Collections & Research
Westport Island’s history collection began when the Westport Community Association (WCA) was created in 1955. Members with an interest in history began collecting and documenting island history. The WCA published the first two compilations of Westport history in 1977 and 1993. In 2005, a subcommittee of the town’s Conservation Commission was created to assume responsibility for safeguarding historical holdings. Since 2008, there has been a separate town History Committee tasked with responsibility for preserving and promoting island history.
THE COLLECTIONS
The Collections contain a broad cross-section of archival photographs, documents, and artifacts illustrating everyday life, businesses, livelihoods, and decision making throughout Westport history. The collections include:
- Photographic collections from many island families: the Cromwells, Colby-Greenleafs; Swantons, Tarboxes, Richardsons, Hodgdons, Fowles, Jewetts, Smiths, Brooks/Harriman/Bradfords, Heal/Dow/Gales and many others;
- Town reports dating from the 1800’s;
- 19th and early 20th century school records;
- Journals relating to tidal sawmills, the ice business, island stores, and several individual carpenters;
- Personal letters which document the times, including: letters written to Sarah Tarbox from 1836-1858, and Capt. John Tibbetts from 1894-1897; and
- Documents detailing the Westport-Wiscasset Bridge, including personal notes from Brewster Doggett, a member of the Bridge Committee; construction documentation from Bill Sutter, a bridge engineer; and photographs from multiple family collections.
RESEARCHING THE COLLECTIONS
All of the collection is available for research during open hours at the History Center: Sundays noon to 2 pm, or you may Contact Us to make an appointment at your convenience. Parts of the collection are now available digitally through Catalogit, our cataloging software.