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.

Columbia Falls

Location Map For Columbia Falls

Year Population 1970 367 1980 517 1990 552 2000 599 2010 560 Geographic Data N. Latitude 44:40:23 W. Longitude 67:42:49 Maine House District 138 Maine Senate District 6 Congress District 2 Area sq. mi. (total) 24.7 Area sq. mi. (land) 24.5 Population/sq.mi. (land) 22.9 County: Washington Total=land+water; Land=land only [kol-UM-bee-ah FALLS] is a town in…

Salem Township

                Salem, in Franklin County, was first settled by Benjamin Heath, who cleared land in what was then a portion of Phillips, Maine in 1814. The following year, Heath returned with two other men, who cleared additional lots, and permanently settled with their families in 1816. By 1821…

Woolwich

Woolwich Shore on the Kennebec River from Thorne Head in North Bath (2010)

Woolwich, across the Kennebec River from Bath and with long shores on Merrymeeting Bay, is home to two nature preserves. Settled in the 1600s, it has several historic buildings. Alewives have been a historic part of the community.

Union

Union (see photos) became the subject of Ben Ames Williams’ historical novel Come Spring, which chronicles the early settlement of the town through the lives of the Robbins family, whose home is now that of the Vose Library and the Union Historical Society. Most of the 591-acre Crawford Pond and the 523-acre Seven Tree Pond are shared with Warren to the south.

Surry

Patten Bay near Union River Bay from Route 172 in Surry (2003)

Surry is just southwest of Ellsworth on Maine Route 172 where it crosses Route 176. Once an active fishing, farming and lumbering community, it is now primarily residential with modest tourism and fishing supplementing the local economy. The town’s Newbury Neck extends over six miles from the mainland, a virtual island surrounded by Morgan Bay and Union River Bay.

Stow

Cold River in Stow (2014)

Stow borders New Hampshire, which may be reached by Maine Route 113 north from Fryeburg. It was once the home of the Pequawket Indians, who traveled the Pequawket Trail to Biddeford Pool during the summers to fish and gather shellfish. The Cold River enters the state in Stow and flows south through most of this narrow north-south shaped town.

Searsport

Albert V. Nickels House, now A. V. Nickels Inn, on south side of East Main Street, U.S. Route 1, in Searsport (2015)

The town has two areas with industrial potential on Penobscot Bay. See photos. In addition to substantial resources of the Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport has recreational opportunities at Moose Point State Park on Penobscot Bay, and frontage on Swan Lake inland at the northwest corner of the town.

Sanford

Sanford, with Springvale Village, is the seventh largest town or city in Maine by population according to the 2010 Census, up from a ranking of ninth in 1990. Traditionally an industrial town, primarily with textile mills and shoe making, Sanford has diversified and continues to be a growing community.

Sabattus

Farm across from Waterman

just east of Lewiston, the south end of Sabattus Pond is part of the urban center. The name is that of a Native American chief of the Anasagunticook tribe. Located just east of Lewiston, most of the town’s population appears on a map as an extension of that City, so closely are they located. That portion of the town at the south end of Sabattus Pond is part of the urban center.

Pownal

Location Map for Portland

Bradbury Mountain State Park offers picnicking, a modest walk to the summit, and a historic cattle pound. See video and photos. “Pineland Center ” is a community of non-profits and local businesses. Most of the town is rural residential, with homes and a few farmhouses widely spaced along the local roads. The few commercial establishments are clustered in Pownal Center Village.

Parsonsfield

Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge over the Ossipee River (2014)

Kezar Falls, a village on the Ossipee River named for George Kezar, is the largest in the area at the junction of Maine Routes 25 and 160. The community is split between Parsonsfield and Porter across the river, and is governed and taxed separately by the two towns. An early 20th century sanatorium, Maple Crest, was “located among the beautiful Limerick hills, the wild and picturesque outlines of which may be seen in every direction from the building. The view is in itself enough to stimulate the interest and mental activity so important to the cure of all diseases.

Otisfield

Bridge Over the Crooked River from Otisfield to Harrison (2012)

Just north of the town of Casco on Maine Route 121, it offers substantial frontage on Pleasant and Thompson Lakes. The Crooked River serves as its boundary with Harrison. The Bell Hill Meetinghouse and Bell Hill Schoolhouse are well-preserved National Register historic structures in a rural setting.

Monroe

sign: "Gesner Park, Town of Monroe" (2003)

Several small streams, marshes, and ponds fill the landscape in this still rural community. In 1880, with a population of 1,366, Monroe supported thirteen schoolhouses. See photos. In 2003 the Town office building also housed the library. Monroe is served by Maine Routes 139, between Brooks and Winterport, and 141 from Swanville.

Maxfield

Maxfield is definitely “off the beaten path” in northeastern Penobscot County. No main route passes through it and the town is split by the Piscataquis River with no bridge spanning it within the town. A bridge in nearby Howland crosses the river just before it empties into the Penobscot.

Blaine

Blaine Village on U.S. Route 1 (2016)

named for Maine politician James G. Blaine, it is a “half-township” town, forming a rectangle only half the size of the typical 6-mile by 6-mile square township. In the heart of potato country, between Bridgewater and Mars Hill on Route 1, the town’s eastern boundary is shared with Canada.

Limington

The Campus of Limington Historical Society (2014)

Limington Academy, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was incorporated in 1848. See video and photos. After 200 years, the old Town Hall was replaced by a modern Municipal Complex. Primary education now takes place in the Emery Memorial School, a major change from the old Longfellow School. Nevertheless, the main village retains its historic character thanks to the local efforts to establish its Historic District.

Lee

Historic 1889 Mallett Hall in Lee Village, built as a hotel by James Mallett (2014)

in Penobscot County, incorporated in 1832, is home to Lee Academy. Victorian style Mallett Hall, also known as the Mount Jefferson House, has been a fixture in the town since 1889. village center lies at the intersection of Route 6 and the short Route 168 from Winn.