Island Falls

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.

Isle au Haut

Location Map of Isle-au-Haut

Samuel de Champlain apparently named it in 1604 from the French for “high island.” About half the island is incorporated into Acadia National Park. Isle au Haut is both a lobstering community and a retreat for seasonal cottage owners. It has also been home to author-fisherman Linda Greenlaw.

Islesboro

Islesboro Ferry Terminal (2014)

is the marker for dividing East Penobscot Bay from West Penobscot Bay. It includes North and South Islesboro connected by a narrow segment of land, See chart and photo. Seven Hundred Acre Island, Job Island. The 129 acres of forested Warren Island hosts a state park with a dock and moorings. Grindel Point Light Station in Gilkey Harbor on Islesboro was established in 1850.

Jackman

James Jackman, was usually called “Captain Jackman.” He was contracted by the State to build the Canada Road from the Forks to the Canadian border. See photos. The village is on the shore of Wood Pond in Attean Township. Attean Pond and Attean Mountain are southwest of the village in an area designated as one of Maine’s “public reserved lands.” The area provides attractive fishing and hunting opportunities, canoe trips on the Moose River, and jobs for workers in the logging industry.

Jackson

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.

Jarvis, Leonard

(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…

Jay

Main Street in Jay near the Mill and Androscoggin River (2013)

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

Jefferson

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.

Jim Pond Township

This Franklin County township contains a section of the Dead River’s North Branch, along with several ponds, the largest of which is Jim Pond. The smaller Greenbush Pond is more accessible, but with a limited fishery. Route 27 follows the River on its journey to Eustis where it merges with the South Branch to create…

Johnson Mountain Township

Hill near the Cold Stream Mountain Road in Johnson Mountain Township (2014)

For travelers driving north from The Forks to Jackman, and maybe Quebec, Johnson Mount Township is probably just another strip of U.S.Route 201 through the woods. However, for the adventurous seeking a mountain to climb, waterfall or a primitive campsite by a stream, the rewards are nearby.  Johnson Mountain is accessible off the (unimproved) Enchanted…

Johnson, Charles Fletcher

(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…

Jonesboro

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.

Jonesport

The town hosts a U.S. Coast Guard station, headquartered at the entrance to the Jonesport-Beals Bridge. See video and photos. The main village, a lobster fishing center, is located on Moosabec Reach and the Indian River. Two nature preserves are in the town, both on islands. A bridge across the Reach leads to the island community of Beals.

Katahdin Iron Works Township

The Iron Works township contains the remaining structures of a once thriving industrial site. That site is now recognized as a historic treasure by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Katahdin Iron Works once included a small village and roads in this remote location. During the height of the Iron Works operation,…

Kavanagh, Edward

Edward Kavanaugh (courtesy Maine State Archives)

  (1795-1844) a U.S. Representative, was born in Newcastle on April 27, 1795. He attended Montreal Seminary, Montreal, Canada, and Georgetown College, Georgetown, D.C., and was graduated from St. Mary’s College, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1813. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and began his practice in Damariscotta. A member of the Maine House…

Kenduskeag

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.

Kennebec County

Map of Maine Counties and Baxter Park

is the fourth largest in population of the sixteen counties, located in central Maine and bisected by the Kennebec River. It was formed on February 20, 1799 from the northern part of Lincoln County.  It lost a large part of its original northern portion when Somerset County was created on June 1, 1809. At least…