BETHEL – The next session of the Bethel Historical Society’s winter/spring course, “Four Centuries of Canada and Northern New England,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at the O’Neil Robinson House.

The session will deal with the 19th century, including the War of 1812, the Convention of 1818, the arbitration of the King of the Netherlands in attempting to set the Northeast boundary, the “Pork and Beans War,” Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, French-Canadian immigration to New England, the Civil War, St. Alban’s Raid, Fenian Raids and the Bayard-Chamberlain Treaty.

Among the colorful personalities to be discussed will be William Pitt Preble, who defended Maine’s right to the entire 12,000-square-mile area under dispute in the Northeast Boundary question.

Maine has a new state historian with the appointment of Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. as director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission by Gov. John Baldacci.

Shettleworth is only the sixth state historian since the position was created in 1907. The historian is charged to compile historical data of Maine, encourage the teaching of the state’s history and to work with towns to assist them in compiling and publishing their local histories.

The Bethel Historical Society, founded in 1966, has operated from its 14 Broad St. headquarters, the Dr. Moses Mason House, a period house museum and research library since 1974. In 1999 it opened the O’Neil Robinson House (next door at 10 Broad St.) to the public for an expanded exhibit program, museum shop space and administrative offices.

For more information, call 824-2908 or 1-800-824-2910 or e-mail [email protected]. Additional information can also be obtained by checking the Web, www.bethelhistorical.org. The mailing address is P.O. Box 12, Bethel, ME 04217-0012.