SOMERVILLE -- The first volume of "Then & Now Patricktown/Somerville History" published in 1998 consisted of vital statistics.

During the 10 years since publication, members of the Somerville Historical Society often despaired that the second volume would never be finished.

But the dedication of four individuals, Edith Allard, Mary French, Lee Cranmer and Brian Milakovsky, has made it happen.

The preface of the second volume, now on sale, says: "Besides gathering material, we have juggled commitments, weather and life's ups and downs. But like the postman, we have persevered through rain, snow, sleet and the dark of night to complete our work."

"I thought the preface was pretty cute," said the 90-year-old French. "We did have some problems. Edith had a knee replacement and Lee had a few health problems and had to be away a lot with his archeological work. But we persevered. And everybody loves it!"

"Then & Now," which costs $15, will be on sale during the Windsor Fair. The fair opens Aug. 24 and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1.

Copies will be on sale in the Somerville schoolhouse, which was moved to the fairgrounds as part of a New England Village of the 1800s erected on the Windsor fairgrounds by the Windsor Historical Society.

"If anyone wanted to send me $15 plus $3.57 for postage, I'll be happy to mail one to you," she said.

Her address is P.O. Box 33, Windsor, ME 04363-0033.

At the schoolhouse, she also will have copies of the "History of Windsor" written by Linwood Lowden in 1993. Those sell for $20, she said.

French, a former school teacher who lives in Windsor, is a member of the Somerville Historical Society and Windsor Historical Society.

In her lifetime, French married two men, both from Somerville. Her first husband of 13 years, Merton Brann, contracted polio and died. She later married Brann's childhood friend and classmate, Lawrence French. They were together for 42 years.

With so much family, French, a history buff, acquired tons of old photographs and historical material that she keeps in boxes and notebooks scattered throughout her circa Civil War home.

"I had all these pictures and history about the people and they put it together," she said while sitting in her kitchen. "This is where we did it, right on this table."

Edith Allard said Cranmer deserves much of the credit because he never put together a book like this. She said Brian Milakovsky wrote the captions and did most of the writing and she designed the book.

"We were a bunch of amateurs," Allard said. "But we did it."

"Then & Now" is filled with old photographs of Somerville families, homes and businesses. There is also maps of homesteads and old schools, stories and newspaper articles, Somerville history, a list that names the men in town who fought in the Civil War and some of their letters.

Lee Cranmer of Somerville, said the book is dedicated to Virginia Brann and Barbara Crummett who were major figures in the Somerville Historical Society. They have since passed away.

"It was a long haul, but it's a good contribution to Somerville, to have their history finally written up," Cranmer said Thursday. "We're just all glad to be able to do it and get it done."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com