Historian, author and former South Freeport resident Kerck Kelsey, a descendant of Maine’s Washburn family, will be the featured speaker Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the first installment of the new Wednesday Wisdom series, hosted by the South Freeport Congregational Church. Kelsey, who now lives in Falmouth, will speak on Freeport’s history from 6:30-8 p.m. in the church’s Community Hall.

Kelsey is a descendant of Cadwallader C. Washburn, one of the famous members of the Washburn family, whose estate is preserved at the Washburn Norlands Living History Center in Livermore. Israel Washburn, Sr. purchased the original homestead built by Cyrus Hamlin, father of Hannibal Hamlin, in 1809 and raised 10 children with his wife, Martha Benjamin. The Washburn sons and daughters gained prominence in state, national and international politics, two of them serving in Congress, one as governor of Maine during the Civil War, one a senator. Kelsey wrote three books on the Washburns, titled “Remarkable Americans,” “Prairie Lightning” and “Israel Washburn, Jr., Maine’s Little-Known Giant of the Civil War”

Kelsey, 82, grew up in the Boston area and has traveled extensively. He also has lived in Connecticut and Iowa, and has sons living in Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Following a career in sales, he went back to school to concentrate on 19th-century American history, and received a master’s in history from Harvard University in 2002.

He answered questions regarding the Washburns, Freeport’s history and the South Freeport Congregational Church for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: You’re a descendant of the famous Washburns, whose ancestral home, the Norlands Living History Center, is located in Livermore. Was it a natural progression for you to become a historian?

A: I got my interest in history from my father, who was a teacher. I found out that I was good at it, when I went back to school after retirement.

Q: Tell us a little about the Washburns, and their place in U.S. history.

A: My first Washburn book, “Israel Washburn, Jr., Maine’s Little-Known Giant of the Civil War,” was a re-write of my master’s degree thesis for Harvard, awarded just before my 70th birthday. None of my three Washburn books had anything to do with the fact that I am a descendant. I just like a good story, especially if it’s never been told before. And I feel deeply that the Washburn story needs to be told, especially here in Maine. It is no exaggeration that the 10 surviving Washburn sons and daughters may be the most talented single generation ever produced by any American family. Their leadership in Maine, Illinois, Wisconsin, California and Minnesota – to say nothing of the U.S. Congress and France – was crucial to the development of America in the 19th century. It is a shame that so few people, either in Maine or elsewhere, have ever heard of them.

Q: You’ll be speaking about a different history – that of Freeport – during you upcoming talk at the South Freeport Congregational Church. Did Freeport pay any special part in great historical events, and why?

A: I first got into the history of Freeport in 2007, the year the South Freeport church celebrated its 150th anniversary. I was asked to do a lecture on the history of the church and the village as part of that celebration. My remarks on Oct. 7 will expand on the story, to cover developments in the whole town from the 1600s to the present. We will go from shell heaps to Bean boots. We will touch on items of the most historical significance – yes, there were some – including the king’s trees, our town’s fast ships and high courage on the high seas, the early struggle between the cotton trade and abolitionism that divided us, and our more colorful interludes, such as “trolley resorts,” rum running, and the modern miracle of the mail-order trade.

Q: South Freeport has its own feel and its own presence, apart from the village. Has any special effort gone into preserving that identity?

A: Although I now live in Falmouth, I still think that South Freeport is one of the most special places on the whole coast of Maine. Its history has everything to do with this. Its residents, especially those many like me who moved here “from away,” need to appreciate its story, so that we all can join the effort to preserve it.

Q: The church appears to be thriving in an era when some churches are struggling. Are they doing anything different to remain vibrant?

A: One of the most unique aspects of South Freeport is its church. It is friendly, informal and a direct reflection of the village that it sits in – a community church in the traditional sense of a gathering place and a center for the community. Thanks to the recent influx of retirees from distant cities and suburbs, it has lately enjoyed a bit of a renaissance.

Kerck Kelsey