Julie Potter-Dunlop, PhD and interim president of the Maine Ulster Scots Project, will present an interactive program on the history and settlement of early Ulster-Scots emigrants along the coast of Maine, Thursday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m., at Thomaston Public Library. This collaborative community event, co-sponsored by Cushing and Thomaston Public Libraries, is free and open to the public.

"The story of Ulster-Scots in Maine and their impact on New England is sometimes overlooked and oversimplified in traditional historical narratives," said a news release. "Scots-Irish migration, which began in 1718, formed the backbone of many Maine communities. Their influence can be found in our legal systems, preference for local control, relationships to the land, and dry Maine humor. U.S. census data 2020 confirms that Maine has, per capita, the highest percentage of self-identified Scottish and Scots-Irish descendants in the entire country."

The program will focus on the history and settlement of Ulster-Scots emigrants along the coast of Maine It will encompass three main areas of Ulster-Scots settlements in Maine, including Georgetown, Walpole, and St. George, and discuss the ongoing archaeological dig at Merrymeeting Bay that uncovered artifacts from 1718 settlers.

Julie Dunlop-Potter is a direct descendant of Scots-Irish emigrants arriving in the District of Maine on the MacCallum in 1718. Professionally, she is a retired Nurse Educator who served at the University of Hawai’i Maui College. Privately, she is an amateur genealogist, historian and archaeological excavation site team member.

For more information, contact Wendy Roberts at wrobertsmaine63@gmail.com.