Three years after making a financial investment in its history, the town of Dunbarton is nearing completion on an organizational project that may allow residents to access their heritage at will.

The Hadley-Tucker Historical Collection, a compilation of old photographs, letters and other written documentation from Dunbarton’s past, originated from Alice Hadley, a former town historian, who died in 1966 and passed her compiled materials on to her ancestors.

The Dunbarton Historical Awareness Committee then raised $4,000 to purchase the collection from Laura Tucker, Hadley’s great-granddaughter. “It’s just a fabulous collection,” said Bud Noyes, the town historian. “We are very fortunate to have it.”

Donna Dunn, who led the drive for funds in 2003, compared the initial collection to yeast.

“When word of its purchase and preservation spread, it prompted more donations of historical materials from other sources,” she said.

Although most of the raised funds were spent on the collection itself, for $3,500, Noyes said the group has also invested in two storage cabinets, acid-free paper, loose-leaf binders and clear plastic sleeves.

Now, several residents, including Dunn, Noyes, Town Clerk Linda Peters, Marion Crosby, Nancy Frost and Betsy Hamlin-Morin, have donated much of their free time to preserve the collection, and each person has contributed something necessary to the process. While Dunn led the fund drive, Hamlin-Morin provided her knowledge of paper preservation, Noyes gave his research and knowledge and Peters, Crosby and Frost donated numerous hours to the organization and preservation of the collection.

As part of the process, Frost said the group had to copy typewritten and handwritten materials onto acid-free paper.

The process has also opened many of the contributors’ eyes to Dunbarton’s history and helped bring back the past.

“I found that I was able to recognize places and people in town, and it’s really been a lot of fun. I think it’s a very valuable collection and I am happy to be able to help with it,” said Frost, an ancestor of Hadley and Tucker. “It’s been very nice.”

Now, the three-year process is coming to fruition.

“What started out as several cardboard boxes of photos, scrapbooks and slowly disintegrating material has been transformed into a cabinet full of beautifully referenced, preserved, archived material now under the protection of Town Clerk Linda Peters,” said Dunn.

Although the material is currently locked in a cabinet in town hall, under the watchful eye of Peters, Crosby said the committee hopes to make the material available to the public once it is all documented and organized.

“I think it’s very valuable,” said Crosby. “Especially if people can come in (to town hall) to look at these.”