Jane Peterson Bouley
Described by some as "a walking encyclopedia of Branford, "Jane Peterson Bouley credits her fascination with genealogy and local history to her paternal grandmother: "As a child, my grand-mother encouraged my interest in family history. She would take me to the cemetery in Guilford, where I found several stones of my ancestors." Years later, upon discovering that fourteen of Branford's early settlers were her ancestors, Jane was hooked on genealogy.
A 1969 graduate of Branford High School, Jane was active in the music program and intra-mural sports and was a member of the National Honor Society. After high school, Jane graduated from Quinnipiac College and is presently coordinator of the Respiratory Care Department at the Hospital of Saint Raphael, where she has worked for twenty-four years.
As a young adult, Jane began in earnest to pursue the genealogy of her family, which has Branford and Guilford roots. Her research led to the development of computer data bases on various aspects of Branford history, particularly of its people, buildings, and shoreline communities.
In 1985, Bouley was appointed Branford Town Historian by the Board of Selectmen, a position she continues to hold. Her newspaper column, "Pictures of the Past," first appeared in 1988, telling brief stories about Branford. In addition to giving many slide presentations, walking tours, and children's programs, Jane also provides resource information to many individuals and organizations. Her Short Beach home contains files of stories on hotels and churches and over 200 books on local history, in addition to her extensive data base; it is not uncommon for her phone to ring with an inquiry from an individual seeking clarification, reference sources, or genealogical information.
A long-time member of the Branford Historical Society, on whose board she has served, Jane was on the Branford 350th Committee and was a researcher and photographer for the Architectural Preservation Trust, which surveyed 600 historic Branford buildings from 1984 to 1986. She is a member of a number of local organizations, as well as various genealogical societies. In 1991, the Connecticut League of Historical Societies presented her an award of merit for outstanding contribution to the development of interest in local history. In addition to her own column, Jane has been featured in articles in the Branford Review and was included in a 1995 New York Times article on municipal historians.
As the 350th anniversary year for Branford, 1994 was an especially busy one for Jane. Besides serving on the board of directors, she advised on policy decisions involving historical accuracy, consulted on the Commemorative Album, and worked on the Commemorative Quilt Committee, the Ethnic Cookbook Committee, as well as for the schools, Blackstone Memorial Library, and Living History Weekend. That same year she also served as a resource for a Black History Month celebration at the Intermediate School, and civic and community groups increased their requests for her slide presentations.
Jane Peterson Bouley has two sons, Peter R. and Kevin P. Bouley. Her husband was the late Robert T. Bouley. A side-bar of Jane's historical pursuits is her interest in old Branford photographs and postcards, which she preserves by photographing the originals thereby making a usable copy as well as creating a negative for posterity.
A tribute by a nominator perhaps summarizes Jane's contributions for all of us: "That we know so much about the past and we have the confidence that what we know is accurate and true and that this body of knowledge will continue to grow is due to the efforts of Jane Bouley. She has taught more people about more of our past than is reasonable for one person to do."
A 1969 graduate of Branford High School, Jane was active in the music program and intra-mural sports and was a member of the National Honor Society. After high school, Jane graduated from Quinnipiac College and is presently coordinator of the Respiratory Care Department at the Hospital of Saint Raphael, where she has worked for twenty-four years.
As a young adult, Jane began in earnest to pursue the genealogy of her family, which has Branford and Guilford roots. Her research led to the development of computer data bases on various aspects of Branford history, particularly of its people, buildings, and shoreline communities.
In 1985, Bouley was appointed Branford Town Historian by the Board of Selectmen, a position she continues to hold. Her newspaper column, "Pictures of the Past," first appeared in 1988, telling brief stories about Branford. In addition to giving many slide presentations, walking tours, and children's programs, Jane also provides resource information to many individuals and organizations. Her Short Beach home contains files of stories on hotels and churches and over 200 books on local history, in addition to her extensive data base; it is not uncommon for her phone to ring with an inquiry from an individual seeking clarification, reference sources, or genealogical information.
A long-time member of the Branford Historical Society, on whose board she has served, Jane was on the Branford 350th Committee and was a researcher and photographer for the Architectural Preservation Trust, which surveyed 600 historic Branford buildings from 1984 to 1986. She is a member of a number of local organizations, as well as various genealogical societies. In 1991, the Connecticut League of Historical Societies presented her an award of merit for outstanding contribution to the development of interest in local history. In addition to her own column, Jane has been featured in articles in the Branford Review and was included in a 1995 New York Times article on municipal historians.
As the 350th anniversary year for Branford, 1994 was an especially busy one for Jane. Besides serving on the board of directors, she advised on policy decisions involving historical accuracy, consulted on the Commemorative Album, and worked on the Commemorative Quilt Committee, the Ethnic Cookbook Committee, as well as for the schools, Blackstone Memorial Library, and Living History Weekend. That same year she also served as a resource for a Black History Month celebration at the Intermediate School, and civic and community groups increased their requests for her slide presentations.
Jane Peterson Bouley has two sons, Peter R. and Kevin P. Bouley. Her husband was the late Robert T. Bouley. A side-bar of Jane's historical pursuits is her interest in old Branford photographs and postcards, which she preserves by photographing the originals thereby making a usable copy as well as creating a negative for posterity.
A tribute by a nominator perhaps summarizes Jane's contributions for all of us: "That we know so much about the past and we have the confidence that what we know is accurate and true and that this body of knowledge will continue to grow is due to the efforts of Jane Bouley. She has taught more people about more of our past than is reasonable for one person to do."