AUGUSTA — An illustrated lecture, “Shocking Secrets! Tragic Deaths! Despicable Villains! Danger in the Textile Mills of 19th-Century Maine” will be presented by Elizabeth A. DeWolfe at the Maine State Museum at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 6. The lecture is free of charge and open to the public.

In her presentation,  DeWolfe will share some of the tragic tales that found their way into sensational fiction about Maine mill girls in the 19th century. Often dramatic and a bit lurid, the stories warned parents of the unfortunate circumstances that could befall young people, especially young women, who went to work in the factories. Filled with despicable villains and tragic deaths, this fiction warned its young readers that the best way to stay safe was simply to stay home.

DeWolfe is professor and chair of the History Department at the University of New England in Biddeford. She earned her PhD in American and New England Studies from Boston University. She DeWolfe is the author of four books including “The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories,” which was honored with book awards from the New England Historical Association and the Northeast Popular Culture Association. Her latest book, “Domestic Broils: Shakers, Antebellum Marriage, and the Narratives of Mary and Joseph Dyer” was published in July 2010 by the University of Massachusetts Press.

The Maine State Museum is located in Augusta in the State House Complex,  230 State St. For more information call 287-2301 or visit the museum’s website at www.mainestatemuseum.org.