Maine Memory Network

Black Hawk Putnam's sabre, 1862

Contributed by: Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Date: 1862 Location: Houlton Media: Metal

Captain Black Hawk Putnam's boots, 1862

Contributed by: Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Date: 1862 Location: Houlton Media: Leather

Black property, E. Side Island Avenue, Peaks Island, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Hulda M. Black Use: Hospital

Assessor's Record, Black property, Sunset Road, Cliff Island, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Norman I. Black Use: Land

Butler Capital Corporation conference center, Frenchboro, 1986-2001

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1986–2001 Location: Frenchboro Clients: Gilbert Butler; Butler Capital Corporation Architect: Patrick Chasse; Landscape Design Associates

Butler residence, Booneville, NY, 1992-1994

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1992–1994 Location: Booneveille Client: Gilbert Butler Architect: Patrick Chasse; Landscape Design Associates

A Convenient Soldier: The Black Guards of Maine

The Black Guards were African American Army soldiers, members of the segregated Second Battalion of the 366th Infantry sent to guard the railways of Maine during World War II, from 1941 to 1945. The purpose of the Black Guards' deployment to Maine was to prevent terrorist attacks along the railways, and to keep Maine citizens safe during the war.

Amazing! Maine Stories

These stories -- that stretch from 1999 back to 1759 -- take you from an amusement park to the halls of Congress. There are inventors, artists, showmen, a railway agent, a man whose civic endeavors helped shape Portland, a man devoted to the pursuit of peace and one known for his military exploits, Maine's first novelist, a woman who recorded everyday life in detail, and an Indian who survived a British attack.

Surry by the Bay - Weathervane Dispute

"Whitney, Clerk. Trustees were Floyd Black and Raymond Jacobs. Contentious weathervane at Claude L."

Surry by the Bay - Early Settlement

"… in 1829, through the influence of Colonel John Black, who had been the leader in the 1809 changes, the Surry territory was re-annexed where it…"

Black Is Beautiful
by Judi Jones

Gut-wrenching fear

Black Lives Matter Protest Portland, Maine
by Joanne Arnold

Documenting the signage at Portland Police Station following the BLM Protests of June 2020

Black History and the History of Slavery in Maine

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12, Postsecondary Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson presents an overview of the history of the Black community in Maine and the U.S., including Black people who were enslaved in Maine, Maine’s connections to slavery and the slave trade, a look into the racism and discrimination many Black people in Maine have experienced, and highlights selected histories of Black people, demonstrating the longevity of their experiences and contributions to the community and culture in Maine.