Maine Memory Network

Strike Up the Band

Before the era of recorded music and radio, nearly every community had a band that played at parades and other civic events. Fire departments had bands, military units had bands, theaters had bands. Band music was everywhere.

Music in Maine - Military Marching Bands

"… Band Click to explore more about Chandler's Band Chandler’s Band is the second oldest continuously operating professional band in the United…"

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"… Marching Bands Click to explore community bands in Maine Community bands, historically comprised of male musicians, embraced diverse…"

Hermann Kotzschmar: Portland's Musical Genius

During the second half of the 19th century, "Hermann Kotzschmar" was a familiar household name in Portland. He spent 59 years in his adopted city as a teacher, choral conductor, concert artist, and church organist.

Music in Maine - Rock and Roll, Punk, and Elvis

"… Click to learn more about the $ame Band The Same Band By Mike Laskey The Same Band formed in 1977 when John Etnier opened his Brunswick recording…"

The Kotzschmar Memorial Organ

A fire and two men whose lives were entwined for more than 50 years resulted in what is now considered to be "the Jewel of Portland" -- the Austin organ that was given to the city of Portland in 1912.

Music in Maine - Music Education

"They held annual concerts, drawing crowds of campers’ families and the public. Nina and Paul Wiggin took over the camp in 1937, renaming it the New…"

Music in Maine - Community Music

"It was important for us to showcase the local bands and a way for us to give back to the City of Rockland for their support."

Music in Maine - Bluegrass Music

"Their band, Allerton & Alton: Cumberland Ridge Runners, broadcast over radio station WLAM in Lewiston, and listeners throughout the Northeast and…"

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… published sheet music, and founded the Portland Band—later called Chandler’s Band. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's flute, Portland, ca."

Music in Maine - Country Music

"… Mountaineers, regarded as the first country band in New England, included Black and White musicians from Yarmouth and the Portland region."

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"He played clarinet with the American Cadet Band, and violin with the American Cadet Band Orchestra. Soren Bruns' Violin, ca."

Music in Maine - Music and Television

"… including Schooner Fare’s Steve Romanoff and big band musician Tony Boffa. Dave Astor Show "Regulars" Suzanne Svenson on Dave Astor, 1964Maine…"

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"… and recorded music on RCA records with a band called the Lone Pine Mountaineers—paying homage to Maine as the Pine Tree State and the Appalachian…"

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"… books in place for musicians while marching in a band. Jewish Cantors Small communities of Jewish people lived in Maine during colonial times."

Shaarey Tphiloh, Portland's Orthodox Synagogue

Shaarey Tphiloh was founded in 1904 by immigrants from Eastern Europe. While accommodating to American society, the Orthodox synagogue also has retained many of its traditions.

Lillian Nordica: Farmington Diva

Lillian Norton, known as Nordica, was one of the best known sopranos in America and the world at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. She was a native of Farmington.

History in Motion: The Era of the Electric Railways

Street railways, whether horse-drawn or electric, required the building of trestles and tracks. The new form of transportation aided industry, workers, vacationers, and other travelers.

From Sewers to Skylines: William S. Edwards's 1887 Photo Album

William S. Edwards (1830-1918) was a civil engineer who worked for the City of Portland from 1876-1906. Serving as First Assistant to Chief Engineer William A. Goodwin, then to Commissioner George N. Fernald, Edwards was a fixture in City Hall for 30 consecutive years, proving indispensable throughout the terms of 15 Mayors of Portland, including all six of those held by James Phineas Baxter. Edwards made significant contributions to Portland, was an outstanding mapmaker and planner, and his works continue to benefit historians.

Summer Folk: The Postcard View

Vacationers, "rusticators," or tourists began flooding into Maine in the last quarter of the 19th century. Many arrived by train or steamer. Eventually, automobiles expanded and changed the tourist trade, and some vacationers bought their own "cottages."