Published: May 30, 2009 10:42 pm      

Kooken to present talk on Westernport history

WESTERNPORT — The Westernport branch of the Allegany Public Library will sponsor a presentation called “The Founding Fathers of Westernport” on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Organized in conjunction with the Westernport Heritage Society, the talk will be given by historical researcher Thomas Kooken.

Kooken’s talk will begin with the development of the town in 1795, and the people who settled it. Since he has given a previous talk on Peter Devecmon, the area’s first landowner, Kooken will spend time discussing other landowners from 1795 to 1840.

Oral tradition about Westernport’s history will be supplemented with known facts based on Kooken’s research. He worked more than five years studying about his hometown following an exhaustive search for information about the Kooken family genealogy. “It is a natural jump from family history into that of the community particularly since my family has lived here for over 140 years,” Kooken said.

Known as a public speaker and humorist, Kooken graduated from Bruce High School where he served as president of the class of 1961. He went to Potomac State College, Keyser, and then on to the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in chemical engineering.

In his professional career, Kooken worked in plant design and management. He spent 10 years in Wyoming managing a manufacturing plant for the Arm and Hammer product line, but moved back to the East in 1980. He continued his career in operations management, settling in the north Boston suburbs. Prior to retirement in 2002, he was vice president of operations for a Japanese-U.S. joint venture overseeing international operations.

Since retirement, Kooken volunteers with the Elder Services of Merrimack Valley as a computer instructor and money manager. He also spends time as a mediator in alternate conflict resolution with the North Essex Mediators. He lives with his wife, Jean, in North Andover, Mass. He is the son of Virginia and the late Brown Kooken of Johnson Street.