A photo of Harriet Drake Sherburne on the cover of the summer edition of The Shiretown Conserver, the newsletter of the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society, shows her wearing a beautiful beaded silk bodice.

(I find a marriage record in Dover-Foxcroft for Hattie D. Drake and William Sherburne on Oct. 24, 1888.)

Sherburne’s silk bodice and skirt, it happens, are part of a display, “Dressed in Their Best,” at the historical society’s museum in the old Observer Building in the middle of town.

Other items on display include a three-piece summer gown from 1902, a day dress with bustle and two silk ball gowns – one of which was worn to the Governor’s Ball.

Other exhibits at the museum include a display on Dover and Foxcroft schools of 1882 with map locations and photos, items from Old Central Hall, a photo exhibit on 19th century childhood images and a memory book of Central Hall.

Recent gifts to the historical society include $1,000 from the Piscataquis Observer to defray costs of repointing and rebricking the Observer Building and $2,000 from Bangor Savings Bank to help replace rotting sills and joists at the Blacksmith Shop. The work at the Blacksmith Shop has begun.

According to Jack Battick, volunteering at the Observer Building is “fun work, as those who’ve done it know. They keep coming back, week after week, because you never know what treasure or curio will turn up as you open a box, trunk or envelope someone has donated.”

If you’d like to help, call Mary at 564-0820 or Nancy at 564-3576.

Hosts are needed, as well, for the hours Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society is open this summer at the Observer Building: 1-5 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays.

The group will hold a Civil War supper and entertainment on Saturday, July 7, at the Congregational church on Main Street.

Membership in DFHS is $5 a year, sent to DFHS, 151 Lawrence St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426.

This is an active, knowledgeable group – they are worth getting to know.

Silence Howard Hayden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution – another group worth getting to know – will hold its sixth annual Genealogy Conference on Saturday, Aug. 18, at Winslow Congregational Church. The facility is handicapped-accessible.

Details will be included in a later Family Ties column.

The Taconnett Library, next door to the church, which requires using stairs, will be open for attendees to use their wonderful collections.

For information on the conference, contact Marilyn Dennis at 453-8351 or crdennis@colby.edu.

Vendor tables are available – inside the church, $15; outside, free. Vendors should contact Leilani Stites, 564-8739 or excal@verizon.net.

Betsy Paradis will present a free program, “Getting Acquainted with your Family Tree,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at the Old Town Museum, 353 Main St. For information, call 827-7256.

The 72nd reunion for the Descendants of Joshua Williams will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, July 14, at the Great Pond Town Hall, Hancock County.

Lunch is at 11:30 a.m., the reunion meeting will begin at noon, and at 1 p.m. there will be the annual meeting of the Friends of the Free Baptist Church of Great Pond.

Guests are asked to bring chairs, lunch, something for auction and pictures of early settlers. For information and directions, contact Judy Bragg at 667-9046.

The annual Bowden Family Reunion will be held at noon Sunday, July 15, on King’s Mountain, 1330 Center Drive, Orrington. For information, contact Marguerite Eckert at 825-3722.

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