This Franklin County township contains a section of the Dead River’s North Branch, along with several ponds, the largest of which is Jim Pond. The smaller Greenbush Pond is more accessible, but with a limited fishery. Route 27 follows the River on its journey to Eustis where it merges with the South Branch to create…
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…
This is a small unorganized township in Franklin County on the border with Canada. It has a very small village with few houses and one store. Logging trucks abound, both in the village and those traveling through from Canada, many with lumber. Without mountains, it does have three water bodies: Arnold Pond, Crosby Pond, and…
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,…
is on U.S. Route 1 and the Sheepscot River. See photos and videos. With many historic structures, the town was host to “The Greenland Expedition of 1925,” which included explorers Richard Byrd and Donald McDonald. Since 1918 Camp Chewonki has been offering outdoor programs here. The town was once best known for its Maine Yankee Atomic Power plant.
Bounded by the Kennebec on the east and Messalonskee Lake (the modern name for Snow’s Pond) on much of the west, Sidney is located between Augusta and Waterville. See photos. Sidney Bog is located in the southeastern corner of the town.
The town has substantial frontage on Long Pond (at right) and Great Pond in the Belgrade Lakes region, with many camping, boating, and other recreational opportunities. The town line is adjacent to the small village of Belgrade Lakes in the town of Belgrade.
A suburb of Augusta, Randolph, tiny in terms of land area, lies on the east bank of the Kennebec River near Gardiner. A pedestrian trail extends from the Kennebec River through Randolph and Chelsea. The trail once linked the river and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, now Togus Veterans Home. That was during the 1800’s by the narrow-gauge (two-foot wide tracks) Kennebec Central Railroad.
Framed by the Carrabassett and Sandy Rivers, this irregularly shaped town’s main village lies on Maine Route 27 between New Portland and Farmington. See photos. The Maine Wood Turning company is on Route 27 in the village. Nearby Bauds, Mill, and Lily ponds, and frontage on Porter Lake, provide wide fishing and recreational opportunities.
just east of Farmington, has been growing consistently in population over the past four decades. New Sharon village straddles the Sandy River, which winds through from Farmington on its way to Starks and then Norridgewock where it enters the Kennebec River. The 1916 steel bridge, now retired from service, crosses the river at the end of the main street.
North New Portland hosts Morton’s Country Store, the Community Church, and Chase Memorial Hall. This village lies at the junction of routes 146 and 16, with Gilman Stream, and its Dam, flowing through it. See photos. The Carrabassett River, with its spectacular rocky bed, passes through East New Portland Village and under an arch bridge.
Now a “four season” recreation center, located half way between the North Pole and the Equator, it is the gateway to Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Area in Carrabassett Valley. See video & photo. Named for Maine’s first governor, the town hosts the Stanly Museum (of Stanley Steamer fame).
Early in the 19th century, Hallowell on the Kennebec has become an important commercial center in the District of Maine. River ice and shipbuilding were staple industries. Granite quarries were active and productive in the 19th century, with one on “Granite Hill.” Maine’s smallest city in area has a vital downtown with antique and book shops, along with restaurants. See photos. The first settler arrived in 1762; surveyor Ephraim Ballard, in 1776; his wife Martha, the next year. Maine’s first Anti-Slavery Society was founded here in 1833.
a plantation in Franklin County, organized in 1893, is just south of Flagstaff Lake on Maine Route 16. See photo. The South Branch of the Dead River flows through on its way to the lake. Two sections of Maine’s Public Reserved Lands, in the Flagstaff Region, lie within the plantation.
in Lincoln County incorporated in 1889. It is a major attraction for summer visitors with shops, restaurants, art galleries, marinas, and recreational fishing opportunities. Tours to coastal islands, whale watching, and a safe, engaging harbor are some of the attractions. The Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is here. See photos.
includes Damariscove Island, an early fishing outpost, providing critical food (fish) to the starving Pilgrims. Harvesting the sea is still a significant occupation. Now the Boothbay region is a center of summer tourist activity, with the Boothbay Playhouse and the Railroad Museum. See photos and video.
The Reuben Colburn House in Pittston, Maine is the site of one of the original settlements in Maine. Built in 1765, it was one of the first on the east side of the Kennebec River in an area later known locally as Colburntown. See photos. The house and carriage house is now owned by the Arnold Expedition Society. The village of East Pittston is located on the Eastern River near the town line with Whitefield. Route 194 serves the village and the Pittston Fair Grounds nearby.
Located between Sheepscot Bay and Booth Bay, it is connected by a swing bridge to the town of Boothbay Harbor, and the casual visitor might not assume the town with two lighthouses was on an island. See photos. At the height of the summer, traffic is often backed up at the bridge as boats pass. Townsend Gut is the narrow waterway that separates the two towns. It is a shortcut from Boothbay Harbor to the Sheepscot River. The general store in West Southport village has been an institution for over a century.