The January issue of the Corinth Historical Society newsletter is a keeper.

It features six pages of photos and text on the fire that destroyed East Corinth Academy on March 26, 1968, complete with reminiscences by teacher Rodric C. Johnson and Fire Chief Norman Buswell. Fortunately, everyone got out safely.

One of the oldest standing structures in town is the 1888 Town Hall and Corinthian Lodge Odd Fellows building, which has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Now it houses the Safe Place Community Center Food Pantry sponsored by Charleston Pentecostal Church.

Officers of the historical society are Sharon Buswell, president; Betty LaForge, vice president; Carol Walker, secretary; and Jan Bryan, treasurer.

The society has worked with the town on a project to improve storage of records in the vault at the town office. The society recommended installation of a dehumidifier in the vault – and the Board of Selectmen did so.

Some 100 books, groups of books and boxes have been archived and inventoried with the help of Jan Bryan and Sharon Buswell. Quite a project.

You can support this nonprofit organization by joining for $10 a year, sent to Corinth Historical Society, P.O. Box 541, Corinth, ME 04427. Larger contributions are welcome and would be used well, I think it’s obvious. Donor categories are $25 benevolent donor; $100 lifetime member; $500 benefactor.

The society also welcomes genealogical information, files on early families, artifacts – and of course, volunteers.

Check out the Corinth Historical Society Web site at www.angelfire.com/me2/corinthhistorical/

On the Web site, you will find:

. Corinth Marriages Book I.

. Corinth Births and Deaths Book I.

. Boutelle Cemetery.

. Simpson Cemetery.

. Evergreen Cemetery.

. Hilltop Cemetery.

. Oakman Cemetery.

. Corinthian Cemetery, alphabetically by surname, A-Bk, Bl-Bz, C, D, E-H, I-Q and R-Z.

. Veterans page: 1812, 1839, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Other Conflicts.

I can’t say enough about the historical societies in our state.

The Maine Old Cemetery Association has three meetings planned for this year:

. May 17, Augusta area.

. July 26, Cumberland Center.

. Oct. 4, Dixfield.

To find out which cemeteries have been documented, check the MOCA index online at www.rootsweb.com/~memoca/moca.htm

Series I, II and III are in book form at Maine State Library in Augusta. Series I and II are on microfilm at Fogler Library, University of Maine, Orono. Series IV has not been compiled, but refers to cemeteries which are “in hand” and ready to be put in that series, so stay tuned.

Membership in MOCA is $5 a year, sent to MOCA, P.O. Box 641, Augusta, ME 04332-0641. Save money by purchasing a five-year membership for $20, or a life membership for $100.

If there is a particular county that is near and dear to your heart, you may find that a CD of the MOCA inscriptions that have been done so far is available for purchase from Picton Press in Rockport. I purchased Piscataquis County and like it very much – and it’s fully indexed.

For information on this and other Picton publications, visit www.pictonpress.com

Lastly, set aside the date of Saturday, Sept. 20, for the Maine Genealogical Society meeting in Portland. We’ll share details when they are available.

3416. BROWN-LEIGHTON. Seek info on parents of Harland W. Brown of West Pembroke, who married Nettie E. Leighton, also of West Pembroke, on Jan. 1, 1918. According to the 1920 and 1930 censuses, he lived in Pembroke and worked as a grocer. Census records also show that he and his parents were born in Maine. Information that I have been able to find on him is that he was born March 16, 1886, and died October 1913. Valdine C. Atwood, 2 Free St., Machias, ME 04654; valdine@verizon.net

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