Maine Memory Network

John French letter to his family, July 1861

Contributed by: Fifth Maine Regiment Museum Date: 1861-07-25 Location: Albion Media: Ink on paper

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Ladies to the Soldiers, Stillwater, 1861

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1861 Location: Stillwater Media: Ink on paper

Brewster House Bed & Breakfast, Freeport, 1993-1994

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1993–1994 Location: Freeport Clients: Matt Cartmell; Amy Cartmell Architect: Carol A. Wilson; Carol A. Wilson Architect

Emery house, Ellsworth, ca. 1895

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1895 Location: Ellsworth; Hancock Client: L. A. Emery Architect: John Calvin Stevens

This Rebellion: Maine and the Civil War

For Mainers like many other people in both the North and the South, the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, had a profound effect on their lives. Letters, artifacts, relics, and other items saved by participants at home and on the battlefield help illuminate the nature of the Civil War experience for Mainers.

The Sanitary Commission: Meeting Needs of Soldiers, Families

The Sanitary Commission, formed soon after the Civil War began in the spring of 1861, dealt with the health, relief needs, and morale of soldiers and their families. The Maine Agency helped families and soldiers with everything from furloughs to getting new socks.

Maine's Swedish Colony, July 23, 1870 - Narrative History: Maine Swedish Colony

"Then in 1861, the State of Maine, which had been losing its younger population to the West, divided T15-R3 WELS (West of the Easterly Line of the…"

Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea - Shipbuilding Declines - 1857 to 1861

"Shipbuilding Declines - 1857 to 1861 Thomaston Bank, Stereo View, Thomaston, ca. 1865Thomaston Historical Society Due to a financial crisis in…"

Civil War Soldier comes home after 158 years
by Jamison McAlister

Civil War Soldier comes home after 158 years

Rev James Wells Appointment as Chaplain for Maine in Civil War
by David Woodward

Certificate for Rev. Wells commissioned by Gov. Israel Washburn Jr. to serve in Maine 11th Regiment

Primary Sources: Maine Women's Causes and Influence before 1920

Grade Level: 6-8 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will give students the opportunity to read and analyze letters, literature, and other primary documents and articles of material culture from the MHS collections relating to the women of Maine between the end of the Revolutionary War through the national vote for women’s suffrage in 1920. Students will discuss issues including war relief (Civil War and World War I), suffrage, abolition, and temperance, and how the women of Maine mobilized for or in some cases helped to lead these movements.