The Just History Project website, an initiative aimed at uncovering and documenting the often-overlooked histories of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in Kennebunk and the surrounding towns of Wells, Kennebunkport and Arundel, has been launched by the Brick Store Museum.

The resulting Just History database can be found on the museum’s website at www.brickstoremuseum.org/justhistory. The site intends to tell the stories of individuals who lived in the region before European colonization and through periods of enslavement and oppression.

A photo from the New Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle, appearing in the Dec. 30, 1774, Jan. 6, 1775 and Jan. 13, 1775 editions Contributed / Brick Store Museum

According to a news release, “the complex relationships between interconnected groups dramatically shaped this region’s past, and continue to impact us today. Through extensive research now published in the online database, the project has uncovered hundreds of names and stories of people whose lives were previously undocumented or forgotten.”

Bill Grabin of Kennebunk has been the lead researcher on the project. A free, public launch of the database, with a presentation about its use, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at the Brick Store Museum.

“This project has been years in the making and is an example of how history can expand to tell every person’s story,” said Cynthia Walker, executive director of the Brick Store Museum, in an email. “The more we know about all people who lived in our region – the stories, the struggles, and the resilience – the more we can understand the complexities of history.

“I give my thanks to the dedicated volunteers fueling this work and documenting these stories, much of which has been fragmented or lost. Everyone, across time and space, has a right to be a part of our shared history.”

The website, according to the news release, includes information based in primary and secondary source research on individuals who lived in the area during the colonial era, when enslavement existed in southern Maine and throughout New England; and then extends through the mid-20th century. Though slavery in the North did not match the scale of that in the South, it was still a harsh reality. Even after slavery was abolished, many formerly enslaved individuals continued to work under conditions that mirrored involuntary servitude. The website also features information on the Indigenous peoples who lived here, and their interaction with colonists who settled here.

“When I began this project, I did not anticipate how many stories I would uncover and how many of the early settlers of our towns would be involved,” Grabin wrote. “I was particularly impacted by the primary source documents that I was able to locate.”

The goal of the Just History Project is not only to shine a light on these historical truths, but also to provide access to primary source documentation whenever possible, Walker said. The project will continue to expand as new information is uncovered, continuously offering a more complete picture of the region’s past. The museum welcomes contributions regarding individuals that could be added, or related information.

The database includes hundreds of people; as well as a search and index page. Additionally, the website contains a section for research articles that complement and expand on the information included in the database. It is designed to be an educational resource for students, researchers, and community members alike.

Work to develop the technology behind the database was supported by a grant from the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation and additional advisory contributions from the museum’s community partner BBsquared.

For more information about the Just History Project, or to access the database, visit www.brickstoremuseum.org/justhistory.