In the first installment of this very special, two-part episode of Franco-American Pathways, we diverge from our traditional format to bring you a multi-faceted history of the Francos in Lewiston. We started by examining several maps of the city with Libby Bischof, director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, many dating back to the 19th century. We then embarked on a trip into the field for a more personal experience of the city with our co-host, Maureen, a Franco Lewiston native. Stay tuned for the second part in this series, which will include La Collection Parle and The Archivist's Corner. 

Note: We had some technical difficulties while recording in Lewiston, and you'll hear a significant amount of wind interference at times. Our apologies - wind guards next time!

We have several gratitudes to extend for this month’s episode: first and foremost, to Libby Bischof and the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education. Also, a special thank you to our co-host, Maureen, for sharing her personal history with us, and to the Prince of Peace Parish for welcoming us in Lewiston.

A big shoutout, as usual, to Rob Sylvain for letting us use the music from his album, Memère’s Notebook, which you can purchase on his website.

Thanks as well to David Nutty and the USM Libraries staff for their ongoing support.

Be sure to catch our show when it airs on the last Friday of every month starting tomorrow, 8/27, at 1:30PM on WMPG 90.9 Portland. We’re loving collaborating with WMPG and we’ve got some other fun projects in the works.

Merci et très bonne écoute !