Lincoln County Historical Association presents a talk uncovering the history of Black people who lived and worked in Dresden in the Post Civil War Period
In an online lecture entitled The “Help” from Hampton: In service at the Pownalborough Court House 1872-1892, James Tanzer will reveal what he has learned about the lives of four young Black workers from Hampton, Virginia who were in service in Lincoln County. The talk, sponsored by Lincoln County Historical Association, will be held on Thursday, February 27 at 5:30 PM. Access is free. Go to lincolncountyhistory.org and click on Events.
For 20 years, from 1872-1892, an aging Sallie and Captain Sam Goodwin, owners of the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, Maine, relied heavily on the housekeeping and farm labor of four young Black workers from Hampton, Virginia: Katy Brown, Randall O. Johnson, Martha Jones, and her brother Joseph Henry Jones.
For the first time, through an examination of original letters between the extended Goodwin, Canby, Johnson, and Marshall family members as well as letters written by Katy, Randall, Martha, and Joseph Henry themselves, Tanzer was able to piece together the fascinating stories of these young Black people and illuminate their lives, both in Maine and in Virginia, during the Reconstruction era and beyond.
James Tanzer is the Special Collections Research Services Librarian at Bowdoin College and is the Vice President of Lincoln County Historical Association. He holds a BA in history and an MA in medieval history.
A $5 suggested donation helps LCHA cover costs of LCHA’s free lecture series. All donations are gratefully appreciated, but no donations are required. To donate, simply go to lincolncountyhistory.org and click on Donate.
Lincoln County Historical Association is a non-profit organization that provides stewardship for the 1754 Chapman-Hall House in Damariscotta, the 1761 Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, and the 1811 Old Jail and Museum in Wiscasset. For more information, please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org or Facebook at Lincoln County Historical Association (Maine).