Ripogenus (Abenaki for “gravel) is the name given for the dam and the lake created by it. Ripogenus Lake is essentially a human-made extension of Chesuncook Lake. The dam [N45° 52′ 47.64″ W69° 10′ 32.56″], completed in 1920, provides water power for McKay power station through an underground tunnel. In 1989…
Chase Brook Road (left) off Jack Mountain Road (2015) @ This township in Piscataquis County and managed by North Maine Woods, lies just west of T10 R8 WELS where Jack Mountain Road continues, but becomes an unimproved dirt…
Windows on the River: East Branch Windows on the River: West Branch The Penobscot River Basin drains 8,680 +/- square miles in northeastern Maine. The main stem of the river flows for 105 miles from the confluence of its East and West Branches in Medway, south to its mouth in Penobscot Bay. Approximately 95% of…
Stroudwater, a neighborhood in the City of Portland, lies west of the railroad tracks to the Westbrook border. Several locations of historical significance include the Tate House Museum, a portion of the Cumberland & Oxford Canal, and an old dam on the Stroudwater River. It is a highly developed residential and commercial area.
T3 R4 BKP WKR This township hosts the Long Falls Dam on the Dead River. That dam maintains the level of Flagstaff Lake, but required the removal of the village of Flagstaff, which was flooded as a result of its construction.. There was a small natural lake at Flagstaff. In 1950, Central Maine Power Company…
This portion of the Nezinscot River canoe trip begins in Buckfield Village and terminates in Turner Center Village. Entrance to the canoe launch area is off Route 117 (Turner Street) in Buckfield, just downstream from the bridge, where the the water is conveniently flat. Click on the circled village areas for related articles, and on…
This unorganized township northeast of Greenville is probably best known for the village of Kokadjo and First Roach Pond. The village is at the north end of the pond, which is wholly contained within the township. Kokadjo is short for Kok (kettle) Wadjo (mountain) pegwasebem (lake); together “Kettle Mountain Lake.”* …
This “river” is one of those inlets from the sea that is not a true river. It had been tidal as far inland a Bath until a dam was constructed that created ponds above it. At its northern most reach the Peterson Canal once linked Merrymeeting Bay with Casco Bay. Built around 1790 to connect…
is both an unorganized township and a lake created by the Seboomook Dam. Just north of Moosehead Lake, half the township and all of the lake are in Maine Public Reserved Land protective status. The 6,880-acre lake has over 69 miles of shoreline, with the dam at its eastern end where it spills into the…
The main village, North Windham, lies adjacent to Sebago Lake and on the shore of Little Sebago Lake at the junction of U.S. Route 302 and Maine Routes 35 and 115. See photos. While Route 302 is a long commercial strip, an old meeting house is adjacent to the Windham Union Church. Young adult offenders are held at the Maine Correctional Center in South Windham.
Whitefield is west of Gardiner on Route 126 and north of Wiscasset on Route 218. See photos. The Sheepscot River flows through the town and is a popular canoe trip opportunity. As do many Maine towns with scattered villages, Whitefield has several volunteer fire departments: Coopers Mills, Kings Mills, and North Whitefield. St. Denis Catholic Church, west of North Whitefield on Maine Route 218, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
has been characterized as “composed primarily of residences, small farms, seasonal and vacation homes, and limited retail and commercial development.” See photos. The main village lies between Pocasset Lake and Androscoggin Lake on Maine Route 133. Other substantial ponds add to the town’s recreational attractions.
At only 3.4 square miles in area, Veazie is one of the smallest municipalities in the state. U.S. Route 2 is also its Main Street. Created in 1853, it was named, and likely created, for General Samuel Veazie who owned the saw mills and most of the property in the new town. Mills and a power station took advantage of the Penobscot River here.
Turner (see photos and video) lies directly north of Auburn on Maine Route 4, and is served by routes 117 in the south and 219 in the north. South Turner is a smaller village near the Auburn city line. Bounded by the Androscoggin River on the east, Turner has its share of ponds, including Bear Pond and its amusement park.
Recently the downtown (see photos) has witnessed a renewal with modern buildings. Topsham has been a very rapidly growing community both in population and in commercial development.The area of the Topsham Fair Mall is located adjacent to Interstate 95. Pejepscot Village was once an active community when the Pejepscot Paper Mill was in full production. Falls in the Androscoggin River between Topsham and Brunswick encouraged the development of paper and textile mills which dominated the economy into the 20th century.
The town is an easy drive to Belfast south on Maine Route 141. Hurd’s Pond is a twenty-five acre water body surrounded by 75 acres of sedge meadow and freshwater wetlands. Frequented by many species of migrating and breeding waterfowl.
A farming town, Starks once boasted a canning factory to which farmers would bring corn, squash, pumpkins, and other produce each fall. See photos. The “corn shop,” as it was known, closed in 1964. The now abandoned Grange Hall was the site of many community dances and socials at least through the 1950’s. The winding Sandy River, the site of several ferry crossings, constitutes the town’s eastern boundary. A small chapel is located near an old cemetery on the River Road.
At the junction of Maine Routes 23, 43 and 152, the village lies at the southwestern tip of Indian Pond. The three and one-half mile Pond (sometimes called Indian Lake, or Big Indian Lake) is maintained by a dam at the park in the main village.
Maine’s oldest educational institution, Berwick Academy, was established here in 1791 when the town was part of Berwick. See photos. South Berwick is the birthplace of Sarah Orne Jewett, who attended Berwick Academy for four years — her only formal education. The town is accessible to the coastal communities of York and Kittery via Maine Routes 91 and 236.
Named for a famous city in ancient Turkey, the town is west of Houlton on Interstate 95 and on U.S. Route 2, where the village of Smyrna Mills straddles the town line with Merrill. See photos. The town has become home to a substantial number of Amish people, who farm and work using simple, low technology methods. The Mattawamkeag River flows through the village. In the river is the ruins of an old dam and mill.