[pp. 13-17] LIST OF EMPLOYMENTS. Women were found engaged in the following employments. Artists. Art stores. Bazaars. Cigar stores. Crockery stores. Confectionery stores. Dry goods stores. Dry goods and notion stores. Dry goods and carpet stores. Dry and fancy goods stores. Drug stores. Drug and perfumery stores. Fancy goods stores. Fruit stores. Glove stores. Jewelry…
STATISTICS FROM A SURVEY FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR STATISTICS REPORT, 1892 [pp. 150-151] Out of a total of 2,583 there are 115 who cannot read and 124 Who cannot write the English language, or between four and five per cent. They are found in seventeen different industries which are given, together with…
Law Promoting Swedish Immigration [See New Sweden, Stockholm, Westmanland and the Swedish Colony Report.] Chapter 173. An act to promote immigration and to facilitate the settlement of the public lands. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled, as follows: SECT. 1. There shall be a board…
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION – 1870 [This report of the Board is also an introduction to the more extensive Report of the Commissioner of Immigration, 1870. Several similar reports were made in succeeding years. All are available at the Maine State Archives. See also the Swedish Colony Law.] To the Honorable, the Senate…
Beginning Major Eras in Maine History ? Origins 1492 Exploration and Early Settlement 1652 Massachusetts and the Colonial Period 1775 The American Revolution 1790 Developing a Maine Identity 1820 Early Statehood 1850 Growth, Civil War, and Economic Change 1900 Reform and Optimism 1930 Depression and World War 1950 Seeds of Change 1975 Political Change,…
1651-1774 Massachusetts asserts its claim to Maine and takes over in 1652. Royal commissioners set up an independent government in Maine in 166, but Massachusetts regains control in 1668. Many towns in Maine are incorporated during the period, developing a core of local government and for future resistance to Massachusetts. 1651 Massachusetts asserts its claim…
1775-1789 1775 Battle of Lexington and Concord begins the Revolutionary War. Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia. Benedict Arnold and his expedition reach Swan Island in the Kennebec River, move through the state to Quebec. The British ship Margaretta is captured by Maine citizens in Machias. Falmouth (Portland) is burned by British. Incorporation of the…
1790-1819 1790 Portland Head Light lighthouse, located on Shore Road in what is now Cape Elizabeth, is established on order of President George Washington. Population 96,540, first U.S. census. 1791 Incorporation of the towns of Bangor, Camden, and Readfield. 1792 First official election on the question of Maine’s separation from Massachusetts, with low turnout and…
1850-1899 Incorporations of new town across the state was a major theme of this period. Maine’s Hannibal Hamlin was elected Vice-President of the United States with Abraham Lincoln successful presidential campaign. James G. Blaine ran unsuccessfully for president. The Civil War saw 73,000 Maine soldiers serving; with one in ten killed. Joshua Chamberlain of Brewer,…
1900-1929 The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the expansion of pulp and paper mills, including the new Great Northern Paper Company mill in Millinocket. Eastern Maunfacturing in Brewer became Eastern Fine Paper Company. Lakewood summer theater in Madison symbolized the growing summer tourist industry. The economy was strong enough for labor law…
1930-1949 The 1930’s and 1940’s were difficult for most Americans. During the Great Depression, several projects set the stage for recovery in Maine, such as the Wyman Dam on the Kennebec River, the beginnings of Baxter State Park, the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Washington County, and the temporary but productive Civilian Conservation Corp, which…
1950-1974 The third quarter of the twentieth century began to draw Maine closer to national and international events as earlier ways of life were challenged. Salting of cod, a centuries old tradition, ended with refigeration. Indians were given the right to vote. The first television station went on the air and the Democratic Party, long…
1975-2004 During this period Maine state government was reorganized as a divided legislature faced an Independent governor, and the archaic Executive Council was abolished. Democrats outnumbered Republicans among registered voters for the first time; but unenrolled (“independent”) voters soon outnumbered either party. Women substantially increased their numbers in the Maine Legislature. Term limits for legislators…
2005-2020 2015 Portland adopted a single-use shopping bag, and polystyrene bag, ban to encourage reuse and to reduce trash waste. Other municipalities have adopted this approach. 2016 President Barack Obama establishes Katahdin Wood and Waters as a National Monument. 2017 As result of a citizen initiated referendum, possessing and using 2.5 ounces of marijuana is now…
Annual Report of the Superintending School Committee and Superintendent of Schools I herewith submit my second annual report as Superintendent of the Schools of the town of Topsham. This is the twenty-first report since the organization of the Brunswick-Topsham District. It is designed by a report of this kind to bring to the attention of…
Here are sample town warrants, school and health reports from a variety of times and places. Many more are available at the Maine State Library and the Maine State Archives in Augusta. Such documents give an insight into the concerns about, and responses to, the problems faced by local communities. School Report from Topsham Annual…
After its success in achieving independence with the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, the United States hoped to avoid conflict with European countries. However, in 1793 France declared war on Great Britain, both of which then began harassing American shipping along the east coast, including Maine, and in the West Indies. The French…
Before his illustrious career, Daniel Webster was a teacher at Fryeburg Academy in 1802 before pursuing his legal profession. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State, representing the United States, negotiated a new boundary between Maine and what is now Canada with Alexander Baring, Lord Ashburton, “Her Britannic Majesty’s Minister Plenipotentiary on Special Mission.” The treaty, signed…
NOTE 1 [Her Britannic Minister Plenipotentiary on Special Mission to the Secretary of State] WASHINGTON 9th August 1842 SIR, It appears desirable that some explanation between us should be recorded by correspondence respecting the fifth Article of the Treaty signed by us this day for the settlement of Boundaries between Great Britain and the United…
in York County north of Ogunquit, Wells Main Street is a commercial strip, hosting some community facilities, including the Junior High and the Historical Society. See photos. Wells Beach is a destination for locals and tourists alike. In 2004 the town estimated its peak summer population at about 39,000, including seasonal homes, lodging houses, and recreational vehicle parks. That is four times the resident population.