Roosevelts in Maine

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President Roosevelt coming out of the home of former Secretary of State Blaine, Augusta (1902)

This famous family had close ties with Maine from “Teddy” to “FDR.” Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Jr. As early as 1878, Teddy Roosevelt began his long relationship with Maine and his personal guide, William Wingate “Bill” Sewall of Island Falls in Aroostook County.  They spent a substantial amount of time exploring what is now Katahdin Woods…

Mattawamkeag

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Upper Gordon Falls on the Mattawamkeag River (2016) [See video]

The Mattawamkeag River, on which the town is located, is the largest eastern tributary of the Penobscot. See photos. The junction of the two rivers is marked by a gravel bar at the entrance to the Mattawamkeag. Thoreau, on his way to climbing Mount Katahdin, visited the area in 1847. Today, a 1,000 acre Wilderness Park is situated between the two rivers with campsites, fishing, swimming and hiking available.

Island Falls

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William Sewall became a wildlife guide and companion to Theodore Roosevelt in the 1870′s. The town has frontage on almost half of Pleasant Lake. See photos. The nearby Walker Settlement hosts a golf course and residential development near the lake. Several large homes recall the heady days when potato was king in the County. One of those was that of Governor Carl E. Milliken. Island Falls has had industry in the form of lumber mills, grist mills and a starch factory.