Named for Governor John Brooks of Massachusetts, the town in Waldo County incorporated in 1816. Marsh Stream or Marsh River as it is also known, runs through the main village. A dam near an old mill site broadens the stream into a pleasant pond. See photos.
Pemaquid Neck hosts the village of New Harbor, along with Pemaquid Beach and Pemaquid Light. The area, visited by Europeans by 1569, is said to be the home of the Indian Samoset, who greeted the Pilgrims in 1621 in English. New Harbor is a departure point for Monhegan Island. See video and photos.
in Cumberland County, incorporated in 1794. The village faces Highland (or Duck) Lake, inviting summer boating and camping. Shawnee Peak is a popular local skiing destination.
Germans emigrated here in the mid-18th century misled into believing they would find a prosperous city in the wilderness. It has three nature preserves. Located on state Route 32 at the confluence of the Medomak River and Muscongus Bay, the main settlement is on Keene Neck. See photos.
is a liberal arts institution located in Brunswick. In June 1794 Massachusetts Governor Samuel Adams signed an act to establish Bowdoin College promoted by James Bowdoin III, who gave financial support to its formation and named it in honor of his father, James Bowdoin II. Massachusetts Hall, Bowdoin’s first building was constructed, with delays, between…
Settled before the Revolutionary War, it is named for James Bowdoin II, a governor of Massachusetts. Typical of early towns, Bowdoin had 15 school houses in 1870; by 2010 it, one elementary school. More than tripled in population since 1970,the still rural town is becoming a commuter community with easy access to Interstate 95. See photos and video.
Charles Addison Boutelle (1839-1901), a U.S. Representative, was born in Damariscotta on February 9, 1839. He attended the public schools at Brunswick and the Yarmouth. Boutelle adopted the profession of shipmaster. In the spring of 1862 he volunteered and was appointed acting master in the United States Navy. He served in the North and South…
Early settlers from Biddeford in England may have given the area its name. Biddeford was destroyed during Queen Anne’s War, but was resettled beginning in 1714. Lumbering was the major industry until the early 19th century; textiles dominated for 100 years from mid-century. First Irish, then French Canadians came to work in the mills. See photos.
one of the oldest villages in western Maine, incorporated in 1796 from Sudbury Canada Plantation. Its name signifies the “House of God,” possibly inspired by its location among the Oxford Hills. The Middle Intervale Meetinghouse was built in 1816. West Bethel village is along a canoe trip route on the Androscoggin River. See photos.
a town in York County on the New Hampshire border, incorporated in 1713, named for an old English town in Dorsetshire. Settlements were made as early as 1624. In the mid-1600’s substantial lumbering began and a sawmill was built. In 1660 a group of Friends or “Quakers” sought refuge from persecution and settled here.
a town in Kennebec County, was incorporated as Sebasticook in 1842. Its name was changed to Benton in 1850 in honor of Missouri Democratic U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Benton Station is a location near the Maine Central Railroad tracks and the Kennebec River. The Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge manages a refuge in Benton. See photos.
its historic district features a variety of architectural styles, primarily from the booming 19th century economy. Located on Penobscot Bay, its shipping and shipbuilding brought a population explosion between 1810 and 1850. In the mid-20th century, Belfast was home to the chicken broiler industry. It has transformed into a tourist destination, touting its historic structures. See video and photos.
Part of the Bingham Purchase, it was named after a borough near London, England. Fully 10 percent of the area is water, primarily in the form several lakes. Blueberries have been a staple crop for much of the town’s history.
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath since 1743 when Jonathan Philbrick launched a schooner with the help of his two sons. Smaller fishing and sailing craft had been built for years, but a new industry was now emerging. In 1762 the Earl of Bute, the first full-rigged ship…
The city’s Customs House was an important center for revenue and recording the history of shipping in the area. The nearby elegant City Hall dominates the downtown. Home to Bath Iron Works on the Kennebec River, the city has had a long history of shipbuilding, including nine clipper ships during the 1850’s.
During a period when anti-communism almost became a national hysteria, a number of politicians used the opportunity to attempt to limit civil liberties and to intimidate their political opponents. When very few others would challenge this anti-democratic behavior, U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith delivered a speech on the Senate floor denouncing such tactics. This is…
OXFORD, 55. STATE OF MAINE To J. L. Mason, a constable in the Town of Porter, in said county, Greeting: In the name of the State of Maine, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town of Porter, qualified by law to vote in town affairs, to assemble at the…
The population of Maine is measured every ten years by the U.S. Census Bureau, and is estimated annually by the Department of Human Services. The graph at right illustrates the increases since 1742 and the declining portion of the U.S. population beginning early in the 19th century. (The U.S. Census began in 1790.) The decline…
PREAMBLE We, the members of the Maine Democratic Party in Convention assembled this fourteenth day of May, 1966, do hereby adopt our 1966 platform. We do so with thanks for those who have made it possible for us to exercise our choices in a free society, with pride in the history of our party’s commitment…
1976 PLATFORM – DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF MAINE Originally published in April, the Platform was updated with “Errata Sheets” dated 8/16/76. Changes from these updates are noted in the text below, with underlines indicating inserts and strikethroughs indicating deletes. The following is from the “General” section of the “Errata Sheets”: A. Chairperson should be read throughout…