This volume contains the minutes of the Bangor Literary Association (of Bangor, Maine) from 1882 to 1886. James W. Donigan, secretary of the association, likely kept this record. Entries include the question or topic of discussion along with the names of which members voted in the negative or affirmative. Example subjects of debate included the textbooks for Bangor public schools, the acceptability of deception, the United States proposed canal through Nicaragua, and others.
The minutes were kept in a book with several earlier contributions, which may or may not relate to the literary association. They include writing on the pyramids of Egypt (pages 30-31), tabular data on U.S. Immigration, 1820-1845 (page 32), and voting results for U.S. Presidents and Vice-Presidents between 1788 and 1876 (pages 34-35).
Originally founded as the Bangor Debating Club (in Bangor, Maine) in 1866, the group was renamed the Bangor Literary Association in 1870. The five original members were George S. Kimball, Henry Lord, Fred H. Prescott, S. Warren Gilman, and Charles E. Leonard. The organization met weekly from November to April each year until it disbanded in the 1880s. A reunion was held on September 30, 1902. Meetings typically included the reading of a lecture or essay and discussion on topics such as textbooks for public schools in Maine, a proposed canal through Nicaragua, justifiable deception, and more.
