# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Her first starring role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society, for which she earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She made her film debut in the musical comedy (2003), and had a supporting role in The Twilight Saga (2008-2012). She achieved wider recognition for the comedy-drama film Up in the Air (2009), which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and for her starring role in the Pitch Perfect film series (2012-2017).

Kendrick has also starred in the comedies Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) and (2011), the crime drama End of Watch (2012), the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014), and the thrillers The Accountant (2016) and A Simple Favor (2018). She has also performed a voice role in the animated musical films (2016) and Trolls World Tour (2020). For starring in the short form series , she received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress.

Kendrick has sung on various soundtracks for her films, including the single " Cups" in 2012, as well as at events like the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2015 Academy Awards. Her memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, was published in 2016.

Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine, on August 9, 1985, the daughter of accountant Janice (née Cooke) and history teacher William Kendrick. Her father has also worked in finance. She is of English, Irish, and Scottish descent. She has an older brother who is an actor and appeared in the drama film Looking for an Echo (2000). She attended Deering High School.

1998-2007: Early career, theater, and film debut

Kendrick started her career as a child, auditioning for theater productions in New York City. When she was 12, she had a supporting role in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society. Her performance earned her a Theater World Award and nominations for Featured Actress in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards and Tony Awards. She went on to a supporting role in the 2003 New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's musical A Little Night Music.

She made her film debut in the musical film . Her performance as nerdy Fritzi Wagner earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. She played an ambitious high school debater in Rocket Science (2007), for which she earned a Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female.

2008-2011: Twilight and Up in the Air

Kendrick rose to prominence in 2008 for the fantasy romance , a major box-office hit based on Stephenie Meyer's 2005 novel of the same name; Kendrick played Jessica Stanley, a friend of protagonist Bella Swan. In 2009, she appeared in the comedy The Marc Pease Experience, in her first leading role in the crime thriller , and reprised her Jessica Stanley role in Twilight's sequel, .

She then starred alongside George Clooney in director Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009). Critics praised her performance as an ambitious college graduate, calling it "funny and touching" and saying that she "grabs every scene she's in". It brought her nominations for several Best Supporting Actress awards, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and BAFTA Awards.

In 2010, Kendrick again portrayed Jessica Stanley in the Twilight saga's third installment, . Later that year, she appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, as the sister of the title character. The film did not fare well at the box office, but has since become a cult classic. In 2011, she appeared in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama , as an inexperienced therapist to a cancer patient played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Later that year, she made her final appearance as Jessica Stanley in Twilight's fourth installment, Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011).

Kendrick has been a member of the Actors' Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 2010.

2012-2015: Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods

In 2012, Kendrick featured as part of the ensemble cast of What to Expect When You're Expecting, loosely based on the pregnancy guide of the same name. Also that year, she lent her voice to the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman, starred in the commercially successful crime drama End of Watch, and appeared in Robert Redford's political thriller The Company You Keep.

Kendrick's most successful film of 2012 was the musical comedy Pitch Perfect (2012), loosely based on the non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. Kendrick played Beca Mitchell, a rebellious college freshman who joins an a cappella group called the Barden Bellas and finds that her more modern approach to music clashes with the traditional approach of the group's leader. The film emerged as a major commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from critics, who called Kendrick's performance "splendid", saying that she "hits just the right note between pithy and chummy".

In 2013, Kendrick featured in the romantic comedy-drama Drinking Buddies, which received mostly positive reviews from critics, as well as the largely panned fantasy comedy Rapture-Palooza.

At the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014, Kendrick was featured in three films. She played leading roles in the comedy-drama Happy Christmas and the horror comedy , which both received generally favorable reviews from critics, as well as a supporting role in the zombie comedy Life After Beth. Both Happy Christmas and Life After Beth received limited releases later in 2014, while The Voices was given a limited release in early 2015. Kendrick hosted Saturday Night Live in 2014.

At the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014, Kendrick was featured in two films. She starred in the musical romance The Last Five Years, an adaptation of the off-Broadway musical of the same name. While the film itself received mixed reviews, Kendrick garnered widespread critical acclaim for her performance. She also played a supporting role in the comedy-drama . Cake was eventually given a wide release in January 2015, while The Last Five Years received a limited release in February 2015.

Kendrick was next seen playing Cinderella in Disney's Into the Woods (2014), director Rob Marshall's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical of the same name. Kendrick was a part of the large ensemble cast. The film became a major commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Kendrick competed in the first season of Lip Sync Battle against John Krasinski, one of the show's executive producers, in an episode aired in April 2015. She first performed " Steal My Girl" by One Direction, in which she jokingly revealed the object of her affection to be Krasinski's newlywed wife, Emily Blunt. During her performance, Kendrick stares adoringly at images of Blunt on a monitor while sporting a t-shirt imprinted with a heart-shaped photograph of her and Blunt together. Kendrick also performed " Booty" by Jennifer Lopez, in which she makes a surprise appearance at the end of the song. Krasinski performed " Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC and " Proud Mary" by Ike & Tina Turner. The audience declared Kendrick the winner. The episode garnered over 1.75 million U.S. viewers.

Kendrick played a supporting role in Digging for Fire, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and received a limited release in August of that year. In May 2015, she reprised her role of Beca Mitchell in Pitch Perfect 2. The film, which followed Mitchell in her senior year of college as the co-president of the Barden Bellas, emerged as a major box office blockbuster and surpassed the success of the first film.

2016-present: Trolls franchise and other projects

Kendrick starred in the action comedy , which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on April 8, 2016. She also starred in The Hollars, a comedy-drama directed by and starring John Krasinski, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released in August 2016. She was then seen in the coming-of-age film , which received a limited release in March 2016 after being delayed since 2012.[citation needed ]

Also in 2016, Kendrick starred in the commercially successful comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, voiced Princess Poppy, the main character of the animated film , and co-starred in the action thriller The Accountant. Kendrick's memoir Scrappy Little Nobody was published on November 15, 2016.

Kendrick starred in , which was released March 3, 2017. She again reprised the role of Beca Mitchell in Pitch Perfect 3, released on December 22, 2017. In September 2018, she starred as Stephanie Smothers in the mystery-thriller film A Simple Favor. Also in September 2018, Kendrick began appearing in a series of advertisements across a range of media for Hilton Hotels.

In 2019, Kendrick co-starred in the satirical crime comedy The Day Shall Come and played the titular character in the Disney+ Christmas comedy Noelle. Kendrick also voiced a character in the Facebook Watch adult animated comedy series Human Discoveries.

Also in 2019, it was announced that Kendrick would star as a state trooper with irreversible hearing loss in Unsound, directed by Bharat Nalluri.

Kendrick reprised her role as Poppy in the 2020 sequel Trolls World Tour. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal Pictures released the film via video on-demand platforms as a digital rental on April 10, 2020. She starred in the Quibi comedy series , for which she also served as executive producer. For her performance, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. Also in 2020, Kendrick starred in the HBO Max romantic comedy anthology series , for which she additionally served as an executive producer. She appeared next as the lead in Stowaway, a science-fiction thriller which was released on April 22, 2021. She starred in the films Alice, Darling and Self Reliance.

Personal life

In an interview with Terry Gross on NPR, Kendrick said she was raised Episcopalian, but as a child she was terrified of certain passages in the Old Testament. She stopped attending church at the age of fourteen.

She began dating English filmmaker Edgar Wright in 2009, after they met while filming Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. They split up in March 2013. She began dating English cinematographer Ben Richardson in February 2014, after they met while filming Drinking Buddies. That relationship has since ended.

Kendrick began dating actor Bill Hader in late 2020 or early 2021. By June 2022, they had ended their relationship.

She has said that her experience in an emotionally abusive relationship inspired her performance in Alice, Darling.

Kendrick's father, William King Kendrick, died on November 16, 2022, of end-stage liver cirrhosis. He was 75.

Filmography

Television

Music videos

Discography

Other featured performances

1999

High Society (Original Cast Recording)

"Throwing A Ball Tonight" (with Lisa Banes, Melissa Errico and John McMartin)

"Little One" (with Daniel McDonald)

"I Love Paris" (with Melissa Errico)

2003

Camp: Music from the Motion Picture

"The Ladies Who Lunch"

"On the Steps of the Palace"

"Your Fault" (with Daniel Huttlestone, James Corden, Lilla Crawford and Meryl Streep)

"No One is Alone" (with James Corden, Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone)

2015

The Last Five Years (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

"Still Hurting"

"See I'm Smiling"

"A Part of That"

"A Summer in Ohio"

"The Next Ten Minutes" (with Jeremy Jordan)

"A Miracle Would Happen / When You Come Home to Me" (with Jeremy Jordan)

"Climbing Uphill"

"I Can Do Better Than That"

"Goodbye Until Tomorrow" (with Jeremy Jordan)

Pitch Perfect 2 (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

" Winter Wonderland / Here Comes Santa Claus" (with Snoop Dogg)

"Get Back Up Again"

"(with I'm Coming Out / Mo Money Mo Problems" Zooey Deschanel, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Icona Pop and Kunal Nayyar)

"(with Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Can't Stop the Feeling!" Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kunal Nayyar)

"(with Justin Timberlake and September" Earth, Wind & Fire)

2020

Trolls World Tour: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"Trolls Wanna Have Good Times" (with Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Ester Dean, Icona Pop, Kenan Thompson and The Pop Trolls)

"Just Sing" (with Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak and Kenan Thompson)

"Trolls 2 Many Hits Mashup" (with Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Icona Pop and The Pop Trolls)

"Just Sing (Trolls World Tour)" (with Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Kelly Clarkson, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak, Rachel Bloom, Kenan Thompson, Anthony Ramos, Red Velvet, Icona Pop, Kunal Nayyar and Sam Rockwell)

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

Throughout her career, for her work on screen and stage, Kendrick has received several awards and nominations. Among them, she is one of the few actors to have been nominated for an Oscar, Emmy and Tony in acting categories, labeled the " Triple Crown of Acting".

Achieving the feat at age 34, she is one of the youngest people to do so, and one of few to be nominated for all three awards without winning one.

Kendrick's other accolades include three MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Satellite Award and nominations for a BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award.

References

External links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Her first starring role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society , for which she earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Malaga Island is located at the mouth of the New Meadows River in Phippsburg. Bear Island lies 100 yards to the west and the small fishing village of Sebasco is about 300 yards to the east.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How to get there

Malaga Island is located near the mouth of the New Meadows River in Phippsburg. The best landing area is on the white shell hash beach on the island's north end. The nearest public boat launch is the Holbrook Street Landing in Cundy's Harbor off the east side of Cundy's Harbor Road where there are three parking spaces. There are more places to park at the launch on the southern end of Sawyer Road in Brunswick on the New Meadows River, further away from the island. Boaters might also consider launching from the Bethel Point Ramp in Harpswell for a small fee.

Looking for a guide? Check out Seaspray Kayaking located in nearby Sebasco Harbor. They have been guiding sea kayaking expeditions in the area for over 20 years. Master Maine Guide Alice Bean Andrenyak of Alice's Awesome Adventures offers guided ecotours of the Greater Brunswick and Midcoast Maine region. She can be your guide on a trip to Malaga Island, designed specially for you.

For a complete map with legend and guidelines, click on the Printable Preserve Map above.

More about Malaga's history

Malaga Island is an important historical site.

The island was home to a mixed-race fishing community from the mid-1800s to 1912, when the state of Maine evicted 47 residents from their homes and exhumed and relocated their buried dead. Eight islanders were committed to the Maine School for the Feeble-Minded. "I think the best plan would be to burn down the shacks with all of their filth," then Governor Frederick Plaisted told a reporter the time.

The plan to build a summer resort on the island never came to fruition, but many Malaga descendants remained in the area, becoming integral parts of the communities that had shunned their ancestors. Nearly 100 years after the cruel act took place, in 2010, then Maine Governor John Baldacci issued an apology, and the Maine legislature passed a resolution expressing its "profound regret."

Sharing the story of Malaga

Since acquiring the island, MCHT has worked with various partners, including the University of Southern Maine, to better understand the island's archaeological history and to help share this forgotten chapter of Maine's history. Several very special events have taken place on the island over the past several years, including the , curated by Myron M. Beasley in 2019.

In September 2010, Malaga Island Preserve became part of the Maine Freedom Trail. Today, numbered posts mark the sites of the homes razed by the state in 1912.

We encourage you to learn more about the story of Malaga Island and those who called this special place home. Check out these additional resources before visiting the island:

On the island, you'll find more information at the kiosk, which offers a glimpse of those who once lived here and a brief description of the cruel eviction they endured.

What's with all those lobster traps?

The lobster industry is an important component of the local economy. The long-time practice of nearby lobstermen storing traps and fishing gear on the island has continued under MCHT ownership. Please do not disturb the gear, but feel free to order the local catch at nearby stores and restaurants.

Notes on topography, flora, and fauna

Maritime spruce-fir forest covers most of the 42-acre Malaga Island Preserve. There are also one or two acres of overgrown meadow on the island's northern end, while on the southern end, one can find a brackish pond and salt marsh. The shoreline is mostly rocky and rugged, except for a few small beaches and patches of salt marsh. The white shell hash beach on the north end of the island (near the overgrown meadow) is the best landing spot for small boats. Note: take care to avoid poison ivy on the northern end and in patches on other parts of the shoreline. It's easily avoidable if you stick to the trail.

How Malaga became open to the public

Malaga was purchased by MCHT in 2001.

This place belongs to all of us. Help us take care of it!

Preserve information/guidelines

No Camping Permitted

No Fires Permitted

Stay on Established Trails

Carry Out All Trash
Including Human and Pet Waste and Toilet Paper

Keep Pets Under Control

Do Not Remove Archaeological Artifacts

Do Not Disturb Fishing Gear

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Malaga Island, Phippsburg - Maine Coast Heritage Trust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Malaga Island was once home to a mixed-race fishing community forcibly removed by the state in 1912. Now a public preserve and important Maine historical site, we encourage all to learn the story of Malaga and those who called the island home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Description

Over a hundred years ago when construction began on Lower Dam, the Rapid River was nearly unknown. Tucked away in dark forests miles from even primitive land travel routes, very few made it to the banks of the river to appreciate the piece of beauty that we know today. The advent of log driving on the Rangeley Lakes chain brought logging camps and eventually sporting camps to the Rapid River lands. Among them are the settings of Louise Dickenson Rich's books, including "We Took to the Woods". Mrs. Rich's books capture the historical use of the lands surrounding the Rapid River, as well as the rural-life experiences of her family, neighbors and visitors.

Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust acquired approximately 320 acres at Upper and Middle Dams and along the Rapid River in June 2004 as part of a Settlement Agreement with Union Water Power Co. and FPL Energy during the licensing of Upper and Middle Dams. Protective covenants were placed on the lands to ensure traditional access for recreational and sporting activities.

The Rapid River itself is located between Lower Richardson and Umbagog Lakes and is part of the Androscoggin River drainage basin. The Rapid River, which contains approximately 3 ½ miles of nearly continuous Class III-IV rapids, is one of the most spectacular whitewater rivers in Maine. Containing a variety of individual rapids that are regionally and nationally recognized by whitewater enthusiasts, the most impressive of these are Cluley's Rip, Elephant Rock, and Cold Spring Rapids, all downstream of Long Pool. These "rips" are approximately 250 yards long each with 50 yards of fast moving water separating them. Other rapids include Smooth Ledge, Island Rip and the Devil's Hopyard. Smooth Ledge is a widely popular boater's "playground", where hundreds of boats congregate during scheduled whitewater releases. The river flows in a northwesterly direction and drops approximately 155 feet in 3 miles.

Rapid River is located in an exceptionally scenic area, but sparsely populated and with limited road access. The infamous "Carry Trail" is the historic primary foot travel route that serves access from Middle Dam to Umbagog Lake. Several foot trails divert from the Carry Trail, leading to legendary river access for fishing, paddling, picnicking and more.

Other Information

There is no cell phone service in this REMOTE area. Please be prepared and use caution in the wilderness of the Rapid River.

Camping is allowed at Cedar Stump campsites. Reservations can be made by calling North Waters Canoe and Kayak at: (603) 482-3817. Camping and campfires are prohibited elsewhere along the shores of both the Rapid River and Pond in the River.

This trail passes through a property that was acquired in part with funds from the Land for Maine's Future program. For more information about the LMF program and the places it has helped to protect, please visit the LMF webpage.

Trail Manager

For more information and a print map, please visit Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust on the web or contact:

Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
2424 Main Street
Rangeley, ME 04970
Phone: (207) 864-7311
srousseau@rlht.org
View website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The infamous "Carry Trail" is the historic primary foot trail that serves access from Middle Dam to Umbagog Lake bypassing the whitewater of the Rapid River. Several foot trails divert from the Carry Trail, leading to legendary river access for fishing, paddling, picnicking and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Rapid River in Western Maine is synonymous with brook trout fly fishing. At one time, the Rapid was home to brook trout that rivaled the sizes of their cousins in Labrador, Canada. These days, the big trout are a little more scarce, but the river still produces excellent numbers of healthy sized…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In June 2017, Comcast Spectacor, the operators of the Cross Insurance Arena and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers - the founders and NHL affiliate for years of the original Maine Mariners AHL franchise in Portland - purchased the franchise rights of the recently dormant Alaska Aces of the ECHL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fort Williams
Part of Harbor Defenses of Portland
Cape Elizabeth, Maine

10-inch disappearing gun at Fort Casey, Washington state, similar to those at Fort Williams.

Fort Williams

Location in Maine

Fort Williams

Fort Williams (the United States)

Coordinates | 43°37′24″N 70°12′40″W﻿ / ﻿43.62333°N 70.21111°W Coordinates: 43°37′24″N 70°12′40″W﻿ / ﻿43.62333°N 70.21111°W
Type | Coastal Defense
Site information
Owner | Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Controlled by | Town of Cape Elizabeth

Open to
the public

yes

Site history
Built | 1898
Built by | United States Army
In use | 1898-1962

Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

Cold War

Fort Williams is a former United States Army fort in Cape Elizabeth, Maine which operated from 1872 to 1964. It was part of the Coast Defenses of Portland, later renamed the Harbor Defenses of Portland, a command which protected Portland's port and naval anchorage 1904–1950. After its closure, it was redeveloped into Fort Williams Park.

History[edit]

Endicott Period[edit]

Entrance to Fort Williams, circa 1907

Children look on as a heavy gun is moved to Fort Williams via South Portland's trolley tracks.

Battery Blair 12-inch disappearing gun emplacement in 2016 with Portland Head Light

A 14-acre purchase near Portland Head Light in 1872 served to establish a sub-post to Fort Preble located at Spring Point. This fortification became known as Fort Williams on April 13, 1899, by order of Army Headquarters (General Order No. 17, Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, D.C.). It was named for Brevet Major General Seth Williams. By 1903, the fort had grown to 90.45 acres.[1]

The Board of Fortifications, often called the Endicott Board, recommended a comprehensive program of new fortifications in 1885. Fort Williams was one of the results. It first test-fired its guns in 1898, shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, and was complete by 1906.

As built, the fort contained three batteries: Battery Sullivan (two 10-inch guns on disappearing carriages), Battery DeHart (three 10-inch disappearing guns), and Battery Hobart (one 6-inch Armstrong gun), all built between 1896 and 1898. Three other 2-gun batteries were added later: Battery Blair, 2 12-inch disappearing guns (1903); Battery Garesché, 2 6-inch disappearing guns (1906); and Battery Keyes, 2 3-inch rapid-firing guns (1906), the latter to guard a minefield.[2] The remains of a wharf for loading mine planters can be seen near Battery Keyes.[3] An underground bunker for the submarine mine system, later used in Cold War civil defense, is near Battery Hobart. Searchlights were also mounted at some of these batteries; the counterweight for a disappearing searchlight tower (it "disappeared" when folded down) remains on site.[1]

Between 1900 and 1911, most of Fort Williams' support buildings were constructed, including enlisted barracks, non-commissioned officers' quarters, commissioned officers' quarters (Officers' Row), hospital, gymnasium, post exchange, bakery, abattoir, commissary, laundry, chapel, fire station, Fort headquarters, and other buildings including garages and storage sheds. Infrastructure included an electrical substation, a bunkered telephone switchboard, and pumps and underground storage tanks for gasoline and fuel oil. Recreational facilities included a baseball diamond with concrete bleachers, and clubs (the enlisted non-commissioned officers' club utilized the basement of the already existing Goddard mansion, purchased by the government and added to the property).

In 1913, the 6-inch Armstrong gun of Battery Hobart was removed and transferred to Hawaii.[4]

World War I[edit]

During World War I, the fort was fully manned by artillery companies of the Coast Artillery Corps and Maine National Guard troops. Anti-aircraft guns were added to the defenses during this time. In 1917, the two 10-inch guns of Battery Sullivan and both 6-inch guns of Battery Garesché were removed to be shipped to the Western Front in France, but of the four guns only one of the 6-inch guns was actually sent to France. The 10-inch guns were intended to serve as railway artillery, but few guns of this type were so mounted, none saw action in France (though some were mounted there), and the 10-inch railway gun program was abandoned soon after the war.[5] A history of the Coast Artillery in World War I states that none of the regiments in France equipped with 6-inch guns completed training in time to see action before the Armistice.[6] The three 10-inch guns of Battery DeHart were also dismounted, but were soon remounted. After the war, the 10-inch guns were returned to Fort Williams, but Battery Garesché remained disarmed.[4]

Interwar[edit]

A plaque next to one of the fort's remaining buildings states that it housed towed 155 mm guns following World War I. These weapons, based on the French 155 mm GPF gun used by the Coast Artillery in that war, were adopted to introduce mobility to US coast defenses. Circular concrete platforms called "Panama mounts" were constructed at Fort Baldwin in Phippsburg, Maine and at Biddeford Pool to allow more effective use of these guns.[4][7] Battery D of the 8th Coast Artillery, with four of these weapons (most likely from Fort Williams) was deployed to Fort Baldwin from early 1942 to 17 January 1944.[8] Another battery of two 155 mm guns was deployed to the Biddeford Pool Military Reservation from 1942 through 1945.[9]

In 1923, the 5th Infantry Regiment (United States) was stationed at Fort Williams as part of the 18th Infantry Brigade of the 9th Division.[10] The regiment was reassigned to the 5th Division on 15 August 1927 but returned on 1 October 1933 to the 9th Division. On 23 October 1939, the 3rd Battalion sailed from Portland, ME, on the USAT Chateau Thierry as part of the 18th Infantry Brigade force sent to reinforce the Panama Canal Zone.

World War II and postwar[edit]

Fort Williams served as the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Portland throughout World War II, by the middle of which the last of the coastal artillery pieces (except Battery Keyes' two 3-inch guns) were removed due to age and obsolescence.[11] In early World War II the major units garrisoning the Harbor Defenses of Portland were the 8th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Regular Army and the 240th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Maine National Guard.[12] By 1945 the fort was replaced by the 16-inch Battery Steele on Peaks Island and a few other more recent batteries. Fort Williams received its last guns in 1943, in the form of four 90 mm dual-purpose guns of Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery (AMTB) 961, the emplacements for two of which remain a bit south of the lighthouse.[4][1] With little threat to the East Coast from surface ships by 1944, the coast defenses were drawn down and the Coast Artillery regiments reduced to battalions or their personnel were reassigned.[13] In January 1950, with the dissolution of the Coast Artillery Corps, Fort Williams' mission was officially changed from a harbor defense post to a logistical and administrative support installation for all military units and personnel in the State of Maine.

Radar station[edit]

In 1950-51 Fort Williams hosted a station of the Air Defense Command's Lashup Radar Network. The station was called Site L-2 and had a TPS-1B radar operated by the 657th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron from January–September 1951.[14] The radar station was deactivated in October 1951 and Fort Williams became an Air National Guard training site.[15] Other Air Force units stationed at Fort Williams included the 127th AC&W Squadron September 1951-September 1953 and the 677th AC&W Squadron September 1953-April 1954.[1][16][17]

Closure[edit]

On Saturday, June 30, 1962, Fort Williams officially closed and was turned over to the General Services Administration to be sold. The property was sold to the Town of Cape Elizabeth on December 1, 1964. Many of the fort's buildings were gradually torn down, though several structures remain, either intact or as preserved ruins. Most of the concrete bunkers and gun emplacements were backfilled, although Batteries Keyes, Hobart, and Garesche survive relatively intact, and the outlines of all the other emplacements are preserved on the surface. One of the two emplacements of Battery Blair was recently partly unearthed again, with its upper surfaces cleaned and painted and interpretive signage added; plans are being made to restore Blair's second emplacement in like manner.[18]

Present[edit]

After proposals ranging from a Coastal Science Park to low-income housing, the Cape Elizabeth Town Council designated Fort Williams on July 23, 1979, as Fort Williams Park. The park has been maintained for residents and non-residents for a small parking fee. Recreational facilities include two tennis courts, a basketball court, baseball diamond, a course for physical fitness, picnic tables and cookout facilities, a picnic shelter, a children's garden, and recreational opportunities for walking, running, and dogwalking. All visitors to Portland Head Light pass through the park, adding to its visibility. The Beach to Beacon 10K is one of the park's largest events of the year.

See also[edit]

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Casco Bay

Port of Portland (Maine)

Seacoast defense in the United States

United States Army Coast Artillery Corps

List of coastal fortifications of the United States

References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Fort Williams article at FortWiki.com. Retrieved 22 March 2015.

2. ^ Berhow, pp. 346-367

3. ^ Berhow, pp. 336-345

4. ^ a b c d Berhow, p. 202

5. ^ US Army Railway Artillery in WWI

6. ^ History of the Coast Artillery Corps in WWI

7. ^ FortWiki article on Biddeford Pool Military Reservation

8. ^ FortWiki article on Fort Baldwin

9. ^ Biddeford Pool Military Reservation at FortWiki.com

10. ^ Clay 2010a, p. 360.

11. ^ "U.S.Navy Activities World War II by State". U.S. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 2012-03-07.

12. ^ Berhow, pp. 467-471

13. ^ Stanton, Shelby L. (1991). World War II Order of Battle. Galahad Books. pp. 456, 470, 489. ISBN 0-88365-775-9.

14. ^ Lashup Radar Network at Radomes.org

15. ^ Fort Williams Lashup station at Radomes.org

16. ^ Lashup Radar System at FortWiki

17. ^ Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. pp. 67, 95, 99, 157.

18. ^ Murphy, Edward D. (December 2, 2011). "History buried at Fort Williams Park". Portland Press-Herald. Retrieved 1 September 2012.

Berhow, Mark A., Ed. (2004). American Seacoast Defenses, A Reference Guide, Second Edition. CDSG Press. ISBN 0-9748167-0-1.

Clay, Lt. Col. Steven E. (2010a). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Volume I. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations. Command and General Staff College, Kansas: Combat Studies Institute Press. - Public Domain - United States Government

Lewis, Emanuel Raymond (1979). Seacoast Fortifications of the United States. Annapolis: Leeward Publications. ISBN 978-0-929521-11-4.

United States Army (1941). Harbor Defenses of Portland, 1941: pictorial history. World War Regimental Histories. 99. Atlanta, GA: Army-Navy Publications.

External links[edit]

Official websites

"Fort Williams Park". Town of Cape Elizabeth - Fort Williams Park.

"Portland Head Light". Portland Head Light.

"Fort Williams Park Foundation". Fort Williams Park Foundation.

Related websites

1929 film of mine planting operations in the Harbor Defenses of Portland, Maine

List of all US coastal forts and batteries at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website

American Forts Network, lists forts in the US, former US territories, Canada, and Central America

FortWiki, lists most CONUS and Canadian forts

FortWiki article on Fort Williams

Gun types at FortWiki

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
10-inch disappearing gun at Fort Casey, Washington state, similar to those at Fort Williams.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home wdd 2022-02-10T19:05:50+00:00

General Information

Palace Playland is a five-acre family amusement park featuring 28 Rides and Maine’s Largest Arcade.

Find out more inside

Guest Services

Have questions about Permitted Items, Payment at our Ticket booths or other questions?

Click here for answers on hot topics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Palace Playland | Rides and Amusement for the Young & the Thrill Seekers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Palace Playland. Rides and amusement for the young and the thrill seekers. Arcade including modern, skeeball, photobooths and vintage games... Rides for kids and families, coasters and thrill rides... And many more attractions to enjoy. Come and visit us at Old Orchard Beach, ME.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Palace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902.

In the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round. Simple summer refreshments were served, such as lemonade and salt water taffy.

In the 1950s, Palace Playland was operated by future banker and philanthropist Bernard Osher, a Maine native.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Palace Playland was noted for operating a 1910 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel, PTC #19; however, in 1996, the valuable antique was withdrawn from service and moved to Ohio.

In the 1990s, Palace Playland claimed to be "New England's largest pinball and video arcade." A guidebook writer recommended the park to "aficionados of the garish."

In the 2010s, Palace Playland describes itself as "New England's Only Beachfront Amusement Park." In 2010-11, the park tore down and replaced its Ferris wheel. The Playland has positioned itself as a provider of amusement-park-experience services to French-speaking residents of Quebec, including offering a webpage in French. In 2018, Palace Playland opened another new roller coaster known as the "Sea Viper" replacing the "Galaxi". In April 2020, Palace Playland implemented a cashless card system for its arcade.

Palace Playland is located directly on the waterfront, across Maine State Route 9 from the Old Orchard Beach Downeaster passenger railroad station.

2018

Preston & Babieri

Users board a cart resembling a sea snake. Then, passengers whip around sharp turns and steep gradients at high speeds. Replaced the former Galaxi coaster and partially sits on a 1-acre expansion

2018

SBF Visa Group

Added alongside Sea Viper part of a $4 million expansion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Palace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902. In the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round. Simple summer refreshments were served, such as lemonade and salt water taffy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you ever seen nearly 40,000 tulips, hyacinth, and narcissus burst forth from the soil into fields of rich color in the spring? You can experience this amazing site at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens just minutes from our inn. Visiting the gardens is the TripAdvisor #1 Thing to Do in Boothbay and an activity you don't want to miss! When you visit, you can easily spend an afternoon enjoying the blooms, plus so much more.

Visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is just one great thing to do on a Boothbay Harbor, ME, vacation. Request a copy of our FREE Vacation Guide to the area for more information about dining, shopping, entertainment, and more!

About the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is located in Boothbay, which is a little over 3 miles from us at Topside Inn. It was founded by 7 individuals who saw a need to "protect, preserve, and enhance the botanical heritage and natural landscapes of coastal Maine for people of all ages through horticulture, education, and research." It took years of planning to make the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens come to life but since it opened in 2007, it has quickly become one of the most popular attractions here in Maine. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens started with 128 acres of land and now is up to 240 acres in size.

Activities at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

After one trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, it will be easy to see why they are so highly rated. The gardens are open May through October and offer an amazing place to spend the day. Gardeners have planted 38,000 flowering bulbs that begin to show in early May. This amazing springtime display is one you don't want to miss!

Check Online to See What Is In Bloom

Of course, one of the most popular attractions is seeing the blooming flowers. But, before you go, it is a good idea to do some planning. First, you should check to see what is in bloom using the helpful What's In Bloom? page of the website. The website also offers a neat tool called Florafind. This tool will show you what's in bloom for a specific time period. The website also features a lovely garden map which will help you find your way all over the property.

Admire the Permanent Sculptures

Besides strolling through the gardens, there are more things to see and to learn. Another interesting thing to see is the permanent sculptures collection at the gardens . Through generous donations, these great pieces of art can be seen throughout the gardens. If there is one, in particular, you want to see, the best way to locate is through Florafind.

Participate in Garden Programs

As mentioned before, one of the missions at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to help protect, preserve and enhance and the best way to do all of that is through education. There are wonderful educational programs for adults at the gardens. Their seminars can be anything from design to the seasons, as well as help in your own gardens.

Take a Boat Tour

If you would like to see another side of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, another option for you is to go to the gardens by boat. You'll find river cruises, and kayaking tours that are a great way to see the gardens in a new way.

Attend Gardens Aglow

If you miss the amazing blooms on display in the spring, the winter holiday season is another excellent time to visit the gardens. Each year, Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens offers a dazzling display of festive lights. From mid-November through the end of December, you can take a magical walk through the gardens encompassed by innumerable glittering and twinkling lights.

Explore the Gardens and Stay with Us!

When you come to visit the gardens, consider staying with us at Topside Inn! When you do, you will enjoy the perks of being one of our guests. Every Topside Inn guest can receive tickets to spend a day at the gardens at a discounted cost! Our property has 3 separate buildings filled with luxurious guest rooms ready for you. is decorated in a simple and classic Maine style that will allow you to relax instantly. Many of our rooms boast fantastic views of the water and each of them features all the modern amenities you're looking for in a home away from home. Each morning with us, you'll enjoy a delightful breakfast to get your day started right. Learn more about our inn today. Then, contact to start planning your next trip to Maine!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why You Need to See the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - Topside Inn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you ever seen nearly 40,000 tulips, hyacinth, and narcissus burst forth from the soil into fields of rich color in the spring? You can experience this amazing site at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens just minutes from our inn. Visiting the gardens is the TripAdvisor #1 Thing to Do in Boothbay and an activity you don't want to miss!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A People's Garden

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a people's garden, a grassroots effort that began as a casual conversation between friends and evolved into the largest botanical garden in New England. Located on more than 300 acres along the MidCoast, the Gardens is a true Maine experience.

The Gardens is open rain or shine. For this reason, we recommend waiting until closer to your arrival date to purchase tickets.

Garden Expectations

We thank you for following our garden etiquette during your visit for the safety and enjoyment of all guests. We reserve the right to remove any individuals who act in violation of our policies and guidelines.

We do not allow pets or therapy animals at the Gardens. Pets cannot be left in your vehicle in the parking lots. We allow service animals, as protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Local pet outfitter Two Salty Dogs has information about dog-sitting and other services in the region: TwoSaltyDogs.Net.

We do not tolerate acts or symbols of hate or discrimination at the Gardens. We welcome all people at the Gardens.

Children must be supervised at all times.

Please be respectful of our gardens and spaces - walk only on paths or lawns, and leave all plants, including flowers and mushrooms, and wildlife undisturbed. Tripods, strollers and other equipment must be kept out of garden beds.

Smoking or vaping is prohibited throughout the Gardens.

Do not climb on the Gardens' sculpture.

Please note that, by entering, you grant permission for us to use your image for promotional purposes.

Gates are locked at closing. Exit the Gardens before the posted closing time.

What To Bring

Camera

Take your memories home with you-take plenty of photos to share. #MaineGardens

Accessibility

Our buildings and central gardens are ADA compliant, making them fully wheelchair and stroller accessible. The terrain in the remainder of the campus varies - the paths range from pavers and compacted-gravel walkways to trails through wooded areas. Our shuttle runs continuously throughout the day; please check with the front desk upon arrival for a map of shuttle stop locations.

Electric Scooters & Wheelchairs

Electric scooters are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis at the front desk in the Visitor Center. Rentals are $8 for nonmembers and $6 for members. We also have wheelchairs available at no charge, on a first-come, first-served basis - simply ask at the front desk when checking in. For more information, call our offices at (207) 633-8000, or visit the front desk in the Visitor Center.

Accessible Cart Tour

Our one-hour accessible cart tours are led by trained Gardens' docents, rain or shine, on our quiet electric cart. The cart can accommodate up to five (5) people. Seating preference is decided on a first-come-first-served basis. These tours are a wonderful opportunity for those who may not otherwise be able to walk the Gardens.

Tours are offered daily from June 7 through October 17. The fee for the tour is $10 per person, except on Wednesdays when the accessible cart tours are free.

Registration is required ahead of time on our website. Admission to the Gardens is not included in the cost of the tour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plan Your Visit | Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a people's garden, a grassroots effort that began as a casual conversation between friends and evolved into the largest botanical garden in New England. Located on more than 300 acres along the MidCoast, the Gardens is a true Maine experience. The Gardens is open rain or shine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Flagstaff Lake is located in Somerset County and Franklin County, Maine, in the United States. The North Branch Dead River and South Branch Dead River join in the lake, forming the Dead River.

The lake's surface area is 20,300 acres (82 km ²), and it has a storage capacity of about 275,482 acre-feet. It is extremely shallow (more so during drought years). Its deepest point is 48 feet (15 m). Landlocked salmon and brook trout can be caught. Some points on the lake are very marshy and have to be negotiated with a canoe or kayak; even then, wading may be necessary in the marshy areas to get through to the rest of the lake.

Bigelow Mountain Range overlooks from the lake's southern shore, which makes the lake popular for outdoor activities. The lake is mostly undeveloped with relatively few boats and is optimal for kayaking.

Flagstaff Lake was a smaller natural lake when the Long Falls Dam impounded the Dead River in 1950, enlarging the lake and turning it into a reservoir used for hydropower electricity production by regulating the flow of the Dead River into the Kennebec River. At the time, the river drive was still a primary means of delivering timber to the pulp mills downstream. Improved highways and the trucking industry have replaced the river drive.

Construction was controversial dating back to 1923, pitting the president of Central Maine Power Company, Walter Wyman, against state legislator and future Maine governor Percival Proctor Baxter. Flagstaff Lake occupies parts of the abandoned and now submerged townships of Flagstaff, Bigelow, Dead River and Carrying Place.

The dam is 45 feet high, 1339 feet long at its crest, and consists of a 450-foot concrete spillway, a 125-foot-long concrete section containing five 20-foot-wide Tainter gates, a 70-foot-long concrete section containing two Broome gates, and a log sluice, and a 694-foot-long earthen dike. The dam is owned and operated by Brookfield Renewable Energy , but no electricity is generated here. The dam is operated to regulate and augment flows that are used by eight downstream mainstem Kennebec River hydropower projects, and to control flooding.[citation needed ]

A mid-air collision occurred over the lake during a United States Air Force exercise on the evening of 3 November 1959. A Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star simulated an enemy aircraft approaching from the east while ground-controlled interception directed Convair F-102 Delta Daggers of the 37th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from Burlington International Airport to intercept it. One of the F-102s pressed a simulated firing run too close as the interception occurred over the lake, and the F-102 delta wing cut the tail off the T-33. The T-33 crew ejected successfully, but the rear seat crewman died when he became tangled in his parachute and landed upside down near the front section of the T-33. The front half of the T-33 was discovered in 1959, and the back half was discovered a few years later. The F-102 aircraft was discovered in Flagstaff Lake in 1979, but the pilot was never found.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flagstaff Lake is located in Somerset County and Franklin County, Maine, in the United States. The North Branch Dead River and South Branch Dead River join in the lake, forming the Dead River. The lake's surface area is 20,300 acres (82 km 2), and it has a storage capacity of about 275,482 acre-feet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The US State of Maine, on the eastern seaboard up towards Canada, can have some fairly severe winters.

This means that, in some ways, locals and visitors will enjoy its beaches in the warm months of summer even more than they otherwise would.

Maine has a good tourist trade, despite competition from warmer parts of the States.

Visitors are attracted by the lovely natural environment, with both wide open spaces and extensive woods.

It has a rich maritime history and a rocky coastline, interspersed with gorgeous beaches.

There are many outdoor activities to enjoy in this small State and the 15 Best Beaches in Maine are some of the places to get the best out of a holiday break.

1. Sandy Beach, Arcadia National Park

Sandy Beach within Acadia National Park is a small stretch of sand on what is otherwise a rocky coastline.

It is situated between Great Head and Gorham Mountain and is a rare find because the sand is pink.

It has been created by shells that have been pulverized by the power of the sea.

Children will love the park as a place to explore, and the pink sand definitely adds to the whole setting.

It can get busy too, so early morning and late afternoon are good times to visit.

Beware, the water is cold, so a little wading is all that you may decide to do.

2. Old Orchard Beach, Old Orchard

This crowded beach is not for everyone, but on either side of this 11-kilometer stretch of sand are quieter alternatives.

There is an amusement park close to the beach, every kind of refreshment from pizzas and fries to fried dough, and a historic pier.

By night, the bars are just as busy.

You can easily part with your money - you even have to pay for using the toilets! However, there is nothing to prevent you from just sitting on the beach and watching the world go by - but you may find you would like somewhere quieter to do it.

3. Long Sands Beach York

This 2.4-kilometer stretch of sand is especially popular at low tide, when there is a vast area for building castles - although they won't last long - flying kites and playing games.

At high tide, there is just a short strip of beach left, but it still a place where visitors will enjoy themselves.

Surfers tend to pick the time when the tide turns to ride the waves at their best.

There is a good infrastructure behind the beach, with meter parking, shops, restaurants, and accommodation.

There is also a lighthouse nearby which is worth a visit.

4. Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth

Families cannot help but enjoy this crescent-shaped stretch of beach - 1.6-kilometers of fun, with dunes at the rear and gentle waves that pose no danger to children.

There are lifeguards in attendance as a precaution.

Add a picnic area in the shade, toilets, and a snack bar as well.

Its length encourages walkers to go from end to end, and kite flyers enjoy it without interfering with anyone else's enjoyment.

Lobster boats are tied up in Kettle Cove towards Richmond Island when they are not working; what else would you have for lunch and dinner when they are so fresh?

5. Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit

The indigenous Abenaki people gave the name Ogunquit to this place; it translates to "beautiful place by the sea". It is a stretch of sand more than 5-kilometers long, with dunes and seagrasses making it a lovely subject for landscape painters in the late 19th Century.

It was these artists whose work spread the word about Ogunquit.

At low tide, you can explore its rock pools and sandbars.

A word of warning - the tidal river behind the beach produces strong currents as the tide comes in and virtually none of the beach is left exposed.

6. Scarborough Beach State Park, Scarborough

Scarborough Beach has been captured many times on canvas by American artist Winslow Homer.

It is a long stretch of sand with dunes behind and a sea that sometimes has strong currents - and it is truly cold! There are lifeguards in attendance to look out for swimmers in trouble and you would be advised only to swim in close proximity to them.

You can rent boards, chairs, and umbrellas, with food also available at the Shack.

An ancient battle site is found here - Massacre Pond - where settlers and newcomers fought in 1703; 20 of the 21 settlers were killed in the skirmish.

7. Willard Beach, South Portland

Willard Beach in South Portland has a rocky seafloor that will discourage you from walking in the waves without any footwear, but that is its only drawback.

It covers four acres between Fisherman's Point and Southern Maine Community College.

Some islands lie offshore, and the sea traffic includes ferries, fishing boats, cruise ships and commercial traffic.

There is a play area, café, restrooms with showers, and parking for 75 vehicles - more parking is available a little further away if it is busy on a hot day.

The sea may be cold but the area is nevertheless popular.

8. Higgins Beach, Scarborough

Higgins Beach is close to a residential neighborhood.

Outside of the height of summer, surfers enjoy warmer waters; they are allowed in summer before crowds arrive - late morning and early evening.

Sunbathers can relax on the kilometer stretch of lovely white sand, while fishermen hunt the striped bass.

There is a historic shipwreck in the sand which children love to explore.

There are no lifeguards or food options but there are restrooms.

Parking is limited unless you are renting accommodation nearby.

The existing parking lot closes at 5 pm, which is why crowds tend to depart by then, leaving the beach to the surfers.

9. Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport

This stretch of sand - over 5-kilometers - is particularly good at low tide, when visitors can comb the sands for treasures that the tide has left behind.

There are seals offshore and you can sit back at the local beach club, glass in hand, and watch a lovely sunset.

The downside to Goose Rocks is the limited parking - and you need a permit to park here.

Avoid parking in areas where it is not permitted because locals earn nothing from you.

There are no facilities available, although the beach club has toilets - for customers of course.

10. Short Sands, York

This beach is not a place that you should go if you want quiet time.

In school break, it is a place where families regularly congregate and teenagers inhabit the boardwalk.

Occasionally, this beach has been prone to storms which can take away surface sand.

When that happens, it reveals an old Revolutionary War Sloop that has lain there for many years.

It was first revealed in 1958 and then again in 1978, but there is little information on its history and how long it has been there.

Once the storms die down, the sand returns.

11. Reid State Park, Georgetown

The Georgetown Peninsula, north of Bath, is a nature lover's dream - salt marshes, a lagoon with a tidal river, rocky headlands, dunes and sandy beaches.

It is a great deal for the eye to take in and plenty to explore.

It is unspoiled and home to soaring bald eagles and ospreys.

Wander along the sand and explore the tidal beaches - it's great fun.

You won't find any cafes, so bring your own food because there are toilets and picnic tables.

At the end of a busy day, head for a lobster shack on your way home.

12. Ferry Beach, Scarborough

Ferry Beach looks out on to the Scarborough River Channel and is sheltered from the force of the Ocean by the jetty on the side of the channel.

It is known locally as ''Mother's Beach'' because it attracts women with babies and small children at different times of the day.

The tide is gentle and that attracts hermit crabs that children love - they are too fast to catch by even the fastest kids.

There are no lifeguards, picnic facilities or cafes but sufficient parking can be found to the right of the beach.

13. Pine Point

Pine Point is on the opposite side of the Scarborough River Channel from Ferry Beach.

It stretches all the way to Old Orchard Beach and attracts surfers and fishermen, who cast from the sands.

Surfers should have their boards attached to them on a line up to 10-feet long.

The water is not very warm, but you would not expect that anyway up in Maine.

The beach is open from sunrise to sunset and while there are no lifeguards, there are restrooms and a concession stand.

There is local parking for those using the beach.

14. Laudholm Beach, Wells

The beach in this reserve in Wells benefits from being a hike away.

That is, if you want a relatively quiet spot.

The visitor's center will give you a map to help you find your way.

Passing some swamp land, you will find a stretch of beach, 1.5-kilometers long with dunes at the rear.

There is a national wildlife reserve nearby which has attracted a great deal of birdlife for visitors to enjoy.

A day here, combining time just relaxing on the quiet sands with taking in the natural environment and its treasures, is a great experience.

15. Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg

Erosion has been an issue on this stretch of sand at the point where the Kennebec River meets the sea.

Storms have reduced the size of the dunes and the volume of sand, but at low tide there are still huge stretches of sand to walk on.

You need to know the times of the tide when you come here because there will be virtually no sand at all at high tide.

The sandbar and Rocky Island are accessible at low tide but don't get caught out by the tide turning.

There are toilets on site but no cafes.

Sandy Beach, Arcadia National Park

Old Orchard Beach, Old Orchard

Long Sands Beach York

Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth

Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit

Scarborough Beach State Park, Scarborough

Willard Beach, South Portland

Higgins Beach, Scarborough

Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport

Short Sands, York

Reid State Park, Georgetown

Ferry Beach, Scarborough

Pine Point

Laudholm Beach, Wells

Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Best Beaches in Maine - The Crazy Tourist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The US State of Maine, on the eastern seaboard up towards Canada, can have some fairly severe winters. This means that, in some ways, locals and visitors will enjoy its beaches in the warm months of summer even more than they otherwise would. Maine has a good tourist trade, despite competition from warmer parts of the States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Written by Alison Abbott
Updated Jun 23, 2021

We may earn a commission from affiliate links ()

When you think of Maine, the most northern state in the east, most people would be surprised to learn it boasts more coastline than California. However, granite rocks and windswept pines scenically line most of that mileage, making water access difficult. The coveted 70 miles of sandy shores are properly enjoyed and treasured by all who make the trip north.

Inviting, crystal-clear waters will ease any hesitation to dip into what can be frosty temperatures.

Maritime history in the Pine Tree State is everywhere, as are an abundance of picturesque lighthouses and seafood shanties. It won't take visitors long to appreciate what a unique coastal destination Maine's beaches offer. With more than 5,000 miles of shoreline, visitors can rest assured that they will be able to find a wide variety of beach experiences.

Jewel-like coves; craggy, impressive cliffs; and some of the top sandy beaches in the United States make for an unforgettable vacation in Maine. Find the top areas to relax by the sea with our list of the best beaches in Maine.

Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.

1. Kennebunk Beach

While the Kennebunks might be well-known for their shopping, this area can also boast about some beautiful beaches. Kennebunk Beach, aka Mother's Beach, is a short and sandy section with protected waters and awesome views. The sand here is a good example of the concept of sand as talcum powder - soft and gentle on the feet.

The ribbons of beaches all connect to one another. Stickers are required from June thru September and can be obtained at Town Hall. Amenities are few, but there are portable toilets and seasonal lifeguards. Children will enjoy the new playground. Dogs are welcome on the beach off-season before 9am and after 5pm, and must be under the control of their owners. Make sure to check the calendar for different activities and festivals taking place throughout the year.

The Kennebunks are renowned for their fantastic bed-and-breakfast accommodations. Combining history and charm, , , and are a few favorites that also offer sumptuous breakfasts, keeping guests returning year after year.

The is an excellent option for families or those looking for an extra-special getaway, offering an astounding range of on-site activities and amenities. The resort has an outdoor heated pool equipped with kids' toys and a fence for safety, as well as a kids' club so parents can enjoy a little time to themselves. There is on-site entertainment and dining, and the resort is close to Dock Square; a free shuttle to area attractions is also available for guests, as well as trolley and boat tours.

Address: Beach Avenue, Near Routes 9 & 35, Kennebunk, Maine

2. Wells Beach

Sandwiched between the Wells Beach Jetty and Crescent Beach, this 1.5-mile stretch of sand on the coast of Southern Maine is a postcard-worthy version of what comes to mind with the thought of a traditional New England beach experience. Seagrass and dunes act as a buffer from Atlantic Avenue. The tidal pools and marshes offer wonderful spots for kids' exploration, and the jetty is a popular spot for anglers. The beauty and location of this area makes it popular in the off-season as well.

Adventurers who like to get on the water will find access for kayaks and boats in the area. Free parking can be found at the end of Mile Road, and closer to the beach are some private homes and resorts offering parking for a fee. Amenities include restroom facilities, a snack bar, and gift shops, as well as an arcade and a few restaurants.

Adjacent Moody, Crescent, and Drake's Islands provide additional options along this stretch of Southern Maine. Nearby, golf courses are plentiful, and lighthouse boat tours are also available.

Address: Atlantic Ave., Wells Beach, Wells, Maine

3. Sand Beach, Acadia National Park

The granite and spruce islands of Acadia National Park make it a top selection for visitors who love the outdoors. In addition to amazing hiking trails with scenic views that can reach into Canada, Sand Beach is a desirable spot tucked into a small bay off Mount Desert Island.

Shells smoothed by years of pounding surf replace sand in most parts, and temperatures in the salty water can be frigid. The beach is just shy of 1,000 feet, with access through the park entrance. A lifeguard is on duty during the summer season, and restrooms and changing rooms are on-site. Oceanside trails follow the cliffs close by the beach for some dramatic views, and a shuttle bus offers access to different drop-off points.

While there are no hotels directly in the park, the closest, , is two miles away in Northeast Harbor. Don't miss the nearby Asticou Azalea Garden and the inn's popovers. In addition, the offers a pool and Frenchman's Bay views. is good value for families, quietly removed from the crowds of Bar Harbor and offering free parking and Wi-Fi, as well as pet-friendly rooms.

Address: Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, Maine

4. Crescent Beach, Cape Elizabeth

The aptly named Crescent Beach is one of Maine's prettiest spots. Along with the sandy oceanfront and saltwater coves, there are hiking trails along the water's edge and excellent facilities for lovers of water sports. Fishing, birdwatching, and of course, sunbathing are favorite activities.

The dunes, dotted with seagrass, frame the picnic areas and there is a snackbar and restroom facilities. During low tide, visitors can make their way out to Richmond Island. Portland Paddle offers SUP rentals and sea kayak tours from the beach. There is a fee to enter the park, and if you're a family and will be visiting many Maine State Parks, a yearly pass is a good idea.

The splurge-worthy is a pet-friendly beach resort with all the bells and whistles. Choose from rooms in the main building or suites with kitchenettes and porch balconies. The spa and Sea Glass restaurant offer an elegant menu of the best local fresh ingredients. Venturing into Portland, about five miles away, good value can be found at the and .

Address: 66 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

5. Ogunquit Beach

Native Americans properly named the Ogunquit area beautiful place by the sea. About 3.5 miles of coastline stretches along the Atlantic, where the Ogunquit River meets the ocean. Often rated in lists of top beaches around the country, this white sandy stretch, where shallow waters and sandbars are the norm, can get very crowded in the summer. Make plans to arrive early and park yourself for a day of sunshine and fun. The mild surf makes it a great location for families.

6. Old Orchard Beach

History and tradition mark the nostalgic vibe at Maine's Old Orchard Beach. Welcoming visitors for more than 170 years, this seven-mile stretch offers beachgoers the only beachfront amusement park in New England. Sitting on four acres of prime property, Palace Playland Park features a Ferris wheel, a huge arcade, and more than 20 rides for both children and the young at heart.

While Mother Nature has taken her toll on the different restored versions of the park, the rebuilt pier stretches out 500 feet into the Atlantic Ocean and is the center of family fun. Fireworks light the sky at least once a week (check the calendar), and lifeguards are on duty during the season.

Nearby, you can find whale watching or bird-watching tours. Golf is available at the Dunegrass Club. Amtrak offers the convenient Downeaster to avoid traffic and deliver you within steps of the beach after a relaxing journey to the shore.

Address: Seaside Avenue, Old Orchard Beach, Maine

7. Popham Beach, Phippsburg

Many call Popham beach one of the most undeveloped beaches in Maine. From year to year, the shifting sands change the shoreline, but never the beauty of this beach. The three-mile sweep of sand is an unspoiled paradise for summer visitors. Surfers and strong swimmers are lured by the rolling waves, but caution is urged of the area's strong current and occasional riptide.

At low tide, tourists can make their way to the nearby Fox Island; just take care to watch the timing of the incoming tide. This scenic spot is a beach to suit many different interests.

Nearby in Sebasco Estates, the has water views and a wide range of activities for the entire family, including a golf course, tennis courts, outdoor pool, boating, fishing, and hiking. There is also a kids' club and babysitting available, perfect for when the grown-ups want to get pampered at the on-site spa.

Address: 10 Perkins Farm Lane, Phippsburg, Maine

8. Higgins Beach, Scarborough

Care for a shipwreck with your beach experience? You'll want to head to Higgins Beach for an unusual scenic display in the sand that makes for a great photo op. At low tide, this historic spot is complete with the skeleton of a boat exposed directly in the sand. Located at the end of a charming residential summer neighborhood, Higgins is well-known for warmer water temperatures, a surfer vibe, and good fishing. A short drive away are two state parks, as well as great settings for kayaking.

Address: Bayview Avenue, Scarborough, Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Top-Rated Beaches in Maine | PlanetWare

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Written by Alison Abbott Updated Jun 23, 2021 We may earn a commission from affiliate links () When you think of Maine, the most northern state in the east, most people would be surprised to learn it boasts more coastline than California. However, granite rocks and windswept pines scenically line most of that mileage, making water access difficult.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Visit Portland | Travel Planning | Official Tourism Website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Visit Portland

The official site for the Greater Portland region of Maine. Find places to stay, things to do, restaurants, shops, group meeting services, venues, and much more.

Search

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Outdoor Adventures | Nature + Recreation | Visit Portland

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whitewater rafting, camping, fishing and hunting trips - on the water or on land - find a variety of outdoor adventures in Maine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Camping is practically synonymous with Maine - those who love the idea of sleeping out under the stars and the sound of the wind in the trees to lull you to sleep know that Maine is where it's at for camping.

People like to ask: What are the best campgrounds in Maine? With Maine's 12 state park campgrounds, Acadia National Park and nearly 200 licensed campgrounds, you have excellent camping options across the state, from Aroostook County to southern Maine and from tent camping to RV camping. At most campgrounds, both public and private, activities like hiking, biking and even rock climbing are close by. And, of course, there are many campgrounds in Maine on the ocean.

At some campgrounds, you can truly rough it - no Wi-Fi (or even cell service) - such as at Baxter State Park, a true wilderness area, where you hike in with all your supplies. Or you can try glamping, like at Sandy Pines Campground, and choose from a variety of glamping options, including Conestoga wagons and safari tents. For a list of private campgrounds in Maine, visit CampMaine.com.

Family-Friendly Camping

Twelve of Maine's State Parks offer family camping facilities. There's the dramatic coastal Cobscook Bay State Park in Down East Maine, as well as the picturesque Mount Blue State Park in central Maine. Way up north on Moosehead Lake, Lily Bay offers great camping spots, walking trails and an opportunity to fish Maine's largest lake. The campground setup is just as inviting at Rangeley Lake in western Maine and Sebago Lake in the southern part of the state.

Camping by Location

Southern Maine

Sebago Lake State Park and Bradbury Mountain State Park offer camping in southern Maine.

Western Lakes & Mountains Region

Visitors can camp at Rangeley Lake State Park and Mount Blue State Park.

Central Maine

Lake St. George State Park is in the central part of the state.

Midcoast & Islands Region

Camden Hills State Park and Warren Island State Park are in the Midcoast region.

DownEast & Acadia

The DownEast coast is home to Lamoine State Park and Cobscook Bay State Park, as well as Acadia National Park.

Northern Maine

Northern Maine has camping at Lily Bay, Peaks-Kenny and Aroostook State Park.

Tent Camping

At many state parks, there are sites for tents, small trailers and large motor homes. Amenities include hot showers and wheelchair-accessible washrooms, dumping stations, drinking water, picnic tables, fire rings, group campsites, boat launches and firewood for sale. Camping reservations can be made online by calling the Bureau of Parks and Lands campground reservations call center, or by postal mail.

Where is the best tent camping in Maine?

Where to begin? Because great tent camping options in Maine are practically limitless. Campgrounds in Bar Harbor, Maine, are always a favorite of tent campers. Same with Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Camping, and Riverbend Campground. We could go on forever. The good times and great tent camping experiences sure will.

RV Camping

There are numerous RV campgrounds in Maine that offer great locations and amenities for your home on wheels. Many are within a flip-flop walk of Maine's spectacular beaches. It's the comforts of home, with views you won't find anywhere else.

Where are the best RV campgrounds in Maine?

You really can't go wrong at any of Maine's RV campgrounds. Here are a few to get your motor running. Paradise Park Resort Campground, a short stroll from Old Orchard Beach. Searsport Shores Ocean Campground, with private beachfront. Timberland Acres RV Park in Ellsworth, just 15 minutes from Acadia National Park.

Additional Inspiration: 10 Maine Destinations to See in an RV.

Look Out for ME Campgrounds Tips

Defecate respectfully. When nature calls, pick a spot at least 100 feet off the trail or away from a body of water, and bury your poop at least six inches deep.

Avoid spreading invasive species - don't transport firewood

Keep campfires within designated fire rings and always ensure the fire is completely put out before you leave

For more info on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, visit our Look Out for ME page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Campgrounds in Maine: Outdoor adventures near east coast lakes, saltwater beaches & the wilderness - Visit Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Camping is practically synonymous with Maine - those who love the idea of sleeping out under the stars and the sound of the wind in the trees to lull you to sleep know that Maine is where it's at for camping. People like to ask: What are the best campgrounds in Maine?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our Pick: Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg

Hermit Island Campground has 271 sites across half an island. Most accept small pop-up campers, but this is primarily a tenter's campground - no RVs or other campers that don't fold down. $45-$73, reservations essential. 207-443-2101. hermitisland.com. Photographed by Paul Fredericks.

It was past midnight when we drove into Hermit Island Campground and inched through darkness toward our campsite in our packed car: My parents up front, and my fully grown brothers and me squeezed into the back seat. We live all across the country now - in Massachusetts, New York, California - but a perfect alignment of schedules led us back to the 68-year-old campground on Casco Bay last August. It was the first time all five of us had been there in nearly a decade.

Hermit Island is a two-generation tradition for us. My father's family camped there in the late 1960s, and in 2001, he came back, married with kids of his own. It became a treasured, near-annual trip until my brothers and I started dispersing for college.

Upon our delayed return last summer, we slipped right into our familiar rhythm: Eat breakfast, then head to one of the seven sandy beaches accessible only to campers. Stay all day - reading, napping, swimming, snacking - until the light turns golden and shadows lengthen on the sand. Return to the campsite just before dark, then make dinner and start a fire. Fall asleep to the sound of waves and buoy bells. Wake up. Repeat.

Over the years, we've varied from this template, riding bikes through the campground or renting canoes and paddling in the surf. On my favorite days, we'd linger at the beach past dusk, until we had the place to ourselves.

My father says that Hermit Island has hardly changed since he was a kid, and this suspended-in-time quality is at the heart of the campground's charm. It's a place where generations of a family can grow to love the same vistas, campsites, and shoreline walks. It's a place where you can return, even after years away, to find each trail and cliff and beach just the way it lived in your memory. - Caroline Praderio

FOR THE RVers

Our Pick: Cathedral Pines Campground, Eustis

Until this summer, the only time I'd seen Flagstaff Lake was in 2015, while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. I'll never forget hearing the loons call as the sun set and the stars came out above the long silhouette of Bigelow Mountain. It was surreal to come back to that special place with my wife and our year-old daughter, Rosie, arriving with a trailer in tow for Rosie's first-ever camping trip. But as we pulled into Cathedral Pines Campground, I instantly felt the same feeling of awe I had when I first glimpsed Flagstaff Lake.

I took Rosie out of her car seat and pointed at the towering trees around us. The old-growth red pines are found throughout the campground and give the site its name. Rosie looked up and gaped, and I felt lucky to watch my child experience a place of beauty for the first time. We set up our camp chairs and made a fire, and Rosie sat in my lap, entranced by the dancing light.

Camping, I thought, looks different than it did when I was a dirtbag hiker, logging mile after mile, day after day. And it'll look different when Rosie's old enough to build sandcastles on the Cathedral Pines beach, or to run off to the rec hall for games and crafts, or to rent a canoe and spend the day on the water with friends. For now, though, camping means slowing down and appreciating what's in front of me - the fire, the pines, that same silhouette of Bigelow - and I wouldn't change it.

When we tucked Rosie into bed for the night, I flashed right back to 2015. Back when I was hiker trash, I dozed off to the loons on Flagstaff Lake. Now, my daughter was being soothed to sleep by the same beautiful melody. - Nicholas Reichard

4 MORE FOR RVrs

Mount Blue State Park
WELD

All 136 sites at this western Maine park are camper- and RV-friendly (though only a dozen have hookups), and every one is a short walk from the beach on Webb Lake. The park's 3,192-foot namesake and its neighboring hills make for quite a skyline on the lake's far side. It's a 15-minute drive to trailheads for both Mount Blue and for 3,054-foot Tumbledown Mountain, a classic Maine high-country hike. $20-$40. 207-585-2347. maine.gov/mountblue

Oceanfront Camping at Reach Knolls
BROOKLIN

The big draw at this 40-site mom-and-pop getaway is a secluded pebbly beach on Eggemoggin Reach, where campers are known to spot seals and porpoises. All sites have electricity (not water hookups, though) and access to showers and a dumping station. No playground, but kids congregate around a huge rope swing near the camp office. Oh, and you can order live lobsters delivered to your site. $29-$39. 207-359-5555. reachknolls.com

Shin Pond Village
MOUNT CHASE

Twenty minutes from the north entrances to Baxter State Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Shin Pond indeed feels like a village, with a busy store and restaurant, a boat launch on Lower Shin Pond, event spaces, and roomy campsites spread out across 100 acres. Lots of repeat visitors give the nearly 40-year-old campground a familial vibe. Shin Pond rents canoes and kayaks, plus state-of-the-art ATVs, and they'll happily orient campers to local trails. $23-$35. 207-528-2900. shinpond.com

Arndt's Aroostook River Lodge & Campground
PRESQUE ISLE

Across the street from Arndt's, the wide, mellow Aroostook River meanders through the wide-open Aroostook farm country, and the campground rents kayaks and canoes and offers shuttles for float trips. The 50-plus RV sites include pull-throughs accommodating the largest motorhomes, and every site has water and electricity (about half have sewer hookups). ATVers can access the County's vast trail system right from camp. Plus, an arcade and pool for the kids. $28-$40, with weekly rates available. arndtscamp.com

FOR THE BOATERS

Our Pick: Duck Harbor Campground, Isle Au Haut

Squeaker Cove, just over a mile by trail from Duck Harbor Campground. The campground has no electricity and minimal cell reception. Pack in food and pack out trash. $20, reservations essential. 207-288-3338. nps.gov/acad. Reservations at recreation.gov. Mailboat schedule at isleauhautferryservice.com. Photographed by Jerry Monkman.

Duck Harbor is closed this year, a smart response to COVID-19 on an island with an aging population and no medical facilities. But you weren't going to get a 2020 reservation by the time you read this anyway. The five-month season for the five lean-tos on a remote cove on Isle au Haut can book solid within hours of the National Park Service making sites available in April. I got one last year, so now I understand why.

About half of Isle au Haut is an outpost of Acadia National Park, and unless you have a boat, the only way to reach it is via mailboat from Stonington, an hour-long cruise past island after granite-fringed island. At the Isle au Haut town landing, the boat drops off locals, packages, pallets of supplies, and a few day hikers bound for the park's 18 miles of trails. Then, it cruises past Robinson Point Light and tucks into the narrow finger of Duck Harbor. I disembarked last September with a backpack and my 3-year-old, and we watched from the gangway as the mailboat puttered back into the open ocean and out of sight.

Then it was just us, cooking hot dogs and making fairy houses outside our wooden shelter, some 5 miles by road or trail from the island's meager population center. At Duck Harbor, you get the back-of-beyond feel with basic frontcountry perks: a roof over your head, potable water from a hand pump, clean privies, and free firewood - the latter two courtesy of NPS rangers on site during the day. So instead of splitting wood and filtering water and digging catholes, you can concentrate on exploring.

Which is what we did, watching waves crash against bluffs along the Cliff Trail, poking at crabs in tide pools at Deep Cove, eating candy bars on a Wentworth Mountain outcrop. At night, we watched fireflies flicker around our fairy houses and filled out the Junior Ranger activity book. Days later, boarding the mailboat for home, my son showed everyone his badge. - Brian Kevin

5 MORE FOR BOATERS

Whaleboat Island
CASCO BAY

One of more than 300 islands protected and stewarded by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Whaleboat is Casco Bay's largest undeveloped island, with two first-come, first-serve campsites and a reservation-only group site, less than a mile off the western tip of Harpswell Neck. Whaleboat is bedecked with beach roses and lovely in its windswept spareness, with a long coastline of stony beaches and ledges to explore. Get a permit from the Maine Forest Service (800-750-9777) to use the fire pits. Free. 207-729-7366. mcht.org

Stephen Phillips Memorial Preserve Wilderness Camping
RANGELEY PLANTATION

Nearly 70 primitive sites on the islands and remote shores of Mooselookmeguntic Lake, most with paddle-in access only, requiring anywhere from a few minutes in the boat to long open-water crossings. The preserve, run by a charitable trust, rents canoes and sells firewood at its mainland office, but don't expect a stocked camp store, showers, or other luxuries. Each site has a picnic table, a fire pit, access to an outhouse, and some of Maine's best potential for moose-spotting. $20 for up to two people, $10 for each extra adult, $5 for kids and dogs. 207-864-2003. stephenphillipswildernesscamping.com

Warren Island State Park
PENOBSCOT BAY

Tucked in next to Islesboro, 70-acre Warren Island is a serene spot for admiring shorebirds, ospreys, tall-masted schooners, and the far-off Camden Hills. You're on your own to reach the island's nine campsites and three Adirondack shelters, but it's just a ¼-mile paddle from the Islesboro ferry landing, and you can bring kayaks over on the car ferry from Lincolnville (but only atop a car, ironically, which you'll leave on Islesboro). Otherwise, Lincolnville's Quicksilver water taxi offers $150 charter shuttles. $15-$25. 207-446-7090. maine.gov/warrenisland

Marshall Island
JERICHO BAY

Another Maine Coast Heritage Trust gem and, at 985 acres, one of the East Coast's largest wild islands. Ten miles of hiking trails skirt sandy beaches, salt marshes, exposed ledges, and an overgrown airstrip - a remnant of the fly-in vacation-home subdivision proposed here in the 1980s, before MCHT swooped in. Again, two first-come, first-serve campsites (both next to beaches) and a reservation-only group site. Free. 207-729-7366. mcht.org

Jewell Island
CASCO BAY

Among the attractions on this uninhabited, state-owned island are an abandoned military battery, a pair of old observation towers (that visitors can climb), a 3-mile trail network, and a huge tidal pool called the Punchbowl. The Maine Island Trail Association maintains fire pits, tent pads, and latrines at a dozen primitive sites. Experienced kayakers can make the 8-mile paddle from Portland, but there's plenty of traffic on the bay. Portland Paddle leads guided trips and Casco Bay Custom Charters offers day trips and shuttles. Free.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our Pick: Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg It was past midnight when we drove into Hermit Island Campground and inched through darkness toward our campsite in our packed car: My parents up front, and my fully grown brothers and me squeezed into the back seat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Whatever your level of experience, fishing spots around the state offer the peace, quiet, and time in nature that those who love casting a line out on the water seek.
01 Sebago Lake | Cumberland County
Maine's deepest lake is one of the original homes of the landlocked salmon, but beneath the surface are also quality-sized togue, smallmouth and largemouth bass, whitefish, cusk, and smelt. In the summer the lake has numerous access points and calmer waters in inlets and near islands. In the winter, ice shacks are spread across the frozen surface and in February is the annual Ice Fishing Derby.
02 Mount Desert Island | Hancock County
There are numerous lakes and ponds to explore on Mount Desert Island. Most of the area's waterways restrict horsepower of motorboats, so waters are calm and relaxing. In the late summer months trout and salmon can be caught deep down in the cooler lake waters. On Eagle Lake, Echo Lake, and Long Pond fish for landlocked salmon and brook trout. On Hodgdon Pond brown trout, chain pickerel, smallmouth bass, white and yellow perch, and sunfish are frequent catches.
03 Grand Lake Stream | Washington County
Grand Lake Stream, located in Washington County, has one of Maine's top five salmon rivers. The waterway is also a well-known fly- fishing destination. The waters in this region are ripe with brook trout, togue, salmon, and smallmouth bass. The fishing is plentiful, and a number of knowledgeable guides are available through the Grand Lake Stream Guides Association. The family-friendly area has hiking trails, canoe and boating trips, a downtown village, and a sandy public beach.
04 Megunticook Lake | Waldo and Knox Counties
Located in Waldo and Knox counties, Megunticook Lake is a scenic location for fishing with numerous coves to explore. From the water are soaring views of Camden Hills State Park with peaks that reach 1,300 feet high. The lake is accessible via boat ramps off route 52 and 105. Anglers can catch landlocked salmon, brown and rainbow trout, and smallmouth and largemouth bass. Barrett's Cove is nearby for camping and picnicking, and come mid-summer the water temperatures rise for easy swimming.
5 Jackman-Moose River | Somerset County
In the remote fishing spot in the Jackman- Moose River Region there are numerous ponds, rivers, and streams that cannot be accessed by a car. Typically the season starts when the ice is out and the waters are again rushing. In this area, lure brook and lake trout, landlocked salmon, splake, and cusk. Moose River is also a great spot for a weekend canoe trip that can take you over Big Wood Pond, Attean Pond, and Holeb Pond.
06 Mattawamkeag | Penobscot County
Along the Mattawamkeag River is the Mattawamkeag Wilderness Park where there are over 50 campsites and 11 Adirondack shelters. The river, which is an eastern branch of the Penobscot River, is great fishing for bass, salmon, and trout. In the area are miles of trails as well sites such as the Lower and Upper Gordon Falls and Sleugundy Heater Gorge.
07 Rangeley | Franklin County
Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake have landlocked salmon and brook trout as well as bass, perch, and togue. Along the southern shore of Rangeley Lake is a state park that is family friendly with a sandy beach for those who want to swim closer to the shore as well as a boat launch for those looking to find a spot further out in the lake.
08 Belgrade | Kennebec County
The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of seven lakes and ponds that have a variety of fishing opportunities, inlcuding chances for trophy- sized catches. Long Pond, while narrow, is 100 feet deep in places and is known for its northern pike, brown trout, bass, and if you're fortunate, you can catch a landlocked salmon. Great Pond, the largest of the lakes, has bass and white perch. Many of the lakes and ponds are open for ice fishing in the wintertime.
09 MooseheadLake | Maine Highlands Region
Maine's largest lake has a history of servicing anglers. In the late-nineteenth century, after the Aroostook Railroad came through the area, a number of steamboats and several elaborate sporting camps were built to shelter recreational fishermen and vacationing family members. Today the remote region has an abundant supply of wild lake trout and still many guides, sporting camps, and campsites.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Freshwater Fishing Spots - The Maine Mag

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whatever your level of experience, fishing spots around the state offer the peace, quiet, and time in nature that those who love casting a line out on the water seek. 01 Sebago Lake | Cumberland County Maine's deepest lake is one of the original homes of the landlocked salmon, but beneath the surface are also quality-sized togue, smallmouth and largemouth bass, whitefish, cusk, and smelt.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All illustrations via Shutterstock

By Brian Kevin

I would rather fish any day than go to heaven,” Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby is said to have declared. Plenty of Mainers agree with the legendary first Registered Maine Guide — and so, presumably, do many of the 2 million overnight visitors who came to Maine in 2019 hoping to bend a rod, according to state tourism surveys. Those who would join them should begin online, where the departments of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (fresh water) and Marine Resources (salt water) post laws and limits, licensing and registation details, and helpful hints about where and how to fish. From there, it’s of to a whispering stream, a quiet stretch of surf, or a pond so productive that old Fly Rod might just call it heavenly.

1. Outsmart a Wild Maine Brook Trout

Elsewhere in New England, the eastern brook trout has been all but eliminated in its native range by stocked competitors. Not in Maine, a stronghold for the small, feisty fish, the only state with substantial self-reproducing populations in lakes and ponds, plus brookie-rich habitat in more than 22,000 miles of cold-water streams.

“Get out your DeLorme Gazetteer,” instructs author Kathy Scott, a former chair of the Maine Council of Trout Unlimited. “Find a thin blue line, get there through the maze of the woods, and discover some new-to-you water, maybe knee-deep. You test that pocket, and there’s a colorful little jewel of a brook trout that’s only big because the stream is so small.”

Author and naturalist Tom Seymour advocates the “thin blue line” approach as well. “Take an atlas and look for streams that don’t have names and that cross a back road,” he says. “You don’t have to go way out to the wilderness to catch these wonderful little native trout. In Maine, if it looks like it has trout, it probably does, and that’s a special thing.”

Or, says Scott, consult the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s list of “heritage” waters — lakes and ponds that aren’t stocked, some of which have never been. “These are legacy trout from the retreat of the glaciers: they’re pure, their colors are more vivid, their attitude is just a little bit feistier,” Scott says. “Picture it: Evening, still water, your canoe gliding. There’s loons, the reflection of a mountain, moose in the shallows, and these lineage little brook trout just sipping flies. How can that be more perspective reshaping?”

2. Stay at a Historic Maine Sporting Camp

In the 19th century, “sports” fleeing the urbanized Northeast in search of peace, quiet, and a few trophy fish traveled to Maine’s wooliest corners by train, steamboat, horse cart, and canoe. The far-flung rustic lodges that welcomed them offered simple cabin digs, hearty shared meals, a feeling of family, and the services of guides who knew their surroundings intimately. Maine had some 300 sporting camps around the turn of the 20th century. Today, there are fewer than 50 — many easier to access by forest road, some still welcoming guests by seaplane.

“It’s all about the history and tradition,” Maine Professional Guides Association executive director Don Kleiner says, “and all of them are located on incredible fisheries. It’s so cool to be alone on one of those remote ponds.” The Maine Sporting Camp Association has members all across the state, but the most venerable camps tend to cluster in a few hubs: the Katahdin region, the Rangeley Lakes, the Aroostook river country, and the fishing mecca of Grand Lake Stream. An inveterate bass fisherman, Kleiner says the latter belongs on any bass-head’s bucket list. “The smallmouth fishery in Big Lake, it just knocks your socks off.”

3. Go Trolling on Moosehead Lake

“Maine has some wonderful salmon lakes and trout lakes, but to me, Moosehead Lake is the center of the universe,” says Seymour, who writes a monthly column on Maine’s biggest lake (and one of its most scenic) for Maine Sportsman magazine. Moosehead famously has something for everyone, with healthy stocks of landlocked salmon, brook trout, rainbow trout, lake trout (or togue), bass, white and yellow perch — you name it. Recently, biologists have documented a unique population of shore-spawning brook trout that grow unusually hefty, avoiding the rigors and predators that come with spawning runs.

Trolling — drawing one or more fishing lines behind a boat — is the norm on Moosehead in the early summer, and for many anglers, Kleiner says, “a pretty high-tech experience,” with fishermen using wire line, fish finders, and downriggers, which use weights to hold a lure or bait at a specific depth. But the tech-heavy approach isn’t the only one.

“Anytime from ice-out in May until mid-June, troll the north end of the lake with a fly rod with streamer flies,” Seymour says. “While that season lasts, it’s something special, and everyone who fishes owes it to themselves to do it at least once. Bring a fly rod, sinking line, and a couple of Gray Ghost flies, and have at it.”

4. Book a Charter or Head Boat for an Offshore Adventure

Maine’s saltwater fishing scene can go toe-to-toe with the bass ponds and the trout streams, and the state has a robust fleet of for-hire head boats (where a crowd of individually paying strangers fish side-by-side) and charters (where one group rents boat, captain, and crew).

“If you want the true Maine experience, you go down to the dock in the morning and you line up and get on a head boat, and it’s elbow-to-elbow offshore fishing,” says outdoors writer Bob Humphrey, who’s also the licensed captain and Registered Maine Guide behind Sport-Ventures charter company. “It’s such a historic, classic thing when you come to the coast of northern New England during the summer.”

Offshore anglers tend to be in it for the action, and captains like Humphrey can put clients on groundfish like the Gulf of Maine’s of-late abundant haddock; lively porbeagle, thresher, or blue sharks; or even, for patient fishermen, monster bluefin tuna. Even when it isn’t a trophy day, the setting sure ain’t bad.

“It’s fishing — you can have slow days,” Humphrey says, “but if you can swing by a seal haul-out or see some ocean sunfish on the ride out, everybody enjoys that.”

Kleiner concurs. “Don’t get me wrong, I love fishing remote ponds,” he says, “but man, it’s pretty hard to beat the eye appeal of the coast of Maine on a fine morning.”

5. Reel in a Striped Bass

“Stripers are iconic on the Maine coast,” Kleiner says. The migratory, anadromous fish are beautiful, can put up a fight, and occasionally reach truly eye-popping size (the state-record striper, caught in 1978, weighed 67 pounds). In the summer and fall, surf-casters looking for stripers post up on rocky shores and jetties, in tidal rivers and estuaries, and along the surf line of beaches during outgoing tides. And plenty of guides lead inshore trips that are ideal for novices — not least because the fish aren’t the only reward.

“For a lot of people, just to get in a boat and look at the land from the water, to see the lighthouse, the seals, the birds, then feel the tug on the line and get to pull something — they don’t get to do that too often,” Humphrey says. “Usually on fresh water, you’re targeting a specific fish, but you never know what you’re going to pull up out on the ocean. Even striper fishing, we catch cod, black sea bass — once in a blue moon, you might even get a bluefish. I think one of the neat things about salt water is that it’s kind of a mystery.”

BUY THIS ISSUE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Maine Fishing Experiences to Have Before You Die

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Outsmart a wild brook trout, stay at a historic Maine sporting camp, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fishing in Maine: What You Need To Know

More than 100 years ago, the first Registered Maine Guide, Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby, wrote fishing columns that were carried in newspapers across the country. In what might have been one of her most inspired moments, she coined Maine's onetime slogan: "The Nation's Playground." At that time, "sports" from New York, Philadelphia and Boston journeyed to the legendary lakes of Maine.

Maine Fishing Guides

Today, visitors looking for the best Maine fishing spots often turn to Registered Maine Guides, a title that has been a badge of honor and distinction that was first awarded to Crosby in 1897 and issued only to those who have demonstrated thorough knowledge of Maine's outdoors. There are more than 4,000 licensed guides in Maine, most operating as small independent businesses that offer highly personal, customized experiences.

For a complete immersion into the Maine sporting life, pair a guided fishing adventure with a stay at a traditional Maine sporting camp. Many camps are either owned by Maine guides or have arrangements with local guides, many of whom belong to the Maine Professional Guides Association or the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization.

Freshwater Fishing

Maine's thousands of miles of rivers and streams and hundreds of freshwater lakes are still thriving today. Fishers can chase brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pike and musky. Trout fishing in Maine and, in winter, ice fishing in Maine each has a devoted following.

Saltwater Fishing

If you prefer salt spray to bubbling stream, try surfcasting for striped bass or bluefish, or climb aboard a charter for the chance to reel in a feisty bluefin tuna. Discover why Maine's rugged coastline is the stuff of angling legend.

Get a Fishing License

The fish are hungry, but first things first: You need a Maine fishing license. Get your license from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and be sure to review the fishing laws before you cast a line. Visit the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife site for more Fishing Resources & Helpful Hints.

Maine has a long legacy of excellent fly fishing for species such as smallmouth bass, brook trout and landlocked salmon. In this episode of The New Fly Fisher, Tom Rosenbauer and Mark Melnyk visit one of the oldest and most famous sporting lodges in the country, Weatherby's in Grand Lake Stream, Maine, for spring smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon fishing.

Look Out for ME Fishing Tips

When using bait to fish, do not introduce invasive species. Buy local!

Make sure you have a valid license and that you understand the regulations

For more info on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, visit our Look Out for ME page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than 100 years ago, the first Registered Maine Guide, Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby, wrote fishing columns that were carried in newspapers across the country. In what might have been one of her most inspired moments, she coined Maine's onetime slogan: "The Nation's Playground."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduce Yourself To Maine With a Hike

To hike in Maine is to introduce yourself to our state, one step at a time. You breathe in the salt as you round a corner in Acadia National Park, or hoist yourself up a steep pitch on a mountain in western Maine. Everything is slow, deliberate and linked with the land.

In State & National Parks

There are great hikes throughout Maine, on federal lands like Acadia, in state parks such as Mt. Blue and along the East Coast's longest walk, the Appalachian Trail.

With 215 miles of hiking trails and Maine's tallest mountain (Katahdin), there is stunning foliage to witness in this wild wonderland. A choose-your-adventure-type place, there are options for easy day hikes in addition to the more adventurous route of summiting Katahdin.

Sweeping views at this park atop Mt. Battie are made even more spectacular with the rich colors of fall foliage.

Numerous summits, easy day hikes and craggy coastlines make Maine's "crown jewel of the North Atlantic coast" a gorgeous place to witness foliage on a hike.

For Kids

Kids love hiking, and Maine has plenty of paths perfect for them. Some are strolls, and others are as tough and demanding as anything their parents might enjoy.

In the Mountains

Hiking Maine mountains adds an extra dimension. Katahdin is Maine's tallest peak - and one of the hardest. But the state has plenty of others that are fun and easier on the feet and nerves. For an even greater challenge, try Maine's many rock-climbing routes, which range from granite walls over the Atlantic to hidden granite stashes elsewhere in the state.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides over 87,000 acres of mountain and forestland for the serious hiker.

On a Trail

Maine Trail Finder provides a detailed list of Maine Hikes and hiking trails.

Look Out for ME Hiking & Climbing Tips

Hike and climb with a friend

Stay on established trails and roads

For more info on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, visit our Look Out for ME page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hiking & Climbing in Maine - Visit Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To hike in Maine is to introduce yourself to our state, one step at a time. You breathe in the salt as you round a corner in Acadia National Park, or hoist yourself up a steep pitch on a mountain in western Maine. Everything is slow, deliberate and linked with the land.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
W aves crashing against a shore. The buoyancy of floating. The rush of a river pouring over rocks - it's no wonder we're drawn to the water. Scientific evidence proves that water, just the sound and the movement of it, relaxes us. And, the best way to relax and reconnect in Maine this summer is to get on a boat.

Discover Boating, the world's largest online guide to recreational boating, is tapping in to research conducted by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist and author of Blue Mind, to promote the health benefits of boating. "We now know, thanks to science, that the mere sight and sound of water promotes wellness by lowering cortisol, increasing serotonin, and inducing relaxation," said Dr. Nichols. "It only makes sense that being on a boat is one of the best ways to access the wellness benefits of the water."

Luckily it's easy to do that in Maine. Our state is filled with pristine lakes and rivers as well as 3,478 miles of coastline to explore. Our blue waters beckon you to grab a boat - any boat -and experience the happiness that comes from being out on the water.

Nearly 40 percent of visitors to Maine in the summer of 2018 took part in water activities, according to research by the Maine Office of Tourism. Most of those visitors were from other New England states, traveling with their kids.

"If you're in Maine and you're not out on the water, you're missing out on what makes Maine unique," said Tracy Coughlin, marketing director for , , and . The Freedom Boat Club of Maine is helping more families discover recreational boating. Their rentals are moored in Portland, Yarmouth, and Naples. Steve Arnold, owner of the Freedom Boat Club franchise and the two marinas, started the program last year out of the Yarmouth Boat Yard. The premise is so popular they doubled their projected membership last year from 30 to 60.

Here's how the Freedom Boat Club works. You sign up to become a member, pay a monthly fee, and get unlimited access to their 22- to 24-foot Sea Fox boats moored in southern Maine. Members also enjoy access to other Freedom Boat Clubs across the country. "It's a great way for people to try out the boating lifestyle without making a huge investment in their own equipment," Coughlin said. Not only does Freedom Boat Club of Maine offer beautiful boats and top-notch service, they also train you how to safely use and maneuver the boats. "Boat Clubs are changing the way people vacation; it's a brand new way of boating in Maine," Coughlin added.

Boating provides the means to get outside of daily routines, allowing our brains to reset, think beyond our current circumstances, and connect to nature. Here are more benefits to boating:

Boating resets our brain. We work hard and getting out from behind our desks gives our brains (and our bodies) a change of pace. Boating is a fun, active activity that you can do by yourself or with a group. Being on the water is as different from your cubicle as it gets.

Boating is meditative. The ebb and flow of the water is relaxing. Bobbing along in a boat, breathing in fresh air, helps connect you to nature.

Boating is playful. Watersports are a source of play, which trigger the body's natural feel-good chemicals.

Maine is filled with opportunities to get on the water. Whether you're looking to explore one of our beautiful bays on the Atlantic or go tubing around one of the vast many inland lakes, boating in Maine is a fun-filled activity all summer long. Here are some of our favorite places to take your motorboat this summer:

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in Maine and one of the state's crown jewels. The lake is approximately 40 miles by 10 miles and is home to more than 80 islands. You may even see a moose hanging out in one of the quiet coves of this massive, rural lake. There are public boat launches in Greenville, Rockwood, and Seboomook. If you don't have your own motorboat, you can rent one at Wilson's on Moosehead, The Birches Resort, or Wilson Pond Camps.

This southern Maine lake is the second largest lake in the state after Moosehead. It's the deepest lake in all of New England, making it a favorite with motorboating enthusiasts. Thanks to its location, (just 30 minutes from Portland) fishing opportunities and crystal clear water, make it a consistent draw for visitors from across New England. There are many marinas along the lake where you can fuel up, rent a boat, or purchase a boat for your own family fun. If you're heading to Sebago Lake, check out Sebago Lake Marina, Long Beach Marina, Kettle Cove Marina, Richardson's Boat Yard, Panther Run Marina, and Port Harbor Marine.

A popular inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast, Casco Bay is certainly a working waterfront. It's also a great spot for exploring the islands that make the bay a unique setting for exploration. Motor your boat out of Four Points Marina and start island hopping. Explore the sandy beaches of Long Island or fine dining on Chebeague Island, Peaks Island, or Great Diamond Island. Bring along your camera and binoculars to spot seals and sea birds.

If pristine and serene are two adjectives that appeal to you, head north from Augusta and spend some time on the water in Maine's Belgrade Lakes Region. You'll want to pack your fishing pole for this trip. The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of seven freshwater lakes that range in size from 500 acres to more than 8,000 acres. Each of these lakes has a public boat launch and excellent fishing (just be sure you have the proper license). Visit the Belgrade Lakes Region Business Group to find local businesses that will make your boating trip to this region a memorable one.

Home to 13 lakes - and some of the most beautiful, relaxing views you'll see in the state of Maine - the Lincoln Lakes Region is a lovely spot for some boating fun. The downtown area is located right on the shores of Mattanawcook Pond. There are six public boat launches in Lincoln, giving you access to several lakes and the Penobscot River. You can also fish for brook trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, white perch, pickerel, and smallmouth bass.

Ready to launch your watercraft? Check out the hundreds of public boat launch sites on the Maine.gov website and enjoy the beauty of Maine from the cockpit this summer.

- Text: Melanie Brooks. Melanie has had the pleasure of writing and photographing her home state of Maine for the past 12 years. You can find her work at www.melanie-brooks.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
On the Water in Maine - Activities Guide of Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover Boating, the world's largest online guide to recreational boating, is tapping in to research conducted by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist and author of Blue Mind, to promote the health benefits of boating. "We now know, thanks to science, that the mere sight and sound of water promotes wellness by lowering cortisol, increasing serotonin, and inducing relaxation," said Dr. Nichols.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's nothing quite like it. You stand at the top of the run, skis or snowboard quivering, and leap off into the void.

Or...maybe not. Maybe you're a beginner, whose thrill of the day comes as you push yourself slooooowly down the nice, gentle pitch of the bunny slope, all the while trying not to face-plant into in the snow.

Either way, Maine's got you covered. We've got ski and snowboard areas big enough to challenge the best in the East and small enough that they barely cover the side of a meadow. All are waiting for you to come and explore.

Many skiers and riders know Maine for its three largest resorts - Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback - all of which are in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region.

Sugarloaf, built on 4,237-foot Sugarloaf Mountain, is a big place with runs ranging from nice and easy to OMG. Expansions have brought side-country and cat skiing options into the mix. Sunday River is big, too, sprawling across eight different peaks. It's known for its mix of glades, bowls and steeps. Saddleback, Maine's third-largest ski mountain, has a new chairlift and expanded base lodge. Saddleback rises 4,120 feet above the town of Rangeley, the gateway to Rangeley Lakes.

The three biggest resorts offer many choices in lodging and dining, either slopeside or at their nearby ski towns, as well as a full menu of resort amenities such as ski and snowboard lessons, programs for racers and kids and lots of non-skiing activities.

Maine also has a nice collection of mid-sized ski and snowboard areas, which have vertical drops of around 1,000 feet or more. These resorts offer amenities including snowmaking, ski & snowboard lessons and equipment rentals. They're more compact than the big resorts and are popular with families, locals and new skiers and riders. They include Bigrock Mountain, in Aroostook County; Black Mountain of Maine, in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region; Camden Snow Bowl, in Maine's MidCoast and Islands region, with ocean views rare for a ski area; Mt. Abram, in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region; and Shawnee Peak, in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region.

Finally, Maine's smaller ski and snowboard areas are scattered like snowflakes across the state, from far-northern Lonesome Pines Trails (on the Canadian border) to tiny Powderhouse Hill in far southern Maine. These areas generally have only a couple lifts - some have only one - and a couple hundred feet or less of vertical drop. Some are run by families, others by communities or clubs.

They include:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine has ski areas big enough to challenge the best in the East and small enough that they barely cover the side of a meadow. Skiers and riders know Maine for its two largest resorts - Sugarloaf and Sunday River.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These Maine ski areas are full service destinations with extensive lift networks, snowmaking, ski and snowboard instruction for every member of the family and all ability levels.

Each resort has amenities from on mountain lodging, snowboard and ski rental shops, apres ski, shops and restaurants, to keep you busy for a week’s ski vacation.

Maine’s World Class Ski Destinations

Sugarloaf/USA l Carrabassett Valley
Sugarloaf is Maine’s largest single ski mountain, with a breathtaking summit and miles of exciting trail options, from snowfields to sidecountry glades with cat skiing, to groomed cruisers and a seperate beginner area. This quintessential Maine ski resort features 1,056 acres of extensive terrain and glades for all abilities and an award winning slopeside village brimming with activities, apres ski, fabulous restaurants, shops and resort lodging from hotels to inns to condominiums. Vertical Drop 2,820′, 1,056 Skiable Acres, 154+ Trails: 34 Beginner, 49 Intermediate, 63 Expert Trails and Glades. 14 Lifts: 5 quads, 1 Triple, 6 Doubles, 2 Surface Lifts. Route 27, Carrabassett Valley, 1-800-THELOAF, Info: 207-237-2000, Snow Phone: 207-237-6808

Sunday River Ski Resort l Newry
A skier’s paradise with eight interconnected mountain peaks, consistently covered by legendary Sunday River snow. High capacity high speed lifts and guaranteed snow on all of the River’s 870 acres of terrain make The River a strong choice all season long, often October to May. North Peak Lodge is a favorite meeting spot reached by the hybrid Chondola. Twilight skiing is offered on South Ridge and North Peak on weekends and holidays. There are plenty of activities, lodging and facilities to enjoy on and off the slopes at this Boyne ski resort and in Bethel Maine – considered a top ski town. Vertical Drop 2,340′, 870 acres, 135 Trails: 38 Beginner, 52 Intermediate, 45 Expert. 15 Lifts: 1 Hi Speed Chondola, 9 Quads (4 high speed), 3 Triples, 1 Doubles, 1 Surface Lifts. 92% Snowmaking. More About and How to Ski Sunday River

Saddleback Ski Area l Rangeley
The highest base elevation of any ski area in New England. Saddleback offers classic New England skiing with an old fashioned flair and stunning views of the Rangeley Lakes region and the White Mountains. Saddleback has new ownership and a new hi speed quad.Saddleback has great cruisers like Royal Coachman off the Rangeley double. The upper mountain is accessed by the Kennebago Quad chairlift, that delivers skiers and riders to some very challenging terrain like Warden’s Worry and Nightmare Glades. A traverse/climb out to Mule Skinner offers a unique virtual out of bounds experience in the vast Casablanca Glades. Intermediates prefer the picturesque views on America and Tri-Color trails. The Swig-n-Smelt has lively apres-ski.  Vertical Drop 2,000′. 66 Trails: 25 Beginner, 19 Intermediate, 22 Expert. 4 Lifts: 3 Quad, 1 T-Bar. 85% Snowmaking. Beautiful Timberframe Base Lodge with Rental & Ski Shop, Daycare. Route 4, Rangeley. 207-864-5671, 207-864-3380, call ahead for hours and operation.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Maine’s Big Mountain Skiing
Other big mountains in Maine (with greater than 1000′ vertical) offering great terrain and some of the resort amenities, while still preserving their quaint family area feeling.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Black Mountain l Rumford, Maine
This small, family recreation area is been operated with local town support. Located in Longfellow’s mountain range, near the junctions of Rt. 2 and 108, Black has something for everyone, including a summit triple chair accessing several scenic runs. Beginners learn on Milk Run serviced by its own double chair. Groomed cross-country trails with a designated Touring Center, plus snow tubing on five chutes make for exciting alternatives.  Vertical Drop 1150′, 5 Lifts: 1 Triple, 1 Double, 1 T-Bar, 2 Handle Tows. 20 Trails: 4 Beginner, 10 Intermediate, 6 Most Difficult. 90% Snowmaking. Post and Beam Lodge, Cafeteria, Lounge, Ski Shop with Rentals. Route 2, Rumford. 207-364-8977

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Mt. Abram l Greenwood
This mountain feels bigger than its statistics belie. Beginners have their own Westside learning area, while intermediates take cruisers like Dudley Do Right and Bullwinkle. Experts go for the double black steeps of Rocky’s Run. Racers enjoy the weekly ski races. The 1,325′ Flying Squirrel snow-tubing park has a special lift for even more fun. Mt Abram also offer backcountry skiing. Located 20 minutes prior to Sunday River off Rt. 26. Vertical Drop 1,150′. 44 Trails: 10 Beginner, 21 Intermediate, 13 Most Difficult. 5 Lifts: 2 Doubles, 1 T-Bar, 1 Handle Tow, 1 Carpet Lift, 1 Tubing Tow with 2 lanes. 85% Snowmaking. Ski School, day care, ski shop with rentals, night skiing, cafeteria and Loose Boots Lounge. How Hill Road, Route 26, Greenwood 207-875-5002

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Shawnee Peak l Bridgton
“Sneak to the Peak” for great family skiing, only 45 minutes from Portland. This is also New England’s largest night skiing and boarding facility. This mountain offers great skiing on two sides, and awesome views of Mount Washington and Moose Pond below. As a family ski mountain, the Peak offers some innovative super savers and family lift ticket deals for day, night and twilight. Vertical Drop 1,300′, 41 Trails, 249 acres, 6 Beginner, 23 Intermediate, 12 Most Difficult, 19 Nights Skiing. 5 Lifts: 1 Quad, 2 Triples,1 Double and 1 Surface Lift. 98% Snowmaking. Night skiing, Ski Scholl, SkiWee Program, childcare and Blizzard Pub. Route 302, Bridgton 207-647-8444

Maine’s Family Recreational Ski Areas

These ski areas come in various shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common are affordable skiing and fun for the entire family.

Baker Mountain l Moscow
This central Maine ski hill is operated by volunteers so that local kids can ski, Baker’s heart is bigger than the 460 vertical and five trails. Baker dates backs to the 1930’s, today’s summit T-bar is authentic 1969 vintage.
Vertical Drop 460′. 1 T-Bar. 5 Trails: 2 Beginner, 3 Intermediate. Night skiing. Ski School on school vacation weeks. 207-612-9200

Big Rock Ski Area l Mars Hill
Bigrock is a big ski mountain, drawing skiing families from nearby Presque Isle and Houlton. Mars Hill Mountain has something for every ability level, including night skiing. For steep and challenging terrain, head out to the Ho Chi Min trail. Under the direction of Maine Winter Sports, pricing and lessons are geared to make skiing fun and affordable for families. Vertical 984′. 5 Lifts: 1 Triple, 1 Double Chair, 1 Poma, 1 Handle Tow, 1 Carpet. 27 Trails: 8 Expert, 14 Intermediate, 5 Beginner. 80% Snowmaking. Cafeteria, Night skiing, 4 Lanes of tubing, Lounge, Ski Rentals.

Camden Snow Bowl l Camden
“Where the Mountain Meets the Sea”. It is truly a unique experience to be skiing and enjoying views of the Atlantic and Penobscot Bay. Classic New England trails like Spinnaker and Northeaster offer nearly 1,000 vertical of exhilaration. Camden Snow Bowl offers affordable family skiing or riding by the sea by day or under the lights at night, and the 500′ Snow Tubing Hill and 400′ Toboggan chute, ice skating on the pond. Vertical Drop: 850′. 1 Triple Chair, 1 Double Chair, 2 T-Bars, 1 Handle Tow. 12 Trails: 2 Beginner, 7 Intermediate, 3 Most Difficult. Terrain Park. Night skiing. 45% Snowmaking. Hosmer Pond Road, Camden – 207-236-3438 / 207-236-4418

Eaton Mountain l Skowhegan
Eaton offers a large mountain experience with everything from glades to a snowboard park, and affordable tickets for the entire family. Lights cover the 622′ mountain for night skiing seven days a week.
Vertical Drop: 622′. 1 Double Chair. 18 Trails: 5 Beginner, 7 Intermediate, 6 Most Difficult. 80% Snowmaking. Night skiing 7 nights a week. Ski School, Rentals, Cafeteria & Lounge. Lambert Road, Skowhegan 207-474-2666

Lost Valley l Auburn
Lost Valley has been a family owned and operated ski area for three generations. Two Chairs service 15 trails including the Beaver Snowboard Park. Enjoy cruising on wide-open Bobcat and Big Buck. Ideally located within 5 minutes of downtown Lewiston/Auburn, the popular ski by the hour ticket means there is no excuse not to do a little day or night skiing this season. Vertical Drop: 240′. 2 Double Chairs. 15 Trails: 6 Beginner, 4 Intermediate, 5 Most Difficult. Terrain Parks. 100% Snowmaking. Ski School, Rentals, and Cafeteria. Lost Valley Road, Exit 75 ME Turnpike, Auburn 207-784-1561

Mt. Jefferson l Lee
This is the epitome of a family owned and operated ski area since 1964 complete with family friendly pricing and meals in the ski lodge. Jefferson’s 12 trails are reliant on Mother Nature, but with fresh snow the half mile Willow Way takes a nice gradual path around the mountain.
Vertical Drop 432′. 3 Lifts: 2 T-bars, 1 rope tow. 12 trails: 3 Beginner, 6 Intermediate, and 3 Most Difficult. Half Pipe. Cafeteria, Ski School, Rentals. Rt 6, Lee, 207-738-2377

Hermon Mountain l Hermon
“Good People, Good Times, Good Skiing, Good Food” is the motto. Overlooking Hermon Pond are great cruisers like Cloud Nine, Scenic and Lakeview. So close to Bangor, Hermon is convenient and affordable for Maine families. Vertical Drop 350′. 3 Lifts: One Double Chair, One T-Bar, One Handle Tow. 20 Trails: 6 Beginner, 7 Intermediate, 7 Most Difficult. Half Pipe. 100% Snowmaking. Nightskiing. Ski School and Rentals, Cafeteria. Newburg Road, Exit 174 of ME Turnpike, Hermon 207-848-5192

Big Squaw Mountain l Greenville
Big Squaw, a few scant miles from Moosehead Lake, once offered big mountain skiing with a classic New England trail layout – now it is more humble, locally operated by volunteers, on the lower mountain triple chair. The summit double chair at Big Squaw is closed until further notice after a malfunction in 2004 that was never repaired – without this chair this is a modest 800′ vertical mountain. The lower mountain has a triple chair catering to intermediate and beginner skiers with gentle, wandering terrain. The stunning views from the summit (that you have to hike for now) of Moosehead Lake and Mount Katahdin in the distance are arguably the best in the Northeast! Squaw is not fancy, it’s hearty and unadorned, with a very low lift ticket price! Vertical Drop 800. 31 Trails: 9 Beginner, 14 Intermediate, 8 More Difficult plus glades. Triple Chair. 70% Snowmaking. Cafeteria, ski shop. Route 15, Greenville 207-695-1000

Powderhouse Hill l South Berwick
This is Maine’s southernmost ski area, which dates back to 1939 when an old pick up truck ran the rope tow. This place is a blast from the past with $5 tickets – cash only- and a rustic lodge with a woodstove and snack bar.
Vertical Drop 150′. 1 rope tow. 3 trails: 2 Beginner, 1 Intermediate. South Berwick, 207-384-5858

Spruce Mountain l Jay
Located in central Maine, Spruce is a quaint family ski hill, run primarily by volunteers since 1960. It takes three rope tows to get to the top. On the banks for the Androscoggin River, this family friendly hill is old fashioned right down to the affordable ticket prices. Vertical Drop 300′. 3 Rope Tows. 11 Trails: 3 Beginner, 5 Intermediate, 3 Most Difficult. 50% Snowmaking. Night skiing. Nordic Trails. Jay, 207-897-4090

Titcomb Mountain l Farmington
Just outside of Farmington, Titcomb is a like a country club of ski hills. Dating back to 1932, this veritable skier’s museum is the oldest club-operated ski area in the country, founded by the Titcomb family. Now owned and operated by the Farmington Ski Club, members and visitors alike enjoy non-existent lines at their two T-bars plus uncrowded trails and very reasonable lift tickets. Vertical Drop 340′. 2 T-Bars and 1 handle tow. 17 Trails: 4 Beginner, 8 Intermediate, 5 Most Difficult. 75% Snowmaking. Terrain park. Nightskiing. Base Lodge with cafeteria and a big fireplace. Route 4 and 27, West Farmington 207-778-9031

Quoggy Jo Ski Center l Presque Isle
Located in Presque Isle, Quoggy Jo is perfect for first time skiers and young families. A ski playground with animated figurines keeps the kids entertained while they learn to turn. At the summit is a state of the art Biathlon Center with world-class Nordic skiing and a training facility for the US Biathlon team. This facility is under the direction of the Maine Winter Sports Center which also operates Black and Big Rock ski areas.
Vertical Drop 215′. 1 T-bar. 5 Trails: 2 Beginner, 3 Intermediate. Halfpipe. Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, 207-764-3248

Winter Recreation Centers
Seacoast Snow Park l Windham
This Snow Park now has a 5 acre terrain park (with 100′ vertical drop). It is also a learning and practice facility with a terrain garden for snowboards and the latest rage in ski equipment – ski boards. Learn to snowboard and ski board programs and packages are available. Snowmaking. 2 Tow Lifts. Lit up at Night. Open Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, School Vacation Weeks and School Snow Days. Base Lodge with Sports Lounge and Big Screen TV, food service, arcade, ski school and rentals. Route 302, Windham 207-892-5952

More About the Best Ski Areas

Everyone knows Maine for its lighthouses and lobsters along the coast. But Maine is also home to uncrowded lifts and long ski trails in the Western Mountains region. Some of the best ski resorts in New England are located in Maine. These are must see, must-ski places with spectacular scenery, excellent snow quality given their northern location, and fewer crowds too. Read on to learn more about the best skiing in Maine.

Sugarloaf is Maine’s largest single ski mountain with vast terrain from traditional trails to summit snowfields and side-country glades, totaling 1,053 boundary to boundary acres of skiing and riding. The views from the 4,237′ summit are extraordinary, and the apres ski in the bustling ski village is fun, casual and just what every skier enjoys. Sugarloaf, the self proclaimed and deserved “King of Spring” is home to a long ski season, staying open into May most seasons, with fun events most every weekend of the winter and spring.

Sunday River is not as tall as The Loaf, but its vast eight interconnected mountain peaks, high speed lift network, and super powerful snowmaking make it the most reliable ski resort in the East. It is the second largest ski resort in New England with 870+ acres, just behind Sugarloaf at 1,056. Often the first resort to open for skiing, Sunday River makes the best snow, and grooms it to perfection on most of the 138 trails. Besides consistent skiing and riding, Sunday River has on mountain lodging from condos to hotels, extensive lesson programs, great apres ski bars, and a casual resort attitude.

Saddleback is old school meets new school. This Rangeley ski area is so rustic and relaxed. Saddleback has the highest base elevation of any ski area in New England (that means excellent natural snowfall), a 4,120′ summit, and their lift ticket pricing are among the lowest. Saddleback offered classic ski trails with stunning views of the Rangeley Lakes region plus newly added glades that are exciting. Slopeside condos and a beautiful post and beam base lodge with lively apres ski made Saddleback a great destination.

Read about all Maine’s ski areas including Shawnee Peak, Mount Abram and Camden Snow Bowl and see the best family ski vacations in Maine.

More About Skiing in Maine

Maine is a top destination for ocean lovers, naturalists and those looking for rare treasures created by local artisans. But the true Maine experience awaits in winter in the mountains at ski areas and destination ski resorts. Many think of New England skiing as the Green Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire’s White Mountains… but…

In fact, the biggest two ski areas in New England are Maine’s Sugarloaf and Sunday River. The same spine of mountains carved by the glaciers wind majestically through Maine offering some of the finest terrain and the least crowded skiing and snowboarding on the East Coast.

Ski season in Maine is beautiful, the tall mountains blanketed in sparkling white snow bordering the clear blue sky. Maine’s ski areas impart unspoiled vistas of expansive forest, inland lakes and one noted ski hill, Camden Snow Bowl, even overlooks the brilliant waters of the Atlantic. Saddleback also provides a stunning panorama including views of Rangeley Lake, and a family friendly vibe with big mountain skiing at high elevation.

This is the way skiing should be … in Maine’s great outdoors.

Maine has everything from world class ski resorts with big mountain skiing – Sugarloaf and Sunday River, to quaint family and community-operated ski hills like Lost Valley and Big Rock. Maine’s northern location assures plentiful snowfall in winter, still downhill ski areas guarantee consistent quality skiing with snow making coverage and modern grooming equipment. What a rarity that classic outdoor adventure meets modern technology to offer the finest downhill and cross-country experiences anywhere.

Skiing in Maine is as diverse as the state is immense. Maine has big mountains like Sugarloaf with well over 2,000’ vertical of snowfields, steeps and glades for the extreme skier to local ski hills for the newest skier in the family at very affordable lift ticket prices – like Shawnee Peak. Finding enough winter recreation is no problem, on and off the slopes you will find snowboarding half-pipes and terrain parks to moonlit cross-country touring and night skiing in the clear star-filled mountain air.

New waves of activities abound at Maine ski resorts, which are not just for skiing anymore, as many have dedicated snow tubing parks, zip lining, toboggan runs and ice skating for extended family fun. You can even snowshoe to a bonfire in the wilderness for a mug of hot cocoa.

The Pine Tree State continues to be the host of many national ski competitions, even World Cup ski events, with top racers and freestyle contenders to thrill spectators, while on slope festivals like Sprign Fest – Parrot Head at Sunday River and Reggafest at Sugarloaf, and winter carnivals held throughout the winter for all to join in the fun. Best of all, skiing in Maine is roomy, friendly and fun in a setting that is unique the world over. A ski vacation in Maine just may be the perfect cure for cabin fever.

The VisitMaine.Net team is the small team of authors and editors that research and write our in-depth guides throughout the site and update past articles to make sure they're still super valuable to you. We have one goal: to help you fall more in love with the state of Maine!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guide To Skiing Maine And Best Ski Resorts This [2022]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These Maine ski areas are full service destinations with extensive lift networks, snowmaking, ski and snowboard instruction for every member of the family and

# data[].attributes.body
Links to both parks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amusement park and water park in Saco Maine offering rides, water slides, pools, and games to families for over 55 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine's Largest Water and Amusement Park!

As Maine's largest water and amusement park, Funtown Splashtown USA attracts families from around the region. The park is home to the Excalibur wooden roller coaster and Dragon's Descent Turbo Drop; the largest and tallest rides in Northern New England. Also at the park are Thunder Falls Log Flume, Portland Pirates Paradise, and the Mammoth and Tornado water slides; the tallest and largest water attractions of their kind in Maine. The Mount Olympus Water Slides featuring thrills unseen in Northern New England. For the less daring, there is the Thunderbolt, Wild Mouse roller coaster, Bumper Cars, Grand Prix Racers and the ever-popular Astrosphere, just to name a few. With 50 rides, slides and pools, you will create memories that will last a lifetime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine's Largest Water and Amusement Park! As Maine's largest water and amusement park, Funtown Splashtown USA attracts families from around the region. The park is home to the Excalibur wooden roller coaster and Dragon's Descent Turbo Drop; the largest and tallest rides in Northern New England.

# data[].attributes.body
Links to many activities!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From off the beaten path winter activities to charming cities and towns like Lewiston and Bar Harbor, there's no shortage of things to do in Maine. Mountainside hikes through a kaleidoscope of fiery fall colors. Savory sea-to-table dinners in Portland. Cross-country glides through snow-covered pine. All waiting for you. Whether you're looking for a summer family vacation or winter weekend getaway, these authentic experiences will leave you feeling inspired.

Activities & Attractions in Maine

Maine's majestic mountains, deep woods and rocky coasts are home to awe-inspiring wildlife. You can sometimes spot whales right from the coast, but a whale watching cruise will give you a close-up view of humpback whales, pilot whales, minke whales, finback whales and more. Birdwatchers will find themselves in a state of bliss, especially if they're hoping for a glimpse of puffins. Maine's ocean islands make the perfect nesting sites for the orange-billed beauties, and Seal Island and Matinicus Rock at the mouth of Penobscot Bay are reliable viewing areas. To catch a glimpse of the king of the Maine woods, book a moose watching tour (or moose safari) from mid-May through July or in the fall.

Looking for a little perspective? Start by climbing the spiral staircases of a few of Maine's 60 historic lighthouses. Whether you decide to make the rounds by car or by boat, plan on checking out a few icons like the Cape Neddick lighthouse in York, the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, and the West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec-the only red-and-white striped lighthouse in the country. Then be sure to cruise along one of Maine's four National Scenic Byways. Acadia All-American Road-the only to be designated as an All-American Road-winds through Mt. Desert Island and Bar Harbor.

Whether you want to catch some rays on Maine's beautiful beaches or catch some thrills on a seaside roller coaster, family fun is never far away. From Kittery to Old Orchard Beach, Maine's sandy beaches make the perfect summertime playground for the whole family. For a wild (and nostalgic) ride, head to Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco where you'll find the state's only wooden rollercoaster. And what better way to cap off a day of family fun than with a drive-in movie under the night sky?

Hoist the sales. Grab a paddle. Hop on the ferry. Whether you take to the seas or make a splash whitewater rafting, these are adventures you won't forget. And we can't think of a better way to get acquainted with Maine's epic maritime history than with a windjammer cruise. You can work the sails, lift the anchor, and even steer these old-school sailing vessels. Inland, you'll have no problem finding a lake for a refreshing dip or to cast a line. Maine's more than 30,000 miles of rivers and streams mean you're in for some excellent fishing and thrilling rafting.

If frozen lakes, snowy slopes and endless trails sound like your kind of playground, then winter in Maine is for you. Try your luck at a little ice fishing, or bundle up for a day of adventure as you explore Maine's thousands of miles of connected snowmobile trails. Quieter trails await when you opt for cross-country skis or snowshoes, but if you're looking to make some downhill turns, Sunday River and Sugarloaf are just a couple of many ski resorts that offer plenty of adrenaline pumping runs.

Home to a dazzling national park and 32 state parks, Maine's wild vistas will nudge you to lace up your hiking boots or set up camp. First stop, Acadia National Park. With jaw-dropping views of the Atlantic from Cadillac Mountain, winding carriage roads, and serene forests, it's no wonder millions of people pay a visit to the park every year. But don't be surprised if you find equally stunning landscapes at any of Maine's 32 state parks or natural attractions, like Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument.

Maine's breathtaking natural beauty isn't the only thing that will leave you feeling inspired. Our arts and culture are thriving. No matter which part of the state you find yourself in, you're sure to be close to one of Maine's many music festivals. If it's art museums you're after, the nine museums along the Maine Art Museum Trail will give you plenty to ponder on a rainy day. At Maine theaters, you'll find both amateur and professionals putting on shows you won't forget. Maine's historic districts, like Searsport, Bath, Belfast, Gardiner, Skowhegan, and Kennebunk, provide portals into both the state's architectural and cultural past.

Craving some classic Maine lobster? You've come to the right place. But if you think the culinary adventure ends there, your taste buds are in for a pleasant surprise. There's no shortage of food festivals that celebrate Maine staples. Take Eastport's Salmon and Seafood Festival, the Pemaquid Oyster Festival or the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland. The state's craft brewery scene is buzzing, and the Maine Beer Trail puts you on the path to sudsy satisfaction. Plus, you're bound to stumble upon a food truck or two while you're out sipping brews, especially in the foodie haven of Portland.

There's no better way to get to know the towering mountains of Maine than by taking them one step at a time. Going up. Acadia National Park and Maine's many state parks offer the perfect launch pad for a day of hiking. Tumbledown Mountain and Pleasant Mountain are both great springtime hikes, while Mount Katahdin (Maine's tallest peak) is best tackled in summer. You'll find plenty of kid-friendly hikes, too. In Acadia National Park, Wonderland Trail takes you from the woods to the sea and back on a winding (flat) path. For an extra challenge, Acadia National Park contains dozens of rock climbing routes, but you can find plenty more in Camden and Maine's western mountains, like Shagg Crag.

Maine is home to original makers and shakers, and their detailed work is your one-of-a-kind find. From Portland's boutiques to the Kittery Outlets, shopping in Maine is as unique as the landscape. Maybe you'll take home a colorful reclaimed lobster trap rope doormat from the Maine Float Rope Company, or-an all-time classic-a pair of L.L.Bean boots. If you're with a group that has diverse tastes, or you're not quite sure what you're looking for, Freeport is the place to be. Home to more than 120 outlets and scores of boutiques and specialty shops, one day might not be enough.

Popular Towns & Cities in Maine

From charming main streets to Portland's buzzing culinary scene, cities in Maine offer surprise after surprise. Whether it's natural splendor, handmade crafts, or unique cuisine, you'll find something to do, see and savor in every corner of the state.

The scenic coastal town of Ogunquit is a laid-back summer hideaway where you can hit the beach, go deep-sea fishing, or head out for some seasonal whale watching. After some sailing or kayaking, head to the boutiques and antique shops for a special find.

What's a giant statue of mythic Paul Bunyan doing towering over Bangor? Keeping watch over what was once the "Lumber Capital of the World." You can thank Bangor's lumber boom of the early 1800s for the architectural masterpieces you'll find perusing the mansions of the Broadway Historical District, where novelist Stephen King calls home. Don't be surprised if you feel like you're walking through a scene from one of his books.

Come for the shopping. Stay for the uniquely Maine trails. Freeport is home to more than 120 outlets and the L.L.Bean Flagship Store. If it's hand-crafted, Maine-made goods you're after, you'll be sure to find some at the numerous boutiques and small local shops. Once you've had your shopping fix, head to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park for some fresh coastal air on the ocean-side hiking trails.

In Belfast, Friday summer evenings are best enjoyed at the Belfast Art Gallery Walk. Peruse more than fifteen galleries, take in the sounds of music on the charming streets, and enjoy farm-fresh cuisine.

Seasons to Visit Maine

Summer waves give way to fall colors, and winter runs turn into spring trails. In Maine, each season offers its own unique wonders.

Nothing compares to Fall in Maine. In October, the coasts and mountainsides are illuminated with the blazing yellows, reds and oranges of autumn foliage. Some of the best leaf-peeping can be found from atop a lighthouse or along a scenic byway. Fall is an excellent time for hiking as the days are cooler and the views are beautiful from atop a scenic overlook. In the crisp air and quiet woods, sportsmen will find the stage is set for an unforgettable hunting or fishing experience, while Maine's legendary guides will be ready to showcase the state's natural beauty.

When temperatures drops and the snow falls, there's nothing wrong with hunkering down next to the fire with a good book and some hot chocolate-especially at a cozy Maine B&B. But that's only half the fun during winter in Maine. Winter offers its own endless adventures like skiing and snowboarding in the Maine mountains, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing. After a day spent trekking through the woods or carving some black diamonds, Maine's spas will have you rejuvenated and ready to go for the next day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
There Are a Million Things to Do in Maine: Start Here - Visit Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From off the beaten path winter activities to charming cities and towns like Lewiston and Bar Harbor, there's no shortage of things to do in Maine. Mountainside hikes through a kaleidoscope of fiery fall colors. Savory sea-to-table dinners in Portland. Cross-country glides through snow-covered pine. All waiting for you.

# data[].attributes.body
Links to a Wide Variety

# data[].attributes.body
About the team and its history

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Portland Sea Dogs
Founded in 1994
Portland, Maine

Team logo

Cap insignia

Minor league affiliations

Class

Double-A (1994-present)

League

Eastern League (1994-present)

Division

Eastern Division

Major league affiliations

Team

Boston Red Sox (2003-present)

Previous teams

Florida Marlins (1994-2002)

Minor league titles

League titles (1)

2006

Division titles (5)

Team data

Nickname

Portland Sea Dogs (1994-present)

Colors

Navy, red, gray

Mascot

Slugger The Sea Dog (1994-present)

Ballpark

Hadlock Field (1994-present)

Dan Burke

Manager
Joe Oliver

General Manager

Geoff Iacuessa

The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, that currently plays in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox system for the 2003 season; previously they were affiliated with the Florida Marlins. The change in affiliation brought success in the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the Sea Dogs went to the Eastern League championship series both years. They won their first-ever title on September 17, 2006, defeating the Akron Aeros, 8-5, in a rematch of the series from the previous year. It was the first Double-A championship for a Red Sox farm team since 1983 when they were based in New Britain, Connecticut.

Currently, all games are carried on a network of radio stations with Mike Antonellis providing the play-by-play, with the flagship WPEI and select TV games on NESN with Eric Frede play-by-play and former Red Sox relief pitcher Ken Ryan.

Minor league baseball officially returned to Maine on October 4, 1992, when Portland was awarded one of two Eastern League expansion franchises (the other being the New Haven Ravens) to begin play in April 1994. The Sea Dogs signed an affiliation agreement with the Florida Marlins on May 3, 1993, beginning what would become a nine-season relationship. The city renovated Hadlock Field, transforming what was once a high-school stadium into a professional ballpark. City manager Robert Ganley led efforts to renovate Hadlock Field and return professional baseball to Portland.

The team won its first game, defeating the Reading Phillies on the road 2-1, with the help of a 14th-inning home run by future major league catcher Charles Johnson. The team opened Hadlock Field on April 18, 1994, losing 7-6 to the Albany-Colonie Yankees.

Cartoonist Guy Gilchrist designed the team's logo as well as logos for the Connecticut Defenders, Binghamton Mets, and New Britain Rock Cats. Gilchrist's comic strip had a series of strips in which the young cat's family visit the Portland area and attend a Sea Dogs game.

The Sea Dogs' home stadium is Hadlock Field, named after long-time Portland High School baseball coach Edson Hadlock. It currently has a seating capacity of 7,368. Hadlock Field is often visited by vacationing celebrities, such as former NFL coach Bill Parcells, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and his wife Barbara. In left field stands the Maine Monster, a 37-foot (11 m)-tall replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster, complete with Coke bottle and Citgo sign. Along the right-field foul line just beyond first base, a picnic pavilion is available for group outings from 20 up to 300 people. In 2006, a new pavilion opened above the right-field wall over the Sea Dogs bullpen. Modeled after the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park in Boston, it seats up to 393 people and gives fans an opportunity to catch a home run ball.

Slugger the Sea Dog has been the Sea Dogs' mascot since his debut on May 6, 1994.

"Place" represents finish in the Northern Division.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Portland Sea Dogs Founded in 1994 Portland, Maine Team logo Cap insignia Minor league affiliations Class Double-A (1994-present) League Eastern League (1994-present) Division Eastern Division Major league affiliations Team Boston Red Sox (2003-present) Previous teams Florida Marlins (1994-2002) Minor league titles League titles (1) 2006 Division titles (5) Team data Nickname Portland Sea Dogs (1994-present) Colors Navy, red, gray Mascot Slugger The Sea Dog (1994-present) Ballpark Hadlock Field (1994-present) Dan Burke Manager Joe Oliver General Manager Geoff Iacuessa The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, that currently plays in the Eastern League.

# data[].attributes.body
About the team and its history

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Toggle the table of contents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Maine Celtics are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo Building. The team debuted in the 2009-10 season as the Maine Red Claws and have since won three division titles. The Boston Celtics purchased the franchise in July 2019 from Maine Basketball, LLC, a company chaired by William Ryan, Jr.,[3] and renamed the team the Maine Celtics in 2021.[4]

On February 25, 2009, the NBA Development League (D-League) awarded the city of Portland, Maine, with an expansion franchise.[5] On July 21, 2009, the Red Claws announced Austin Ainge as the first head coach of the team.[6] On April 2, 2009, "Red Claws" was announced as the winning name after a name-the-team contest,[7] beating out Beacons, Crushers, Destroyers, Swarm, and Traps. The name and logo gave homage to the lobster fishing industry, a major economic engine of the New England area. The use of "Red" in the team's name also served to pay tribute to longtime Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach.[8] During the 2009-10 season, the Red Claws were the only D-League team to sell out all 24 of their home games. This streak continued until the 2011-12 season, ending the streak at 48 consecutive games.

On June 21, 2012, the Red Claws announced that they had entered a hybrid affiliation with the Boston Celtics, making the Celtics the Red Claws' sole affiliate.[9][10] For the team's first two seasons, their affiliation was split between the Celtics and the Charlotte Bobcats. For its third season, the team's affiliation was split between Boston, Charlotte and the Philadelphia 76ers.[11]

The Red Claws made their first playoff appearance in April 2013, entering the playoffs as the eighth seeded team and being swept by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in a best-of-three-game opening round series.[12][13][14]

On July 16, 2014, the Red Claws announced that Mike Taylor would not return for a third season as the team's head coach.[15] He had a 45-55 record as coach over two seasons with the team.[15] He was replaced by Canadian Scott Morrison after 11 seasons as the head coach of Lakehead University's Lakehead Thunderwolves. Morrison spent the 2013-14 season as a D-League assistant.[16] On June 21, 2017, Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics head coach, named him as an assistant coach with the Celtics.[17] In 2017, the D-League rebranded as the NBA G League via a sponsorship with Gatorade.[18]

On July 25, 2019, the Celtics announced they would purchase the Red Claws franchise from original owners Bill Ryan and Bill Ryan, Jr. Before the sale, the Red Claws had been one of the few remaining independently owned G League franchises. Their sale to the Celtics continued the trend of NBA teams purchasing their G League affiliates.[19] The sale was finalized on October 15, 2019.[20]

On December 7, 2019, Bryce Brown set a franchise record with scoring 11 of 11 three-pointers for the Red Claws in a 128-123 loss to the Delaware Blue Coats.[21] The 2019-20 season was then curtailed in March 2020 by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic while the Red Claws were in first place in their division. The following 2020-21 season was then delayed due to the ongoing pandemic-related restrictions and eventually held at a single location in Orlando, Florida. However, the Celtics decided to not have the Red Claws participate and opted out of the season.[22]

On May 24, 2021, the Boston Celtics announced the Red Claws had been rebranded the Maine Celtics beginning with the 2021-22 season.[23]

Season

Division

Regular season

Postseason results

Finish

Wins

Losses

Pct.

Maine Red Claws

2016-17
Atlantic

1st

29

21

.580

Won First Round ( Fort Wayne) 2-1
Lost Semifinals ( Raptors 905) 0-2

2019-20
Atlantic

1st

28

14

.667

Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic

2020-21
Opted out of single-site season

Maine Celtics

Regular season record

305

301

.503

2009-present

Playoff record

2

10

.167

2009-present

#

Head coach

Term

Regular season

Playoffs

Achievements

G

W

L

Win%

G

W

L

Win%

1

2009-11

100

45

55

.450

-

-

-

-

2

2011-12

50

21

29

.420

-

-

-

-

3

2012-14

100

45

55

.450

2

0

2

.000

4

2014-17

150

95

55

.633

9

2

7

.221

NBA D-League Coach of the Year (2015)

Players

Coaches

Pos.

No.

Name

Height

Weight

DOB (YYYY-MM-DD)

From

Head coach

Assistant coach(es)

Roy Enright

Allen Harris

Brooks Sales

Legend

(C) Team captain

(DP) Unsigned draft pick

(FA) Free agent

(S) Suspended

(P) Prospects

(NBA) On assignment from NBA affiliate

(TW) Two-way affiliate player

Injured

Roster
Last transaction: May 2, 2023

Bill Walker - assigned by the Boston Celtics on November 21, 2009

Alexis Ajinca - assigned by the Charlotte Bobcats on November 30, 2009

Lester Hudson - assigned by the Boston Celtics on December 15 and December 26, 2009

Sherron Collins - assigned by the Charlotte Bobcats on December 8, 2010

Avery Bradley - assigned by the Boston Celtics on January 14, 2011

Craig Brackins - assigned by the Philadelphia 76ers on February 7, 2012

Fab Melo - assigned by the Boston Celtics on November 14, 2012

Kris Joseph - assigned by the Boston Celtics on November 14, 2012

MarShon Brooks - assigned by the Boston Celtics on January 1, 2014

Rajon Rondo - assigned by the Boston Celtics on January 15, 2014

Vítor Faverani - assigned by the Boston Celtics on January 25, 2014

Vander Blue - assigned by the Boston Celtics on January 31, 2014

Jordan Mickey - assigned by the Boston Celtics on November 5, 2015

Terry Rozier - assigned by the Boston Celtics on November 5, 2015

1. ^ Boston, Evans (September 15, 2015). "Contact Us". Maine.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Team Colors: Green, White & Black

2. ^ "Maine Celtics Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc.

3. ^ ""She's Your Lobster" | Memorable Lobster Moments in Pop Culture". New England Today. June 15, 2017.

4. ^ "BOSTON CELTICS AND MAINE RED CLAWS ENTER INTO SINGLE AFFILIATION PARTNERSHIP BEGINNING WITH 2012-13 SEASON" (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013.

5. ^ Toscano, Jimmy (June 21, 2012). "Celtics enter into single affiliation partnership with Red Claws". NBC Sports.

6. ^ "Maine Basketball LLC owner bios". Archived from the original on December 20, 2014.

7. ^ a b

8. ^ "Boston Celtics reach deal to purchase Maine Red Claws". Portland Press Herald. July 25, 2019.

9. ^ "Maine Red Claws Renamed Maine Celtics". OurSports Central. May 24, 2021.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Toggle the table of contents From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Maine Celtics are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo Building.

# data[].attributes.body
Information about baskets created by Maine's Native Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine Basketry

Activities to Support Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture

"Glooskap came first of all into this country into the land of the Wabanaki, next to sunrise. There were no Indians here then And in this way, he made man: He took his bow and arrows and shot at trees, the basket-trees, the Ash. Then Indians came out of the bark of the Ash-trees."

-Passamaquoddy creation legend translated by Molly Sepsis and published in Algonquin Legends by Charles G. Leland in 1884.

Recent Maine legislation, sponsored by Penobscot Representative Donna Loring and signed into law by Governor Angus King, requires that Maine Native American history and culture be taught in all Maine elementary and secondary schools. Toward this end, a seven-member commission will be working with the Maine Department of Education to incorporate Maine Native American history and culture into the State of Maine Learning Results.

In support of this legislation, the Hudson Museum has created two on-line activities. The first, a bookmark activity, offers students a hands-on opportunity to learn about Maine Indian basketry. The second presents instructions on how to make and play waltes, a traditional Northeastern Native American bowl game played by the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac.

Maine Basketry

Maine Indian Basketmaking

The materials used for Maine Indian basketmaking are brown ash and sweetgrass. Brown ash, Fraxinus nigra, commonly grows in swampy areas and along the banks of streams and brooks. Traditionally, men harvest and pound brown ash logs. Logs selected for basketmaking are straight, 8 to 10 feet in length, 6 to 12 inches in diameter and weigh over 100 pounds. To produce splints for basketmaking, the entire log is pounded with the back of an ax or a sledge. The pounding causes the wood to separate along its annual ring growth, producing raw material that is fashioned into splints that may be used to weave work baskets, such as pack and potato baskets, or with additional preparation may be used in making more delicate fancy baskets.

Sweetgrass, Hierochloe odorata, a fragrant, salt marsh grass, is also used in Maine Indian basketmaking. The grass is picked, gathered and then hung to dry. Special wooden combs are used to clean the chaff from the grass. Before it is used, it is soaked in water to make it soft and pliable. The grass can then be woven into a basket a few strands at a time or braided, then woven.

Dyes

During the Civil War, brown ash splints were often dyed with indigo, Prussian blue or chromium yellow. Other colors were made from berries, tree bark and roots. Following the Civil War, basketmakers began to use pre-packaged aniline dyes to color basket splints. As with fashions, popular colors changed over time. During the Victorian era, basketmakers used dull, muted colors including olive green and drab browns. Color common in the 1920s included bright blues, greens and reds. In the 1930s "Roman" colored baskets-baskets with splints dyed in rainbow hues including red, green, blue, orange, purple and teal-were popular.

Tools

Maine Indian basketmakers used tools handed down to them from elder family members. These include blocks, used to create uniform-sized baskets; gauges to cut splints into uniform widths ranging from 1/16 inch to 1/2 inch; crooked knives, a one-handed draw-knife to shape the thick rim bands and handles on work baskets; and splitters and scrapers used to thin the ash splints.

History

Maine Indian baskets were designed for practical purposes and early forms included pack baskets, gathering baskets and fishing traps. These forms were readily adopted by Anglo-Americans for use in the home, the fields and woods, and Indian peddlers commonly sold baskets door-to-door throughout the state. In the early 19th century, baskets were woven free-form and the splints dyed with natural plant materials. Toward the end of the 19th century, tools were developed to ensure uniform basket shapes and sizes, replicating trends in America resulting from the Industrial Revolution.

By the late 1800s Maine, especially its inland lakes and the coast, became a popular summer vacation spot. Traditionally, Maine Indians migrated to these regions to fish and hunt during the summer and they quickly became adept entrepreneurs, selling souvenir merchandise such as birchbark crafts, decorated paddles, toy bows and arrows, root clubs and baskets to the Victorian-era visitors. Basketmakers sold their own work or that of family members, using the profits to support themselves during the winter months.

Maine Indian basketmakers made baskets in a variety of shapes and designs to appear to the tastes of their customers. Many of these forms replicated common Victorian household items. One of the most popular forms was the sewing flat, a small basket (6 to 12 inches in diameter) which typically held buttons, thread and embroidery floss. Other popular forms were button baskets, comb baskets, tatting baskets and knitting baskets. Many baskets were used for decorative purposes. These forms tended to be more intricate with elaborate curlwork. Fans, napkin rings, trays and stationery boxes were all produced by the Maine Indian basketmakers.

In the 1920s imported cord from Hong Kong began to replace hand-braided sweetgrass, allowing basketmakers to increase basket production. As World War I, the Depression and World War II came, Maine tourism declined precipitously, the sales of baskets at the summer resorts ended. Shops continued to sell baskets and souvenir merchandise on Maine Indian reservations. Mass produced plastic items began replacing basket forms in the 1960s. Fewer markets for baskets, other employment opportunities for Maine Indians and difficulty in finding brown ash and sweetgrass resulted in a major decline in this indigenous tradition.

By the 1990s, this tradition was in serious decline with only a handful of basketmakers practicing this artform. In 1992, the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance was formed to preserve and assist in all aspects of basketmaking including the gathering and preparation of materials, teaching of the tradition and marketing baskets. Today, there are over 75 Maine Indian basketmakers who carry on this tradition that is intricately linked to their culture. For educational resources that support the teaching of Maine Indian History and Culture, please or visit the Maine Indians: Curriculum Resource List page or visit the Hudson Museum Shop Teachers' Resources page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Basketry - Hudson Museum - University of Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Activities to Support Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture "Glooskap came first of all into this country into the land of the Wabanaki, next to sunrise. There were no Indians here then And in this way, he made man: He took his bow and arrows and shot at trees, the basket-trees, the Ash.

# data[].attributes.body
All about the Maine spud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Maine Potato industry prides itself on producing a high-quality product, whether that product is potatoes destined for your table, french fries, potato chips, or other processed potatoes. The Maine Quality Trademark is your guarantee that the contents are only the highest quality. In fact, before those potatoes can bear that trademark, they are inspected and pass requirements stricter than the United States Department of Agriculture's U.S. No. 1 grade. Just look for the red, white and blue State of Maine trademark the next time you're shopping for potatoes!

The Mighty Potato

A potato is a vegetable; Solanum tuberosumis the scientific name for the potato. A small plant with large leaves, it contains a lot of starch and other carbohydrates. The part of the potato that people eat is a tuber that grows underground.

In terms of nutrition, the potato is best known for its carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). A medium-size potato with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Learn more about potato nutrition here!

Culinary Uses

Potatoes are prepared in many ways: skin-on or peeled, whole or cut up, with seasonings or without. Most potato dishes are served hot, but some are first cooked, then served cold, notably potato salad and potato chips.

Common dishes are: mashed potatoes, which are first boiled (usually peeled), and then mashed with milk or yogurt and butter; whole baked potatoes; boiled or steamed potatoes; French-fried potatoes or chips; cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or sliced and fried (home fries); grated into small thin strips and fried (hash browns); grated and formed into dumplings, Rösti or potato pancakes. Unlike many foods, potatoes can also be easily cooked in a microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent moisture from escaping.

Other Uses

Potatoes are used to brew alcoholic beverages such as vodka, potcheen, or akvavit.

They are also used as food for domestic animals.

Potato starch is used in the food industry as, for example, thickeners and binders of soups and sauces, in the textile industry, as adhesives, and for the manufacturing of papers and boards.

Maine companies are exploring the possibilities of using waste potatoes to obtain polylactic acid for use in plastic products; other research projects seek ways to use the starch as a base for biodegradable packaging.

Potatoes in the United States

Potatoes arrived in the Colonies in 1621 when the Governor of Bermuda, Nathaniel Butler, sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes and other vegetables to Governor Francis Wyatt of Virginia at Jamestown. The first permanent potato patches in North America were established in 1719, most likely near Londonderry (Derry), NH, by Scotch-Irish immigrants. From there, the crop spread across the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Maine Potato industry prides itself on producing a high-quality product, whether that product is potatoes destined for your table, french fries, potato chips, or other processed potatoes. The Maine Quality Trademark is your guarantee that the contents are only the highest quality. In fact, before those potatoes can bear that trademark, they are inspected ...

# data[].attributes.body
Learn about the jobs of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Mane government.

# data[].attributes.body
Very nice - with products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By The Numbers Tax rate: $24.56/$1,000 valuation City Hall: 389 Congress St., 874-8300. Public schools: 874-8111.

The largest city in Maine, Portland, with a population of about 64,500 in an area of 26 square miles, is in a superb position on the Casco Bay Peninsula. In its infancy it quickly prospered by building ships and exporting the great island pines for use as masts. A long line of wooden wharves stretched along the seafront, with the merchant's houses on the hillside above.

From the earliest days it was a cosmopolitan city, with a large free black population who traditionally worked as longshoremen; there was great bitterness when Irish immigrants began to muscle in on the scene in the 1830's. When the railroads came, the Canada Trunk Line had its terminus right on Portland's quayside, bringing the produce of Canada and the Great Plains one hundred miles closer to Europe than it would be at any other major US port. Some of the wharves are now taken up by new condo developments, through Custom House Wharf remains much as it must have looked when Anthony Trollope passed through in 1861 and said "I doubt whether I ever saw a town with more evident signs of prosperity." Most of the town he saw was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1866 (Indians in 1675, and the British in 1775, had previously burned Portland deliberately).

Grand Trunk Station was torn down in 1966, and downtown Portland appeared to be in terminal decline until a group of committed residents undertook the energetic redevelopment of the area now known as Old Port Exchange. Their success has revitalized the city, keeping it at the heart of Maine life - but you shouldn't expect a hive of energy. Portland is simply a pleasant, sophisticated, and attractive town, not a major urban center.

Maine History Timeline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Historical Events of Maine. MainResource.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By The Numbers Tax rate: $24.56/$1,000 valuation City Hall: 389 Congress St., 874-8300. Public schools: 874-8111. The largest city in Maine, Portland, with a population of about 64,500 in an area of 26 square miles, is in a superb position on the Casco Bay Peninsula.

# data[].attributes.body
Several maps

# data[].attributes.body
with many links

# data[].attributes.body
with many links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blueberries Blueberry plants are plentiful in Maine because their hardy nature allows them to withstand the harsh weather and rough soil that are common in the rural parts of this state. With over 98% of the nation's low bush blueberries harvested in Maine this fruit has become one of Maine's larger exports. Blueberries are commonly used in jams, jellies, pies and fruit salads. For more information about Maine blueberries, check out http://www.wildblueberries.com

Maine Lobsters This tough looking shellfish thrives in the cold waters off the coast of Maine. People from all over the world savor the taste of fresh Maine lobsters, making this crustacean a vital part of Maine's economy. Over 90% of the nation's lobsters are caught all along the Maine coast. For more information about Maine lobsters, check out https://www.maine.gov/dmr/science-research/species/lobster/index.html

Potatoes Maine ranks as one of the top three potato producing states in the country. These hardy vegetables are predominantly grown in the Northern Maine county of Aroostook. For more information about Maine potatoes, check out http://www.mainepotatoes.com

Maple Syrup Maine maple syrup is usually harvested during the cold winter months from the thousands of maple trees which dot the Maine countryside. Over 11% of the nation's maple syrup comes from the state of Maine. For more information about Maine maple syrup, check out http://www.mainemapleproducers.com/

Pulp, Paper and Wood Products Almost 89% of Maine is forested, making it a prime location for the production of wood and paper products. Maine is currently the home of many of the largest paper producing mills in the country. Many forms of Maine paper products are used in schools and offices throughout the country. For more information on the paper making process in Maine, check out http://www.umche.maine.edu/pilot/Services.htm

Apples Every fall, orchards all over the state are bustling with activity as apples become ripe for picking. Many different varieties of apples are grown in the state of Maine, including Macintosh and Yellow delicious. In 1997, approximately 1,524,000 bushels of apples were harvested in Maine. For more information about apple production in Maine, check out https://maineapples.org/orchards/

Tourmaline This gemstone has the distinction of being the official mineral of Maine. Tourmaline stones can be found in a variety of colors ranging from black to light pink and are often fashioned into beautiful jewelry. In the late 1800's, Maine became established as one of the best places in North America for tourmaline mining. For more information about tourmaline, check out http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gemstones/sp14-95/tourmaline.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blueberries Blueberry plants are plentiful in Maine because their hardy nature allows them to withstand the harsh weather and rough soil that are common in the rural parts of this state. With over 98% of the nation's low bush blueberries harvested in Maine this fruit has become one of Maine's larger exports.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Two Canadian fishermen have been celebrating catching bright blue lobsters over the last few days. But how rare are these striking-looking crustaceans, asks Justin Parkinson.

Lobsters caught off the Atlantic coast of North America aren't usually very bright. They tend to be a murky, greeny-brown... until they are boiled, when they turn the orangey-pink familiar to diners with high disposable incomes.

So two fishermen off the coast of Nova Scotia made the news when they caught not one, but two vivid blue lobsters in quick succession, 150km (93 miles) apart. Among the region's fishermen, it's traditionally considered to be a sign of good fortune.

The probability of the creature having this colouring is widely touted as being one in two million. The University of Maine Lobster Institute is among those to have quoted these odds in the past, though its executive director, Rob Bayer, admits they are merely a "guess".

"The chances of this happening nobody really knows," he says.

The answer

It's been suggested that the odds are one in two million

But these are largely a "guess", according to the US Lobster Institute

David Spiegelhalter, professor for the public understanding of risk at Cambridge University in the UK, is inclined to pour a bit of cold water on the story.

A rough analysis of overall catch tonnages suggests that about 200 million lobsters are caught in the North Atlantic every year, he says. That equates to 100 blue ones turning up in a year on average, if the one-in-two-million odds are correct.

"So for two to be caught three days apart, quite close to each other, does not seem at all surprising," says Spiegelhalter. "I would imagine it happens most years."

Bright blue lobsters are so-coloured because of a genetic abnormality that causes them to produce more of a certain protein than others.

They stand out from the rest of a catch, particularly in western parts of the North Atlantic.

"The American lobster is usually a sort of greeny-brown, so anything bright blue would look very odd to fishermen there," says Charlie Ellis, a researcher at the UK's National Lobster Hatchery, in Cornwall.

"But European lobsters tend to be a duller blue colour. The real sort of iridescent blue is still rare here, but the difference is that, to a European fisherman, it will seem less completely out of the ordinary than it would seem to a North American."

Ellis thinks the probability of a lobster being bright blue may be as low as one in a few hundred thousand. But another British expert, Andrew Parker of Oxford University's zoology department, disagrees - he backs the one-in-two-million estimate.

It's safe to say that other kinds of lobster are even rarer. Yellow lobsters account for about one in 30 million of total stocks, the Lobster Institute estimates.

But two fishermen in Dorset hit the ultimate lobster-probability jackpot in 2011 when they caught an albino, or "crystal", lobster - the odds of this are reckoned to be one in 100 million.

"Whatever the odds of catching different-coloured lobsters, there's no denying that bright blue ones are truly beautiful creatures," says Bayer. "They might not be the most unusual, but they are undoubtedly the best to look at."
Follow Justin Parkinson on Twitter Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.@justparkinson
One of the Canadian blue lobsters has already been returned to the sea. The other will be kept in a tank and released after the end of the lobster season in mid-July.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two Canadian fishermen have been celebrating catching bright blue lobsters over the last few days. But how rare are these striking-looking crustaceans, asks Justin Parkinson. Lobsters caught off the Atlantic coast of North America aren't usually very bright. They tend to be a murky, greeny-brown...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A catch of colourful crustaceans is stirring the pot at a fish market in Nova Scotia, but the brilliant lobsters are more than just a novelty - blue and orange lobster are telling scientists about the ocean's ecosystem.

In June a fishermen caught a bright blue lobster in the waters of Antigonish - the odds of that were pegged at one in two million. Finding 35 orange lobsters is even less likely. Catching one is supposed to be a one-in-ten-million rarity

The colouration is caused by a genetic defect that causes the lobster to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein that gives the lobster the unique colour.

"They look exactly the same except they look totally different," said Andrew Hebda, curator of zoology at the Museum of Natural History.

"When you think about lobster think of a painting. You're doing some water colours and you take a bit of blue, you take a bit of yellow, you take a bit of red and you take a bit of green and poof, mix them all together and what do you have? Mud. Which is what your normal lobster is. What happened here is that we don't seem to have those other three pigments in there... you're looking at a genetic mutation that has suppressed those colours."

Live lobsters are usually a motely mix of greenish browns. They turn red when boiled.

"That's essentially good camouflage colour. If you're living on a fairly rocky bottom you don't want to stand out. If you've got predators around going 'whoa, there's food wandering around."

Escaping predators

Hebda said the museum's last record of an orange lobster was in the 1920s.

"I suspect we're not seeing a higher frequency, it's just that they are not being picked up so they are persisting," he said.

Hebda said their prevalence might indicate there are less predators.

"They are food to a large number of predators so again if the things that feed on them aren't there then they'll persist."

Hebda said there are similar reports of colourful lobster in New England.

He said their unique colours probably doesn't affect their meat.

"It's shell deep. You can't tell a taste of a lobster by its appearance, unless it happens to be laying on the bottom of the tank for several days not moving."

No one will find out what the orange gang tastes like. Some might be donated for research, while the rest will spend their days in the pet tank at the store.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What makes a blue lobster so blue? | CBC News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A catch of colourful crustaceans is stirring the pot at a fish market in Nova Scotia, but the brilliant lobsters are more than just a novelty - blue and orange lobster are telling scientists about the ocean's ecosystem.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Chemistry of a Lobster's Shell Color

# data[].attributes.subject
The Chemistry of a Lobster's Shell Color

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Colorful Chemistry of Lobster Shells - Bytesize Science

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
11 Lobster Facts That Will Leave You Shell-Shocked

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Maine lobsterman and his daughter caught a two toned orange and brown lobster. How common they are and 10 other fascinating lobster facts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Secretary of State Kids: Maine Products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blueberries - Blueberry plants are plentiful in Maine because their hardy nature allows them to withstand the harsh weather and rough soil that are common in the rural parts of this state. With over 98% of the nation's low bush blueberries harvested in Maine this fruit has become one of Maine's larger exports.

# data[].attributes.body
Learn about the life of a lobster and how lobstermen catch them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kids' Page
There is a lot to learn about lobsters. We get all kinds of questions from kids like you.

Click on the word "Lobsters" to see some of the questions we are asked most often about lobsters.

Click on the word "Lobstering" to see some of the questions we are asked most often about fishing for lobsters.

If you have a question, email it to us. We'll email you back with the answer, and maybe we'll add your question to our Web site.

Here are some other fun lobster things you can do:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kids' Page - Lobster Institute - University of Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is a lot to learn about lobsters. We get all kinds of questions from kids like you. Click on the word "Lobsters" to see some of the questions we are asked most often about lobsters. Click on the word "Lobstering" to see some of the questions we are asked most often about fishing for ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History

You are invited to scroll through an historic timeline of the lobster industry in Maine (below). Along the way, the Lobster Institute highlights milestones of the American lobster industry from its start in the 1600's to present day. You'll find out when the first lobster catch was recorded and learn what a lobster "smack" is. You'll read about the first lobster fishing regulations and what the catch has been like for the past fifty years.

The Lobster Institute hopes you enjoy learning about these milestones of Maine's lobster industry. This historical timeline was put together to compliment our ongoing oral/video history project.

As part of this project, we have been videotaping interviews with some of the more seasoned lobstermen and others in lobstering communities in order to capture and retain the spirit of the people and families who have made lobstering in Maine a way of life through the generations. Their relationships with the sea, their boats and traps, and the lobster itself have, quite without their intent and beyond their control, created legend and lore that have made lobstering a cultural icon for Maine. The people who work the coastal fisheries are, in essence, a community unto themselves. Recording the stories of today's most veteran lobstermen and their families will strengthen and preserve a special piece of this unique Maine community's culture and rich maritime tradition. Once completed, the project promises to educate, enlighten, and entertain.

The Lobster Institute is available to present this historical timeline to classes or groups - complete with video clips and historic photos. For more information about this project or other research, educational or outreach activities of the Lobster Institute, please contact us.
Milestones of the Maine Lobster Industry: An Historical Timeline

1605 - First recorded lobster catch. Lobsters were plentiful in the 1600-1700s. They were often considered a paupers food. There are even stories of indentured servants having it written into their contracts that they could not be served lobster more than twice a week.

Late 1700s - Lobster "smacks" were introduced and the industry began in earnest. These custom-made boats, with open holding wells on deck, allowed live lobsters to be shipped. Captain E.M. Oakes from Harpswell was one of the earliest smackmen in Maine. Smacks were used well into the 1900s. Click here for an article by Arthur Woodward entitled "Lobsters: A 1950s Trip in a Lobster Smack" (PDF)

1828s - Maine passed a law banning out-of-state lobstermen.

1842 - Lobster canning started in Eastport, Maine by a Mr. U. S. Treat, expanding the market. In 1843 a one pound can (meat from 3 ½ pounds of live lobster) sold for 5 cents.

1850s - Lathe pots replace hoop nets - followed in 1930s by wooden parlor traps. Wooden parlor traps were the forerunners of today's wire parlor traps. Wooden traps had to be taken out of the water for several months at a time for repairs - now many fish year round since wire traps are more durable.

1872 - First law banning taking of egg-bearing females ...a conservation measure already practiced by many Maine lobstermen at the time.

1874 - First laws regulating minimum size of lobster. The first minimum size was 10 ½ inches overall size. This doomed the canners who basically went out of business by 1885. Maine's minimum size today is 3 ¼ inches and the maximum is 5 inches.

1875 - Tidal lobster pounds were introduced as a way to store live lobsters for future sale during times of peak demand.

1910 - Engines began replacing most sails and oars in lobster boats - hydraulic haulers were introduced in 1950s.

Early 1900s - Landings in the U.S. were very low. Fishermen often had to find other ways to supplement their income in these days. There were plenty of rumors about lobstermen turning to rum-running along the Maine coast during prohibition days.

Late 1920s- According to Robert Joyce, who lobstered out of Swans Island, when he started fishing in the late 1920s:

bait cost 10 cents a bushel (now it's over $14)

he got 10-14 cents a pound for his lobsters.

1940s - A company called LobLure began research on alternative lobster bait. Early alternatives included sanitary napkins soaked in herring oil to kerosene soaked bricks. Herring is the most popular bait today with between 700-800 million lbs. used per year in the U.S. and Canada. Alternative bait studies continue to this day - on everything from cowhide to soybeans.

1950s-

Landings began to increase

Co-ops were introduced: The first co-ops in Maine were in Boothbay, Pemaquid, and Stonington.

The Maine Lobstermen's Association was organized: Leslie Dyer of Vinalhaven was the MLA's first president.

1950s - Offshore lobstering becomes more prevalent. Today most lobstering is still done inshore by individual boat owners. Offshore lobstering brought in about 20% of the catch at its peak and today accounts for about 10% of landings.

1970s - Wire-mesh traps introduced.

1977 - Largest lobster, according to Guiness Book of World Records, caught off Nova Scotia. It was listed as 44 lbs 6 oz with a length, from the tip of its tail to the tip of its crusher claw, at 3 ½ feet.

1987 - Lobster Institute formed. The Institute was started by industry associations in partnership with the University of Maine. The Lobster Institute's core functions include communications, outreach, research and educational programming.

2010 - Largest U. S. lobster catch-116,248,149 pounds. Valued at over $399 million. (most recent data)

2011 - Largest Maine lobster catch - Nearly 103.9 million pounds. Valued at over $331 million.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History - Lobster Institute - University of Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You are invited to scroll through an historic timeline of the lobster industry in Maine (below). Along the way, the Lobster Institute highlights milestones of the American lobster industry from its start in the 1600's to present day. You'll find out when the first lobster catch was recorded and learn what a lobster "smack" is.

# data[].attributes.headline
Life of a Maine Lobster and Lobstering Basics

# data[].attributes.subject
Life of a Maine Lobster and Lobstering Basics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Education - Lobster Institute - University of Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids' Page Teacher Resources Life of the American Lobster Anatomy Life Cycle Diet Habitat Quiz Lobstering Basics History Boats Traps Jobs Gear Colorful Lobsters Cooking & Eating a Lobster A Day in the Life of a Downeast Lobster Fisherman Audio tape of a radio broadcast featuring an interview with a lobsterman & the Lobster Institute.

# data[].attributes.body
Lots of interesting and fun, yes fun, information here!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine is a product of the Ice Age. The last glacier was responsible for cutting what had been a relatively straight coastline into the hundreds of bays, inlets and picturesque harbors we know today. The receding ice sheet formed the 2,000 or so islands found off the Maine coast.

Early Inhabitants

The region's earliest inhabitants were descendants of Ice Age hunters. Little is known of these "Red Paint" people - so named because of the red clay with which they lined the graves of their dead - except that they flourished and hunted in Maine long before the coming of the Micmac and Abnaki Indian nations.

Burial grounds for these earliest Maine dwellers are thought to date back to 3000 B.C. Huge oyster shell heaps on the Damariscotta estuary testify to the capacious appetites of Maine's aborigines.

Of Maine's two earliest Indian nations, the Micmacs of eastern Maine and New Brunswick were largely a warlike people, while the more numerous Abnakis (or Wabanakis) were a peaceful nation, given to farming and fishing as a way of life.

Although dozens of tribes once inhabited the land, only two remain today*. The Passamaquoddies (1,500) live on two reservations, the largest of which is located at Pleasant Point near Eastport. The Penobscots (1,200) live on Indian Island in the Penobscot River at Old Town.

*With permission from the author, the Secretary of State adds the following information on Maine's Indian tribes: Four tribes remain today. In addition to the Passamaquoddies and Penoscots, the Micmacs (482) live in Aroostook County, with headquarters in Presque Isle and the Maliseets (554) are based near Houlton at their 800 acre tribal center. (March 8, 2000)

Discovery and Colonization

Five hundred years before Columbus "discovered" America, Leif Ericson and a crew of 30 Viking sailors are believed to have explored the Maine coast and may have landed and tried to establish a settlement here.

In 1498, six years after Columbus landed in the West Indies, John Cabot, an Italian sailor in the employ of King Henry VII of England, sailed into North American waters and may well have explored the Maine coast, although there is no concrete evidence of it.

A century after Cabot's voyage a number of European ships briefly visited the area, some of them putting ashore to make repairs and process fish catches.

The first settlement was established by the Plymouth Company at Popham in 1607, the same year of the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. Because the Popham colony didn't survive the harsh Maine winters, Jamestown enjoys the distinction of being regarded as America's first permanent settlement.

A number of English settlements were established along the Maine coast in the 1620s, although the rugged climate, deprivations and Indian attacks wiped out many of them over the years.

As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen settlements still survived. By then, Massachusetts had bought up most of the land claims in this wilderness territory, an arrangement which lasted until 1820 when Maine separated from Massachusetts to become a separate state.

French and Indian Wars

The question of Maine's ownership was a matter of continuing dispute between England and France throughout the first half of the 18th century.

The period was also marked by a series of Indian raids on white settlements, forays which had the active support of the French interested in seeing the English settlers driven from the land.

One of the significant military developments of the French and Indian Wars was the capture of the French fort at Louisburg, Nova Scotia, in 1745 by a contingent of forces led by William Pepperell of Kittery. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended all French claims to the territory.

After the Indian threat lessened in the mid-1700s, the population of Maine began to grow, encouraged by an open offer by Massachusetts of 100-acre lots free to anyone who would settle the northern province.

The population doubled from 12,000 to 24,000 between 1743 and 1763. By the end of the century, the number of Maine settlers had grown to more than 150,000.

Revolutionary War

Resistance to the oppressive colonial tax policies of the British Parliament began early in Maine.

In 1765 a mob seized a quantity of tax stamps at Falmouth (now Portland), and attacks on customs agents in the province became common.

A year after the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773, Maine staged its own version of that incident when a group of men burned a shipment of tea stored at York.

When open warfare finally erupted at Lexington and Concord, hundreds of Maine men actively joined the struggle for independence. The province saw plenty of action during the Revolution.

In 1775, British warships under the command of the notorious Capt. Henry Mowatt shelled and burned Falmouth, an act intended to punish residents for their opposition to the Crown, but which only served to stiffen Maine's ardor for independence.

The first naval battle of the Revolution occurred in June 1775 when a group of Maine patriots captured the armed British cutter "Margaretta" off Machias.

Later that year many Maine men accompanied Col. Benedict Arnold on his long march through the north woods in a valiant but fruitless effort to capture Quebec.

An ill-planned expedition by the American naval fleet to regain the British-held fortification at Castine in 1779 led to the most disastrous naval encounter of the war.

The Revolution cost Maine dearly. About 1,000 men lost their lives in the war, the district's sea trade was all but destroyed, the principal city had been leveled by British bombardment, and Maine's overall share of the war debt amounted to more than would later be imposed upon it by the Civil War.

Statehood

Following the Revolution, frontier settlers who resented being ruled from Boston pressed for separation from Massachusetts.

Coastal merchants, who held the balance of political power at the time, resisted the separation movement until the War of 1812 showed that Massachusetts was unable or unwilling to provide adequate protection for the people of the district against British raids.

With popular sentiment unified behind statehood, the separation movement went forward. Congress established Maine as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This arrangement allowed Maine to join the Union as a free state, with Missouri entering a year later as a slave state, thereby preserving the numerical balance between free and slave states in the nation.

By this time the population of Maine had reached nearly 300,000. The new state had nine counties and 236 towns.

Delegates met for three weeks in October of 1819 in Portland to hammer out a state constitution, a document strongly rooted in political independence, religious freedom and popular control of government.

The president of the convention was William King, a prominent Bath merchant and shipbuilder who subsequently became Maine's first governor.

Portland was selected as the state capital, but this was only temporary. In 1832 the capital was moved to Augusta, a more centrally located site.

Northeast Boundary Dispute

The precise boundary line between Maine and New Brunswick remained a matter of often-heated arguments for years after the close of the Revolutionary War.

The dispute festered and smoldered until 1839, when it threatened to erupt into open warfare. The Maine Legislature that year raised funds to support a military force of 10,000 to protect the state's border claims at Madawaska.

Several hundred British regulars were dispatched to the scene from Quebec. At this point the U.S. Congress entered the picture, approving $10 million for military expenses should war break out.

Nearly 50,000 troops were readied for action, and Major General Winfield Scott was dispatched to the scene. Scott managed to work out a temporary agreement between the two parties before the so-called "War of the Aroostook" reached the point of bloodshed.

The Webster-Ashburton Treaty, hammered out in 1842 by U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and English special minister Lord Ashburton, finally settled the question of where Maine's northeast boundary lay.

Economic Development

Once Maine became a separate state there followed a period of tremendous economic growth in which a number of important mining and manufacturing industries emerged.

In addition to lumbering, the traditional fishing and shipbuilding pursuits entered a boom period. Ice harvesting, granite and lime quarrying also developed as important industries.

Water-powered factories began to spring up beside the numerous sawmills already located along Maine's important rivers. Textiles, paper and leather products all became primary sources of manufacturing employment.

Fishing and farming were also important, but were subject to greater economic fluctuations. The overall economic picture - although periodically disturbed by such developments as the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution - continued on a relatively prosperous course throughout the remainder of the 19th century.

"The Maine Law"

The temperance movement had its origins in Maine, and to one degree or another dominated the political life of this state for more than a century.

The world's first Total Abstinence Society was founded in Portland in 1815. A state organization of temperance societies was formed in 1834, and within a dozen years had developed enough political clout to force the enactment of a state law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic spirits except for "medicinal and mechanical" purposes.

Under the fiery leadership of Portland's Neal Dow - known internationally as the "Father of Prohibition" - Maine approved a total ban on the manufacture and sale of liquor in 1851.

This so-called "Maine Law" remained in effect, in one form or another, until the repeal of National Prohibition in 1934.

Civil War

Maine, which was admitted to the Union as a free state under the provisions of the Missouri Compromise, had a strong anti-slavery tradition.

Abolitionist societies were active throughout the state 25 years before the outbreak of the War Between the States.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, wife of a Bowdoin College professor, wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin" at Brunswick; the book inflamed anti-slavery sentiment throughout the northern states in the years immediately preceding the outbreak of hostilities.

Thus, Maine's commitment to the Union cause during the war was considerable, both philosophically and materially. Some 73,000 Maine men served with the Union forces, and 10 percent of them lost their lives during the conflict.

Maine contributed the services of two great generals, Oliver Otis Howard, who performed brilliantly at Gettysburg and Bull Run, and Joshua L. Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top. Chamberlain commanded the Union troops to whom Lee surrendered at Appomattox. After the war he was elected governor of Maine.

Both generals were scholarly men. Howard was a principal founder of Howard University and served as its first president. Chamberlain became president of Bowdoin College.

Three Giants

Prohibition and the abolitionist movement gave the Republican Party its start in Maine in 1854. Hannibal Hamlin, a Democratic U.S. senator who broke with his party over the slavery question, was instrumental in forming the Republican Party in Maine, and served as the state's first GOP governor. In 1860 Hamlin was elected the nation's first Republican vice president under Abraham Lincoln.

Also during this period there emerged Maine's most influential 19th century political figure, James G. Blaine. From the mid-1860s to the end of the century Blaine virtually dominated state and national Republican politics, as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a powerful U.S. senator, and secretary of state in three Republican administrations. He was the GOP presidential candidate in 1884, but lost narrowly to Grover Cleveland.

Thomas B. Reed served continuously in Congress through the final quarter of the 19th century, and was its most powerful political figure during much of that time. A three-term House speaker, Reed was a masterful parliamentarian who used his position so vigorously to bring about vital reforms in House rules that he became known as "Czar Reed." He literally rewrote the book on parliamentary procedure: Reed's Rules of Order are still used in the Maine Legislature.

Industrial Growth

Maine's textile and leather industries enjoyed a dramatic upward surge following the Civil War, while farming activity correspondingly decreased.

Responding to Thomas Edison's discoveries in the 1890s, Maine began utilizing its vast river resources for the development of hydroelectric power. Plants for the production of electricity were built principally on the Androscoggin, Kennebec, Penobscot and Saco Rivers.

Maine's industrial growth continued, although at a much slower pace, into the 20th century. Expansion of the pulp and paper industry offset the loss of textile mills to the South. Large potato-growing, dairy and poultry farms replaced the decreasing number of small family farms.

The Great Depression of the 1930s brought the state's economy to a grinding halt along with the rest of the nation.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Maine has struggled to find a proper balance between resource-based industrial development and environmental protection. The state has come to rely heavily on tourism, small manufacturing enterprises and defense-related activities and installations for much of its economic base.

Maine Politics Today

With only rare lapses, the Republican Party dominated Maine politics for a full century, from the birth of the GOP in 1854 until the election of Edmund S. Muskie as governor in 1954.

Muskie and a small band of young progressives broadened the base of Democratic strength and began to convert Maine into a genuine two-party state.

Muskie was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1958. He became an early leader in the fight for a clean environment and also distinguished himself as an expert in urban legislation and budget control. In 1968 he was the Democratic nominee for vice president on a ticket headed by Hubert Humphrey, and four years later was a major contender for the presidential nomination.

Muskie was appointed secretary of state by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. He was succeeded by George J. Mitchell of Waterville, who went on to serve as Senate majority leader from 1988 until his retirement from Congress in 1994.

Margaret Chase Smith of Skowhegan achieved fame as the first American woman elected to both houses of Congress. She was first elected to the Senate in 1949 after nearly a decade in the House of Representatives. Noted for her political courage, integrity and independence. Smith was the first Republican senator to speak out openly against the excesses of McCarthyism in the 1950s. In 1964, her name was placed in nomination for president at the Republican National Convention in San Francisco.

Perhaps the most important political phenomenon of modern Maine is the emergence of independent voters as a dominating force. Independents outnumber both enrolled Democrats and Republicans and provide the swing vote in most elections today.

In 1974, they helped elect the nation's only independent governor, James B. Longley of Lewiston. Longley was succeeded first by a Democrat and then a Republican, but in 1994 Maine elected another independent governor, Angus S. King, Jr. of Brunswick.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine is a product of the Ice Age. The last glacier was responsible for cutting what had been a relatively straight coastline into the hundreds of bays, inlets and picturesque harbors we know today. The receding ice sheet formed the 2,000 or so islands found off the Maine coast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Secretary of State Kids: Famous People from Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Percival Baxter James Blaine George Bush Joshua Chamberlain William Cohen Dorothea Dix Melville Fuller Hannibal Hamlin George Mitchell Edmund Muskie Nelson A. Rockefeller Margaret Chase Smith Samantha Smith

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Secretary of State Kids: All About Maine Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The books featured on this page are provided as a sampling of the many children's books written about the state of Maine. The Secretary of State does not endorse the author, illustrator or publisher of these books.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Painters who reside(d) in the State of Maine, USA, on a full-time or seasonal basis, or whose work is otherwise noted for its association with the Maine landscape:

# data[].attributes.headline
Maine State Symbols with Links to More Information

# data[].attributes.subject
Maine State Symbols with Links to More Information

# data[].attributes.body
A variety of interesting facts about the state with links to more information.

# data[].attributes.body
Descriptions of 25 mountains in Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine's Lakes and Mountains is a region in western Maine that is part of the iconic Appalachian mountain range stretching the length of the United States' east coast. An exhilarating mix of mountain ranges and glacial lakes, this area is highly prized for its pristine environment. No matter the season, these mountains pack in plenty of entertainment for locals and visitors alike. From mountaineering to hiking to alpine skiing, there is a perfect mountain destination for everyone. Whether it is the serenity of an isolated peak with an epic view or an adrenaline-provoking summit to the state's tallest peak, these 25 Maine mountains are guaranteed to elevate your mood. Photo: Kelsie/Fotolia

25 Most Beautiful Mountains in Maine

Bigelow Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of duke2015 - Fotolia.com

Cadillac Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Chris Hill - Fotolia.com

The Crockers, Photo: Courtesy of Betty Sederquist - Fotolia.com

Dorr Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of delkoo - Fotolia.com

Doubletop Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Schultes - Fotolia.com

Goose Eye Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of wildnerdpix - Fotolia.com

Hamlin Peak, Photo: Courtesy of Tim Markley - Fotolia.com

Katahdin Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Thierry Bonneville - Fotolia.com

Little Jackson Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Oksana Ariskina - Fotolia.com

Mansell Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Kelsie - Fotolia.com

Mount Abraham, Photo: Courtesy of Bert Folsom - Fotolia.com

Mount Kineo, Photo: Courtesy of Daniel - Fotolia.com

Saddleback Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Zack Frank - Fotolia.com

Sugarloaf Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of Stephen - Fotolia.com

Traveler Mountain, Photo: Courtesy of sinitar - Fotolia.com

Cover Photo: Courtesy of Kelsie - Fotolia.com

Moxie Mountain

Moxie Mountain is located southwest of Moxie Pond in the city of Caratunk. This bald mountain features a wall of cliffs on its southern face and has a slide on its northeastern side, which can be seen from the logging roads that are just south of Moxie Pond. The interesting aspect of the mountain is that there are no clear trails to the summit, which is a collection of rock outcrops. Consequently, visitors can bushwhack their own trails to the top. Previous climbers have started their climbs at Heald Pond, Deer Bog, or Big Dimmick Pond.

Nahmakanta Crags

The Nahmakanta Crags are situated above the Nahmakanta Stream, an interesting collection of ledges that are between 60 and 100 feet high. From these crags visitors can travel to the top, which is just over 1,000 feet. There are various ascents that can be chosen, but all feature an initial steep climb of 500 feet and rise above a few of the Nahmakanta Stream's fishing pools. As hikers progress to the granite mountaintop, featuring small spruces and lichens, they will pass by lovely stands of birch trees hugging the cliff sides. Upon reaching the top they will revel in magnificent views of the surrounding mountains, forests, and lakes.

Old Speck

Old Speck is the northernmost and highest mountain in the Mohoosuc Mountain Range, which spans the Maine-New Hampshire border and runs along the entire Appalachian Trail. They are located slightly northeast of the iconic Presidentials and are known for being beautiful and rugged with infrequent foot traffic. The mountain rises 2,500 feet above Maine State Route 26 and Grafton Notch, offering picturesque views of the various peaks of northwestern Maine as well as views of the Presidentials to the south. A charming observation tower is situated at the top of the summit. This is an ideal mountain for a day hike, or the perfect starting point for a multi-day traverse.

Sentinel Mountain

Sentinel Mountain is situated in the southwest region of the Baxter State Park, standing at over 1,800 feet tall. It is a relatively easy climb to the summit and offers extraordinary views of Katahdin Mountain's west side. The open ridges of the mountain also provide excellent views of the Penobscot River and every peak from Katahdin to Doubletop Mountain. Visitors should begin their climb at Kidney Pond, which is a 2.8-mile trail roundtrip with a vertical gain of 800 feet. Visitors can also choose to rent a canoe at the pond and travel across to the Sentinel Landing, which links up with the Sentinel Mountain Trail.

Spaulding Mountain

At 4,010 feet, Spaulding Mountain is one of Maine's 14 peaks that rise over 4,000 feet. Even though its towering height is quite impressive, some hikers find its environment a little lackluster as its summit is heavily forested, cutting off what would be epic views. With that said, there are quite a few side trails that lead to some spectacular views of Spaulding Mountain's neighbors - Crocker, Bigelow, Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Abraham, and Redington mountains. Spaulding is part of the Blue Mountains and features a well-maintained path to the top along the Appalachian Trail.

The Brothers

The Brothers, North and South, are located within Baxter State Park. While considered two of the more modest peaks, they both made the AMC list of 4,000 footers in Maine. North Brother is slightly taller than South Brother, with a difference of roughly 200 feet. These two mountains, along with Mount Coe, create a loop hike that is ideal for beginner hikers or experienced hikers who want to warm up or cool down before or after a more demanding hike. Situated a little northwest of Katahdin, The Brothers overlook the Klondike and provide stunning views from Doubletop Mountain to The Traveler.

The Bubbles

The Bubbles are located within Acadia National Park. The two summits are right next to one another with only a slender saddle separating the pair. Their peaks are rocky and predominately bare, towering above Jordan Pond and providing some of the most gorgeous views within the park and spanning out to the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors will also enjoy the views of the mountains from different vantage points in the park as they have an extremely distinctive outline in the shape, which gave them their unique name. The main pathway is The Bubbles Trail; it's an easy hike leading to both peaks and taking only about an hour to complete.

The Owl Mountain

The Owl Mountain is among the first section of mountains on the west side of Katahdin, overlooking Witherle Ravine, Katahdin Falls, and Katahdin Stream. When viewed from Katahdin Stream, hikers will notice how it received its namesake as it clearly resembles the Great Horned Owl from this vantage point. It is also one of the most notable sights for hikers who are ending their trek across the Appalachian Trail. The mountain's trailhead begins at the Katahdin Stream Campground. It then follows the north side of the stream for just over a mile before heading west passing the falls, and ending after 2.2 miles at an open summit featuring incredible views.

Tumbledown Mountain

Tumbledown Mountain is located near Weld Village in western Maine. It is not the highest mountain in the area, but it is by far the most fascinating, featuring three magnificent and open peaks, North, East, and West. The North Summit is the highest among the three at just under 3,100 feet, however the other two are only slightly lower. Two of the most intriguing aspects of the mountain are the dramatic 700-foot-high cliffs that shape its south face, forming Byron Notch's north side, and Tumbledown Pond, located at roughly 2,800 feet. There are four distinct trails visitors can choose from - The Brook, Parker's Ridge, Loop, and Tumbledown Ridge.

Turner Mountain

Turner Mountain is located east of both Katahdin and the gorge of the Wassataquoik Stream's south branch. The mountain has three peaks, the highest of which is North Peak, which overlooks the Wassataquoik Stream. South Peak is the second tallest and the most popular with climbers, while East Peak is the shortest, but most remote and hardest to get to. Visitors tend to choose the South Peak as it is the only one with an accessible and clear trail. The trailhead can be found at Sandy Stream Pond. This summit offers incredible views of Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin. Hikers can traverse the 2 miles to the North Summit from here through a deep saddle.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine's Lakes and Mountains is a region in western Maine that is part of the iconic Appalachian mountain range stretching the length of the United States' east coast. An exhilarating mix of mountain ranges and glacial lakes, this area is highly prized for its pristine environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you gain when you reach the top of a high mountain peak - not to mention the spectacular views! On your next visit to Maine, set aside time to explore the state's 10 highest mountains. Even if you don't quite make it to the top, you can still enjoy the scenery from below!

1. Mount Katahdin

The highest peak in Maine, Mount Katahdin reaches 5,267 feet into the sky. Set in Baxter State Park - a 209,501-acre wilderness area in the Maine Highlands region - the mountain was named Katahdin, or "The Greatest Mountain," by the native Penobscot Indians. This steep peak was formed by an underground intrusion of magma and has been shaped by alpine glaciers.

Katahdin is 25 miles from the town of Millinocket. It's a popular hiking destination and serves as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and the southern end of the International Appalachian Trail. Well-known summit hikes include Knife Edge, a narrow, extremely technical trail that leads to Baxter Peak. As the top of the mountain is above the tree line, hikers will discover a jagged, rocky peak devoid of forest. Expect this very strenuous hike to take at least 10 hours, with an elevation gain of 4,167 feet.

2. Sugarloaf Mountain

At 4,240 feet, Sugarloaf is Maine's second tallest peak. In Maine's Lakes and Mountains region, the mountain is home to the Sugarloaf Resort, a year-round vacation destination that offers skiing and snowboarding in winter and hiking, mountain biking and golfing during the warmer months. The mountain is in the Carabassett Valley and has a vertical rise of 2,820 feet. The Appalachian Trail passes within a mile of Sugarloaf's summit on the west side of the mountain.

3. Old Speck Mountain

Set in Maine's Lakes and Mountains region, Old Speck is the state's third highest peak at 4,180 feet. Part of Grafton Notch State Park near the town of Newry, the steep trails that lead to Old Speck's summit reward hikers with stunning views of the forested slopes of the surrounding Mahoosuc Range. The Standard Route trail to the peak is part of the Appalachian Trail system. This challenging trail climbs through forest and is about 4 miles long.

4. Crocker Mountain

At 4,228 feet, Crocker Mountain is Maine's fourth highest peak. Set in the Carrabasset Valley in Maine's Lakes and Mountains region, the only trail to the summit of this mountain is part of the Appalachian Trail system. The trail climbs 2,800 feet over 5.2 miles to its wooded summit. It presents a moderate to difficult challenge and should take a few hours. Crocker Mountain is near Sugarloaf and the town of Stratton.

5. Bigelow Mountain

Bigelow Mountain sits along the southern shore of Flagstaff Lake in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region. Also known as the Bigelow Range, the mountain is composed of six peaks - the highest reaches 4,150 feet - and stretches almost 12 miles from east to west. The upper reaches of the mountain encompass more than 170 miles of alpine habitat and the range is situated within the Bigelow Preserve, a 36,000-acre public land reserve near the town of Stratton. The mountain can be climbed year-round. The Appalachian Trail connects to the Bigelow Range Trail. The Bigelow Range Traverse, a 17-mile hike with 10,000 feet of elevation gain is renown as one of the most difficult dayhikes in the U.S.

6. North Brother Mountain

Located near Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, North Brother Mountain's peak stretches to 4,143 feet. Perfect for a day trip, the mountain's hiking trails pass through forests and over streams, with a few steep stretches thrown in. The rocky, open summit offers stunning views of Katahdin, Doubletop, Coe and South Brother Mountains, as well as streams and rivers.

7. Saddleback Mountain

At 4,116 feet, Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley in the Lakes and Mountains region is home to the Saddleback Ski Area. With a 2,000-foot vertical drop, this alpine ski area on the mountain's north face offers views of the Rangeley Lakes. From the southeast summit, Saddleback Lake, and Winship and Conant Streams can be seen on a clear day. The Appalachian Trail traverses Saddleback's ridge; tent platforms are located at the Piazza Rock shelter on the trail. Though the mountain can be hiked year-round, most choose to climb in summer; the summit trail is about 5 miles long with a 2,800-foot vertical gain and several steep stretches that provide a technical challenge.

8. Mount Abram

Mount Abraham's summit is 4,049 feet high; this western Maine mountain's bare upper reaches stretch for about 4.5 miles, making it an easily recognized landmark near the town of Kingfield. From the top, hikers can see the neighboring peaks of Spaulding Mountain and Perham, Rapid and Quick Streams. The Appalachian Trail passes about 2 miles from Mount Abraham's summit, but it can be reached on a side trail. The mountain's alpine zone is one of Maine's largest, encompassing 350 acres, and many trails are marked with cairns that are hard to see in winter.

9. The Horn

Situated near Saddleback Mountain, The Horn reaches heights of 4,023 feet. The mountain's summit is a combination of alpine and sub-alpine environments and offers views of the surrounding peaks. It can be ascended year-round. Summit trails include Rock Pond, which has a 2,000-foot gain, and Redington River, with a 2,400-foot gain. The Appalachian Trail runs along The Horn's summit.

10. Mount Redington

Mount Redington's 4,010-foot elevation makes it the 10th highest mountain in Maine. Set in the Lakes and Mountains region near Carabassett Valley, Mount Redington is one of only two 4,000-foot Maine mountains without an official hiking trail to the summit; rather, hikers follow a network of logging roads. The summit ascent is six miles round-trip. From the summit, hikers can enjoy views of neighboring peaks, including Sugarloaf, Spaulding, Abraham, South Crocker, the Horn and Saddleback Junior Mountains.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you gain when you reach the top of a high mountain peak - not to mention the spectacular views! On your next visit to Maine, set aside time to explore the state's 10 highest mountains.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sugarloaf Mountain (Franklin County, Maine) - Wikipedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sugarloaf Mountain is a mountain located in Carrabassett Valley, Franklin County, Maine. It is the third highest peak in the state, after Mount Katahdin's Baxter and Hamlin peaks. Sugarloaf is flanked to the south by Spaulding Mountain.

# data[].attributes.body
Twelve Maine lakes with descriptions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some of the best places to hit the beach in Maine are inland.

By Emily Glatz Fontaine

For many people, their image of Maine is understandably tied to the ocean, with its almost 3,500 miles of coastline, yet Maine water also runs deep inland with 2,500 lakes and ponds across the state. Maine's freshwater provides pleasures beyond pure scenery. The unique scent of piney woods and sweet fern merge along many rural roads leading to pristine inland beaches. Immersing into cool, clear freshwater on a steamy summer day is a tactile experience like no other. Maine affords plenty of public access to inland waters for free or minimal fees. Sample some of these exceptional lake beaches, organized north to south, while the days are still hot. Don't forget your suit!
Cross Lake, Square Lake Township
Head north to the Crown of Maine and discover remote and picturesque Cross Lake, between Caribou and Fort Kent along Route 161.

Cross Lake Beach is well tucked in two-and-a-half miles down the Disy Road, which is located several miles past the turn-off for the village of Stockholm. This road and waterfront property is owned by the Irving Company and includes a beach, picnic facilities, a boat launch, ample parking, and a primitive outhouse.

Cedars dominate the well-defined day-use picnic and beach area providing fresh scents and shade under lush cover. Picnic tables are spread out among the trees and two are covered in the event of rain. Dark smooth pebbles comprise the natural beach material and continue underfoot well out into the water. Rolling hills and farmland symbolic of Aroostook County span out on the opposite shore beyond the lake. This lake is 5.5 miles long with an average depth of twenty feet.

Water quality in Cross Lake has been vastly improved over the last decade due to extensive local and state work to meet EPA Clean Water Act requirements. It suffered from the 1950s through the early 2000s largely due to high levels of phosphorus as a result of run-off from surrounding agricultural land in the Aroostook River Watershed. Visiting Cross Lake today serves as a reminder that Maine's beautiful inland waters require continued evaluation and protection to maintain the state's treasured natural resources. Cross Lake is a lovely place to spend the day or simply stop for a swim along the way to Fort Kent or Canada.
Moosehead Lake, Beaver Cove
Lily Bay State Park provides important access to Maine's largest lake within a 924-acre parcel in the Beaver Cove Township. Dunn Point is home to Lily Bay's beach area and is positioned on the eastern shore of the lake with western views toward Sugar Island in the foreground and the Misery Ridge mountains in the background. Jaw dropping, unobstructed, natural beauty abounds.

The terrain slopes gently toward the water. Mature white pines tower overhead whispering in the wind along the edges of the cleared playing field. Natural dark sand and pebbles form a sizable beach. Water clarity is top-notch and temperatures are cold even in late August. White-capped waves are characteristic from the usual northwesterly winds. Afternoon hours are warmest while full sun shines on the beach. A small wooded bluff extends to a point on the south end of the beach and provides excellent wildlife viewing within the cove. Moose, deer, bear, and waterfowl are common to the area.

Picnic tables and grills are dispersed among the trees surrounding the beach. Outhouses are near the beach area, and a full bathhouse is available on the park road about three quarters of a mile from the beach. The beach is relatively quiet even when the ninety-one campsites at Lily Bay's Dunn Point and Rowell Cove campgrounds are full. The pleasant town of Greenville is located nine miles south.
Sebec Lake, Dover-Foxcroft
Sebec Lake sits in the quiet center of Maine about six miles north of Dover-Foxcroft and is the centerpiece of Peaks-Kenny State Park. It spans ten miles, elongating eastward first into the Sebec River, then into the Piscataquis River, and finally emptying into the mighty Penobscot. Popular among locals and campers alike, this beach is well worth a trip.

The natural five hundred-foot sand beach graces the shore of Sebec Lake's South Cove. Views of two thousand-foot Borestone Mountain, an Audubon Society sanctuary, provide a scenic backdrop. The large grassy lawn, picnic tables, grills, horseshoe pits, and swings provide the raw materials for an old-fashioned outdoor summer day in Maine. Lifeguards man the roped-off swim area, and clean water beckons on a hot afternoon. Facilities include modern bathrooms, changing areas and coin-operated showers.

To get there, follow Route 153, locally called Greeley's Landing Road, about five miles north from Dover-Foxcroft. Catch a glimpse of Katahdin on this hilly ride out to the lake.
Upper Richardson Lake, Richardsontown
The fourteen-mile trip north of Oquossoc on Route 16, locally known as Wilson's Mills Road, is well worth the time and fuel. Keep your eyes peeled for moose on this isolated stretch of road, and plan on spending the day at this natural western Maine oasis, especially if you have a boat in tow.

Mill Brook Road, marked with a boat launch sign, is a mile-long, well-groomed dirt access road to Upper Richardson Lake. The state owns 22,000 acres in the surrounding area including twenty-one miles of shoreline on Richardson and Mooselookmeguntic lakes, as well as frontage on several nearby ponds. Facilities include an outhouse and plenty of parking across the road from the boat launch.

A forest of spruce, fir, pine, birch, aspen, and maple set the stage. Late summer may be the best bet for maximum beach access. Once past the boat launch dock, head left toward the mouth of Mill Brook Stream, the connector between Pepperpot Pond and Upper Richardson. This intersection of flowing water creates a gentle current that beckons swimmers to paddle upstream from rock to rock, and then enjoy an easy coast back down into flat water.

Rocks and boulders are scattered amongst the mildly red-tinted sand providing texture and interesting places to anchor down. Wading up into the brook along the edge makes for enjoyable exploring. There are plenty of shallow sandy areas for cooling off, and deeper areas for swimming. Bring along a pair of field glasses to view the loons.
Lake George, Canaan
Lake George is a 320-acre park located off Route 2 between Skowhegan and Canaan. The park encompasses both sides of the lake with the beach area located at the end of mile-long East Lake George Road.

Formerly Camp Modin, an overnight summer camp founded in 1922, this park has a unique campus feel with groomed grassy playing fields, a multi-use trail system, and tennis courts. An octagonal two-story building suggestive of a lighthouse, a relic from the park's past, marks the access point for the multi-use trail.

A favorite spot for young children, the sand beach is often sprinkled with brightly colored buckets and shovels. Water temperatures warm up nicely by late summer, but are always slightly refreshing in this spring-fed lake.

Shade covers the beach in the early morning and full sun soaks the sand by afternoon. Plenty of shade is available under a string of ancient trees parallel to the water.

The park is staffed by rangers during the summer and there is a minimal day-use fee. Changing facilities and clean flush toilets are situated at the far side of the parking lot near the ranger station.
Webb Lake, Weld
Webb Lake at Mount Blue State Park is nestled into a wilderness basin rimmed by Tumbledown Mountain, Little Jackson Mountain, and Mount Blue. Quiet and remote, this state park beach is off the beaten path. Rumford is the closest sizable town, seventeen miles southwest. Rangeley and Farmington are each about twenty-eight miles in opposite directions.

Perfectly clear water is edged by a crescent-shaped sand beach on the lake's southwestern shore. A two-foot retaining wall separates sand from lawn, allowing picnics to be eaten grit-free. There is a large roped-off swim area with endless shallow water. A giant rock juts above the surface just beyond the swim area and often attracts kayakers and paddlers.

Shade sits well back from the water under mature trees between the parking lot and the grass. A lifeguard occupies a stand in the middle of the beach during prime summer weeks. Full sunshine, combined with shallow water depths averaging twenty feet across this seven-mile lake, contributes to late-summer water temps that invite even the most cold sensitive for a dip.

Beach amenities include bathrooms with flush toilets, changing facilities, showers, picnic tables, and grills. A nearby nature center offers wildlife exhibits and a summertime schedule of activities for kids.
Branch Lake, Ellsworth
Branch Lake offers a piece of quintessential Maine. The experience begins on the footpath leading down to the beach where the bright blue sky and water merge beyond the silhouette of towering white pine trunks. Thick cover shades this short walk amidst the scent of pine needles and lake water. Branch Lake has a quiet essence, devoid of crowds and noise.

On the beach, assorted boulders and bushes provide an element of privacy. Several large rocks emerge from the water a few feet from shoreline, great places for climbing, jumping, or sunbathing. Still, there is plenty of sand, and swimming is fantastic with crystal-clear water, plenty of shallow area, and warm water temperatures through August.

Sunshine hits the beach around noon, making afternoon hours warmest.

An outhouse is available across the road about a quarter of a mile from the footpath back in the direction you came. Bring your own food and carry out all trash. Branch Lake is accessed off Route 1 between Bucksport and Ellsworth. Follow Happytown Road two-and-a-half miles and turn right onto Boat Launch Drive.
Pennesseewassee Lake, Norway
Pennesseewassee, locally known as Norway Lake, is nestled among the western foothills in Oxford County. This beach offers a terrific stop-along-the-way to picnic, play and cool off. Several miles outside of Norway heading west on Route 118, the beach park entrance is marked with a large wooden sign. Plenty of parking is available for beach goers and boat trailers.

Wander down along the trail toward the beach and discover two state-of-the-art playground structures camouflaged among the trees. Several footpaths continue down beyond the playground to the beach where soft sand is plentiful. Shady trees line the perimeter. The water gradually deepens toward the outer buoy-marked swim area.

The most notable features at Norway Lake Beach are several semi-private swim areas hidden among tall pines along the shoreline path toward the boat ramp. Each hide-a-way has a picnic table and a small swimming area with delightful sand underfoot. They are sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon. Arrive early to lasso one of these unique spots.
Echo Lake, Mount Desert
Echo Lake is cuddled into the interior of Acadia National Park on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island halfway between Somesville and Southwest Harbor. The main gate is well marked off Route 102, and a paved entrance road leads to the parking area above the beach. Pedestrians will enjoy this shaded half-mile walk and brook access along the road.

Hefty granite steps cut down to the sand along a footpath. Gradual sloping access is available from the handicap parking area for those who prefer an easier walk or require wheelchair access. The beach suggests a canyon laying below the jutting ledges of Beech Mountain on the west and the looming ridges of Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountains on the east.

On the beach, a wide swath of sand joins shallow clear water at the southern tip of Echo Lake. Unlike the ocean temperatures at Acadia's famous Sand Beach, the water temperatures on this smallish two-mile body of water invite full immersion for hours on end. Shallow water extends far out making this beach especially suitable for children. Shade, thin woods, and rocks along the edge furnish alternative places for relaxing out of the sun and fodder for fairy house construction.

Motorboats are limited to ten horsepower, lending to Echo's peaceful atmosphere. A lifeguard is on duty during peak summer hours, and bathroom facilities are located at the rear of the beach. Take the Island Explorer shuttle bus from Bar Harbor and avoid parking difficulties especially during busy summer days.
Damariscotta Lake, Jefferson
Snuggled on the edge of the pastoral village of Jefferson, Damariscotta Lake State Park inhabits a seventeen-acre parcel of shorefront land on the lake's northern Great Bay. This recreational area is accessed from Route 32, which runs north and south connecting well-traveled Route 1 and Route 17.

Convenience, relaxed atmosphere, and refreshing water describe this sunny beach. Shallow water runs out far into the lake, and there is a wide swath of sand to accommodate many children and sunbathers. Parents can chill a notch or two knowing there is a lifeguard on duty, and kids can be entertained for hours splashing in a few inches of water or playing on the sand with gently lapping waves to fill moats and hand-dug ponds.

Easy parking close to the beach simplifies logistics of landing with a picnic, toys, floats, towels, chairs, and the kids. A bathhouse with modern toilets and changing rooms is located in a grove of tall pines. The park also offers a group use picnic shelter and a grassy playing field.

Located within a half mile of the park entrance, amenities include the Jefferson Market and an ice cream shop just around the corner. Augusta is twenty miles northwest and Damariscotta is fifteen miles south.
Lower Range Pond, Poland
Range Pond (pronounced to rhyme with "sang") State Park is known for its beautiful one thousand-foot sandy beach on the northeast side of Lower Range Pond. It is the smallest section of a three-tiered body of water comprising upper, middle, and lower ponds.

The beach at Range Pond is a natural jewel within Maine's most populated southern region. The sand is soft and spans two-tenths of a mile with all areas of the beach easily accessible by the promenade that borders its entire length. Several ramps make access much easier for wheelchairs. A plunge into the pond may result in hours of splashing and bathing amid water temperatures pleasantly perfect. Lifeguards staff both ends of the beach during prime summer hours.

Ten-horsepower motors are the limit on Lower Range Pond, allowing the sounds of children playing to override engine noise. Full sun hits the beach mid-morning through evening. Just off the beach, there are numerous picnic places with tables and grills. A superb modern playground is hidden in the shade beneath a thick canopy of tall pines. Children aged two to twelve will find plenty of fun on equipment including a zip-runner, cross bars, ladders, stairs, a corkscrew, several slides, toddler swings, and more. From the playground, a network of flat, wooded trails on old logging roads and railroad beds spans out across the 750 acres within park boundaries.

Facilities include bathhouses with showers, flush toilets, and changing areas. Range Pond is easily accessed from Empire Road off Route 122 less than ten miles south of Auburn. Historic Shaker Village and the Poland Spring House are both nearby.
Sebago Lake, Casco
Sebago Lake's sheer beauty beckons visitors to plunge into the water on a hot summer day. Big deep water ensures cool temperatures throughout the hottest months. Sebago is the second-largest lake in Maine after Moosehead, and the deepest, with depths over three hundred feet.

Giant white pines and mixed hardwood trees line the entire half-mile length of Songo Beach, on the lake's north end. Giant root systems of eighty-year-old trees are embedded into the sand like king crab legs. This effect is partially a result of beach erosion due to highly controversial water level regulation initiated in the late 1980s for the purpose of hydroelectric power.

Wade out onto the sandbar at the west end of the beach that extends almost all the way to Thompson Point across the winding mouths of the Songo and Crooked rivers. Anticipate immersing well beyond the knees in places as the water level fluctuates. A small sand island marks the end of the sandbar where powerboats tend to raft up during prime summer months. Prepare for the excitement of boat traffic and noise. Waves can be sizable on a windy day and the water drops off reasonably fast.

The beach and surrounding woods cater to the many visitors of this popular southern Maine destination. Hundreds of picnic tables and grills pepper the grounds under the shade of mature white pines. Multiple modern bathroom houses are easily accessible from the beach and there is an up-to-date playground prime for children aged two to eight toward the west end of the area. A snack bar is centrally located on the premises. The park is twenty-five miles north of Portland off Route 302 in the foothills of the White Mountains.

Photo by By Brooklyn Morgan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Best Lakes for Swimming in Maine - Down East

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Emily Glatz Fontaine For many people, their image of Maine is understandably tied to the ocean, with its almost 3,500 miles of coastline, yet Maine water also runs deep inland with 2,500 lakes and ponds across the state. Maine's freshwater provides pleasures beyond pure scenery.

# data[].attributes.body
All kinds of museums are listed here, with links to each.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine.gov - Official site includes links to services available online, Governor, state agencies, Legislature, US Congressional delegation, state parks, and tax information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Secretary of State Kids: State Parks & Other Public Parks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine is host to 32 state parks cared for by the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands, and many other parks that are open to the public and cared for independently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Articles about Maine history, government, ecology, economy, recreation, towns, natural features, famous people, sports, with maps, photos, and videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Secretary of State Kids: Forts & Other Historic Sites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For complete listings of all of Maine's State Parks, Public Reserved Lands and Historical sites please visit the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands at http://www.maine.gov/doc/prkslnds/chart.htm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Articles about Maine history, government, ecology, economy, recreation, towns, natural features, famous people, sports, with maps, photos, and videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black Bears: Mammals: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) is charged with managing Maine's abundant wildlife resources. One of our most celebrated and treasured animals is the black bear. Although many people enjoy an abundant bear population, too many bears can create problems for the bears and the people who live with them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black-capped Chickadee Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A bird almost universally considered "cute" thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee's black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An icon of the Maine woods, Maine is home to the highest moose population in the lower 48 states. The scientific name for moose is Alces alces americana - origin of the word moose comes from the Algonquin word 'moosu' meaning 'bark stripper.'

Habitat

Bulls (males) and cows (females) use somewhat different habitats during the summer, which is a tradeoff between cooler temperatures for bulls and raising calves for cows. Bulls are typically found at higher elevations in mixed and hardwood stands, where food supply is less available, but shading provides cooler temperatures. Cows are found at lower elevations in regenerating stands and adjacent softwoods, because food is more concentrated. This concentrated food source limits the amount of time cows spend feeding, which limits calf's vulnerability to predators. Moose winter where more hardwood browse is available, and they often feed in regenerating stands. Mature softwood is used as cover when snow depth exceeds 3 feet.

Diet

Moose are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. They survive on browse, the leaves and twigs of woody plants. Willow, aspen, birch, maple, pin cherry, and mountain ash are important, high quality browse utilized by moose throughout the year. In addition, and since leaves are absent from hardwoods in the winter, balsam fir provides additional value for moose over the long winter. However, moose cannot survive on balsam fir alone, because it has lower nutritional value. By selectively browsing certain species of plants, moose help shape young forest stands and keeps many plant populations under control.

Sodium is also important to moose. Aquatic plants, such as pondweed and water lily, have higher sodium content than woody vegetation and are an important part of a moose's diet. Natural salt licks are rare in Maine, so moose are often seen along roads using the salt runoff as an artificial salt lick.

Distinctive Characteristics

The largest member of the deer family, moose stand up to seven feet tall, sporting dark brown fur and a shoulder hump. Female moose (3.5+ years old) average 836 pounds and the average prime age (5.5+) adult bull weighs 1,106 pounds. The largest bull ever harvested in Maine had a dressed weight of 1,330 pounds and means it would have weighed approximately 1,767 pounds! The total length of a moose is about 9 feet and the front hoof width is about 5 inches for a prime bull, just under 4 inches for a cow, and just under 3 inches for a calf. A cow has a brown face and dark body and a bull has a black face. Both cows and bulls have "bells", skin flaps found on the neck. A cow's bell looks more like a tuft of hair, whereas a bull's bell is larger and rounder. Some bulls may have an additional tuft of skin extending below the bell, but it is believed that this extension freezes off.

Nocturnal/Diurnal

Active mostly at dusk and dawn.

Seasonal Changes

Males have large, palmated antlers during the mating season that they shed and regrow each year. The antlers help show their dominance and protect their eyes when competing for a mate. They will also splash their antlers with urine, a scent that entices cows to breed.

Once the mating season is over, bulls no longer need antlers so they shed them early winter. This helps them conserve energy during the cold winter months. In the spring antler bone begins to grow inside a skin covering the moose's antler, called velvet. Antlers are one of the fastest growing tissues of any animal. Antler can grow as much as 8 inches in just nine days. As testosterone surges in a bull in September the velvet begins to shed, leaving behind bare antlers.

Antlers on cows are extremely rare. Calves may have small buds by late September, yearlings may have spikes or small forks, and palms typically first develop in two and three-year-old bulls. Maximum antler development is obtained at age five and declines when bulls are in their teens. A bull's antler spread rarely exceeds 65 inches and a spread of 55 inches is considered large.

Reproduction & Family Structure

The breeding season (rut) for moose begins in late September and lasts into early October. Cows may produce their first calf when they are two, and most produce a calf by age three. Each May, cows give birth to one to two calves. Cows rarely have more than two calves and young cows rarely have twins. A cow's nutritional condition, or body weight, determines the number of calves born and when a cow first breeds. Moose continue to breed into their teens but may be less productive. Calves remain with their mother for one year and are driven off shortly before the next calf is born. Bulls are able to breed as yearlings, but most do not breed until they are older and can compete with other larger bulls.

Survival & Threats

Survival: The average life expectancy is eight years for a cow and seven years for a bull. Moose may live into their late teens, but rarely live past 20. Natural predation for moose in Maine is low, because predators aren't capable of killing adults, however, young newborn calves can be vulnerable to predators such as coyote and bear. Moose can also perish from legal and illegal harvest, road kills, other accidents (drowning, falls, etc.), disease, starvation, and old age. Harvest and road kills account for 2,000 to 3,500 moose a year.

Threats: In recent years, moose have been impacted by new threats due to a changing environment and climate. As climates continue to warm, parasites and diseases are able to expand in range and have a greater impact on the moose population. White-tailed deer are hosts to brain worm but are not impacted by it - however, it easily spreads to moose and causes neurological deficits and often death. Winter ticks are also threatening Maine's moose population. Unlike deer ticks, winter ticks do not spread disease. The problem is that they attach by the thousands and stay attached for five or six months, causing moose to experience life-threatening blood loss, hair loss, and even behavioral change. Learn more about winter tick.

Management & Conservation

Distribution & Population Trends - According to writings of early explorers, moose were plentiful in New England during the 1600s. By the early 1900's, moose populations in Maine had declined to an estimated 2,000. This decline was mostly attributed to unrestricted hunting. Clearing forestland for farming and increased incidence of brain worm which attributed to increasing deer populations also contributed to their decline. During the 1900's, laws protecting moose from excessive hunting and improving habitat conditions allowed the moose population to increase. Moose likely reached their highest population by the year 2000 and pioneering new techniques MDIFW estimated moose at around 76,000 in 2012. Since the recovery, climate change has begun to influence the success and proliferation of winter tick, leading to poor reproduction and low calf survival through the first winter. Without intervention, biologists believe that the population will likely destabilize, but MDIFW's biologists are working to implement adaptive methods to keep our moose population healthy and stable for the future. Learn more about the Adaptive Management Study.

Historical Management - During the 1975 and 1980 planning process, a harvest goal was established, but population size and non-consumptive use goals were not established. An objective of 1,100 to 2,200 moose harvested annually was made to meet the harvest goal. During the 1985 planning process, goals to maintain moose numbers at 1985 levels (21,150), increase harvest, and maintain viewing opportunity were established. Population, consumptive, and non-consumptive objectives were developed to meet these goals.

In 2000, a big game working group developed goals and objectives to guide moose management in Maine until reassessment in 2015. These were more comprehensive than the goals developed in 1985 that essentially directed us to maintain the population at 1985 levels. The 2000 population goals and objectives are specific to each Wildlife Management District (WMD) but are grouped in three Management Areas:

Recreation Management: Maintain the population at 60% of carrying capacity to maximize hunting and, for most of the WMDs, viewing opportunity.

Road Safety: Reduce the population significantly to reduce moose/vehicle accidents.

Compromise: Reduce the population by 1/3 to reduce moose/vehicle accidents and maintain some quality recreational opportunities.

The current moose management goals and objectives for 2017-2027 are:

Goal #1: Maintain a healthy moose population while providing hunting and viewing opportunities.

Stabilize the moose population in the core of its range (WMDs 1-11 & 19)

Manage WMDs 1 & 4 for bull:cow ratios of 30-50 bulls:100 cows in order to increase opportunities for harvest while ensuring healthy reproductive rates

Manage all other WMDs in core moose range (2,3,5-11 & 19) for an older bull age structure and bull:cow ratio of 50-70 bulls:100 cows in order to provide opportunities to harvest and view mature bulls while ensuring at least 17% of the population consists of bulls older than 4 years old

Refine the moose management system to allow adjustments to moose population size based on measures of moose health or density

Goal #2: Continue researching the relationships between moose, parasites, habitat condition, climate, and management

Develop an improved understanding of moose mortality and population dynamics

Develop an improved understanding of the effects of parasite loads on moose reproduction and calf survival, and how parasite loads may vary with moose densities and habitat conditions

Develop an improved understanding of winter tick ecology, especially the relationship between winter tick population dynamics and environmental variables

Develop an improved understanding of the impacts of moose browse on forest regeneration

Goal #3: Ensure public satisfaction with Maine's moose population and increase the public's understanding of moose biology, ecology and management

Minimize agricultural conflicts with moose and the number and severity of moose-vehicle collisions

Increase viewing opportunities for moose

Maintain a world class moose hunt in Maine's core moose range

Clarify and improve moose hunting regulations to ensure a legal and ethical moose hunt

Maintain or increase current levels of satisfaction by moose hunters in core moose range

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An icon of the Maine woods, Maine is home to the highest moose population in the lower 48 states. The scientific name for moose is Alces alces americana - origin of the word moose comes from the Algonquin word 'moosu' meaning 'bark stripper.'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Odocoileus virginianus

What do they look like?

White-tailed deer have different colors depending on the season and their location. Usually they have greyish fur in winter and reddish-brown fur in summer. They have white patches of fur on their face and lower legs. The tail is brownish-red above and white below. When startled the deer lift this tail as they bound away, making the white patch prominent. Males have antlers that begin growing in April or May with a layer of velvety fur on them. In August and September the antlers shed this velvety covering for the mating season. The antlers fall off in January and are re-grown the next year. With each year of age a male will grow larger antlers with more points.

Where do they live?

White-tailed deer are native to both the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. They inhabit most of southern Canada and all of the mainland United States except portions of the west central states to the California coast. Their range extends throughout Central America to Bolivia.

What kind of habitat do they need?

White-tailed deer are able to survive in a variety of land habitats, from the forests of northern Maine to the swamps of Florida. They also inhabit farmlands, brushy areas, and the cactus and thornbrush deserts of southern Texas and Mexico. White-tailed deer prefer forest edges that are close to farmlands, old fields, and brushland. These kinds of habitats are commonly created by humans by forest cutting and clearing and through agricultural practices. As a result white-tailed deer do well near human habitations.

How do they reproduce?

Most white-tailed deer mate in their second year, though some females occasionally mate as young as seven months. Mating occurs between October and December and females are pregnant for 6 and 1/2 months. In her first pregnancy, a female will usually only have one baby (fawn), but after that she may give birth to 2 or 3. Fawns are able to walk at birth. They are nursed several times a day until they are 8 weeks old, after which they begin to add vegetation to their diet. Fawns are weaned by 10 weeks old.

White-tailed females are very protective of their babies. When looking for food, females leave their offspring in a hiding place for about four hours at a time. While waiting for their mother to return, fawns lay flat on the ground with their necks outstretched, well camouflaged against the forest floor. Fawns begin to follow their mother on her foraging trips once they are about 4 weeks old and are fully ruminant at two months old. White-tailed deer fawns are nursed for 8 to 10 weeks before they are weaned. Young males leave their mother after one year but young females often stay with their mother for two years.

How long do they live?

Most white-tailed deer live about 2 to 3 years. Maximum life span in the wild is 20 years but few live past 10 years old.

How do they behave?

White-tailed deer are very nervous and shy; they wave their tails from side to side when they are startled and fleeing. They are extremely agile and may bound at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. White-tailed deer are also good swimmers and often enter large streams and lakes to escape predators or insects or to visit islands.

White-tailed deer often live in either matriarchal social groups or in male groups made up of a dominant male and occasionally first-year males (Smith, 1991). Females and their fawns may graze together in herds of up to hundreds of individuals. In September, males begin to establish dominance hierarchies so that they can mate. They will fight each other to have the right to mate with certain females. White-tailed deer are not territorial but do have well-defined home ranges.

How do they communicate with each other?

White-tailed deer have scent glands between the two parts of the hoof on all four feet, outside of each hind leg, and on the inside of each hind leg. Scent from these glands is used to communicate with other deer and secretions become especially strong during the mating season.

White-tailed deer produce several types of vocalizations such as grunts, wheezes, and bleats. These vocalizations, along with other sounds and postures, are used for communication (Smith, 1991). Injured deer utter a startlingly loud "blatt" or bawl. Whistles or snorts of disturbed white-tailed deer are the most commonly heard sounds.

What do they eat?

White-tailed deer feed on a variety of vegetation, depending on what is available in their habitat. In eastern forests, buds and twigs of certain trees and shrubs are eaten. In desert areas, certain cacti and other plants are eaten. Evergreen trees are eaten in the winter when other sources of food are not available. White-tailed deer feed mainly from before dawn until several hours after, and again from late afternoon until dusk.

What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

White-tailed deer have good eyesight and acute hearing, but depend mainly on their sense of smell to detect danger and their ability to run and bound quickly through dense vegetation to escape danger. White-tailed deer are preyed on by large predators such as humans, wolves, mountain lions, bears, jaguars, and coyotes.

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

White-tailed deer can greatly influence the composition of plant communities through their grazing, especially where they are abundant. In severe winters white-tailed deer can be responsible for girdling and killing large numbers of trees. White-tailed deer are also important prey animals for a number of large predators.

Do they cause problems?

White-tailed deer will eat and destroy crops, vegetable gardens and fruit trees if they come into contact with them. When their numbers become too high, white-tailed deer can cause serious damage to forest vegetation because there are so many deer eating the plants. They are also involved in accidents with cars, often resulting in serious injury to the human occupants of the vehicles.

How do they interact with us?

White-tailed deer are commonly hunted for meat and sport. Early settlers and Native Americans also used deer hides to make buckskin leather. White-tailed heads are also commonly mounted on the walls of lodges and other places of outdoor recreation.

Are they endangered?

White-tailed deer are common throughout their habitats. Exact counts of their numbers have not been made, but there are probably somewhere between 8 and 15 million on this continent. Although they were in danger of extinction at the turn of they century due to overhunting, they have recently reached their highest numbers.

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author, editor), Animal Diversity Web, (author).

References

Banfield, A.W.F. 1974. The Mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Darymple, B.W. 1985. North American Big-Game Animals. Outdoor Life Books, New York.

Nowak, R.M. and J.L Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. 4th edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

Geist, V. 1979. Hoofed mammals. In: Wild Animals of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.

"White-tail World.Com" (On-line). Accessed May, 2001 at http://www.kerrlake.com/deer/index.htm.

Smith, P. 1991. Odocoileus virginianus. Mammalian Species, 388: 1-13.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Odocoileus virginianus, white-tailed deer: INFORMATION

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Odocoileus virginianus White-tailed deer have different colors depending on the season and their location. Usually they have greyish fur in winter and reddish-brown fur in summer. They have white patches of fur on their face and lower legs. The tail is brownish-red above and white below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lynx canadensis

What do they look like?

Most lynx have long, thick, yellowish-brown fur. The back is more gray, and the belly is lighter. Some have dark spots. Lynx have short, ringed tails with black tips. The ears have long black hairs on the tip. The paws are large and furry, which helps these cats to walk and run on snow.

Most lynx measure between 670 and 1,067 mm from head to tail, and weigh from 4.5 to 17.3 kg. Their tails can be from 51 to 138 mm. Males are a little bigger than females. ( Tumlison, 1999)

Where do they live?

Major populations of Canadian lynx, Lynx canadensis, are found throughout Canada, in western Montana, and in nearby parts of Idaho and Washington. There are small populations in New England and Utah and possibly in Oregon, Wyoming and Colorado as well.

What kind of habitat do they need?

Lynx usually live in mature forests with dense undergrowth but can also be found in more open forests, rocky areas or tundra.

How do they reproduce?

We are not exactly certain how these animals mate. Since males share their home ranges with one or more females, it seems likely that they are polygynous.

Females raise one litter per year. After mating in February and March, females are pregnant for 8 to 10 weeks. Litters typically have 2 or 3 kittens, though the number may range from 1 to 5. Newborn lynx kittens weigh about 200 g. They feed mainly on their mother's milk for 5 months, but kittens eat some meat as early as one month of age.

Males do not take care of the young. Kittens live with their mother until they are about 11 months old, and siblings may stay together for a while even after they leave their mother. Females can reproduce at 21 months and males at 33 months.

Females have their babies in fallen logs, stumps, and clumps of timber. Dens in these places help to protect the newborn kittens from predators.

Mothers take care of kittens without help from males. Kittens are helpless at birth, but have a lot of fur to keep them warm. Mothers nurse their kittens for about 5 months. When they no longer drink milk, the kittens live on a diet of meat. Mothers may teach their young how to hunt for meat. Sometimes, two lynx may cooperate in catching a prey animal.

pre-fertilization

pre-hatching/birth

pre-weaning/fledging

pre-independence

post-independence association with parents

extended period of juvenile learning

How long do they live?

In the wild, lynx have lived as long as 14.5 years. In captivity, lifespans of 26.75 years have been recorded.

How do they behave?

Lynx prefer to be alone, and only spend time with other adults during breeding season. Females sometimes share parts of their home range with other females. Males may share their range with one or more females and their young, but males never share their space with other males. Ranges vary in size from 11 to 300 square kilometers.

Lynx use their vision to hunt, but are helped in this activity by excellent hearing. Lynx usually sneak up on prey to within a few short bounds, and then pounce.

Females and young sometimes hunt together. They move through open areas in a line. One lynx scares the prey, and another lynx in the line kills it. This may be how the mother teaches her young to hunt.

Lynx are only active at night. During the day, they stay in rough nests under rock ledges, fallen trees, or shrubs.

Home Range

Ranges vary in size from 11 to 300 square kilometers.

How do they communicate with each other?

Lynx use their eyes, ears and noses in communicating. They also use their voices, and can make calls to one another. Touching may happen in mating and between a mother and her kittens.

What do they eat?

Canadian lynx only eat meat. Snowshoe hares are a very important food for these cats, and when there are fewer hares to eat, the number of lynx decreases. In some areas, such as Cape Breton Island, lynx eat only hares, but in other areas they also feast on rodents, birds and fish. If they can find a deer that is very weak or sick, lynx will kill and eat it. They also feed off carcasses left by human hunters.

What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

Predators of these cats have not been reported. However, one can assume that young kittens are vulnerable to other large carnivores, such as wolves and bears.

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

As predators, Canadian lynx are important in regulating the populations of their prey. This is particularly noticeable in the cycle of populations of lynx and snowshoe hares.

Do they cause problems?

Canadian lynx are not known to have a negative impact on human economies.

How do they interact with us?

Canadian lynx have been exploited for their fur since the seventeenth century. With restrictions on trade in furs of large cats in the late 1960's, and subsequent reduction of ocelot and margay populations by fur trappers, increased attention has been focused on the pelts of Canadian lynx. However, it seems that the greatest pressure on populations of lynx remains the size of hare populations, not trappers. Lynx help control populations of small mammals, such as snowshoe hares and voles, that are agricultural or silvicultural pests.

body parts are source of valuable material

controls pest population

Are they endangered?

Lynx are listed in CITES Appendix II, and they are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and endangered in the state of Michigan.

When hare populations decrease in size, lynx populations are affected. This is effect occurs because in times of food shortage, kittens are more likely to die or to be sick. Litters are larger and kittens healthier in years when hare populations are large and food is plentiful. Also, females are less likely to become pregnant than they are when food is abundant. Adult lynx may be hungry and thin when there are not enough hares to eat, but they do not die at greater rates than when hares are more plentiful.

Contributors

David L. Fox (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Tiffany Murphy (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

References

Kitchener, A. 1991. The Natural History of the Wild Cats. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY.

Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

Turbak, G. 1985. A tale of two cats. International Wildlife, 14:4-11.

IUCN, 1996. "Cat Specialist Group: Species Accounts: Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)" (On-line). Accessed November 6, 2001 at http://lynx.uio.no/csg/relocator.htm.

Tumlison, R. 1999. Canada lynx| Lynx canadensis . Pp. 233-234 in D Wilson, S Ruff, eds. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution Press in Association with the American Society of Mammalogists.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Lynx canadensis, Canada lynx: INFORMATION

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lynx canadensis Most lynx have long, thick, yellowish-brown fur. The back is more gray, and the belly is lighter. Some have dark spots. Lynx have short, ringed tails with black tips. The ears have long black hairs on the tip. The paws are large and furry, which helps these cats to walk and run on snow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine is recognized as one of the most healthful states in the nation-summer temperatures average 70 degrees F and winter temps average 20 degrees F.
Maine abounds in natural assets-542,629 acres of state and national parks, including the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Acadia National Park (the second most visited national park in the United States), and Baxter State Park (location of Mt. Katahdin and the northern end of the Appalachian Trail-the 5,267-foot Baxter Peak on Katahdin is the first spot in the United States to see the sunrise!). Maine boasts 6,000 lakes and ponds, 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, 17 million acres of forestland, 3,478 beautiful miles of coastline, and 2,000 islands.
Maine claims America's first chartered city-York, in 1641.
Maine has 63 lighthouses, including Portland Head Light commissioned by President George Washington.

Maine is the vacation home to former president and first lady George and Barbara Bush (Kennebunkport).

Maine zinc and copper deposits are some of the biggest in the country.
Maine forests cover 90 percent of the state.
Maine consists of 16 counties with 22 cities, 424 towns, 51 plantations, and 416 unorganized townships. Maine has one county (Aroostook) so big (6,453 square miles) that it actually covers an area greater than the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maine is about 320 miles long and 210 miles wide, with a total of 33,215 square miles-about as big as the other five New England states combined.
Maine until 1958, Maine held its presidential elections two months before the rest of the country. People said "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." They looked at the results from Maine to predict who would be president.

Maine is America's largest blueberry growing state, raising 98% of the low bush blueberries in the United States. Potatoes rank third in acreage and third in production nationally.

Maine is the home to such great writers as Stephen King and E.B. White.

Maine is internationally famed for its shellfish, averaging nearly 40 million pounds of lobster harvested annually.

Maine earmuffs were invented in Maine by Chester Greenwood in 1873.

Maine has more moose per square mile than any other state.

State Facts

* State Capital: Augusta
* Population: Approximately 1.2 million
* State Gemstone: Tourmaline
* State Fossil: Pertica quadrifaria
* State Cat: Maine Coon Cat
* State Insect: Honeybee
* State Bird: Chickadee
* State Tree: White Pine
* State Fish: Landlocked Salmon
* State Motto: Dirigo (I lead)
* State Animal: Moose
* State Floral Emblem: White Pine Cone With Tassel
* State Song: "State of Maine Song"

"State of Maine Song"
Lyrics and music by Roger Vinton Snow

Grand State of Maine
Proudly we sing
To tell your glories to the land
To shout your praises till the echoes ring

Should fate unkind
Send us to roam
The scent of the fragrant pines
The tang of the salty sea
Will call us home

Oh, Pine Tree State
Your woods, fields and hills
Your lakes, streams and rock bound coast
Will ever fill our hearts with thrills
And tho' we seek far and wide
Our search will be in vain
To find a fairer spot on earth
Than Maine! Maine! Maine!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine is recognized as one of the most healthful states in the nation-summer temperatures average 70 degrees F and winter temps average 20 degrees F. Maine abounds in natural assets-542,629 acres of state and national parks, including the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Acadia National Park (the second most visited national park in the United States), and Baxter State Park (location of Mt.

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this you tube video about how laws are passed in Maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paintings by Jon Imber, available at Alpha Gallery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Obama: An Intimate Portrait Chronicles Eight Extraordinary Years

Pete Souza (COM'76) publishes new book

Clamshells and Climate Change

What seal bones and clamshells teach us about past climate

Mayor of San Juan: What Will You Do in a Moral Crisis?

Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto (CAS'84, Hon.'18) delivers emotional Baccalaureate address

Maine-based painter Jon Imber (CFA'77) died Thursday after struggling with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

This disease progressively degenerates motor neurons, affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It's incurable, debilitating and ultimately leads to death.

The 63-year-old passed away only about a week before the documentary about his life, titled "Jon Imber's Left Hand," is scheduled to screen at the Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFB).

"We are saddened to hear that Jon Imber has passed away," festival program director Nancy Campbell said on Thursday. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."

Campbell also remarked on Imber's remarkable spirit, and said the festival staff feels fortunate to be able to share his story with a larger audience via filmmaker Richard Kane's film.

"It is rare that the response to such adversity is so creative," she said. "We feel privileged to have had an intimate perspective of that process."

Imber was born in Oceanside, N.Y., on October 1, 1950. He was a protege of the abstract expressionist painter Philip Guston as a student at Boston University in the 1970s. Imber went on the teach figure drawing at Harvard University for 27 years.

The painter is seen as a New England master by many, and may be best known for his abstract expressionist landscapes. After being diagnosed with ALS in 2012, he was forced to adapt his method and style. But he did so with apparent grace.

Imber spent the last years of his life creating unique portraits of friends and family. Unable to lift his arms, Imber would instead hold his brush low, below his waist, and then he'd swipe the paint-covered bristles across the canvas. The result is compelling.

The artist reflected on his career, and on the process of dying, in Richard Kane's documentary, which premiered at the Maine Jewish Film Festival.

Kane remembers meeting Imber about five years ago. He said he was surprised by how much he and the artist had in common.

"I learned then that Jon was born in the same town I grew up in, Oceanside, New York; he was raised in the town next door, his grandparents and mine were all Russian Jews; his mother and mine played the piano; his older sister and mine were dancers; his parents and mine spent winters in Florida; his father and mine taught us to play golf," Kane recalled in an email. "We were of the very same culture at the very same time. Jon was seven weeks older than I. We became close very quickly. I felt he was a brother shortly after we started spending time together."

After Imber was diagnosed with ALS, Kane said he just knew he and his crew need to move fast to make the film.

"Our first shoot was December 12, 2012, and we were able to document the first major painting Jon did with his left hand," Kane recalled. "And it was extraordinary."

Before the ALS set in, Imber painted with his right hand. That critical switch explains the film's title.

As a person and an artist, Kane said Imber was always after what was authentic.

"He was also very funny, and used his humor to put the people around him at ease," Kane said. "I feel so grateful to have gotten to know Jon and Jill [Imber's wife] and to get so close to him so quickly."

Since 2010 Imber's work was represented by the Alpha Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston, where Joanna Fink is director. But she said his presence in the regional art scene stretches back to the 1980s, and that's when she met him.

"As a person, Jon was inquisitive, articulate, open and generous with his thoughts and his time," Fink recalled in an email. "He had a youthful energy. He would often walk into a room looking as if he had an idea inside of him that was about to burst out."

But when remembering his work, the gallerist said Imber's expressions in paint were gentle.

"As an artist, Jon was thoroughly dedicated to his practice. He lived and breathed art, which was reinforced by the fact that his wife is an artist, as well. It was a profession as well as a lifestyle," Fink mused.

She explained that she's seen clips of the new documentary, and said she plans to attend the film IFFB screening on April 26th.

"I do know that Jon was very pleased with the film," she added. "He was able to travel to Portland, Maine for the premiere, which meant a lot to him." Fink also thinks that was the last trip Imber made, and said it exhausted him, "but he was upbeat about the film and its critical response."

A memorial service is planned for Jon Imber on May 18 at 4 p.m. at Danforth Art Museum in Framingham.
This story was originally published on WBUR.org's Artery on April 19, 2014

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto (CAS'84, Hon.'18) delivers emotional Baccalaureate address Maine-based painter Jon Imber (CFA'77) died Thursday after struggling with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. This disease progressively degenerates motor neurons, affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It's incurable, debilitating and ultimately leads to death.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you've regularly tuned into Food Republic, you know we've been obsessing over summer produce (as we do every year). Eggplants, cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, cherries and more are in season. Early August marks the beginning of wild blueberry season in Maine, which means it's time to lay down some facts about the original aboriginal berry.

Sharon Parks of Josh Pond, a small family-operated farm in Whiting, Maine, tells us that wild blueberries are only in season for a scant five weeks of the year. Josh Pond has been in the wild blueberry business for five years and ships frozen blueberries nationwide. We spoke to Parks about these wild berries; here are 10 useful things we learned:

1. Wild blueberries are Maine's state fruit.

2. Parks says that many cultivated blueberries are pumped with water, while wild berries aren't. This makes them smaller, sweeter and firmer.

3. They have a purplish hue rather as compared to cultivated blueberries that are pale blue.

4. Compared to regular blueberries, the wild variety has double the amount of antioxidants and fiber.

5. Wild blueberries have half the amount of sugar as cultivated blueberries.

6. They're also found in southeastern parts of Canada.

7. They're native to North America.

8. Because they're so easily bruised, it's tradition in Maine to harvest wild blueberries by hand.

9. Wild blueberries don't just belong in jams and pies. Some savory applications include pesto, grilled cheese, barbecue sauce and mignonette for your oysters.

10. They make a great watercolor paint - try it at home!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Things You Didn't Know About Wild Maine Blueberries. Now In Season! - Food Republic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you've regularly tuned into Food Republic, you know we've been obsessing over summer produce (as we do every year). Eggplants, cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, cherries and more are in season. Early August marks the beginning of wild blueberry season in Maine, which means it's time to lay down some facts about the original aboriginal berry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Seals belong to the order Pinnipeds. This term is derived from the Latin word "pinnipes", which means "wing or fin-footed". This is likely a reference to the animals fin-like appendages. All...

# data[].attributes.body
This has great information on a wide range of topics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Democrats of Maine in convention assembled adopted the following platform: Under the Divine guidance of Almighty God, we pledge our all to this Country's

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As Maine communities began to lose some of their frontier aspects in the early 19th century and assumed a more settled appearance, civic improvements were initiated. Among these was the regulation of livestock which, in contrast to earlier times, were becoming numerous. Swine, although useful for consuming garbage, in themselves provided a health hazard. No longer were they to be given full run of the community but were required to be confined. Horses, cattle, and sheep had traditionally been confined to pasture, but not too carefully. As their numbers increased, stray animals became a nuisance. As a result pounds, or public enclosures, were established in many communities where animals could be confined until redeemed by their owners for a small fine. With the increase of more scientific agricultural practices, these pounds became obsolete. Some have survived, all built of stone. See examples at Brooklin, Harpswell Center, Jefferson, Orrington, Pownal, Waldoboro, or search "cattle pounds".

See what's in season from the Maine Agriculture Bureau.

While potatoes are still the dominant crop, the number of all farms in Maine is now about one-sixth that of the 1930's and the number of cropland acres is just over one-third the earlier period. Interestingly, the difficult times of the Great Depression (1935) and World War II (1945) drew increases in the number of farms and the number of farm acres. Beginning in 1950, the long-term modern decline in farms and acreage had begun, continuing through the end of the century.

The number of farms has dropped precipitously since 1959 (red line in the graph at left, but it has recovered somewhat in the last two decades, as has the total farm acreage (green line). Even with fewer and smaller farms, the crop and harvested acreage has stabilized. [click graphs to enlarge]

In the 19th century, farming was so widespread that a substantial part of the forest was cleared throughout the state. Since the mid-twentieth century, the loss of farmland to other uses has included reforestation of former agricultural areas especially in northern Maine.

Farm equipment drawn by horses or oxen, was gradually replaced by tractors and trucks. Stone walls that once defined pastures and property boundaries are now sometimes deeply embedded in the woods and abandoned farm houses mark once productive land.

During virtually the same period (1945-1992), the size of the average farm's size doubled from 109 to 218 acres. In the 1940's young people like Alice Whitten, a student at Deering High School in Portland, found summer employment on Maine's farms. Here she checks in beans with Miss Corthell, Athletic Instructor, in this Federal Extension Service photo.

Since the 1940's, the average size has declined but the number of farms has increased, possibly due to the efforts of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. The "back-to-the-land" movement of the 1970's in Maine brought renewed interest in self-sufficient, organic farming. Helen and Scott Nearing were inspirations for many who sought "the good life."

In the 21st century non-traditional approaches are being tested to see if small farms can be made sustainable. Here is one assessment of the problem in A Cooperative Approach to Local Economic Development:

Low farm prices in recent years have pressured many farm families to seek alternative ways to raise family incomes. New crops, identity-preserved products, and expanded domestic and foreign markets have all been tried in one way or another. In some cases, farm producers have earned a substantial premium for their products; in other cases, the premium was relatively short lived as other producers entered the market and drove the price down.

Farm groups realize that their share of the food dollar has dwindled. Consequently, substantial interest has been shown in farmer-owned companies that process farm products and market them to consumers.

Also in the 21st century, the number of Amish family farms has expanded substantially in southern Aroostook County and other locations. They are using the alternative technology of an earlier century for sustainable agriculture with crops other than potatoes: oats, corn and hay for the many horses.

The Agricultural Census is conducted every five years, with results reported one year after the census. See data on practices and economics. Except for number of farms, data above is expressed in acres. Data is not strictly comparable due to changes in the definition of farms by the U.S. Census. 1959-1992 data from http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/1992/Volume_1/Maine/me1_01.pdf. 1997, 2002, 2007 data from http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/
Mainest23_1_001_001.pdf.

The agricultural sector has shrunk in financial terms as well. Gross farm income has declined more than production costs in the post-World War II era. A mitigating factor is the continued existence of associated activities, such as potato starch production for the processed food and other industries. In addition agricultural subsidies from the federal government have helpful to thousands of Maine farmers.

Despite a decline in the potato sector, Aroostook County was still the top county in agricultural sales in 2007, and potatoes was still the largest crop by value in 2009. Vegetables, including potatoes, accounted for more than half of the values of all agriculture exports from the state in 2010.

Though not strictly farming, blueberry growing has been a long-term agricultural pursuit in Maine. Primarily based in Washington and Hancock Counties, the industry continues to produce the prized Maine berries. The plant leaves turn their characteristic flaming red each fall. Strawberries are another of commercial fruits contributing to Maine's agricultural economy. Another element of note is the maple sugar industry.

The University of Maine coordinates a system of agricultural experiment stations to test growing techniques and provide research for the state's farmers. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) provides workshops for farmers and promotes organic practices through its annual Common Ground Fair, one of many agricultural fairs in Maine.
Additional Resources
United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service: various Statistical Bulletins and their Internet site at http://www.nass.usda.gov (accessed January, 2007).

2010 U.S. Statistical Abstract, Farms and Farmland at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/agriculture/farms_and_farmland.html (accessed 9/27/2010)

U.S. Department of Agriculture. "2012 Census Volume 1, Chapter 1: State Level Data (Maine), Table 1." https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/Maine/ (accessed December 31, 2016)

Castle, Robert C. Notebook, 1912-1916. (Cataloger note: "A notebook used by a farmer in Belgrade, Maine. The notebook was used between the years 1912 and 1916 to record farm products bought and sold, recipes, work done on his farm buildings, crops planted, and occasionally as a diary. Many of the records are about his poultry farm and the number of eggs that he sold." [Orono. University of Maine. Raymond H. Fogler Library. Special Collections.]

Merrett, Christopher D. and Norman Walzer. A Cooperative Approach to Local Economic Development. Westport, Conn. Quorum Books. 2001.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As Maine communities began to lose some of their frontier aspects in the early 19th century and assumed a more settled appearance, civic improvements were initiated. Among these was the regulation of livestock which, in contrast to earlier times, were becoming numerous. Swine, although useful for consuming garbage, in themselves provided a health hazard.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine has a significant portion of the maple sugaring and maple syrup industry with 14% percent of the U.S. production in 2014. Vermont produced 40%, and New York, 18%. Big Six Township, in northe...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Berries Strawberries Strawberries are a high value crop in Maine agriculture with net profit potential of $6,000 or more per acre. The number of farms raising strawberries and the acreage dedicated...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1950, Maine had record seafood landings of 356,266,000 pounds without aquaculture. Maine ranked among the top seafood producing States. In 2009, the last year available for national seafood landings, Maine ranked 11th in pounds landed and 3rd in value.

The preliminary 2010 landings were 251,299,375 pounds including aquaculture valued ex-vessel at $450,664,717, an average of $1.79/lb. Seafood landings still contribute substantial economic activity even though landings are down by about a third since the record landings in 1950.

The comparison is complicated by the fact that aquaculture is included in the 2010 values and the mixture of species landed has changed significantly over the years. For example, Atlantic salmon produced in aquaculture accounted for 10% of the pounds and 18% of the value in 2010. American lobster accounted for 37% of the pounds and 70% of the value of all species.

Economic multipliers are not well understood, however, some industry sources believe that the total value of Maine's commercial seafood exceeds 1.2 billion dollars. Recreational, party/charter boats and Maine fishing guides add additional benefits. As is the case with the commercial landings, the economic multipliers are not well understood.

In 2002, for the eighth year in a row, Maine's fishermen landed more fish and shellfish than any other state fishery in the Northeast. Portland ranked second in the Northeast and fifteenth in the nation in the value of product landed. In summary, the harvesting profile looks like this:

About 227 million pounds of fish and shellfish were harvested.

60 different species were harvested, see landing data on selected species.

Lobster accounted for $207 million to the total landed value of $300 million.

Atlantic Salmon landings were worth $17 million; clams, $15 million.

250 boats sold their products at the Portland Fish Exchange.

Estimated full-time harvesters - 6000; estimated part-time harvesters - 4300.

Total number of fishing harvesting licenses in 2000 was 18,000.

According to Coastal Enterprises, Inc., commercial fishing in Maine generates 26,000 jobs and is worth $740 million. It depends on just 25 miles of Maine's coastal waterfront and on 53 fishing ports to get fish to market. Seventy-five percent of access to the waterfront is provided by private working residential and commercial wharfs; the balance is through public piers. See a chart, from Maine's Department of Marine Resources, showing the number of active commercial harvesters in Maine by species.

Access to tidal flats, for the harvesting of clams and marine worms, is also critical and endangered as traditional access points are closed by coastal property owners.

Loss of commercial fishing takes many forms:

Access to inter-tidal areas lost through no trespassing signs

New coastal property owners closing off/contesting public access

Commercial fishing access tenuous through lease arrangements

Singular reliance on public facility-competition from other users

Land-use access problem: limited parking

Conversion of working wharves to residential/recreation private resident.

Possibly most important, climate change affecting Casco Bay

Additional resources
Baron-Taltre, Benjamin. The Rise and Fall of the Maine Sea Urchin Industry: A Failure of Management and Institutions? 2005. (Thesis (M.S.) in Marine Policy-University of Maine, 2005) [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]

Co-management [moving image recording]: The New England Town Meeting Goes to Sea. (presented by Mainewatch Institute and Island Institute. Camden, Me. Compass Light Productions. Rockland, Me. Island Institute (distributors). c1997.

Dow, Robert L. Effects of Climatic Cycles on the Relative Abundance and Availability of Commercial Marine and Estuarine Species. Augusta, Me. Maine Department of Marine Resources. 1977.

Hamlin, Cyrus and John R. Ordway. The Commercial Fisheries of Maine. Orono, Me. University of Maine. 1974?

Maine Department of Marine Resources. Program Review Committee. Program Review of The Maine Department of Marine Resources. Augusta, Maine. September 2, 2011. http://www.maine.gov/dmr/news/dmrreview9-2-11.pdf. (accessed November 28, 29011) Paragraphs 1-4 of this article, slightly reformatted, are from page 10 of the Review.

Maine. Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries. Commercial Fisheries of Maine. Augusta, Me. 1947. [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]

Maine. Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries. Commercial Fisheries of Maine. Augusta, Me. 1957. [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]

Maine. Department of Transportation. Evaluation of Maine's Fish Pier Program. Augusta, Me. The Department. 1987.

Maine State Planning Office, Coastal Program, Augusta, Maine.

Sheehan, M. Elizabeth. Maine Fisheries: A Re-emerging Market. Augusta, Me. Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Maine Department of Marine Resources, 2000.

Sheehan, Elizabeth. Tracking Commercial Fishing Access: A Survey of Harbormasters in 25 Maine Coastal Communities. Portland, Me. Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Augusta, Me. Maine Coastal Program. 2004. [Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 1950, Maine had record seafood landings of 356,266,000 pounds without aquaculture. Maine ranked among the top seafood producing States. In 2009, the last year available for national seafood landings, Maine ranked 11th in pounds landed and 3rd in value. The preliminary 2010 landings were 251,299,375 pounds including aquaculture valued ex-vessel at $450,664,717, an average of $1.79/lb.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath since 1743 when Jonathan Philbrick launched a schooner with the help of his two sons. Smaller fishing and sailing craft had been built for years, but a new industry was now emerging.

In 1762 the Earl of Bute, the first full-rigged ship built under contract, was launched on the site of present day Bath. In the 19th century, Bath became one of the leading ports in the United States competing with New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore in the tonnage of vessels registered here.

By the 1840's Bath Iron Works began producing the finest steel hulled ships in the world. As war with Spain loomed, the shipyard, according to Hazard, "won valuable contracts from the U.S. government in 1897 and 1898 to repair two American warships and build five torpedo boats, two gunboats, a cargo steamer, and a training vessel for the Naval Academy at Annapolis."

Shortly after a fire destroyed the steam vessel Katahdin in 1913 on Moosehead Lake, the Iron Works was contracted to build the second , which is still in use today.

In what eventually amounted to over $2 million in contracts and a 1,000 man payroll of over $360,000, BIW became a profitable major company and the Bath area enjoyed sustained prosperity.

The year 1890 saw BIW winning contracts for two steel hulled gunboats, initiating a fruitful relationship between BIW and the U.S. Navy which continues to this day. Over the last century, BIW has provided battleships, frigates, cruisers, and destroyers for the Navy while also building yachts, fishing trawlers and a host of commercial vessels. Today, BIW, the largest private employer in the Maine, builds AEGIS Destroyers - said to be the most advanced and capable warships in the world. BIW operates with highly skilled union labor, unusual in a state in which organized labor is not strong.
Timeline
1833 Bath Iron Foundry established on the Kennebec River

1865 General Thomas W. Hyde, Civil War hero, buys Bath Iron Foundry

1882 Goss Marine Iron Works is founded nearby

1884 General Hyde renames Bath Iron Foundry as Bath Iron Works and incorporates company

1888 New England Shipbuilding Company, with General Hyde as an investor, acquires Goss Marine Iron Works

1888 BIW acquires New England Shipbuilding Company

1890 Steamer Cottage City is the first BIW-built hull

1893 USS Machias, a gunboat, is the first BIW-built U.S. Navy ship

1894 City Of Lowell is the first BIW-built commercial steel vessel

1901 BIW is acquired by United States Shipbuilding Trust

1905 John S. Hyde, eldest son of General Hyde, purchases BIW

1906 USS Georgia, the first and only BIW-built battleship, is delivered

1917 BIW is sold to Maine investors upon the death of John Hyde

1925 BIW is sold at a public auction, operations are idled

1927 BIW is leased by William S. "Pete" Newell and a group of investors, company is incorporated again

1940 Second BIW facility, the Hardings plant, is built in East Brunswick

1940-1945 82 destroyers are built during WWII, totaling more than in the entire Japanese Empire

1955 First of a new class of destroyers, USS Forest Sherman, delivered

1967 Bath Industries, Inc. is established as a holding company for BIW, Pennsylvania Crusher and the Hyde Windlass Co.

1968 Bath Industries, Inc. acquires Congoleum-Nairn, a manufacturer of home furnishings

1975 Bath Industries, Inc. changes its name to Congoleum Corporation

1977 Lead ship of a new Navy class of guided missile frigates, USS Oliver Hazard Perry, is delivered

1983 Floating dry dock opened in Portland

1984 Tanker Falcon Champion, is the last BIW-built commercial ship delivered

1985 Strike by 4,500 employees, from July 1st to October 8th, is the longest in the company's history

1986 BIW acquired by Prudential Insurance

1987 Last Oliver Hazard Perry class ship, USS Kauffman, is delivered

1987 First BIW-built, guided missile "AEGIS" cruiser, USS Thomas Gates, is delivered

1991 The lead ship of a new Navy class of guided missile "AEGIS" destroyers, USS Arleigh Burke, is delivered

1993 Last BIW-built AEGIS cruiser, USS Lake Erie, is delivered

1995 BIW becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics

1996 Awarded contract under an Avondale Shipyard-led alliance to build four Navy dock landing ships, the San Antonio-class (LPD 17)

1999 Designated as the Blue Team in a shipbuilding alliance with Ingalls Shipbuilding to competitively design the DD-21 land attack destroyer.

2001 BIW launches Mason (DDG 87). It is the last ship to slide down the inclined ways.

2002 BIW christens Chafee (DDG 90) - first ship constructed on Land Level transfer Facility.

2003 BIW subcontract for DD(X) Phse III program

2006 Sampson (DDG 102) is first vessel christened on Land Level, prior to translation to dry dock

2007 BIW awarded $250 million to complete class deetail design of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class destroyers (formerly DDX)

2008 BIW opens Ultrahall, a huge new climate controlled facility on the LLTF, capable of handling ship sections the size of the full girth of the Zumwalt hulls. Units weighing as much as 5,000 tons can be assembled in this giant building.

2009 Full scale production of sections of the first DDG 1000 begins at the Harding plant in Brunswick.
Additional resources
http://www.biw.com/ - timeline and official history is produced and copyrighted by BIW. (accessed November 14, 2010)

Bath Iron Works. Bath Iron Works Corporation: Condensed History. Bath, Me. Bath Iron Works. 1975.

Hazard, Elizabeth. "The Maine Remembered: Responses to the Spanish-American War in the Pine Tree State," Maine History, Spring, 1998.

Eskew, Garnett Laidlaw. Cradle of Ships. New York. Putnam. c1958

Sanders, Michael S. The Yard : Building A Destroyer At The Bath Iron Works. New York : HarperCollins Publishers, c1999.

Snow, Ralph Linwood. Bath Iron Works: The First Hundred Years. Bath, Me. Maine Maritime Museum, 1987

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath since 1743 when Jonathan Philbrick launched a schooner with the help of his two sons. Smaller fishing and sailing craft had been built for years, but a new industry was now emerging.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Articles about Maine history, government, ecology, economy, recreation, towns, natural features, famous people, sports, with maps, photos, and videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Table of Contents

Section TimeLink

Origins to 1492

1492-1651

Reform and Optimism

This brief sketch focuses on the highlights of Maine History and is not intended to be as extensive as the many available works on the subject. Each of the sections includes a link to the Timeline for the period covered. To view the Timeline for a particular period, in the Table of Contents (left) click on the dates under the TimeLink column.
Origins to 1492 Forming the natural environment
Formed in the wake of the recent ice age, Maine has an interesting geologic history, as noted in the article on geology.

About 25,000 years ago an ice sheet covered all of New England. After 4,000 years "global warming" forced its retreat so that approximately 14,000 years ago the Maine coast was beginning to be exposed. During the next 2,000 years the ice slowly moved north and in its wake dense forests emerged.
Pre-European Inhabitants
As Native Americans moved into Maine from the south or west 11,000 years ago, they initially used dugout canoes to navigate the accessible coastal areas. As the interior became available and the dense forests restricted extensive exploration to waterways, other means of transportation were needed. About 5,500 years ago the birch bark canoe was developed, allowing easy from river to stream to lake.

When Leif Erikson explored the Maine coast in 1003, the Native Americans in southwestern Maine had added corn, bean, and squash agriculture to their hunting and gathering economy. They had adopted the use of pottery several thousand years earlier.
Exploration and Early Settlement: 1492-1651
About 500 years have passed since European governments and businessmen became interested in Maine's resources. After Columbus' discoveries to the south alerted governments to the potential resources lying across the Atlantic, they dispatched explorers to report. The Cabots arrived in 1497 and returned in 1498 to claim the New England area for Britain. Verrazano did the same for the French in 1524 setting the stage for a two-century struggle for power between the two rival powers.

The early 1600's brought business interests and associated settlements. The short-lived St. Croix (French) and Popham (English) colonies demonstrated the difficulties of surviving in the New World. The ill-equipped Pilgrims, arriving in 1620, endured through the graces of the local Native Americans and the supplies and food they obtained from fishermen at Damariscove Island. In 1625 they sailed up the Kennebec River near Fort Western in search of trade with the Indians.

As the process of carving up the new territory began, Sir Fernando Gorges and John Mason in 1622 received a royal grant for all the land between the Merrimac and Kennebec rivers. In 1629 the Pilgrims received a to protect their trading rights with the Indians on the Kennebec River.

Though he was granted exclusive rights to Maine in 1639 by another English King, Gorges authority was eroded so that the growing Massachusetts Bay Colony eventually claimed jurisdiction over Maine in 1647 and purchased proprietary rights from Gorges' heirs in 1677. Even from these early times, the origins of the name Maine or Mayne have been obscure.
Massachusetts and the Colonial Period: 1652-1774
In 1652 Massachusetts formally asserted authority over Maine, established York County and approved the incorporation of the towns of Kittery and York.

The succeeding years, however, were marked by a series of wars involving the French and their Indian allies. Specifically these "French and Indian Wars" were King Williams's War (1689-1697); Queen Anne's War (1702-1713); King George's War (1744-1748); and the French and Indian War, known as the Seven Years' War in Canada and Europe, (1754-1763). Whole towns were obliterated, hostages were taken to Quebec, and substantial settlement in the remote areas was effectively ended.

By the 1720's the tide began to turn in favor of the English colonists with the bloody victories at Norridgewock in 1724 and at Lovewell's Pond the following year. The capture of Fort Louisburg on Cape Breton Island in 1745 helped speed the outcome, confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1763, in which France surrendered all claims in North America.

The incorporation of towns increased and the population again began to expand in the District Maine, which had become a distinct geographical identity with the formation of New Hampshire in 1841, thus defining the District's western border.

As part of Massachusetts, Maine developed early fishing, lumbering, and shipbuilding industries, and was designated (1775) one of three admiralty districts of that state during the Revolution.
American Revolution: 1775-1789
More details may be found by entering "revolutionary war" in the Search box. Also see the timeline of the American Revolution.

In the year, 1775, the battle of Lexington and Concord in April marked the start of the American Revolution. Maine immediately became involved in the conflict. In the east, on May 9, 1775, the British ship Margaretta was captured by Maine citizens in Machias.

On October 18, 1775, British Captain Mowatt conducted a naval bombardment of Falmouth (Portland), which resulted in a great fire that decimated the town. Earlier Mowatt had removed all guns and ammunition from Fort Pownall in Stockton Springs. Benedict Arnold and his expedition reached Swan Island in the Kennebec River, and moved through the state to Quebec. The British-built stone Fort Frederick, in the town of Bristol, was destroyed by American forces in 1775 to deprive the British of its use against the Revolution.

In the latter part of April, 1775, Captain Nathaniel Larrabee and Lieutenant Isaac Snow went to Condy's [Cundy's] Harbor, at Harpswell, with a company of men from Brunswick and Harpswell. They were employed in erecting a fort there and in building barracks.

On July 17, 1776, the Massachusetts government decreed that copies of the Declaration of Independence be sent to all Maine towns to be read aloud by their ministers at the next church service. It was clearly not popular to be anything other than a patriot.

In 1777, the Ranger, first American Warship, was built at Kittery, now the site of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The American Penobscot Expedition suffered defeat by British vessels in Penobscot Bay on August 14, 1779.

By 1783 the Treaty of Paris confirmed the end of the war, American independence, and set Maine's boundaries (to be finally resolved sixty-years later in the context of the Aroostook War and disputed territories) with the Webster-Ashburton Treat y of 1842).

With its population growing (65,000 in 1780), in 1785 the first movement to separate Maine from Massachusetts began though soon faded. However, internal communication, binding the District together continued to develop, symbolized by the opening in 1787 of a stagecoach line between Portland and Portsmouth, later extended to Augusta.
Developing a Maine Identity: 1790-1819
Commerce expanded rapidly after the war, followed by industry after commercial activity was interrupted by the Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812 when imports were restricted.

In 1792 the first official election was held on the question of Maine's separation from Massachusetts. A low turnout and a narrow majority against separation did little to encourage the advocates of statehood.

But the incorporation of over 150 towns during this period institutionalized local loyalties, developed networks of communication, and increased awareness of being part of Maine. A non-binding referendum in 1797 on separation from Massachusetts this time favored separation, but again in a low turnout vote.

The War of 1812 gave major impetus for statehood as Maine was attacked but got little support from Massachusetts. In that year the U.S. Congress declared war on Britain in protest over their interference with American shipping, and the British and Americans fought naval battles off the Maine coast. In 1814, the British attacked and occupied the coast beginning at Eastport.

Memories of the conflict were still fresh in 1819 when a Constitutional Convention held in Portland drafted Maine's state Constitution. It went into effect with congressional approval of the Missouri Compromise in the following year. By then the new state's population had ballooned to nearly 300,000.

William King was the leading force behind the movement for separation of Maine from Massachusetts heading the Democracy of Maine movement. In 1819 he was made president of the Constitutional Convention.
Early Statehood: 1820-1849
The convention of 1819 nominated King for governor, an office he won with 21,083 votes of the 22,014 cast in the first such election in 1820. After the passage of the Missouri Compromise in the U.S. Congress, Maine achieved statehood on March 15, 1820.

The state's special identity continued to develop with the establishment of the Maine Historical Society in 1822 and the Kennebec Journal newspaper in 1825.

In 1827 Augusta was officially established as the future State Capital, moving to a more central location than Portland, which served as the first seat of government. The cornerstone of the State House was set in 1829 and the new administration began operations in 1832 as the population surges to 400,000.

The northern portion of the state demonstrated its political significance in 1838 with the beginning of the bloodless " Aroostook War." The end of the Revolutionary War left the northern border ill-defined, causing local conflicts and controversies. The new government constructed a military road from Bangor to Houlton to aid the movement of troops. It major impact was to open that part of the state to increased settlement.

The U.S. government, fearing the Maine forces would spark a new war, appointed Daniel Webster to negotiated a solution to the controversy. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty (Lord Ashburton was the British negotiator) settled the matter in 1842, further encouraging migration to the area.

Foreshadowing the development of Maine's tourism industry, Henry David Thoreau left Concord, Massachusetts in 1846 for "Bangor and the backwoods" to explore and write about his observations. In 1848 Mount Kineo House, a tourist hotel in Greenville, was completed, beginning a century long resort tradition.
Growth, Civil War, and Economic Change: 1850-1899
With a population exceeding 580,000, the state declared its political independence by passing "The Maine Law," the first strong prohibition law in the United States.

The agricultural sector was given a boost when the state government established the Department of Agriculture in 1852. The next year the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad, joining Montreal and Portland, began service.

At the outset of the Civil War in 1861 Maine's population was about 628,000, 73,000 of whom (11.6%) would served the Union cause in that conflict. In deed, at the end of the war the state's population actually decreased for the first time as the 1870 census reported 627,000 residents.

Joshua Chamberlain and his troops defense Little Round Top at Gettysburg symbolized the many efforts and sacrifices Maine people offered during the war, by whose end in 1865 7,322 Maine soldiers (ten percent of those who served) were reported killed. A series of "War Governors" pledged their allegiance to the Union cause and provided resources to support the state's troops.

After the War, Maine shared in the industrial boom that affected the nation while still remaining a largely agricultural society. The University of Maine was established in 1865, following the federal Morrill Act of 1862.

As many Mainers moved west to settle the frontier, efforts were made to attract immigrants to the state. The Swedish Colony of the 1870's in Aroostook County was one of the notable successes.

The first wood pulp was produced in Topsham in 1868, marking the beginning of paper making in the state. Originally characterized by smaller companies, the industry consolidation to come accelerated with the formation International Paper Company and Great Northern Paper Company in 1899.

The Battleship Maine, sunk in Havana Harbor, sparked the Spanish-American War and the country's first global conflict, creating U.S. outposts as far away as the Philippines.
Reform and Optimism: 1900-1929
After the turn of the twentieth century, the new global presence, progressive politics, a world war, and the influenza epidemic punctured Maine's once isolated environment.

Progressive reforms made their way into the state, changing both its political and economic arrangements. They included the formation of many labor unions (1902) , including the Houlton Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Augusta Loomfixers' Union, and the Skowhegan Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers' Union; Initiative and Referendum provision allowing citizen initiated ballot questions (1907); and direct primary elections for nominating candidates (1911).

World War I began in 1914 but no American forces were committed until 1918, the year it ended. Over 35,000 troops from Maine served, 1,026 of whom lost their lives. Ironically, machine gun inventor Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, of Sangerville, died in 1916 in London during the conflict. That weapon was a major contributor to the substantial number of deaths suffered in the war.

In 1918, theaters closed statewide to limit spread of influenza. Health and mortality records of the time report the persistent loss of children to the disease.

The 1920's, a time of economic growth, was also a period of threatening intolerance. The resurgent Ku Klux Klan claimed at least 20,000 members in Maine as it targeted Catholics and immigrants for discrimination.
Depression and World War: 1930-1949
The economic downturn soon affected the state's politics as well as its economy. Louis J. Brann of Lewiston in 1933 became first Democratic Governor in twenty years. The same year, Maine received its first quota of 1,800 men for the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), beginning a ten year presence in the state peaking in 1935.

Although Brann was reelected, the political impact was temporary. Only Maine and Vermont voted against reelection of President F. D. Roosevelt in 1936, and no Democrat was elected governor until 1954.

World War II began in Europe in 1939, with U.S. formal military involvement beginning after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the same year that Maine Maritime Academy was established. The state sent nearly 113,000 service people to war over the next four years, losing 2,551 killed during the conflict that ended in 1945.

During and after the war, the major industries, paper and power, continued to expand. In 1941, International Paper Company, and in 1943, Kimberly-Clark Tissue Company, also known as Scott Paper Company, both out of state corporations, first filed to do business in Maine. The state's electric power supply was enhanced in 1949 as the town of Flagstaff, after a complete relocation of its population, was inundated with water from the Central Maine Power Company Dam on the Dead River.

In a blow to the eastern Maine tourist economy in 1947, the Bar Harbor area was decimated by fire, most buildings were lost, and the scenic grounds of Acadia National Park burned almost completely.
Seeds of Change: 1950-1974
In the post World War II period, a concerted effort to return to peaceful, prosperous times seemed to dominate. Unfortunately, the Korean "conflict," not an official "war," broke out in June of 1950, again taxing the military resources of the state. Over 40,000 Maine people served and 233 were killed.

On the day the Korean conflict began, Margaret Chase Smith, elected two years earlier as the first woman U. S. Senator, made her "Declaration of Conscience" speech against McCarthyism and its dangerous attempts to infringe on civil liberties in the name of anti-Communism.

In 1954, the first Democratic Governor elected since 1937, Edmund S. Muskie, broke the iron grip the Republican Party had on the state for almost one hundred years. That victory, and his later election to the U.S. Senate in 1958, spurred a resurgence of the Democratic Party in Maine.

Maine established first state sales tax in 1951, adding the income tax in 1969, setting the resource base for expanded state government programs.

Interstate 95 was completed to Portland in 1956 and extended to Houlton in 1965, the year that the Boston & Maine Railroad's passenger service from Boston to Portland was ended, signaling the triumph of the automobile over mass transportation.

Environmental concerns became more important as development began to conflict with residential and recreational interests. The influx of new residents, including "back to the land" young people in the early 1970's, added to the political constituency. In 1972 the Department of Environmental Protection was established, followed by the Department of Conservation in 1973.

Possibly the "final seed of change" in the period was planted in November of 1974 when James B. Longley, Sr. was elected the first independent (belonging to no political party) governor in the state's history. Among other factors, a major element in his election apparently was the public disaffection with "politicians," as a result of the Watergate political scandal and resignation of President Richard M. Nixon.
Challenges of Change and Growth: 1975-
In January of 1975, the state government was confronted with a unique situation: an independent Governor, a Republican-controlled Senate, and a Democratic-controlled House.

To modernize the governmental system, in 1975 constitutional changes were approved in which annual sessions of the Legislature were established and the legislatively elected Executive Council was abolished. According to Kenneth Palmer,

The Executive Council, consisting of seven members elected by the legislature, had been created by the 1819 constitution. Although the council was meant to "advise the Governor in the executive part of government," it provided one of the most significant restrictions to early gubernatorial power in Maine. The Executive Council was a vestige of Revolutionary suspicion of centralized power, and Maine "inherited" its council from the Massachusetts Constitution.

The political landscape continued to change. In 1978 Democratic voter enrollment outnumbered that of Republicans for the first time since records were kept. However, by 1982, officials reported more unenrolled ("independent") voters than either Democrats or Republicans. Clearly, no party could assume it had a natural advantage in political contests.

Women, regardless of party, made political gains during the period, possibly seen as not the typical "politician," in whom faith had been seriously eroded. Among the firsts for women: Speaker of the House, Majority Leader of the Senate, Secretary of the Senate, State Treasurer, and State Auditor. Women membership in the legislature also climbed to historic heights.

Economic and population growth accelerated in the 1970's as new highways attracted commuters and industries to the southwest from the nearby Boston area. Maine's population grew by 13.2% in the 1970's and 9.2% in the 1980's, the largest increases since the 1840's.

The economy received a boost when longstanding land claims against the state by Native Americans were settled (1980) for $81.5 million, and the tribes began to buy land and make investments.

A ballot tampering scandal involving an aid to Speaker of the House John L. Martin erupted in 1992. Although Martin resigned in 1994 hoping to limit damage to fellow Democrats, Angus King, Jr. was elected as the second independent governor in Maine history that year, successful in part for the same reason that brought Mr. Longley to power: political scandal.

More recently, the post-Cold War international environment and the impact of the global economy have again stirred Maine to seek a new identity based on its past and its current challenges.
Additional resources
Palmer, Kenneth. Maine Politics and Government. Lincoln, Nebraska. University of Nebraska Press. 1992., p.60

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Table of Contents Section TimeLink Origins to 1492 1492-1651 Reform and Optimism This brief sketch focuses on the highlights of Maine History and is not intended to be as extensive as the many available works on the subject. Each of the sections includes a link to the Timeline for the period covered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Maine's first human arrivals wandered a boggy land of sedges and grasses punctuated by scattered stands of birch, willow, alder, and spruce. Wooly mammoths roamed the grassy plains, herds of mastodons browsed on the emerging coniferous forest, and giant beaver built homes in the vast bogs and wetlands.

Since the retreat of the glaciers some 12,000 years ago, Maine has been a crossroads of culture and a seat of innovation. Whether its prehistory reveals a single evolving culture as some believe, or a succession of new arrivals, the changing way of life suggests a people adapting in innovative ways to new environmental challenges.

Maine forms the neck of a huge geographic formation known as the Maritime Peninsula, stretching north from New England to the Gaspé. The two features that define this peninsula, the St. Lawrence River and the coastal plain, served as great highways connecting Maine to cultures far to the west and south and bringing periodic infusions of new ideas and new people.

This cultural dynamism was stimulated by profound environmental changes in the post-glacial landscape. Concentrations of forest, lake, river, and ocean resources changed dramatically over the millennia, and people responded with new technologies, foodways, and social organizations.

Viewing changes over the millennia between glacial retreat and European arrival - the two great benchmarks in Maine prehistory - shows this cultural dynamism in high relief.

The story of Maine begins with the glaciers. About 2 million years ago the world's climate began to change, bringing a long period of glacial advance and retreat that lasted, geologically speaking, almost up to the present.

At its maximum 18,000 to 20,000 years ago, the ice cap was as much as 5,000 feet thick, leaving only the tip of Katahdin exposed - a tiny rock island in a vast sea of ice.

During the last great glacial advance across North America, some 30,000 to 20,000 years ago, stone-age hunters called Paleoindians probably crossed a land bridge between Asia and Alaska exposed by dropping sea levels, bringing with them a distinctive stone spear-tip known as the Clovis or Folsom point.

Adapting quickly, they moved south and east and reached the Northeast about 11,500 years ago, bringing the accumulated innovations that carried them across the northern plains, below the Great Lakes, and through the Ohio Valley.

As the ice retreated about 12,000 years ago, it left behind a classic deglaciated landscape, with rounded gravelly hills, wide, U-shaped valleys, numerous lakes and bogs, thin soils of clay, silt, and sand, and an abundance of stones and boulders.

Maine's first human arrivals wandered a boggy land of sedges and grasses punctuated by scattered stands of birch, willow, alder, and spruce. Wooly mammoths roamed the grassy plains, herds of mastodons browsed on the emerging coniferous forest, and giant beaver built homes in the vast bogs and wetlands.

Although the archaeological record is far from complete, it suggests a scattering of small, mobile hunting bands. The Paleoindian's signature tool was a large fluted projectile point mounted on a spear and launched with a spear-thrower, or atlatl.

In Maine, archaeologists have found several distinctive variations on this point, suggesting an exchange of ideas and a rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Given their size, these spear points hint at epic battles with mammoths and mastodons, and several Algonquian stories contain dim memories of elephant-like monsters.

But scraps of caribou bone in the archaeological record suggest these more modest creatures as the major item on the Paleoindian menu, along with small mammals and birds taken where pioneer forests offered respite in the tundra landscape. Caribou concentrate in herds in fall and migrate to breeding areas, and these predictable seasonal movements drew small, kinship-related Paleoindian bands in their wake.

The largest collection of Paleoindian artifacts in this area is the Vail site on the Magalloway River in western Maine. Now flooded by the Aziscohos dam, the site yielded some 4,000 tools, primarily scrapers, fluted points, wedges, and cutters, suggesting a seasonal encampment occupied over several centuries. Nearby hills constricted the migrating herds and gave hunters an opportunity to intercept them.

Similarities between the tools found here and those from sites in Nova Scotia and eastern Massachusetts imply a basic cultural unity across this vast Maritime Peninsula, but the Vail site also contained exotic artifacts, made of materials from as far away as western Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania. Along their seasonal migrations, Paleoindian hunters undoubtedly met other wandering bands, with whom they exchanged gifts.

The disappearance of the Paleoindians some 10,000 to 8,000 years ago is still something of a mystery, but the distinctive Clovis points and other Paleoindian artifacts vanished during the transition from tundra to boreal forest, suggesting that the new "low diversity" environment either drove them out or triggered a radical change in their subsistence activity.

Paleoindians lived in a rapidly changing world where the tundra grasses gave way to open woodlands, and then forests of birch, spruce, and pine. They no doubt took advantage of a variety of resources, but the newly arrived species of fish, plants, birds, and small game had not settled into reliable patterns, and thus the Paleoindians depended primarily on the moving herds of caribou - a choice that tied them to the fate of the tundra and its host species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maine's first human arrivals wandered a boggy land of sedges and grasses punctuated by scattered stands of birch, willow, alder, and spruce. Wooly mammoths roamed the grassy plains, herds of mastodons browsed on the emerging coniferous forest, and giant beaver built homes in the vast bogs and wetlands.

# data[].attributes.body
Don't miss the links at the top right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Paleoindian | Pueblo Indian History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Paleoindian period was when people first came to the Americas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The wreck of the Annie C. Maguire ranks among the most famous Maine shipwrecks for one reason. It occurred right next to one of the most popular lighthouses on the East Coast, Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

The ship we know as the Annie C. Maguire led two lives. The first incarnation was the extreme clipper ship Golden State, built on the East River in New York City in 1852-53. In early 1883, after an unusually long 30-year career in the China trade, the Golden Stat e was converted to bark rigging.

Renamed the Annie C. Maguire, the bark sailed under the British flag in North and South America during the 1883-86 period. The Maguire was headed home to Quebec in December 1886, after leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina. On board with Captain Daniel O'Niel were his wife and 12-year-old son, two mates, and 13 crewmen.

The Maguire entered Casco Bay at about 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, with the intention of riding out the bad weather in Portland Harbor.A heavy sea was visible outside Portland Harbor that day, as a winter storm was raging offshore. At Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, a few miles from the harbor's entrance, Keeper Joshua Freeman Strout was asked by a sheriff's officer to keep an eye out for the ship, in case the captain decided to duck into Portland Harbor to take shelter from the storm.

Joshua Strout was a former sea captain who had become a lighthouse keeper at Portland Head in 1869 after a fall from a masthead forced him to give up life at sea. Joshua and his wife, Mary (Berry), raised 11 children at the station. Mary Strout served as an assistant keeper until 1877, when her son Joseph Woodbury Strout was named assistant. Joseph Strout went on to succeed his father as principal keeper in 1904, and he retired in 1928 after living for 59 years at Portland Head.

Joseph Strout was described as "a "bronzed, hardy little man, comfortably inclined to corpulence" in a 1927 article, in which he recalled the night the Annie C. Maguire was wrecked. Some accounts of the event claim the weather was clear, but Joseph Strout firmly stated otherwise: "The wind was howling a gale," he said. "It was Christmas Eve, you know, and I guess even Santa Claus was afraid to be out."

Strangely, in an interview in 1929, Joseph Strout said it was snowing so hard "you couldn't see a hand in front of you," but that the night was calm and there was no wind. He said his father was on watch in the lighthouse and the "world as silent as death." Windy or not, in both interviews Strout stressed the fact that it was snowing heavily.

At about 11:30 p.m., as Joshua Strout kept watch in the lighthouse tower, Joseph was preparing for bed. Suddenly, Joshua burst through the door of the keeper's house and exclaimed, "All hands turn out! There's a ship ashore in the dooryard!" Joseph fumbled as he put his socks and shoes back on, and then bolted down the stairs a half-dozen at a time.

When he emerged from the house, Joseph Strout was amazed to see the ship on the ledges no more than 100 feet from the lighthouse tower, listing to one side. As soon as it had run onto the ledge, the captain had the crew take down the sails and lower the anchors. According to some accounts, Mary Strout shed light on the scene by burning blankets that had been cut into strips and soaked in kerosene.

There are varying versions of how the Strouts rescued the people from the ship. In 1927, Joseph Strout said that the water was calm enough to permit the men "to jump ashore, almost without help, so hard on the ledge was the vessel."Some have claimed the Strouts rescued everyone with a breeches buoy. Other sources claim the Strouts put a ladder across the ship, and all aboard made it safely across the ladder to solid ground, which seems more likely. It was too short a distance to warrant a line from the shore to the ship, and there would have been a rush to get everyone off as quickly as possible in case the Maguire broke apart.

Mary Strout soon had hot coffee and food ready for the shipwreck victims in an engine room. They were ravenous after their long voyage with little more to eat than salt beef and macaroni. Joseph Strout said in 1929:

The day before we had killed eight chickens so that we could have a big feed on Christmas. Ma made all eight into the best pie you ever tasted. But it didn't make no impression on that crew of three-quarter starved blotters though. I only got one plateful. But we should worry. A feller doesn't get wrecked often, and when it happens where he can eat after starving for weeks, you can't blame him for passing his plate until it's all gone. Once they got that chicken pie into them, the whole gang wanted to stay. They loafed around three days and ate most of the food we had while Dad did his best to convince them that we were a lighthouse and not a life saving station.

Joshua Strout was put in charge of the ship by the deputy sheriff, and the wreck was soon surveyed. The New York Times reported on December 27 that the Maguire's bottom was "badly stove." It was thought that the ship would likely break apart in the next storm, so Joshua Strout ordered that everything removable be brought ashore as quickly as possible. The Maguire broke apart in a storm about a week after the wreck.

Joseph Strout's son, John A. Strout, was born at the lighthouse in 1891. He followed the family tradition by becoming an assistant keeper under his father, on his twenty-first birthday. On the same day, John A. Strout painted an inscription on the ledge where the Maguire was wrecked. He first had to chip much of the huge rock to make a flat surface on which to paint, and the lettering was applied with a mixture of paint, mortar, and sand.

The exact wording and spelling of the inscription have varied over the years and a wooden cross that once topped the rock is gone, but the tradition of repainting it continues as a reminder of the Christmas Eve when a once proud ship almost hit the lighthouse.

This is a shortened version of a chapter from my book, Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast, published in 2010 by Commonwealth Editions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Christmas Eve at Portland Head Light, 1886: "Even Santa Claus Was Afraid to be Out"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The wreck of the Annie C. Maguire ranks among the most famous Maine shipwrecks for one reason. It occurred right next to one of the most popular lighthouses on the East Coast, Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The ship we know as the Annie C. Maguire led two lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hello! Every seven days, for the rest of the year, This Week in Portland History is bringing to light a person or event from the city's past.
Seventy years ago this week, gawkers flocked to the Cape Elizabeth shore. Hawkers sold hamburgers and parked cars blocked the roads. Rubberneckers kept coming in a steady stream right through the summer. They all wanted to have a gander at the coal ship Oakey L. Alexander's mangled carcass.

The gale on March 3, 1947 was a doozy. Onshore winds howled at 80 mph. Off shore, they raged at 100 MPH. The keeper at Portland Head Light reported 40-foot waves crashing over the rocks.

Up the coast in Phippsburg, seven homes washed away at Popham Beach. The Pemaquid II, a fishing boat out of New Harbor, sank off Portland. Her two crewmen drowned. The Canadian freighter Novadoc vanished without a trace in Casco Bay. Her crew of 25 were never seen again.

Meanwhile, the Oakey L. Alexander struggled through the gale four miles off Cape Elizabeth. She was loaded with coal, making for Portland on her 850th trip from Virginia.

Just before 5 a.m., a massive wave lifted the ship clean out of the water. The forward third broke off and sank to the bottom.

Luckily, the front section tore at the seam of a watertight bulkhead. The steam engines stayed dry and Capt. Raymond Lewis stayed calm.

Capt. Lewis could see the giant wave had smashed or washed away all the lifeboats. He ordered his 32 crewmen into life jackets and told the engineers to keep the boilers stoked.

He then somehow steered his mutilated ship - which had no bow - toward the shore.

An hour later, the Alexander ground to a halt on a Cape Elizabeth ledge 150 yards from dry land. Everybody was still alive.

But they weren't out of danger, yet. Powerful waves were still smashing into the stranded ship, flooding the decks. Plus, they had no way of getting ashore.

But the Coast Guard showed up less than an hour later. Using something called a Lyle gun, they fired a rescue line out to the Alexander. One by one, dangling from the rope in a sling, the men came ashore. Doctors from Portland's osteopathic hospital examined each crewman. They'd driven through the storm on icy roads to see if they could help.

Capt. Lewis was the last man off the ship.

Eventually, most of the Alexander was cut up and sold for scrap - but not all of her. They say, during very low tides, you can see what's left of her still sitting on the ledge. She's right where Captain Lewis parked her.
Note: If you want to learn more about Capt. Lewis and the Oakey L. Alexander, get a copy of Peter Dow Bachelder's book "Shipwrecks & Maritime Disasters of the Maine Coast." Disclaimer: I'm not a historian. I owe everything I know to the dedicated research of those who have come before me. These character sketches and historical tidbits are assembled from multiple (often antique) sources and sprinkled with my own conjecture. I'm happy to be set straight or to learn more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A storm tore the bow off this ship. The captain still managed to steer it to safety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hello! Every seven days, for the rest of the year, This Week in Portland History is bringing to light a person or event from the city's past. Seventy years ago this week, gawkers flocked to the Cape Elizabeth shore. Hawkers sold hamburgers and parked cars blocked the roads.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These days most of us leave rescuing to the professionals, although inhabitants of remote places like offshore islands and rural outposts know that sometimes everybody turns out to help in an emergency. Not so very long ago, the men of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, felt that same sense of duty and ran to help.

It was in the pre-dawn dark of a stormy March day in 1947 when a 130-foot section broke off the bow of the collier Oakey L. Alexander off Cape Elizabeth. The 395-foot-long vessel, which worked a regular coastal route, was laden with coal and carried 32 men. With all his men accounted for, and still under power, Capt. Raymond Lewis turned toward shore in hopes of rescue, but then ran aground on the ledges off Two Lights. There, the entire crew was safely removed from the wreck, one by one.

Much has been written about this rescue, as great crowds of people, including photographers, newspaper reporters, and hundreds of locals of all ages came to view the wreck that day and in days to follow. Most published accounts credit the United States Coast Guard for saving the crew. However, the men of Station Cape Elizabeth didn't respond alone. Many of the rescuers were civilians, a number of them the members of the Cape Elizabeth volunteer fire department, including some who were barely out of high school.

One of the rescuers was teenager Arnold "Arnie" Murray. Now 85 years of age, Murray still lives in his native Cape Elizabeth, and recalls the events of that day.

"At around 4 o'clock in the morning you could hear that the captain of some boat was on the horn making a heck of a racket. He just laid on that horn and kept blowing it steady," said Murray. "We knew something was going on. Somebody rang the fire bell on the Town Hall up near to where we were living. They assembled the firemen because they didn't have enough Coast Guard men down there. We all went down to see what we could do, all individually-we didn't take fire trucks or anything."

Back then the entrance to Portland was marked by the lightship Portland.

"Unbeknownst to Captain Lewis-and to the people on the lightship, at first-the lightship had dragged its anchors and had drifted down toward Biddeford a ways," said Murray. "So the Alexander came up and went around the lightship as they normally would, and started in, thinking they were headed toward Portland, and hit a submerged rock offshore."

Other accounts mention heaving seas lifting the bow high out of the water, with the damage caused by the action of the massive waves alone. The storm that night was monumental, with hurricane-force winds and snow.

With the ship beached on the rocks about 600 feet from shore in heavy surf, rescuers set up to remove the crew with a breeches buoy. This meant rigging lines from something stable aboard the ship to something solid on land, then hauling men across storm-washed ledges in a seat that resembled a round flotation ring with a harness. To rig the apparatus, somebody had to shoot a projectile carrying the first line from land out to the helpless ship.

The Lyle gun, the device used to fire the first line, was set up by a retired Coast Guard man named Rocky Dennison working with Chief Warrant Boatswain Earle Drinkwater, who was the officer in charge of the Cape Elizabeth station, according to Rocky's son Herb Dennison.

"Drinkwater had just come back from sea duty and was a little nervous about firing it. My father got it all set up, and Drinkwater said, 'well, you might as well pull (the trigger cord),' but my father said, 'No, you're the chief, you do it.'" Drinkwater then fired the line under Dennison's close supervision.

"It all came down to Rocky Dennison. He was the one who really saved all those people," recalled Murray. Rocky Dennison was in bed sick when the call came to help. "He really didn't feel good, but they got him out to help."

Dennison was just one of many local people who turned out. "All the farmers and fishermen helped pull ropes," Herb Dennison said. "The Coast Guard didn't have manpower enough."

Cape Elizabeth natives can be proud that so many uncles and cousins were down on the shoreline trying to assist with the lifesaving effort. Many others turned out to watch. Wayne Brooking of Cape Elizabeth remembered having "touched the ropes" that morning as a 12-year-old boy. Norm Jordan said his schoolteacher brought her students to see the wreck. "I was either in sixth or seventh grade that year. Old Miss Storey thought we all ought to see that ship, so she got the school bus driver to come with the bus and take us all down there."

According to Murray, the cook was the first one off. The Alexander was balanced and wobbling on the ledge. "When that wreck would roll," Murray explained, "the poor guy in the thing (breeches buoy) would disappear right into the water, then when it would roll back he'd go way up in the air. When that first fellow got across, he knelt right down and kissed the rocks."

David Rogers, that 18-year old cook, later told reporters that he hadn't been too nervous until he reached land; when he looked back at his ship, he "lost his nerve."

Eventually all members of the Oakey L. Alexander's crew were rescued.

Nobody was injured. "Some of them were damned cold because they'd had a few dunkings on the way in," said Murray. "They were soaking wet, but they were all right."

The Portland Press Herald reported the following day (March 4, 1947) that two of the dunked crewmen had been hospitalized for exposure, but were in good condition. When asked whether the captain was the last man off, Murray smiled. "Yep, he was."

Eva Murray lives year-round on Matinicus Island. Her latest book, Island Schoolhouse: One Room for All (Tilbury House), was published in September 2012. Arnie Murray is her uncle-in-law.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These days most of us leave rescuing to the professionals, although inhabitants of remote places like offshore islands and rural outposts know that sometimes everybody turns out to help in an emergency. Not so very long ago, the men of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, felt that same sense of duty and ran to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Bohemian Wreck Mural at South Portland Post Office in Maine
The Bohemian Shipwreck Near Cape Elizabeth Twin Lights and Portland Head Light
On February 4,1864, the steamer Bohemian, was making a winter voyage leaving Liverpool, England, for Portland, Maine. The 295-foot steamer was carrying about 219 passengers consisting of 200 Irish immigrants and 19 cabin class passengers. As was the custom in those days, immigrants would be crowded below deck at the bottom of the ship in steerage away from the other passengers. Captain Borland had his 98 crewmen aboard the vessel and was very familiar with the Portland Harbor, as he had made the journey a number of times during his eight years at the helm.

On February 22, 1864, on President's day, the Bohemian proceeded up the Maine coast towards Cape Elizabeth, moving rather slowly as a hazy sky filled the night. Sometime after 7 o'clock the lookout notified the captain that he spotted two lights offshore. The two lights were the range lights of the Cape Elizabeth Twin Lights a few miles south of Portland Head Light. Somehow from the atmospheric haze Borland had miscalculated the distance and believed he was seven or eight miles offshore, but in reality, the Bohemian was only a couple of miles away from the rocky shoreline, and was proceeding dangerously close to Alden's Rock. This was a treacherous ledge in shallow water that at the time was only marked by a silent buoy, not a bell buoy. Borland could not see Portland Head Lighthouse from his position.

By 8 o'clock, the first officer had just taken the wheel when a buoy marking the perilous rock was spotted directly ahead. The captain yelled to have the engines shut off in an attempt to slow the vessel, but it was too late. The Bohemian struck Alden's Rock, ripping a gash in the hull. Borland tried to head the vessel toward shore, eventually reaching an inlet location about two miles from the mainland, but the disabled steamer could not proceed any further under power due to the amount of water she had taken in, and the damage inside the engine room. The steamer could only drift towards shore. The captain ordered the gunboats fired to signal the Bohemian's distress, but only one could be set off as the other was already under water. A pilot boat's captain was in the vicinity a mile away and heard the one gun, but believed the ship was celebrating President's day.

To keep the Bohemian from drifting back out to sea, anchors were dropped and the captain ordered the lifeboats deployed immediately. While most lifeboats were able to safely launch, a support pin in the second lifeboat gave way, spilling 40 passengers into the freezing waters and drowning 16 of them. As the lifeboat drifted ashore near Cape Elizabeth hours later, locals found only one man and child in it, both dead.

Most of the boats launched in the hysteria were not filled to capacity and contained mostly men. The frightened passengers and crew aboard the lifeboats refused to return to the sinking ship to pick up those stranded on the deck for fear of capsizing. Some of those stranded on the wreck jumped into the icy waters in hopes of being hauled into the boats, but many drowned from exposure in their struggles.

With the lifeboats dispatched, Captain Borland, four of his crew, and around seventy passengers found themselves stranded on deck. With the steamer's' bridge completely covered in water, and the seas constantly sweeping over her, Captain Borland knew the Bohemian's time afloat was getting shorter. The steamer was less than 1000 feet from shore when some of the lifeboats returned to pick up survivors. Additional help was provided from residents at the Ocean House and from the Fishing House on Cape Elizabeth, who sent teams out to help the survivors, and to later help in the gruesome task of picking up the corpses floating in the waters and bringing them to shore.

Some of those stranded, many of whom were women and children, who were still waiting and could not climb up the masts and rigging, were being washed overboard as the ship started to sink into the icy waters. Captain Borland managed to get about fifty passengers off the wreck to safety along with his crew. He and his remaining crew waited until all the remaining survivors were in the lifeboats before they climbed into the last lifeboat to shore. An hour and a half later, the Bohemian sank. In total, two crewmembers and a total of forty passengers, all Irish immigrants from the lower steerage class, perished. The nineteen cabin passengers survived.

The locals of Cape Elizabeth opened their homes in providing food, shelter, and clothing to the exhausted survivors, while the local City Hall provided temporary shelter as the survivors tried to notify their families in England and Ireland. Money was collected by the Portland Board of Trade and distributed to the survivors for clothing.

In his deposition, Captain Borland testified "when we struck I was not certain where we were." The ship's officers, crew and some of the passengers were asked for their recollections of the night, and were questioned as to whether the captain had been drinking. Some reported that they felt the captain was a bit intoxicated, but the chief saloon steward testified that Borland was given one glass of ale that day. There was also public outcry that the captain's crew had left so many stranded to die on the ship, while he and most of his crew survived. The jury concluded that Captain Borland was in error of judgment and was responsible for the disaster, and that his crew did not act professionally in trying to help the passengers to fill the lifeboats to capacity, thinking only of themselves. The pilot nearby who had heard the gun signaling the Bohemian in distress was also ruled at fault for not investigating. They also ruled that Alden's Rock should have had a bell buoy instead of a silent buoy to warn vessels passing by the treacherous rock.

Days later, some of the women from nearby Cape Elizabeth found items from the Bohemian wreck including bolts of wool, silks and satins which many used to create new clothing for the harsh winter.

After the shipwreck of the Bohemian and public outcry, The Portland Board of Trade investigated the rocks and shoals nearby and had bell buoy markers placed as needed. Portland Head Lighthouse's visibility was also examined and improved by raising the tower 20 feet in 1865. A second-order Fresnel lens was also installed to generate a more powerful light.

For the lighthouse historians, inside the lobby of the South Portland Post Office is a mural painting of the wreck of the R.M.S. Bohemian (top image). As one of Maine's worst disasters, it is worth observing, and realizing the area is much safer for travel these days. At least 12 of the 42 lives that were lost are also remembered in a small monument in nearby Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

Cape Elizabeth is a rocky scenic area where visitors can view both Cape Elizabeth range lights (one in the photo is the active front range light) in a nearby residential area off Route 77 at the end of Two Lights Road near Twin Lights Park. There is also a snack shack next to a nearby small beach. For those who want to explore, visitors will find Two Lights State Park just before visiting the lighthouses. Be wary both lighthouses are private residences, but tourists are allowed to take photographs from the street.

Enjoy and be thankful,

Allan Wood

Join, Learn, Support the The American Lighthouse Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
the bohemian wreck by cape elizabeth in maine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Bohemian Wreck By Cape Elizabeth in Maine | New England Lighthouse Stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bohemian Wreck Mural at South Portland Post Office in Maine The Bohemian Shipwreck Near Cape Elizabeth Twin Lights and Portland Head Light On February 4,1864, the steamer Bohemian, was making a winter voyage leaving Liverpool, England, for Portland, Maine. The 295-foot steamer was carrying about 219 passengers consisting of 200 Irish immigrants and 19 cabin class passengers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How and Where to See Moose in Maine

"Have you ever seen a moose?" ranks up there on the list of frequently asked questions whenever I tell someone I'm from Maine. Now, to someone hailing from the Pine Tree State, this is like asking whether anyone in my family has a plow on their truck, if I know where Stephen King's house is, or whether I've ever bought lobster caught the same day for $5 per pound.

The answer? "Ayuh." (Translation: Yes!)

I've seen moose while hiking, from the air in a pontoon plane, out my grandparents' living room window, and while driving around Maine's back roads. We once even had one strolling around the playground at my school in the "big city" of Bangor.

But I understand the intrigue and mystery. It's still pretty exciting for me whenever I catch a glimpse of these majestic (if somewhat clumsy) creatures, and I know that most visitors to Maine want to see a moose before they head home. Here are a few tips in hopes that you'll spot one on your Maine adventure!

Where to See Moose in Maine

So, you're headed to Vacationland and your next question is: What's the best place to see moose in Maine?

There's no guarantee of exactly where you can spot one, of course. Wildlife can be unpredictable. But the good news is: your chances of seeing a moose while you're here are pretty good. Why? The moose population in Maine is estimated to be around 76,000, making it the highest population in the United States outside of Alaska.

And even better news: Northern Outdoors is in prime moose sighting territory. Western and northern Maine are more densely populated with moose than the coast or southern regions. Plan a trip to the adventure resort in The Forks or Abol Bridge Campground in Baxter State Park, and you'll be off to a good start!

Here are a few tips on where to look for moose:

They like to hang out in swampy, boggy areas, though they can be seen pretty much anywhere. You might catch them rolling in the mud, which helps create a layer to protect them from mosquitoes and black flies. They're great swimmers, so you may spot one in or near a body of water if you're lucky. You can also see moose licking the salt runoff along roads since they need sodium in their diets and natural salt licks are rare in Maine.

Here are a few specific places to go moose spotting in western Maine: Route 201 from The Forks to the Canadian border (they don't call it "Moose Alley" for nothing!), Route 27 between Carrabassett and Eustis, Route 6 from Dover-Foxcroft to Greenville, all around Moosehead Lake (like Lazy Tom Bog) and Greenville, the Golden Road, and Baxter State Park.

How to Spot a Moose in Maine

Here are a few tips on how and when to find moose, plus a few notes on safety:

What time of day do moose come out? They're not very active during the middle part of the day, and dusk and dawn are the best times to spot them.

What months are they most active? Mid-May through July and again in the fall (mating season) are the best times of year to see moose.

Be very careful driving at any time, but especially at night. Most Mainers I know have either hit a moose or know someone who has, and my mom still reminds me to this day to "keep an eye out for moose" whenever I'm having backwoods adventures. A couple things to keep in mind: Because moose are so tall, you may not see the reflections from their eyes as you would deer. And unlike deer, they don't dart but tend to just mosey along-sometimes running and occasionally just standing in the middle of the road. (Seriously.)

Don't ever approach moose or try to chase them. While they aren't carnivores, moose are very powerful due to their enormous size and may charge if provoked. Females (cows) are 800+ pounds and protective of their calves, and males (bulls) are 1,100+ pounds and may be more aggressive during the fall mating season.

Whether or not you catch a glimpse of a moose on your Maine vacation, I hope the search is fun! And if you miss them in the wild this time, you'll just have to plan another adventure for next year (or settle for seeing one at the lodge).

Show us your Maine moose photos!

Use #NorthernOutdoors on Instagram to be featured in our taproom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How and Where to See Moose in Maine | Northern Outdoors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Have you ever seen a moose?" ranks up there on the list of frequently asked questions whenever I tell someone I'm from Maine. Now, to someone hailing from the Pine Tree State, this is like asking whether anyone in my family has a plow on their truck, if I know where Stephen King's house is, or whether I've ever bought lobster caught the same day for $5 per pound.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Maine Coon is a native New Englander, hailing from Maine, where he was a popular mouser, farm cat and, most likely, ship's cat, at least as far back as the early 19th century.

See all Main Coon characteristics below!

History

The Maine Coon is a native New Englander, hailing from Maine, where he was a popular mouser, farm cat and, most likely, ship's cat, at least as far back as the early 19 th century. He is a natural breed and little is known of his origins. Some say the Vikings brought him to North America, centuries before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, others that he is the descendant of longhaired cats belonging to Marie Antoinette, sent to America in advance of the doomed queen, who had hoped to escape there. Sea captains may have brought back longhaired cats that then mated with local shorthaired cats. One thing is for sure: the Maine Coon is not the result of a mating between a cat and a raccoon, even if his brown tabby coat and furry ringed tail suggest that biological impossibility. The resemblance is, however, how the cats got their name; in fact, Maine Coons that didn't have the brown tabby coat were called Maine Shags.

The first published reference to a Maine Coon was in 1861, about a black and white cat named Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines. A female Maine Coon was named Best Cat in 1895 at a cat show held in Madison Square Garden. In Boston and New York, the home-grown felines were popular exhibits at cat shows, and when the Cat Fanciers Association was formed in 1908, the fifth cat registered was a Maine Coon named Molly Bond. But the invasion of glamourous Persian and exotic Siamese cats from England around the turn of the century spelled the end of the Maine Coon's popularity for half a century. Things took a turn for the better in the 1960s, and the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association was formed in 1968. Today the big, beautiful cats are among the world's most popular. But what really counts, of course, is that they are the official state cat of Maine.

Size

This is a large cat. Most Maine Coons weigh 9 to 18 pounds (males are larger), and some tip the scales at 20 or more pounds. They don't reach their full size until they are three to five years old.

Personality

The good-natured and affable Maine Coon adapts well to many lifestyles and personalities. He likes being with people and has the habit of following them around, but he isn't needy. He's happy to receive attention when you direct it his way, but if you're busy he's satisfied to just supervise your doings. Close a door on him and he will wait patiently for you to realize the error of your ways and let him in. He's not typically a lap cat, but he does like to be near you.

He also retains his skill as a mouser. No rodents will be safe in a home where a Maine Coon resides. Even if you don't have any mice for him to chase, he'll keep his skills sharp by chasing toys and grabbing them with his big paws. A Maine Coon also enjoys playing fetch and will retrieve small balls, toys or wadded-up pieces of paper. He can climb as well as any cat but usually prefers to stay on ground level. That's where his work is, after all. He's also very smart and will happily learn tricks or play with puzzle toys that challenge his brain.

Maine Coons usually enjoy a kittenish love of play well into adulthood. Males, especially, are prone to silly behavior. Females are more dignified, but they aren't above a good game of chase. Not especially vocal, they make any requests in a soft chirp or trill.

Health

Both pedigreed cats and mixed-breed cats have varying incidences of health problems that may be genetic in nature. Problems that may affect the Maine Coon include the following:

Hip dysplasia, which in severe cases can cause lameness

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that is inherited in Maine Coons. A DNA-based test is available to identify cats that carry one of the mutations that causes the disease.

Polycystic kidney disease, a slowly progressive heritable kidney disease that can result in renal failure.

Spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that affects skeletal muscles of the trunk and limbs. A test is available to identify carriers and affected kittens.

Care

Despite the length of the Maine Coon's coat, it has a silky texture that doesn't mat easily-if you groom it regularly. It is easily cared for with twice weekly combing to remove dead hair and distribute skin oils. Useful grooming tools include a stainless steel comb for removing tangles and what's called a grooming rake to pull out dead undercoat, which is what causes tangles when it's not removed. Use it gently, especially in the stomach area and on the tail. Maine Coons are patient, but they don't like having their hair pulled any more than you do. Check the tail for bits of poop stuck to the fur and clean it off with a baby wipe. Bathe a Maine Coon as needed, which can range from every few weeks to every few months. If his coat feels greasy or his fur looks stringy, he needs a bath.

Brush the teeth to prevent periodontal disease. Daily dental hygiene is best, but weekly brushing is better than nothing. Trim the nails every couple of weeks. Wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of the cloth for each eye so you don't run the risk of spreading any infection. Check the ears weekly. If they look dirty, wipe them out with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth moistened with a 50-50 mixture of cider vinegar and warm water. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the interior of the ear.

Keep the Maine Coon's litter box spotlessly clean. Cats are very particular about bathroom hygiene, and a clean litter box will help to keep the coat clean as well.

It's a good idea to keep a Maine Coon as an indoor-only cat to protect him from diseases spread by other cats, attacks by dogs or coyotes, and the other dangers that face cats who go outdoors, such as being hit by a car. Maine Coons who go outdoors also run the risk of being stolen by someone who would like to have such a beautiful cat without paying for it.

Coat Color And Grooming

A Maine Coon is a big, rugged cat with a smooth, shaggy coat who looks as if he could put in a full day mousing on a farm in all weather conditions. Indeed, he was built for just such work in the harsh Maine climate, and his breed standard reflects his heritage, calling for a medium-size to large cat with a well-proportioned body that is muscular and broad-chested. A Maine Coon has substantial, medium-length legs and large, round paws, well tufted with fur, to serve as "snowshoes" during winter.

A heavy coat is shorter on the shoulders, longer on the stomach and britches (long fur on the upper hind legs), with a ruff in front and a long, furry tail waving a greeting. A medium-width head is slightly longer than it is wide and has a squarish muzzle. Large, well-tufted ears are wide at the base, tapering to a point, and large, expressive eyes are green, gold, greenish-gold or copper. White or bi-colored Maine Coons may have blue or odd eyes.

The brown tabby pattern is so common in this breed that many people don't know Maine Coons can come in any other colors or patterns. They might be surprised to learn that Maine Coons are found in solid colors that include black, red or white, all tabby colors and patterns, bi-color such as blue and white or red and white, and patterns such as tortoiseshell and calico. In fact, Maine Coons can be any color or pattern except pointed (like Siamese) or any colors indicating

Children And Other Pets

The friendly, laidback Maine Coon is a perfect choice for families with children and cat-friendly dogs. He loves the attention he receives from children who treat him politely and with respect, and he doesn't mind playing dress-up or going for a ride in a baby buggy.

He is happy to live with cat-friendly dogs, too, thanks to his amiable disposition. Introduce pets slowly and in controlled circumstances to ensure that they learn to get along together.

Rescue Groups

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maine Coon Cat Breed Information, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Maine Coon is a native New Englander, hailing from Maine, where he was a popular mouser, farm cat and, most likely, ship's cat, at least as far back as the early 19th century. See all Main Coon characteristics below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"The dogs of the cat world." That's the nickname Maine Coons have earned because they enjoy the company of people. Also called "gentle giants," Maine Coons are big, gentle, intelligent, good-natured goofs who remain kittenish throughout their lives.

Help us rescue these wonderful cats.

Sound & looks

Maine Coons have a variety of meows, chirps and trills at their disposal. When they meow, they often have a soft, tiny voice that is incongruous with their large size.

Maine Coons usually have muscular, broad chests and long rectangular bodies with long, flowing, silky fur, often with a front ruff. Males average 15-17 pounds, with some reaching 25 pounds or more, and females average 12 pounds. They may not reach full size until they are about four years old. Maine Coons come in just about every cat color and pattern (about 75 altogether) - solid, tabby, red or orange, cream, white, buff, black, silver, brown, multi-colored, tortoiseshell or calico.

Eyes are large, round, expressive, wide set and slightly oblique. The most common eye colors are green, gold, green-gold, or copper. White or bi-color Maine Coons sometimes have blue eyes. Paws are large, round, and tufted. Ears are large, tufted. The tail is long and generally fluffy. They have over-sized paws and some original Maine Coons were polydactyl (had extra toes). Their descendants can also be polydactyl, although polydactyl Maine Coons are no longer common.

Origin legends

There are many legends about the origins of the Maine Coon. One of the wildest ones is that they are the product of interbreeding between the American bobcat and domestic cats brought to North America on sailing ships that came to the Northeastern seaboard. This legend may have originated because Maine Coons have tufted ears and feet like the bobcat. Another fantastic origin story is that Maine Coons came from interbreeding between domestic cats and raccoons. Brown tabby Maine Coons, which occur most commonly in nature, may have looked like raccoons to early Americans. Also, the Maine Coon chirp or trill may sound a bit like the cry of a young raccoon. It is genetically impossible for domestic cats to breed with raccoons or bobcats, but these legends provide for some amusing conversation.

Other legends are the stuff of historical romance. One tale has it that Captain Samuel Clough brought them over as part of an unsuccessful plot to smuggle Marie Antoinette out of France during the revolution. Captain Clough's ship was loaded with the Queen's luxurious personal items, including six of her favorite pet Angora cats. Marie was seized before she boarded, but Captain Clough escaped, taking the Queen's six cats to Maine where they bred with native cats to produce the Maine Coon.

Another sea captain figures in a different origin legend. An English sea captain named Charles Coon sailed up and down the New England coast with a host of cats aboard his ship. Predominant among them were long-haired Persians and Angoras, popular in England at the time. Capt. Coons cats accompanied him when he went ashore, and when long-haired kittens started showing up in local litters, people would say the mother cat had gotten "one of Coon's cats."

It is possible that Maine Coons are descended from Norwegian Skogkatts brought over by the Vikings in the 11th century. Known as Norwegian Forest cats today, the Skogkatt came out of the Scandinavian forests and was domesticated within the last 4,000 years. They bear a close resemblance to Maine Coons, with their long fur and tufted ears and paws. Like Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest cats are very people-oriented cats.

Another plausible tale is that Maine Coons developed from cross-breeding between short- and long-haired cats brought to America by early settlers. Harsh New England winters and nature's own breeding program ultimately produced cats with long coats and tufts of fur on their feet that enabled them to walk on snow and survive through the winter.

Popularity

Maine Coons were originally prized as skilled mousers on New England farms. During the 1860s, farmers started showing their Maine Coon cats at the Skowhegan Fair. Maine Coons were also listed in a show held in Boston in January 1878. In fact, a Maine Coon named Cosey was chosen as Best Cat at the first major cat show in this country at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1895.

Because Maine Coons are well known for their loving nature, kind disposition and great intelligence, they have long been a popular and sought after companion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"The dogs of the cat world." That's the nickname Maine Coons have earned because they enjoy the company of people. Also called "gentle giants," Maine Coons are big, gentle, intelligent, good-natured goofs who remain kittenish throughout their lives. Help us rescue these wonderful cats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MaineCoon.org - All About Maine Coon Cats and Kittens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807 to Stephen Longfellow and Zilpah (Wadsworth) Longfellow in Portland, Maine, then a district of Massachusetts, and he grew up in what is now known as the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. His father was a lawyer, and his maternal grandfather was Peleg Wadsworth, a general in the American Revolutionary War and a Member of Congress.