SCARBOROUGH – The Scarborough Historical Society, Scarborough Public Library, and Scarborough Middle School are all collaborating on a yearlong exploration of the town’s Civil War history as part of a grant from the Maine Historical Society and Maine Humanities Council.

Entitled, “Local & Legendary: Maine in the Civil War,” the effort is part of a program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities that brings together teams comprised of libraries, historical organizations and educational institutions in Maine to explore local Civil War history in multidisciplinary ways.

The Scarborough team will create a digital exhibit specific to local history that will eventually be hosted on the Maine Memory Network’s Civil War website. The local team will also organize several humanities programs throughout the year that will explore Civil War themes, including a “One Book, One Community” event, a Civil War film series and a final presentation created and performed by students.

The historical society has identified more than 230 Scarborough men who served in the Civil War, many of whom re-enlisted more than once. In fact, during the dedication of the Scarborough Soldier’s Monument in 1913, the Hon. Augustus Freedom Moulton spoke of the unsurpassed patriotic record of “old Scarboro.”

Residents are encouraged to contact the Scarborough Historical Society regarding family history related to the conflict, or any letters, pictures or other Civil War ephemera that can be scanned or photographed for inclusion in the online catalog and exhibit. Call Bruce Thurlow at 883-5445 or email the historical society at scarboroughhist@maine.rr.com for more information.

Special events throughout the year will be announced in local newspapers, on the Scarborough Public Library’s website and Facebook page, and through flyers available at both the library and the Scarborough Historical Society.

– Kate Irish Collins

The Scarborough Soldier’s Monument in Dunstan Corner honors the 230 men from town who served in the Civil War, among others.