A Web site that will be of interest to countless Maine genealogists is Ne-Do-Ba, The Abenaki of Western Maine, located at www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/

Ne-Do-Ba – which means friends – is a nonprofit organization, and the representative who has attended genealogical conferences around the state is Nancy Lecompte of Lewiston.

The focus of the organization, according to the Web site, is “history, culture, community, family and self.”

One of the most interesting pages on the Web site is “Wabanaki Warriors of the Past,” divided into eras such as Revolutionary War and Civil War.

Information listed for each person named includes military data and tribe of origin, where known.

Genealogy documents include the March 25, 1858, census of the Penobscot Indians as taken by school supervisor J.C. Knowlton. The transcribed census is at www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/cenp58.html

There also is a page of links to other genealogy Web sites, some quite familiar to many people, no doubt, and others not so familiar.

These include several links of interest to those with Franco-American roots. Other lists cover topics such as colonial occupations, GenWeb links and old diseases and modern names.

The Web site emphasizes that Ne-Do-Ba is not involved with political issues, nor does it assist individuals with enrolling in tribes.

The name of Col. John Allan, the Scottish-born Nova Scotian expatriate, whose daring exploits in the service of the American Revolution secured a Maine border and was involved in the cooperation of the Wabanaki First Nations, has never been widely known, let alone celebrated, outside of eastern Washington County.

Now a group of his descendants is working to change that, according to Jill Prouty.

Col. Allan was appointed by the Continental Congress in 1776 as the Military Commander of the Eastern Area (District of Maine) and Superintendent of the Eastern Indians.

Headquartered in Machias, Allan united the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Penobscot and Micmac tribes with the Maine settlers and together they defended the Maine coast against the British.

Allan was referred to as the “iron man at Saint Croix,” and his service to the American colonies kept the area from the St. Croix River to the Penobscot River from becoming Canadian territory.

Machias native Jill Prouty, now a resident of Georgia, created a Web site in January dedicated to Colonel Allan at www.colallan.org.

According to Prouty, she started receiving e-mails from descendants across the U.S. within a week.

“Basically, these people wanted to know more about Colonel Allan as well as where they came from,” said Prouty.

So it was decided that a “Friends & Family of Col. John Allan Reunion” would be held June 8-10 in Machias during the Margaretta Days.

Prouty says that she’s heard from descendants from as far away as California, all of whom have expressed serious interest in attending the reunion.

Prouty says the new Allan family organization is a tribute to grandmothers.

“I keep hearing from other descendants that it was their grandmothers who told them stories about Colonel Allan,” Prouty said. “My grandmother used to tell me stories about him, too. I credit her for starting this.”

Prouty’s grandmother was the late Sarah Allan Moffett of Machias.

Plans for the reunion include a boat charter to Treat’s Island to visit Col. Allan’s gravesite. A headcount is needed, so descendants are urged to contact Prouty at jill@colallan.org

The Penobscot County Genealogical Society Family Cookbook is available for purchase. Members call it “a great birthday or anytime gift.”

To order by mail, send $8 plus $2 mailing per cookbook to PCGS, c/o Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04402. To save mailing costs, arrange to pick up your cookbook by calling 862-4785, or e-mail pcgscooks2@msn.com

Or purchase a cookbook at the next meeting of the Penobscot County Genealogical Society at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in the Lecture Hall at Bangor Public Library.

The topic will be “Funeral Home Records,” and the speaker will be Gary Smith, funeral home director at Brookings-Smith in Bangor.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or familyti@bangordailynews.net.