23,000 BCE – 1121 -23,000 The most recent glacial episode in Maine began about 25,000 years ago, when the Laurentide ice sheet overspread New England. -19,000 Climatic warming forced the Laurentide ice sheet to start receding. -11,800 Ice sheet recedes from the continental shelf east of Long Island and reaches the present position of the…
1492-1650 European explorers cruise the Maine coast in search of opportunities for their patrons, especially in the rich fisheries of the Gulf of Maine. Missionaries and settlers follow, bringing diseases that devastate Native American populations. 1492 Christopher Columbus “discovers” America. 1497 John and Sebastian Cabot sail from England to North America and return to England…
1820-1849 After a brief stint in Portland, in 1827 the permanent State Capital was designated to be Augusta; in 1832 the state government moved into the new, small State House. Expansions and improvements continued for decades. Maine’s northern boundary with Canada was in dispute, fostered the “Aroostook War,” and finally was settled by the Webster-Ashburtion…
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…