro on the Eastern Frontier from Gouldsboro Historical Society; 160-pages, illustrated, and indexed (https://gouldsborohistory.org/founders-followers).
• Publications Order Form from Islesford Historical Society (https://islesfordhistory.org/publications/).
• MaineCat is the most comprehensive online Maine library catalog which scans more than 4.6 million unique titles and nearly 8.9 million items. All 100 participating local, university, and government libraries allow remote requests for borrowing (http://mainecat.maine.edu/). Includes books at several relevant island libraries, but not those in the list of 200 Maine Libraries below.
• WorldCat searches more than 10,000 library catalogs in the US and worldwide; 2,500 records returned for “Mount Desert Island” search (https://www.worldcat.org/).
• 200 Maine Libraries not included in the MaineCAT catalog (see above) with contact information; accuracy not guaranteed. A few relevant library catalogs in the non-MaineCAT list, i.e. not online, include Ellsworth, Islesford, Great Cranberry, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, and Somesville.

Ask A Research Question

Did you find an item in our online archives that you wish to learn more about? Can’t find answers from the resources listed above? Wish to inquire about procedures for visiting a member’s on-site collections?

Ask A Research Question and we’ll see if any History Trust members have helpful information.

– Image: “Prints, photographs, oral histories for GCI Portrait Project 2009,” Great Cranberry Island Historical Society, …view item