A lesser-known part of Westport's history could come into clearer focus with the recent arrival of hundreds of documents, photographs and ephemera collected by a north end family more than a century ago.

The Sherman Collection, as the Westport Historical Society calls it, started off in Westport, made its way to Texas and on to Fairbanks, Alaska, before arriving back in Westport in late December.

The well-documented and marked photos, deeds, diaries, maps, letters and journals tell the story of the Sherman, Blossom, Young, Borden, Pettey and Macomber families, who lived along Blossom Road in the north end of town and traced their roots back much further than the time period covered by the collection — the Shermans first settled in Portsmouth in 1634.

The donor, Philip Rulon of Fairbanks and formerly of Westport, had been corresponding with the society for some time about returning the items to Westport. They were collected by his forbearers and had always been in the family, and he brought them with him when he moved west. They arrived a few weeks ago.

Though they've barely scratched the surface of the collection, Michael Labossiere, superintendent of the Watuppa Reservation and local history expert, referred to it as a “Rosetta stone” that connects many missing links in tracing the evolution of Blossom Road, Old Bedford Road, Watuppa Reservation and the former Indian reservation.

The families there were connected by marriage as well as proximity, many living in neighboring houses along Blossom Road. Jenny O'Neill, the executive director of the historical society, said that as was typical in 19th century Westport, children grew up to marry neighbors and lived next to or near their parents, building a closely interconnected community with strong familial ties to each other and to their properties. The collection also sheds light on the presence of Native American families such as the Perry and Mingo families.

There are also some unexpected treasures among the documents, O'Neill said, such as the license plate for a Model M Cadillac purchased in 1907, kept in a file along with a photo of the car and sales receipt for $950.

According to Rulon, the Shermans were “meticulous journalists and conservators,” and O'Neill agrees after having spent some time with it.

“At first glance, the materials are unassuming and ordinary, but taken as a whole, this collection is extremely valuable and comprehensive,” she said. “It is fortunate that the donor recognized the historical value of this collection. We do know that often these kinds of collections find their way to the dump rather than to an archive.”