National award in store for Historical Society

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Three members of the Bangor Historical Society will receive a national award from the American Association of State and Local History at a reception at noon Monday, Sept. 24, at the society museum, 159 Union St. James Vickery of Bangor, and Candace Loud Sawyer and…
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Three members of the Bangor Historical Society will receive a national award from the American Association of State and Local History at a reception at noon Monday, Sept. 24, at the society museum, 159 Union St.

James Vickery of Bangor, and Candace Loud Sawyer and Laura Loud Orcutt of Portland will receive a commendation for their work on the “Journals of John Edwards Godfrey.”

AASLH is a national organization which promotes historical research on the local level. The awards program — the only one of its kind in state, provincial and local history, seeks to encourage standards of excellence. More than 170 individuals, groups and institutions were nominated nationwide, but only 88 of them will receive awards.

Sawyer and Orcutt are the granddaughters of Godfrey, who was a judge of probate for Penobscot County from 1856 to 1882, and who founded the Bangor Historical Society in 1864. His journals were discovered by Laura Orcutt in the 1950s, hidden in the library at the Godfrey home in Bangor.

Sawyer and Orcutt soon recognized the historical importance of the diaries. With the help of local historian Vickery, the volumes were transcribed, edited and annotated. Godfrey’s granddaughters paid for the publication of the books, then donated them to the historical society as a fund-raising item.

During the reception, Sheila MacDonald of the Maine Parks and Recreation Department will present the awards on behalf of the AASLH. A light buffet luncheon will be served afterward. Members will be admitted free. The cost to non-members is $5. For reservations, call 942-5766 by 10 a.m. Monday.


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