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Over 134 years of preservation and study of
Kennebec County history (1891-Present)
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Photo of Kenneth Gloss by Pichi Photography
KHS January Facebook Presentation:
“A Firsthand Look at
Secondhand Books”
In this presentation, Kenneth Gloss will talk about some of his favorite finds
and describe some of the joys of the ‘hunt.’ He will discuss the history of the Brattle Book Shop, (which goes back to 1825), being a second-generation
owner and growing up in the book business. He has many anecdotes to share about private and institutional collecting as well as guidelines for starting a collection. His talk lasts for about an hour.
KHS presenter, Ken Gloss is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers and a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. He appraises for several universities including Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College, and Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Ken has done appraisals of material seen on Antique Roadshow and also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books.
The KHS presentation has been posted on the society’s Facebook page on
January 21, 2026. Click on the link above to see the video. It also will be archived at the society’s headquarters for those who want to watch it later.
For more information, call Scott Wood,
the society’s executive director, at 622-7718.
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KHS February Program:
"Re-Collecting Jim"
James Matthews and His Journey from Bondage
in South Carolina to Freedom in Hallowell
Photo of James Matthews gravestone by the late Hallowell Historican, Sam Webber.
This talk traces the life and afterlife of an enslaved man whose voice survives
in an anonymously published slave narrative first printed in Maine in 1838.
Long dismissed or left unexplored, Professor Susanna Ashton discovered his
true identity first by discovering the name Jim and then as James Matthews.
His testimony can be reassembled through careful attention to detail, place,
and archival context. Beginning with Jim’s harrowing account of enslavement
in South Carolina and his escape north, the presentation follows his arrival in Maine and argues that Hallowell became the final and most consequential site
of his life. Drawing on abolitionist newspapers published in Hallowell, census records, poor farm records, cemetery evidence and his own testimony, Ashton demonstrates that Jim can be confidently identified with James Matthews, a Black man who lived his final decades in Hallowell and is buried there. Rather than offering a seamless biography, the talk reflects on the ethical work of historical recovery when lives are recorded unevenly. Centering Hallowell as both an abolitionist publishing hub and a place of refuge, this program invites
the community to consider how local records preserve Black presence,
suffering, endurance, and belonging, and why these fragments matter to
history today.
KHS presenter, Susanna Ashton is a Professor of English at Clemson University and a scholar of nineteenth-century American literature and slavery. She is the author of A Plausible Man. The True Story of the Enslaved Man who Inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin and a specialist in authorship, and the testimony
of witness. She regularly writes and speaks for both academic and public audiences, with research focused on recovering the lives of formerly enslaved people through archives, newspapers, and local history.
Ashton’s presentation will be posted on the society’s Facebook page on February 18, 2026. For more information, call Scott Wood, the society’s executive director, at 622-7718.
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KHS Victorian Tea Party
Was a Success!!
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The society’s annual Victorian tea party was scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, December 7, at KHS headquarters, the Henry Weld Fuller Jr. House, located
at 107 Winthrop Street in Augusta. There was holiday music and lively conversation. Members and the public were invited to celebrate the holiday
season at this annual event, which the late Mary McCarthy instituted a generation ago in the dining room at the previous KHS location at 61
Winthrop Street. A variety of goodies were available to sample,
including cookies, other snacks, coffee, and tea.
If you missed this year's event, please know that another one is scheduled for December 6, 2026!
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Discovering, preserving, and disseminating
Kennebec County history
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KHS is located in Maine's Capital City ... in
historic Kennebec Valley at
Henry Weld Fuller, Jr. House
107 Winthrop Street
Augusta, ME
Click the "donate" button below to join KHS or make a donation. Please be sure to explain what the amount is for in the "Add special instructions to seller" section.
Thank you!
READING ROOM
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
10am-3pm
Tuesday through Thursday
APPOINTMENTS PREFERRED
If unable to visit during our open hours, please call for an appointment.
Phone:
(207)
622-7718
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5582
Augusta, Maine 04332-5582
Those unable to visit us may send questions to our email:
kennhis1891@gmail.com
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