Tia Wilson stands inside the Durham Historical Society. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Tia Wilson is a historian and lifelong Mainer who is fascinated by the progression of history. Though she works as a contract, procurement and landscape manager for Avesta Housing in Portland, her passion lies in the unearthing of the state’s history, particularly in Durham, where she lived for 21 years. Originally from Bradley and Milford, the Topsham resident and chair of the Durham Historical Society uses her position to educate her community through life’s greatest teacher: history. 

Name: Tia Wilson

Age: 43

Town: Topsham

Job: Manager for Avesta Housing

Where does your fascination with history come from? When I was younger, my grandmother would take my sister and I to Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor. We would wander the graves for hours with her. She would always take us to her family plot. Because of this, I became more interested in learning more about where I came from, and who my ancestors were. We would also sit with her and look at old family photos. I absolutely loved looking at old family photos when I was younger, I couldn’t get enough of it! Since then, I have become extremely experienced with genealogy research, helping many friends discover their own ancestral past. This made me want to learn more about the areas where my family and my friends’ families lived, and what they did for careers. While doing endless hours of research, I would find myself lost in the past and learning more about it, almost becoming obsessed with it.

What drew you to the Durham Historical Society? When I moved to Durham in 1999, I was always interested in the little cemeteries throughout the town. This led me to realize that the town had a cemetery committee. I quickly joined and have been a member for over 15 years. I am now the chair of the Durham Cemetery Committee and made it a goal to photograph and document every burial within the town. Several years after living in town and exploring all of the cemetery’s nooks and crannies, I wanted to learn more about the town’s history. That is when I joined the historical society and became a very active member. I did everything I could to learn about Durham’s history. I became extremely knowledgeable about the town I never realized existed prior to 1999. Both of my children were born and raised in Durham, so I made it a mission to learn everything I could about this amazing town. After a few years of hard research, word got out and people around the town started reaching out to me to help with their genealogy, or learning more about where their Durham ancestors (were). I even have helped several people research the homes they live in, digging deep into the history of their 1700s and 1800s homes. 

What era in history is your favorite? I would have to say the 1700s and 1800s. There is something magical about the simplicity of life back then. I feel like so much has been lost over the years, and it will continue to be lost if people don’t take the time to learn about the history of the towns they live in. History is so important. Ancestry is so important. Sometimes I would give anything to go back to a much simpler life, without all the hustle and bustle of technology in our faces all the time. I think that is why I am drawn to the 17 and 1800s. I feel like life was appreciated so much more. From the clothes that were hand sewn, to the crops that were harvested, people just knew how to truly appreciate what they had in life. 

What makes Maine’s history, specifically in Durham, so fascinating? I’ve learned so much about Maine by digging into my family’s past. But there is something special about Durham. I think the sheer fact that Durham used to be a shopping mecca. We were fast and busy. This town used to be the place where everything was happening. Then the railroad came to town. This took all of the business away from the blacksmiths, coopers, shoe cobblers and the farmers. The business was now up the river in Lewiston and Auburn. Durham was pushed to the wayside and forgotten about. It turned Durham into a “ghost town,” a sleepy town. I think that is why Durham is such an amazing town now. We don’t have the hustle and bustle, or the in-your-face congestion of traffic and tourists. We now have a quiet town, with a beautiful landscape, and foundation holes around every corner as a constant reminder of Durham’s vast history. I encourage everyone to slow down while they are driving through Durham, and keep a close eye on the woods around you. You would be shocked how many old foundations you can spot within the trees. I personally like its quietness now. I don’t think Durham would be the same if we were as busy as Lewiston and Auburn. I don’t think it would have its magical charm.

What is your official position in the Durham Historical Society? I started off at DHS about 15 years ago, as someone who just wanted to know more about the town they built a home in. I have been the treasurer and the secretary, and now I am the chair of the society. We have a handful of members who are active in the HS’s functions. When I started, we had three members. Now we are at about 15 current members. Since then I started a Facebook page for the Historical Society, where I share pictures of the past. I have also created the Durham bus tour, written a small book and mc’d the tour of the town, to two full bus loads of people. I have given several private tours and helped dozens of people do research on their family, or the homes that they bought in Durham. I also helped the Historical Society get their 501(c)(3) reinstated so we could become nonprofit again.

Where did you go to school? I attended Old Town High School, in Old Town, Maine. I am in the class of 1996. I also am a graduate of Beal College with a degree in travel, tourism and business. 

Do you have any academic or professional background in history? If so, what is it? Nope, not even a drop. I was actually terrible at history in school. I didn’t appreciate it when I was a teenager. I thought it was a waste of my time. I look at it so differently now. My husband and I will even sit on the couch and watch documentaries about history. We are avid collectors of antiques, and we both love history so much. It is amazing what growing up can do to make someone appreciate history so much more! 

What is the overall goal of the Durham Historical Society? Are there any long-term plans for the organization? My No. 1 goal is to get the documents organized. We have a lot of historical documents, such as death records, hand-written journals and photos that need to be cataloged. It is going to take time, patience and a plan to make it work. It is a mess right now. It is discouraging. I would love to see the church become a museum, where school kids can come and learn more about Durham, and people are able to come and do research on their families or the homes they live in. Right now, if someone wants that information, I personally will pull the information together for them and find what they need. It will be a lot easier when all of the records are organized and a filing system is in place. I’d like this to be our “5-year plan.” There is a lot of work to go into it, and it will take a lot of time. 

Are your family and friends into history like you are? My family is! Especially when it comes to our family history and genealogy. It is always fun to find out things about our ancestors that they didn’t know about. I love sharing that with them! I also love helping my friends discover their ancestors’ secrets. It really is amazing the scandals you can discover when you start digging into history! Especially your own family history. I recently discovered that I am Ann Putnam’s second cousin 10 times removed. (Putnam was an important witness at the Salem witch trials during the 1600s.) Not sure if that is something to be proud about, but it was pretty cool to discover!

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