A scenic location for mountain bicyclists 84 miles north of Skowhegan, it is adjacent to Jackman. See photos. Two ponds with boat launches are several miles west of U.S. Route 201 in its interior. The sparsely populated plantation’s organization was confirmed formally in 1895.
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.
in Washington County, incorporated in1822. See photos. Blueberries are one of three fruits native to this area, the others are cranberries and grapes. Only blueberries are a commercial crop. Their fields, currently about 1100 acres, give Cooper its fine open areas and scenic views. Forest products has been another staple of the economy.
in Penobscot County, incorporated 1848, settled in 1815, and recently growing in population, Clifton provides recreational opportunities, at the southeast end of Chemo Pond and Peaked Mountain, for the greater Bangor area. Fitts Pond in the southwest corner provides water access for Boy Scout Camp Roosevelt. See photos.
in Franklin County incorporated in 1826 has a small but growing population. It has has many pleasant views of the western mountains and several historic buildings. The village of Berry Mills, on the Webb River, has a sawmill, as it did in the 1880s. See photos.
Bowerbank village has substantial frontage on Sebec Lake. The Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Railway tracks span the northern portion of the township, eventually arriving at Brownville Junction. The large Maine landowner Plum Creek has substantial ownership in Bowerbank. Harvesting the forests with modern machinery is a spectacular sight. See video and map.
located on the Kennebec River, U.S. Route 201, its Main Street, carries visitors to and from Quebec City, and logging trucks bound for paper mills down the River. Until the 1970′s, the Kennebec and other rivers were clogged with logs floating to mills. A private lawsuit ended the practice, returning the resource to the public.
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.
is a town in Waldo County, incorporated in 1814. As is the case in many mid-coast communities, Belmont has a small but rapidly growing population, expanding by over 25% between 1990 and 2000, and again between 2000 and 2010.
Frenchville and Sheridan are villages north of the village of Ashland. Lumbering, once the major industry, is recalled in Ashland’s Logging Museum.
When Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820, the vast Maine timberlands were put on the block for speculation, which drew investors and fortune hunters. By the 1830s, Bangor was building 500 structures annually. Dow Air Force Base provided an economic and civic boost during the Cold War until closing in 1968. The creation of Bangor International Airport turned the potential liability into an asset.