An early transportation facility in Maine was the canal. The need for public support for canals was recognized in 1820 by the state’s first governor William King’s inaugural address. In 1834 the Board of Internal Improvements was authorized by the Maine Legislature. The Board’s responsibility was to “explore and examine the great water courses of…
After declining in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the landings of cusk by commercial fishermen rebounded, reaching a peak in 1985. After another short decline, another peak appeared in 1993, followed by declining landings ever since. As the landings declined, the price per pound has increases, reaching more that $1.00 for the first time in 2008.…
While softshell clam landings by commercial fishermen are down from their peaks in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the total value and price per pound have increased dramatically. Some of the limits on clam harvests are a result of periodic closures of clam flats by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Public health and water…
Included here are the folowing species: Cancer, Jonah, Rock, Spider, and others unspecified. Since 1950 harvests in the range of one to three million pounds were the norm until a brief boom (2001-2007) changed things. But recently the old range has returned, but will it last? YEAR POUNDS POUNDS (millions) VALUE PRICE/LB 1950 1,434,400 1.4…
The amount and value of cod landngs by commercial fishermen spiked in 1991 to over 21 million pounds and over $16 million in total value. Since then landings have dropped as sharply as they had increased in 1989 and 1990. YEAR LIVE POUNDS POUNDS (millions) VALUE PRICE/LB 1950 6,613,000 6.6 $304,150 $0.05 1951 5,292,800 5.3…
Carrabasset village in the town of Carrabasset Valley is located along the river of the same name. The village is east of Sugarloaf Mountain, about eight miles by road. It is served by Maine combined Routes 16/27 from Farmington (27) and Anson (16) and by a regional airport. Carrabasset Valley Academy is a private school,…
Memorials to people, groups, and events are located near the State House in Augusta. One of the more striking images is the one dedicated to those who served in the Vietnam War, located in Capitol Park, across from the State House, the metal sculpture casts an image of three soldiers that moves with the transit…
For county Quick Facts, use the menu bar above, clicking on “Government,” then “Counties.” See also population. People QuickFacts Maine USA Population, 2010 1,328,361 308,745,538 Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 4.2% 9.7% Population, 2000 1,274,923 281,421,906 Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010 5.2% 6.5% Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010 20.7% 24.0% Persons 65…
Minnie D. Davenport was born in Phillips on November 4, 1883, the daughter of Marshall and Aura (Prescott) Davenport. Following high school graduation in Phillips, Minnie attended Farmington State Normal School and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She married Edward O. Craig in July, 1908. Edward, a native of Maine, was president…
Since the 1870’s, the date for “ice out” on Moosehead Lake has been occurring earlier in the year on average. Similar trends have been documented on other Maine lakes, including Richardson Lake. The warming climate has advanced the typical date from over the 136th day of the year (about May 16th) to the 125th day…
Historical Changes in Lake Ice-Out Dates as Indicators of Climate Change in New England, 1850-2000U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS 2005-3002 January 2005. Changes in water resources over time may affect public and private water supplies and the health of aquatic ecosystems. The U.S. Geological Survey is studying the relation…
Colby is a liberal arts institution, known in its early days as Waterville College, located in Waterville on its 714-acre campus. Founded in 1813, Colby is one of the nation’s oldest independent colleges. A residential four-year college, more than two thirds of Colby’s undergraduates study abroad during their college career, and international representation in the…
a plantation in Aroostook County, settled in 1824, was formally organized in 1870. Just south of Van Buren on U.S. Route 1, it is a community of open spaces and few people. Agriculture is still a significant staple of its economy.
Marguerite-Blanch Thibodeau Cyr (1738-1810), a healer, midwife, and pioneer, was part of the migration from the French settlements of Acadia to Madawaska Territory on the south side of the St. John River Valley in the State of Maine. She was born in Beaubassin (now Amherst, Nova Scotia), during the era when France and England were…
in Washington County, incorporated 1826, is east of East Machias and boasts a large, protected harbor known as Little Machias Bay. A U.S. Navy communication base is on the Bay. Cutler Coast Public Preserved Land, in Cutler and Whiting, has almost five miles of dramatic cliff-bound ocean shore.
in Knox County, incorporated in 1789, is just south of Thomaston and lies on the western shore of the St. George River. It is famous as the home of Anna “Christina” Olson, Andrew Wyeth’s subject in his now classic “Christina’s World.” The weather beaten house overlooks the Georges River and the family cemetery.
in Cumberland County, incorporated 1822, includes two islands in Casco Bay: Sturdivant and Basket. Basket Island, is a nature preserve of .9 acres of mixed forest and shell and gravel beaches. The town, a suburb of Portland, grew by almost 23 percent between 1990 and 2000, and continues its population growth. See photos.
Cultural resources in Maine range from the many community institutions to larger institutions with statewide or broader significance. This page contains a brief summary. (last checked in 2017; try an online search if necessary.) Acton Shapleigh HS Albany Township History Allagash HS Alexander – Crawford HS Andover HS Androscoggin HS Anson HS Bangor HS and…
The 1761 Pownalborough Courthouse was the first built in Maine and the only one built prior to the Revolution. It was part of the Massachusetts court system, from which Maine separated in 1820. For details of early court history in Maine, see the article History of the Court System of the State of Maine: 1636-1961.…
in Aroostook County, organized as a plantation 1878 and incorporated 1901. Its Thousand Acre Bog is considered one of Maine’s “Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance.” See map. A pedestrian trail from Patten to Sherman winds through the bog.