Kents Hill School, in Readfield, was established initially as the Maine Wesleyan Seminary in 1824 by Luther Sampson, a native of Duxbury, Massachusetts. He was a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in Readfield in the early 1800s. In 1824 he organized, endowed and incorporated the institution. According to the 1886 Gazetteer of Maine, “In 1852…
in York County, incorporated 1653 as Cape Porpoise. See photos. After early white settlers were driven away by Indian raids, it was reorganized as Arundel in 1718. In 1821 its name was changed to Kennebunk Port. It has long been an attraction for tourists and summer residents. Well-known residents included writers Booth Tarkington and Kenneth L. Roberts.
The name means “the long cut bank” for a land formation near the sea. Shipbuilding and shipping were once staples of the economy, now oriented to tourism and light manufacturing. See photos. The conversion of historic buildings for contemporary use and the historic districts have enhanced Kennebunk’s attraction for visitors and new residents.
Windows on the River: Moosehead to Popham The Kennebec flows from Moosehead Lake through the West Outlet and the East Outlet, both of which empty into Indian Pond. The water passes through the ten miles of Indian Pond to join the Dead River at The Forks, thus forming the main body of this important river.…
Although its population is relatively stable, its character is slowly becoming more of a suburb of Bangor than the rural community of earlier times. See photos. The municipal building houses the post office, the town office, and the fire department. Kenduskeag Stream passes through the town.
Selected works . . . The Ark of Elm Island (1897)Arthur Brown, the Young Captain (1870The Boy Farmers of Elm Island (1869)Brought to the Front, or, The Young Defenders (1876)Burying the Hatchet: or, The Young Brave of the Delawares (1878)Charlie Bell: the Waif of Elm Island (1869)The Child of the Island Glen (1872)The Cruise of…
The first Katahdin, a wooden hulled steam vessel, began plying the waters of Moosehead Lake in 1896. While towing a raft of logs near Sand Bar Island, her steam engines caught fire on May 13, 1913. Work on a replacement began almost immediately. Hull # 63 was built for the Coburn Steamboat Company by Bath…
National Register of Historic Places – Listings Katahdin Iron Works [Northwest of Brownville Junction at Silver Lake] Katahdin Iron Works Township, T6 R9 NWP, is an unorganized township northwest of Brownville and just east of Gulf Hagas and The Hermitage. Red iron oxide from Ore Mountain is believed to have been the source of paint…
village is in Washington County on U.S. Route 1 where it splits to create Route 1A, then both reunite at Machias to the northeast. See photos. Chandler River, which empties into Englishman Bay, runs through the village. The banks of the river show evidence of ruins, possibly a dam. Hannah Westin, and her sister supported the effort to capture the British vessel Margaretta in 1775.
His publications . . . Addresses about South China, 1955 The American Friends in France, 1917-1919, 1943 The Boy Jesus and His Companions, 1922 A Boy’s Religion from Memory, 1904 A Call to What is Vital, 1948 The Church’s Debt to Heretics, 1925 The Double Search : God’s Search For Man And Man’s Search For…
(1859-1930) a Senator from Maine; born in Winslow on February 14, 1859. He attended the common schools and the Waterville Classical Institute, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1879. He was principal of the high school of Machias, 1881-1886, studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1886, and began his practice in Waterville. An…
The Maine Folklife Center collected interviews (recorded on paper and audio and moving image media) from the 1960’s until early in the 21st Century. Founded by University of Maine professor Edward “Sandy” Ives and located at the university, the Center had its support severely limited in recent years. The collection and access to it was…
Selected Works Deephaven (1877) The Country of the Pointed Firs (1896) Old Friends And New (1879) Country By-ways (1881) A Country Doctor (1884) The Mate of the Daylight, and Friends Ashore (1884) A Marsh Island. (c. 1885) A White Heron: and Other Stories (c. 1886) The King of Folly Island, and Other People (1888) Betty…
Abandoned granite quarries and clay banks where bricks were made suggest the early economic activities of the area. See photos. Several fine farm houses and barns have survived to recall the great heritage of the town. See images below from the Library of Congress of the old cattle pound.
Both Jay and Livermore Falls, have been paper mill towns on the River since the 19th century. See photos. Jay’s town line cuts through Livermore Falls village with little obvious effect. The VFW Post is just a few hundred feet north of Livermore Falls. Jay was the scene of an extended and bitter strike of workers against the International Paper Androscoggin mill in 18987-1988. The white granite for President Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb came from North Jay
(1781-1854) a U.S. Representative, was born in Boston on October 19, 1781, attended the common schools, and was graduated from Harvard University in 1800. He moved to Surry and later became sheriff of Hancock County (1821-1829) and was collector of customs for the Penobscot district from 1829 to 1831. Elected as a Jacksonian to the…
is an independent nonprofit genetic research center located in Bar Harbor. Employing over 1,200 people in Maine in 2011, it conducts research on cancer and other diseases. Its research staff of more than 200 includes Ph.D.’s, medical doctors, and doctors of veterinary medicine. The world’s largest mammalian genetic research facility, the Laboratory also serves as…
![Knox Mansion Montpelier [reconstruction] (2001)](https://maineanencyclopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/knoxman2-180x119.jpg "Knox Mansion Montpelier, reconstruction (2001)")
The current Montpelier, built 1929-1931, is a replica of the original. After many years attempting to raise funds for construction, publisher and philanthropist Cyrus H. K. Curtis donated $250,000 to more than match the $50,000 raised by the Knox Memorial Association.The original was designed in part by Knox himself, and to some degree by noted…
Part of the Waldo Patent, it was acquired by General Henry Knox shortly after the American Revolution. He later sold it to Israel Thorndike who developed a large farm, the “Great Farm.” See photos. The adjoining town of Thorndike bears his name. An intact stone wall from a 19th century mill at Hadley Mill Pond recalls the town’s early industries.
Settled in 1783, Industry’s main villages are Allens Mills, at the southern end of Clearwater Pond, and West Mills. The mills produced wood and leather products, tools and flour. See photos. Goodridge Corner school, the “little red schoolhouse,” is the home of the town’s historical society.