(1565 1647) along with Captain John Mason, was granted ownership of land, to be called The Province of Maine, in 1622 by the Great Council of New England. Earlier, he had taken care of three Indians who had been kidnapped by George Waymouth (Weymouth) in 1605, returning them to America in 1607. In 1629, Mason…
Great Diamond, home to Fort McKinley, is just northeast of its neighbor Little Diamond Island, linked only by a sandbar at low tide. The island has a limited network of roads, used primarily by golf carts and bicycles. Access is by about a half hour ferry ride from Portland Harbor, with two landing sites. Landing site…
This citizen volunteer program was intended to fill a gap in the country’s air defenses. Begun during World War II, it ended its mission on January 31, 1959. In the mid-1950s, 350,000 volunteers from 16,010 observations posts reported to forty-nine “filter centers” across the country. In a letter to the New York Times dated January…
Governor Hannibal Hamlin, 1857 Gentlemen of the senate and house of representatives: You have assembled to discharge the legislative duties devolved upon you by the people of the state. It becomes my duty, under the provisions of the constitution, to communicate to you such information as I may possess, upon the condition of the state,…
Historically a collection of small villages, some on islands, the closest to a town center is the town office and the recycling center on the Mountain Road. See photos. Its population doubles in summer as seasonal residents return. Several easy hiking trails and nature preserves are at hand. A historic park is at Harpswell Center.
The Commission is responsible for the identification, evaluation, and protection of Maine’s significant cultural resources as directed by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. It is located at 55 Capitol Street in Augusta. It consists of eleven members as follows: The Commissioner of Transportation or representative, the Commissioner of Conservation or representative and 9…
HISTORY OF The COURT SYSTEM OF THE STATE OF MAINE [1636-1961] David Q. Whittier, Esq. for the Maine State Archives, 1971* This is the long version, verbatim except for footnotes. A condensed version is also available. Maine court history can effectively be broken down into four distinct periods that may be designated as Early Colonial,…
David Q. Whittier, Esq. for the Maine State Archives, 1971* Maine court history can be divided into four distinct periods: Early Colonial, 1620-1677; Provincial, 1677-1780; District, 1780-1820; State, 1820-present. EARLY COLONIAL PERIOD The first court constituted by legal authority in what is now Maine sat in Saco, March 21, 1636. The court was composed of…
This township (T4 R6 BKP WKR) in Somerset County contains most of Spencer Lake, along with the 2400-foot Spencer Mountain west of the Lake, and the 2300-foot Hardscrabble Mountain east of the Lake. With no village settlement, it is primarily an area of woods and woods roads. In the early 20th century, Spencer Lake Camps…
were pursued in 1977, when the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet Indians sued the State of Maine claiming that all treaties granting land to Maine were null and void because they were never ratified by Congress. According to William Cronin, The Massachusetts Court made its ownership theories quite clear when it declared that “what landes any of…
Grant of the Province of Maine CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. to all to whom these presents shall come Greeting Know yee that wee for divers good causes and consideracons us thereunto moving have of our especiall Grace certaine knowledge…
Grant of the Province of Maine CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting Know yee that wee for divers good causes and consideracons have of our especiall grace certaine knowledge and meer motion given…
January 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1785 Falmouth Gazette, first Maine newspaper, begins publication 1802 Daniel Webster begins teaching at Fryeburg Academy for a nine month…
January 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1791 Portland Head Light is put in service. 1823 Incorporation of the Town of North Salem, now Salem Township in…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1777 Incorporation of the Town of Fryeburg. 1929 Shipwreck of the three masted schooner Wawenock on Brimstone Ledge with a load…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1797 Birth date in Hallowell of U.S. Senator (1841-1847) George Evans, Speaker of the Maine House and member of the U.S.…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1629 Pilgrims get land patent along the Kennebec to protect their trade with the Indians. 1777 Massachusetts slaves petition legislature for…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1789 Incorporation of the Town of Sedgwick. 1943 Earthquake centered near Dover-Foxcroft reported felt over 50,000 square miles, including all or…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1877 Ether Shepley, delegate to the Maine constitutional convention in 1819, United States attorney for the district of Maine, U.S. Senator, Chief Justice…
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1924 Birth date of Jean Gannett Hawley, one of Maine’s most influential media figures. As publisher and chair of the board…