Sandy Bay is about seven miles north of Jackman Village on U.S. Route 201 and Maine Route 6 through Dennistown Plantation. From its township line beyond Dennistown, the two Routes continue northwest for about ten miles to the Canadian Border and customs facilities. The South Branch of the Penobscot River begins here, trending east through…
See Swan Island
This township in Piscataquis County abuts a long shore of Moosehead Lake by way of Spencer Bay. The Spencer Bay Road trends northwest from Kokadjo to Spencer Pond in East Middlesex Canal Grant Township. Roach River also flows northwest about five miles from First Roach Pond to Spencer Bay. Campgrounds are frequent along the northeast…
Salem, in Franklin County, was first settled by Benjamin Heath, who cleared land in what was then a portion of Phillips, Maine in 1814. The following year, Heath returned with two other men, who cleared additional lots, and permanently settled with their families in 1816. By 1821…
Anything Is Possible (2017) My Name Is Lucy Barton (2016) The Burgess Boys (2013) Olive Kitteridge (2008) Abide with Me (2006) Amy and Isabelle (1998) Elizabeth Strout (1956- ) lived in Harpswell as a young girl. “My parents came from many generations of New Englanders, and they were skeptical of pleasure.” she told the New…
Soldiertown is one of two unorganized townships by the same name. This one is in Somerset County and is also known as T2 R3 NBKP. The other Soldiertown, known as T2 R7 WELS, is in Penobscot County. The Northern Road, which runs north from Rockwood Strip to Pittston Farm, hugs the eastern side of the…
Sandhill Cranes are very large, tall birds with a long neck reaching four feet tall. They have long legs and broad wings. The cranes are mostly found in the Midwest but since the year 2000 they have been seen in south central Maine, including North Yarmouth, Belgrade and Kennebunk, and in Fryeburg in western Maine.…
(1896-1900) was born in Bath, son of one of the City’s first shipbuilders, in whose shipyards he worked learning the trade. In 1854, he and his brother Edward formed E. & A. Sewall continuing their father’s business. It became Arthur Sewall & Co. when his brother died. Arthur Sewall’s firm built 80 ships over 50…
Joseph B. Stearns (1831-1895) was born in Weld and moved to Searsmont with is father at the age of fourteen. Three years later he moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts and found work in a cotton mill. After several early failures left him deeply in debt, Stearns found a job in a telegraph office in Newburyport in…
This bird is one of several sandpipers in Maine. The Semipalmated Sandpiper, described as perhaps one of the most numerous shorebirds in North America, is not a permanent resident, but is does migrate through the state. Those featured here passed through Harpswell in early October of 2014 at N43° 48′ 50.18″ W69° 56′ 40.90″.
South Freeport is on the broad Harraseeket River leading to Casco Bay. Once a shipbuilding center, it now hosts the town’s public wharf, a marina, a boatyard, and the Harraseeket Yacht Club. Winslow Park on the Bay provides recreation and camping opportunities.
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.
The East Branch of the Penobscot River travels from north to south on its east side. Three small ponds, Soldier, Little Soldier and Trout are here. Hay Brook is the village on the Grindstone Road.
Ellis Spear (1834-1917) was second in command to then Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain at the famous Civil War battle of Little Round Top at Gettysburg in July of 1863. He was born in Warren on October 15, 1834. Spear was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1858 and taught school in Wiscasset. Spear entered the Union…
(above) Fourth Machias Lake, rough beach, and boat launch site in Sakom Township (2013) Sakom Township, also known as T5 ND BPP, is certainly a “land of lakes.” Included within it boundaries are major segments of Sysladobis Lake, Pocumus Lake, and Fourth…
A relatively shy and infrequently noticed bird in Maine, the northern shrike often perches atop a tree awaiting a food opportunity. Unlike most songbirds, this one preys on small birds and rodents. This one, uncharacteristically, was in downtown Brewer near City Hall. Their primary habitats in summer are open spaces in woods or swampy areas…
Despite an increasing tonnage of shrimp landings by commercial fishermen in recent years, the 2013 season will feature a landing quota equal to about 25% of the 2012 season’s landings. Historically the shrimp populations have varied substantially. Marine scientists believe that the resource is again under pressure with the threat of another population decline. …
The following is abridged from Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife internet site at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/atlantic_salmon/ (accessed December 2, 2012) In Maine, Atlantic salmon were historically found in all major river systems and many of their tributaries with suitable spawning habitat. Today, they have disappeared from much of their historic range. In Maine they…
Since 1973 the commercial fishery for skate had two, short lived, peaks. It has yet to recover from the decline that began in 1995. The return had been modest at best, reaching $.25 per pound briefly. No landings were recorded from 2006 to 2009, and 2011-2016. YEAR POUNDS VALUE PRICE/LB 1973 3,320 $268 $0.08…
`Do you know why it’s called a whiting?’ [said the Gryphon] `I never thought about it,’ said Alice. `Why?’ `It does the boots and shoes.’ the Gryphon replied very solemnly. Alice was thoroughly puzzled. `Does the boots and shoes!’ she repeated in a wondering tone. `Why, what are your shoes done with?’ said the Gryphon. `I mean, what…