Early Academies in Maine From the late 1700s through the 1800s, several academies were formed to serve the needs of some Maine communities. Some were founded on religious grounds and some offered boarding programs. For example: Newcastle’s Lincoln Academy was chartered in 1801 by the General Court of Massachusetts ‘for the purpose of promoting Piety, Religion…
This township in Oxford County is the site of Upper Richardson Maine Public Reserved Land and miles of lake shore on Cupsuptic and Mooselookmeguntic lakes. Route 16 cuts a diagonal northeast-southwest swath through the township. West Richardson Pond is…
The Waterway was established in 1966 to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural beauty, character, and habitat of this unique area. It is a 92-mile-long ribbon of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams winding through the heart of northern Maine’s vast commercial forests. For more than a century “The Allagash” has been praised and enjoyed as a…
Also known as T2 R5 WBKP, this township is predominantly Penobscot Indian Territory, distributed as the result of the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement. The North Branch of the Dead River flows through its northeast corner, beginning at Sarampus Falls. The turbines of the Kibby Mountain Wind Project are visible, from the falls, in the…
The first amendment to the Maine Constitution was initiated fourteen years after statehood. The next few decades produced amendments adjusting the structure and rules of the new state. As the 200th anniversary approached in the year 2020, 172 amendments had been approved. To understand the changes, one must refer to the articles of the constitution…
Etienne Orson was a settler in the area around 1793. McCauley reports that the name came from a mispronunciation of Etienne. In the township-range system it is T6 R7 NBKP. The U.S. Census reported a single resident in 1870, five in 1900, fifteen in 1910, eighteen in 1920, and fifteen in 1930, the last report…
Maine State Cultural Building in Augusta with the State’s Archives, Museum and Library near the State House (2004) The Maine State Archives, located in Augusta, is the custodian of the permanently valuable records of state government, including early court records and vital records (births, deaths, marriages, etc.). According to its website, “The permanently valuable records…
According to the Oxford English Reference Dictionary “magic” may mean “an inexplicable or remarkable influence producing surprising results.” For hikers of the Appalachian Trail it means relief from the weary, but rewarding, trek for many miles for many days. Sometimes it comes in the form of drinks planted in a cold stream on the trail.…
Relics of farmhouses hint at the glory days of Maine’s agricultural tradition. In remote villages, scenes of abandoned homes, churches, and vehicles mark changes in communities as populations ebb. The landscape is littered with these ghosts of Maine’s past, recalling a lost civilization but evoking questions of their secrets. …
The town of Aurora is home to two geologic features created by ancient glaciers. Silsby Plain This feature is an example of geologic deltas, which are formed where streams produced by melting ice enter a body of water. The Silsby Plain was a delta deposited into a narrow marine inlet when the sea was at…
This sea bird with a colorful bill lives year round near the coast of Washington and eastern Hancock counties. The largest concentration of puffins is at Machias Seal Island, off shore from Cutler in Washington County. The island is claimed by Canada. At twelve inches tall, the birds seem tiny in the water among the…
In 2006 Maine had 50 airports, 36 publicly owned. Of the publicly owned, only 6 were served by regularly scheduled passenger service. The other 30 serve the general aviation community which flies smaller, unscheduled aircraft. There are some others reserved for private use only. According to an economic impact study by the Alliance for Aviation…
Alewife landings crashed in 1981 and have yet to recover to any of the 1950-1980 levels. While both the catch and value were depressed through 2000, more recent years have shown a rise in total value and price per pound. Latest data are preliminary. YEAR POUNDS POUNDS (millions) VALUE PRICE/LB 1950 3,165,600 3.1656 $28,294 $0.01…
(1953- ) was a U.S. Representative, born in North Easton, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, March 27, 1953; graduated from North Easton High School. He received a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Bowdoin College in 1976. Executive director of Maine Association of Handicapped Persons, Andrews was a member, Maine House of Representatives (1983-1985) and member of…
Amphibians, part of Maine’s wildlife population, are cold-blooded vertebrate (having a backbone) animals usually living on land but breeding in water, where their offspring change into adults. Salamanders An example of a Maine amphibian is the Spotted Salamander. It breeds in vernal pools (pools that have water in the spring but dry up later in…
Collisions with moose and deer are all too common in Maine. The state Department of Transportation posts signs where crossings have been reported and prepares maps describing the frequency and locations of collisions.
2018 Acton Aug 23-26 Augusta Athens Aug 7-9 Bangor State Fair July 27-Aug 5 Blue Hill Aug 30 – Sept 3 Clinton Maine Farm Days Aug 22-23; Lions Fair Sept 6-9 Common Ground (Unity) Sept 21-23 Cumberland Sept 23-29 Farmington Sept 16-22 Fryeburg Sept 30 – Oct 7 Harmony Free Fair Aug 31 – Sept 3 Houlton June 30-July…
in Franklin County, named for the river in England and incorporated in 1802. Settled after the American Revolution, by 1886 Avon had two saw mills and eleven public schools, supported by an 1880 census population of 571. The 3,000-foot Mount Blue is located in the southwest corner of the town in Mount Blue State Park.
is north of Ellsworth on Route 9 – “The Airline.” Silsby Plain is a sandy remnant of glaciers and a favorable site for blueberries. Another glacial feature, The Whalesback, is located east of the village, which is on the Old Airline Road.
home to two U.S. Senators: William D. Hathaway and Olympia J. Snowe; 5th largest city by population; Androscoggin County seat; 20+ National Historic Register places. It also hosts Central Maine Community College.