Maine Memory Network

Silver plated brass oil lamp, ca. 1890

Contributed by: Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Date: circa 1890 Location: Houlton Media: Brass, silver, glass

Sperm Oil Lamp, ca. 1790

Contributed by: Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum Date: circa 1790 Media: Pewter

201-323 West Commercial Street, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Portland Terminal Co. Use: Lamp House

Assessor's Record, 43-45 Pleasant Avenue, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Samuel H. Whitney Use: Lamp House

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.

Luxurious Leisure

From the last decades of the nineteenth century through about the 1920s, vacationers were attracted to large resort hotels that promised a break from the noise, crowds, and pressures of an ever-urbanizing country.

John Martin: Expert Observer - Lamps and stove, John Martin store, Bangor, 1864

"Lamps and stove, John Martin store, Bangor, 1864 Contributed by Maine Historical Society and Maine State Museum Description Two kerosene…"

John Martin: Expert Observer - John and Clara Martin wedding hack, Bangor, 1850

"… the pole and all the window trimmings the glass lamps on the side of the drivers seat were cut the windows were one pane of clear thick German…"

making light
by David Johansen

My relationship with Maine and how and why I make neon lights here.