The statue on the dome of the State House, designed by W. Clark Noble of Gardiner, is reputed to be “the figure of wisdom” according to the report of the commission on enlargement of the State House. It is about twelve feet high and fifteen feet to the torch. However, according to a 1927 article…
The Tree Swallow remains in Maine, along the coast, near freshwater ponds, and in agricultural fields, during the summer. Thereafter, as with many other birds, it migrates to to southern coastal states, Mexico and Central America. This one apparently decided to take up residence in one of the bird boxes provided in an open field…
Several species of sparrows abound in Maine’s collection of birds. They include the Chipping, Song, and White-throated sparrows. All are between 5 and 7 inches long. In an unusual twist, the female and male sparrows noted here have the same color schemes. Chipping Sparrow The distinctive mark is the rust-colored crown atop their heads. The…
is the northern most campground in Baxter State Park. The site, in T5 R9 WELS township, offers tent sites, cabins, a bunkhouse. Canoeing and hiking provide opportunities for sweeping scenic views, and wildlife observation. Hiking trails are well marked as the signs at left attest. Black Cat Mountain or Traveler Mountain await a climb with…
Maine’s math scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, administered by the College Board in Princeton, New Jersey, have consistently and substantially lagged the national average scores for over two decades. See also SAT Score for College Bound. During the 1980’s Maine’s verbal scores exceeded the national averages, but since 1990 they have generally been somewhat…
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION – 1870 [This report of the Board is also an introduction to the more extensive Report of the Commissioner of Immigration, 1870. Several similar reports were made in succeeding years. All are available at the Maine State Archives. See also the Swedish Colony Law.] To the Honorable, the Senate…
Law Promoting Swedish Immigration [See New Sweden, Stockholm, Westmanland and the Swedish Colony Report.] Chapter 173. An act to promote immigration and to facilitate the settlement of the public lands. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled, as follows: SECT. 1. There shall be a board…
Coburn Woods in Skowhegan. This 300 acre tract is named in honor of Louise Helen Coburn, founder and first president of the Somerset Woods Trustees, which owns and manages the land. Is contains significant vernal pools with good surrounding wooded habitat for juveniles and adults of vernal pool species. Informal trails and woods roads provide…
Bald Head Preserve, Arrowsic. A Bald eagle wintering area on 296 acres and two and a half miles of the Kennebec and Back Rivers. Access is across privately owned marsh or from the river. A trail leads to the picturesque Squirrel Point Light (now decommissioned) on the Kennebec River. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, access…
About 35 miles northwest of Farmington on Maine Route 4, just south of Rangeley, the community marks the source of the Sandy River in the Sandy River Ponds. See map, video and photos. Four Ponds Public Reserve Land lies just east of Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Access is by the Appalachian Trail off Route 4 in Sandy River.
Recorded as Skwahegan in early reports, the name means “watching place for fish,” drawn from the falls in the Kennebec River that harbored salmon. See photos. Local Indians speared them as they attempted to scale the falls. Textile and shoe manufacturing were major employment options for local residents during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Once home to Camp Modin, a camp for Jewish boys and girls until 1992, Lake George Regional Park is split between Skowhegan and Canaan.
in the Kennebec River between Richmond and Dresden in Sagadahoc County is the only state-owned wildlife management area that is also a game preserve providing sanctuary for migrating waterfowl and the resident white-tailed deer. It is also the only management area where camping is allowed and programs are provided for visitors. The 1,500 acre island,…
in Hancock County is southeast of Mount Desert Island, accessible by ferry from Bass Harbor in Tremont. See amateur film clip. Beaches and picnic areas may be found at the villages of Minturn and Atlantic, in addition to Swan’s Island village.
Some uncertainty exists about the meaning of the famous island’s name of “Seguin” or “Satquin” according to Eckstorm. One explanation is that “From the east it does resemble a tortoise, whence evidently its name from the Indian, che-quen-ocks, called Siguenoc.” Another view is that it means “alone out to sea” from the Algonquin segunau. Yet…
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.
A series of boundary changes in the 19th century came to an end in 1885 when a portion of Wellington in Piscataquis County was annexed to Cambridge in Somerset. The county now consists of the towns of Anson, Athens, Bingham, Cambridge, Canaan, Caratunk, Cornville, Detroit, Embden, Fairfield, Harmony, Hartland, Jackman, Madison, Mercer, Moose…
is the twelfth most populous of the sixteen counties, located in southern mid-coast Maine. Formed on April 4, 1854 from a portion of Lincoln County. All its initial municipalities still comprise the county: the City of Bath and the towns of Arrowsic, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Georgetown, Perkins, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Woolwich. The only exception…
(1788-1860) born in Hollis, New Hampshire on March 12, 1788. He prepared for college at Groton Academy and graduated from Harvard College in 1808. He immediately moved to Wiscasset to begin the practice of law and, coming from an old Democratic family, became an active political worker. In 1819 he was elected to the Massachusetts…