Maine Memory Network

Herbert Cobb's last letter home, France, 1918

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1918-10-07 Location: Portland Media: Ink on paper

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William A. Burgess letter to his brother Albert, Belfast, 1864

Contributed by: Belfast Historical Society Date: 1864-07-15 Location: Belfast; Petersburg Media: Pencil on paper

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Study for Eta Chapter of Theta Delta Chi at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ca. 1904

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1904 Location: Brunswick Client: Eta Chapter of Theta Delta Chi Fraternity Architect: Frederick A. Tompson

Away at School: Letters Home

Young men and women in the 19th century often went away from home -- sometimes for a few months, sometimes for longer periods -- to attend academies, seminaries, or schools run by individuals. While there, they wrote letters home, reporting on boarding arrangements and coursework undertaken, and inquired about the family at home.

Home Ties: Sebago During the Civil War

Letters to and from Sebago soldiers who served in the Civil War show concern on both sides about farms and other issues at home as well as concern from the home front about soldiers' well-being.

Life on a Tidal River - Three Civil War Letters - Page 2 of 4

"A note accompanying two buttons sent home says “The S.C. is South Carolina. I cut it from the coat of that Col. Bretton of the 6th S.C. Vols."

Life on a Tidal River - Three Civil War Letters - Page 3 of 4

"Three Civil War Letters By the date of his third letter, the Regiment had participated at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Chantilly and…"

The only letter to survive World War II
by Cyrene Slegona

Only one of many letters my father sent to his wife remained after he came home from World War II.

In an Old, Abandoned Island House, I Found my Mentor and my Muse
by Robin Clifford Wood

An aspiring writer finds inspiration and a mentor from the past in an old island home.

Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride Companion Curriculum

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8 Content Area: Social Studies
These lesson plans were developed by Maine Historical Society for the Seashore Trolley Museum as a companion curriculum for the historical fiction YA novel "Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride" by Jean. M. Flahive (2019). The novel tells the story of Millie Thayer, a young girl who dreams of leaving the family farm, working in the city, and fighting for women's suffrage. Millie's life begins to change when a "flying carpet" shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm and when a fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, Millie finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. The lesson plans in this companion curriculum explore a variety of topics including the history of the trolley use in early 20th century Maine, farm and rural life at the turn of the century, the story of Theodore Roosevelt and his relationship with Maine, WWI, and the flu pandemic of 1918-1920.