Bowdoinham

settled originally as early as 1623, but Indian raids precluded a permanent presence. Reportedly named for Dr. Peter Bowdoin, an early proprietor, it occupies the western shore of Merrymeeting Bay. The Cathance River runs through it and into the Bay. A fast growing community, Bowdoinham has attracted commuters and retirees to its still rural open spaces. See photos.

Lumber Industry

Logging Equipment at a Sawmill in Belgrade (2003)

From earliest European presence, the Maine woods have been a source for masts, boat building, housing, and other structures. Later, the paper industry and recreational hunting, hiking, and camping, broadened its importance. Still later, people saw its role in absorbing greenhouse gasses, providing wildlife habitat wildlife, and protecting water resources.

Geology

Popham Beach

Geology in Maine is heavily influenced by collisions with the Earth’s plates and by the impact of glaciers. BEDROCK GEOLOGY The geologic history recorded in Maine’s bedrock covers close to 1.5 billion years – approximately one-third of the total age of the Earth. Over this period a variety of geologic processes – sedimentation, deformation (folding…

Columbia

Location Map For Columbia

in Washington County, incorporated 1796, is home to the “Great Heath” and the Pleasant River as it winds itself toward Columbia Falls. Natural resources drove the economy: logging, saw mills, fishing, boat building, bean farming and blueberries. See map and photos. U.S. Route 1 cuts the southeast corner of this small but growing community, bucking the trend of population loss in much of Washington County.

Economy

Haying in Western Maine (George French Collection, Maine State Archives)

The Maine economy has passed through stages typical of most states, with an initial focus on extractive activities (fishing, logging, slate and granite quarrying, other mining, and ice harvesting), and moving from subsistence farming to substantial agricultural development (apples, blueberries [see video in Hiram], potatoes, poultry). More Economic Data Ice harvesting, from ponds, streams or…