BETHEL — About 80 bound volumes of the Bethel Citizen, along with over 50 years of unbound issues, were donated to the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society (MBHS) on March 26 by the Bethel Citizen and its parent company, Maine Trust for Local News.

Executive Director Will Chapman said the collection spans from the Bethel News’ founding in 1895 through 2020, though some gaps remained. “MBHS already had its own set of bound volumes, but there were some large gaps, so now between them, we have every year covered either in bound or unbound newspapers,” he said.

The newspapers are available to the public. “With these and other publications we generally try to ensure that we have at least one set for the public to use, and one ‘preservation set’ kept in the basement vault that we try to avoid using unless necessary.” They are also accessible on microfilm and digitally at https://bethelhistorical.org/catalog/newspaper-search.

Danna Brown Nickerson helped initiate the transfer. Her grandfather, Carl L. Brown, owned and edited the paper from 1927 until his death in 1963. His son John then took over, joined by brothers Donald and Edwin, their mother Musa, and eventually their children. The family ran the Citizen until 1984, when it was sold to Bernie Wideman and later to the Lewiston Sun Journal.

In 2016, Danna also donated the Perfected Prouty job press—once used to print Bethel Inn menus and other materials—to MBHS.

Danna’s cousin, Nancy Brown, a Bethel Library Trustee and Norway librarian, said, “such great care was given to the newspapers and having them bound every year.” She said she was very pleased the papers were donated to the historical society.