Mary Pelagie (1775-1867) an early 19th century Native American Penobscot woman, strove to live an autonomous life in an era in which there were numerous hindrances and hardships associated with womanhood. Existing in the late 18th to early 19th century was difficult for a woman in Maine and it was certainly a struggle surviving the…
George J. Mitchell (1933- ) was born on August 20, 1933 in Waterville, where he spent his youth. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1954, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps until 1956. In 1960 he earned a law degree from Georgetown University. After serving as…
Maine state legislator and attorney, has made history in the state legislature three times. In 1980 she was elected the first woman House Majority Leader; in 1996, the first woman Speaker of the House; and in 2006 Senate Majority Leader, only the third woman to serve in that position, preceded by Nancy Randall Clark in…
Minot a growing community in recent decades, has become a residential commuter area for nearby Lewiston-Auburn with its location just west of Auburn. West Minot village is tucked away at the northwest edge of the community at the junction of Maine routes 119 and 124, adjacent to Hebron. The village once had an active railroad station and a grist mill. The old grange hall, community church, and railroad station keep the flavor of earlier times.
Mining has been significant part of the Maine economy at different times in different places, thanks to its geologic composition. Granite, slate, and gem extraction have been important local industries at certain points in the state’s history. The Mt. Mica mine in Paris, Maine was the site in 1820 where amateur naturalists Elijah Hamlin and…
![House and Barn in Milo on Route 11 [Park Street] (2014)](https://maineanencyclopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/140426087-Copy-2-1.jpg)
Milo village lies just north of the junction of the Sebec and Piscataquis Rivers. The Pleasant River flows south through the town from Brownville to join the Piscataquis. Derby, on the east side of the Sebec River, is a service area for the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad.
Lleweiillyn Seth Milliken (1831-1897) a U.S. Representative, was born in Montville on December 12, 1831. He attended the common schools and Waterville College [now Colby College]; was graduated from Union College, Schenectady, New York, in 1856. A member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1857 and 1858, he later moved to Belfast. He was…
(1892-1950) was born in Rockland on February 22, 1892 and moved to Camden with her family when she was twelve, graduated from Camden High School, then from Vassar College. Her mother, divorced, had little money for her three daughters, but encouraged reading and music in them. With no prospects of affording college, Edna read her…
The Bodwell Water Power Company Plant is a historic structure and landmark on the banks of the Penobscot River. The Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge combines bog, marsh, floodplain forest and the state’s second largest peatland. The town, across the river from Old Town, is a moderately growing residential area near the greater Bangor area and the University of Maine in Orono.
Highway Mileage Between Selected Points Here are highway mileage measurements between selected points in Maine:
The town lies at the mouth of the Narraguagus River where it empties into the Bay of the same name. U.S. Route 1 splits here with Route 1A. The town lies at the mouth of the Narraguagus River where it empties into the Bay of the same name. Blueberries and the Wyman Company in particular are important elements of the local economy. Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge is here.
The town, across the Swift River and the Androscoggin River from Rumford, is home to many workers in the Rumford paper mill. See photos. In the 1960’s, the mill employed over 3,000 people; by 2009 it employed less than 600. The crash in this and other manufacturing has contributed to the sharp population decline Mexico has experienced since 1970.
At one time or another, almost everyone in Maine has glimpsed a swift little streak of light dashing across the night sky. These are meteors, commonly called falling or shooting stars. Because they arrive at very high speeds – anywhere from 7 to 46 miles per second – they vaporize by air friction in a…
Fifteen communities had populations of over 15,000 in the year 2010, two more than in 2000. While ranks of the first five were little changed, Scarborough surged ahead while Waterville fell behind. Windham and Gorham were new to the list in 2010. Among the fifteen, the fastest growing communities from 2000 to 2010 were suburbs…
Merrymeeting Bay is a broad expanse of water at the confluence of the Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers, and four smaller rivers: the Eastern (from Dresden), the Abagadasset, the Cathance (both from Bowdoinham), and the Muddy (from Topsham). In the mid-twentieth century, the Androscoggin, which empties into Merrymeeting Bay, was the most polluted river in the…
The town is served by Maine Route 212 just west of Smyrna. The village of Smyrna Mills straddles the adjoining boundaries of the two towns. See photos. The Merrill Millstream Park was created from land, acquired in 1997, between the East Branch of the Mattawamkeag River and Route 212.
With forty-one residents in 1800, Mercer exploded to a population of 1,432 (its peak) by 1840. Soon thereafter, Maine’s first starch factory was established. The library and the Grange are two surviving organizations formed in the late 19th century as the population continued to decline. See photos. The town lies on U.S. Route 2 just west of Norridgewock with frontage on North Pond at its southeast corner.
Memorials to people, groups, and events are located near the State House in Augusta. One of the more striking images is the one dedicated to those who served in the Vietnam War, located in Capitol Park, across from the State House, the metal sculpture casts an image of three soldiers that moves with the transit…
The area was also known as Nicatou, or “the forks,” since it marks the joining of the East and West branches of the Penobscot River. Medway is midway between Bangor and the northern line of Penobscot County, hence the modern name. Once home to Congressman Michael Michaud, it is a gateway to Baxter State Park.
Medford Center village is the site of the very modest town office, the park with the veterans memorial, and a small church. See photos. Cold Stream, which runs through the village, provided power for a grist mill in the nineteenth century.