Bar Mills
Bar Mills is a community on the Saco River in York County centered on the intersection of Maine routes 112 and 4A, otherwise known as Emory Corner. The Grange Hall has been restored and enhanced as a cultural center and theater with…
Baring
As was the town of Alexander, it too was named for Alexander Baring, the British envoy who, with Daniel Webster, settled Maine’s northern boundary with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty ending the “Aroostook War.” The town hosts the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. See photos.
Barnard Township
This is a small, irregular boot-shaped township north of Sebec in Piscataquis County. Barnard Corner is a modest village in the southeast. The only improved road is a north-south stretch of about four miles with three names: Sebec Village Road (south), Barnard Road (middle) and Austin Road (north). The landscape contains no lakes, ponds, or mountains.…
Barrows, Lewis O.
(1893-1967) born in Newport on June 7, 1893, attended local schools and the University of Maine. He returned home to work in his father’s drug store, in the insurance business, and then as Newport’s Town Treasurer for twelve years. A conservative Republican, Barrows was a member of the Republican State Committee and a member…
Batchelders Grant Township
This township in Oxford County was named for the original grantee, Josiah
Batchelder. It borders New Hampshire in the White Mountain National Forest.
Maine Route 113 runs north-south through the township. Portions of the road, also known as the Evans Notch Road, are closed during the winter. Access is then from Gilead in the north or from Stow in the south.
Evans Notch, in the southern portion of the township, is a deep cut among the White Mountains. It is a popular hiking location using the East Royce Mountain Trail to that mountain from two points on Route 113.
Bates, James
James Bates (1789-1882) a U.S. Representative, was born in Greene on September 24, 1789. He attended the common schools; studied medicine at Harvard Medical University. Bates served as a surgeon during the War of 1812 and was present at the surrender of Fort Erie. He was in charge of the general military hospital near Buffalo,…
Bath
The city’s Customs House was an important center for revenue and recording the history of shipping in the area. The nearby elegant City Hall dominates the downtown. Home to Bath Iron Works on the Kennebec River, the city has had a long history of shipbuilding, including nine clipper ships during the 1850’s.
Bath Iron Works
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath since 1743 when Jonathan Philbrick launched a schooner with the help of his two sons. Smaller fishing and sailing craft had been built for years, but a new industry was now emerging. In 1762 the Earl of Bute, the first full-rigged ship…
Baxter, Percival P.
(1876-1969) was Maine governor from 1921 to 1925, and donated the land for Baxter State Park beginning in 1931. Born on November 22, 1876, he was the son of James Phinney Baxter and Mehitable Proctor Cummings Baxter. He attended schools in Portland and England (while his father researched New England historical documents). He graduated from…
Beals Island
is a town in Washington County, located primarily on Beals and Great Wass Islands, along with more than a dozen others. The Great Wass Archipelago nature preserve, in Beals and Jonesport, is managed by The Nature Conservancy.
Beaver Cove
named for the cove in the southeastern corner of Moosehead Lake that cuts into it, is north of Greenville on the Lily Bay Road. Lily Bay State Park is nearby. It is an access point for Elephant Mountain and the site of a B-52 bomber crash in 1963. See photos.
Beddington
Part of the Bingham Purchase, it was named after a borough near London, England. Fully 10 percent of the area is water, primarily in the form several lakes. Blueberries have been a staple crop for much of the town’s history.
Beedy, Carroll
(1880-1947) a U.S. Representative was born in Phillips on August 3, 1880. He attended the public schools of Lewiston, was graduated from Bates College in 1903, and from the law department of Yale University in 1906. Carroll Lynwood Beedy was admitted to the bar in 1907 and began his practice in Portland. He served…
Belcher, Hiram
(1790-1857) a U.S. Representative, was born in Hallowell on February 23, 1790, he attended the rural schools and the local academy at Hallowell from 1805 to 1807. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began his practice in Farmington in 1812. In Farmington, he served as Town Clerk from 1814 to 1819. Belcher…
Belfast
its historic district features a variety of architectural styles, primarily from the booming 19th century economy. Located on Penobscot Bay, its shipping and shipbuilding brought a population explosion between 1810 and 1850. In the mid-20th century, Belfast was home to the chicken broiler industry. It has transformed into a tourist destination, touting its historic structures. See video and photos.
Belgrade
Named for Belgrade, Serbia, it is a center for the Belgrade Lakes Region that attracts summer visitors to enjoy fishing, boating and lakeside cottages. Great Pond dominates the town. Belgrade Lakes village at the north end of the pond stands between Great Pond on the east and Long Pond on the west. Belgrade’s population has showed continuous growth for the past several decades, slowly changing from a rural resort community to a residential suburb of Waterville and Augusta. See photos.
Belgrade Town Warrant 2002
STATE OF MAINE Kennebec, S.S. To James L. Minot, a Constable in the Town of Belgrade, in the said County and State: Greetings: In the name of the State, you are hereby required to notify and warn inhabitants of the Town of Belgrade, qualified to vote in Town affairs, to assemble at the Belgrade Community…
Belmont
is a town in Waldo County, incorporated in 1814. As is the case in many mid-coast communities, Belmont has a small but rapidly growing population, expanding by over 25% between 1990 and 2000, and again between 2000 and 2010.
Benedicta Township
Benedicta is located in southern Aroostook County. It was established as a plantation on February 1, 1873 with a population of about 400. Just over one-hundred years later, in 1987, it surrendered its plantation status and became an unorganized township administered by the State. By 1970 it had reached a historic low of…
Benson, Samuel Page
(1804-1876) a U.S. Representative, was born in Winthrop on November 28, 1804. He received instruction from private teachers and attended the Monmouth Academy, was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825. Benson studied law, was admitted to the Kennebec County bar in 1828, and began his practice in Unity. He returned to Winthrop and practiced…