The register of probate will hire an expert in records preservation.
By Jim Smedley
Staff Writer

PARIS – The Oxford County register of probate announced Monday that his office will receive a $950 grant to hire an expert in records preservation.

Tom J. Winsor said his request for the grant was approved by the National Historical Publication and Records Committee.

Winsor is charged with the safekeeping of all the files of probate court, which maintains all original documents filed with the court since 1805.

“We need to evaluate the condition of these historical documents and establish a long-term plan to insure that these records are maintained for future generations,” Winsor said. “These records span 200 years of history and tell the story of Oxford County and its families.”

Winsor said he was pleased with the national grant as recent state budget cuts have ended grants for museum objects and reduced amounts available for historical records.

Jim Henderson, director of the Maine State Archives, noted how these historical grants support community efforts to protect the stories of their birth, property rights and government.

“People need to document their birth or naturalization to obtain a passport or get medical care; others research their property boundaries; some seek long-lost relatives or to understand the history of the old sawmill down the road,” Henderson said. “Without these precious records, most questions like this would remain unanswered.”