was a Jesuit priest killed by the British in an attack on the Native American village in Norridgewock on August 23, 1724. Born January 28, 1657* in France, he attended college then taught Greek at Nimes in Southern France. There he learned of the need for missionaries in Canada to serve the Indian population and…
YEAR RANK MAINE U.S. Status of Children 1=High In Poverty 2000 18 13.7% 16.6% 2007 31 15.4% 18.0% 2010 36 17.8% 21.6% At/Below 200% Poverty 19953 20 38.3% – 20013 25 34.5% 38.1% 2010 34 36.3% 43.2% At/Below 200% Poverty, no Health Insurance 19953 22 7.4% – 20013 3 3.4% 7.9% 2010 15 7.0% 6.6%…
Maine ranks very low in crime and prisoner incarcerations. With respect to crime rates, the Morgan Quitno Press, which produces state-by-state rankings on a variety of subjects, produced rankings of the “safest states” based on a formula that measures how a state compares to the national average for a given set of crime categories. They…
Maine appears to be near the national average in terms of the percent of its populations in various categories that are obese, or overweight and obese, or who have diabetes or hypertension – both linked to being overweight. YEAR RANK MAINE U.S. Obesity Adults 2003 43 19.9% 22.8% 20051 34 22.0% n.a. 20061 33 23.0%2…
YEAR RANK MAINE U.S.1 Federal Aid Federal Aid Per Capita 1988 12 $551 n.a. 2007 11 $1,936 n.a. 2009 9 $2,559 n.a. Local Government Local Taxes Per Capita 1996 15 $1,074 n.a. 2008 22 $1,616 $1,777 Property Taxes, as % of Local Taxes 1991 5 98.6% 75.7% 2008 1 98.7% 72.3% Property Taxes as %…
For half a century, Maine has had a relatively high voter turnout in presidential elections. In every presidential election from 1960 to 2008, Maine’s turnout, based on its voting age population, has exceeded the national average, frequently by 10% or more. In 2012 it was again ranked second (to perennial rival Minnesota by 0.4%) as it was in 2000 and 2008.
Maine, while the largest in New England, is relatively small compared to other states. It abundant lakes, rivers and streams contribute to a high ranking for water resources. Unlike many western state with huge proportions of land owned by the federal government, Maine has a very small amount, most of which is in Acadia National…
YEAR RANK MAINE U.S. Agriculture Land in Farms, Percent 1992 43 15% 43.6% 1997 40 6.7% 42.2% 2002 49 6.9% 41.4% 2007 49 6.8% 40.8% Land in Farms, Acres 2000 43 1,270,000 943,090,000 1992 43 1,258,297 945,531,506 1997 42 1,211,648 931,795,255 2002 40 1,369,768 938,279,056 2007 41 1,347,566 922,095,840 Average Acres per Farm 1990 36…
Maine is a relative small, sparsely settled state when it comes to population. Its people are predominantly white, of European-origin, with relatively few members of minority ethnic or racial groups. The state ranks about 40th in total population, population density, portion of non-whites, households, and metropolitan population. The exception is the rank for American Indians.…
Just south of Rangeley, the plantation’s South Shore Road runs along the south shore of Rangeley Lake and east-west across the northern section of the plantation. Rangeley Lake State Park occupies part of the shore near South Cove. Access to the Bald Mountain Trail is from the park.
The town is at the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region with many hotels, campsites, boat launching facilities and recreational opportunities. See photos. The region was the setting for Louise Dickenson Rich’s 1942 book We Took to the Woods. It hosts Hunter Cove nature preserve and Bald Mountain public reserved land.
A suburb of Augusta, Randolph, tiny in terms of land area, lies on the east bank of the Kennebec River near Gardiner. A pedestrian trail extends from the Kennebec River through Randolph and Chelsea. The trail once linked the river and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, now Togus Veterans Home. That was during the 1800’s by the narrow-gauge (two-foot wide tracks) Kennebec Central Railroad.
Benjamin Randall (1789-1859) a U.S. Representative, was born in Topsham on November 14, 1789, he pursued an academic course, was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1809. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1812 and began his practice in Bath. During the War of 1812 in September 1814, Randall served in the State…
Starting in the latter part of the 19th century, Maine had a unique system of railroads that ran on rails only two feet apart. Eventually five of these railroads…
A Brief History of Railroads Maine Railroad technology was first developed in Great Britain, and included Richard Trevithick’s steam locomotive of 1804 and George Stevenson’s locomotive “Rocket” of 1829. In addition to the standard gauge (width) lines reviewed here, narrow gauge railroads also had a special role to play in the state. The first railroad…
What Should You do if You have been Exposed? If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal, or by a pet or farm animal that has been behaving oddly, follow these steps: 1. Animals must be killed or captured without injuring the brain; brain tissue must be tested. 2. Immediately wash the…
“Quoddy is an example of a project planned by private capital and supported by pressure groups, but which could not be financed without public aid.” So noted Lincoln Smith in his analysis of the long-studied but never funded tidal hydroelectric project in Washington County. Conceived in the early 20th century by Dexter P. Cooper, the…
on the west bank of the Penobscot River, across from Bucksport, the main village is at the junction of Maine Route 174 and U.S. Route 1A, near the South Branch of the Marsh River. Prospect is home to Fort Knox, built in 1844 with Mount Waldo granite from Frankfort and named for Henry Knox, the first U.S. Secretary of War.
was closed in February of 2002 after 178 years of housing inmates. In 1823, construction of the prison was approved by the Legislature. It was opened officially in July, 1824 to serve as a penitentiary where convicts were sentenced to hard labor for life or for any terms of time not less than one year.…
The town surrounds most of Pocomoonshine Lake, the origins of whose fascinating name is unclear. In 1886, the Gazetteer of Maine referred to it as “Shining Lake.” See photos. Along its northern boundary is a chain of lakes, including Long Lake and Lewey Lake, easily accessible from Princeton Village.