Maine Memory Network

Type C electric meter, ca. 1906

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1906 Media: Enameled metal, glass

Portable electric test meter, ca. 1912

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1912 Media: Wood, metal, glass

Wired! How Electricity Came to Maine

As early as 1633, entrepreneurs along the Piscataqua River in southern Maine utilized the force of the river to power a sawmill, recognizing the potential of the area's natural power sources, but it was not until the 1890s that technology made widespread electricity a reality -- and even then, consumers had to be urged to use it.