Maine Memory Network

Port of Portland's Custom House and Collectors of Customs

The collector of Portland was the key to federal patronage in Maine, though other ports and towns had collectors. Through the 19th century, the revenue was the major source of Federal Government income. As in Colonial times, the person appointed to head the custom House in Casco Bay was almost always a leading community figure, or a well-connected political personage.

Field & Homefront: Bethel during the Civil War

Like many towns, Bethel responded to the Civil War by sending many soldiers and those at the homefront sent aid and supported families. The town grew during the war, but suffered after its end.

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.

Designing Acadia

For one hundred years, Acadia National Park has captured the American imagination and stood as the most recognizable symbol of Maine’s important natural history and identity. This exhibit highlights Maine Memory content relating to Acadia and Mount Desert Island.

George F. Shepley: Lawyer, Soldier, Administrator

George F. Shepley of Portland had achieved renown as a lawyer and as U.S. Attorney for Maine when, at age 42 he formed the 12th Maine Infantry and went off to war. Shepley became military governor of Louisiana early in 1862 and remained in the military for the duration of the war.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Women Leaders and Temperance

"Parade Bangor, September 15, 1909 Courtesy of Henry Gartley, original from the Herbert Cary family A view of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Bootleggers vs. Police

"… Down Bangor, October 12, 1937 Collections of Bangor Historical Society The return of ardent spirits, plainly shown by the Ballantine Ale billboard…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"Hatch,1883 Oil on canvas Collections of Bangor Historical Society Maine's grand city hotel is said to have always served liquor by simply paying…"

Music in Maine - Music in Maine

"The Lone Pine Mountaineers, Bangor, ca. 1940Maine Historical Society Curated by Tilly Laskey, curator at Maine Historical Society, and installed at…"

Monuments to Civil War Soldiers

Maine supplied a huge number of soldiers to the Union Army during the Civil War -- some 70,000 -- and responded after the war by building monuments to soldiers who had served and soldiers who had died in the epic American struggle.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Acknowledgements

"… Anderson, The Great, State of Maine Beer Book Bangor Historical Society Debra Verrier Barry Baxter Memorial Library Bowdoin College Library…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

"Bunker found Bangor "the one place east of Boston where you can enter a gilded saloon and get an honest drink of pure liquor." Meanwhile, Portland…"

Music in Maine - Opera, Orchestras and Stages

"A historic collaboration between the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Arranger/Composer Ben McNaboe and myself, this three-part movement is rooted in…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Politics and Enforcement

"Henry A. Reynolds (1839-1922), a Bangor-born graduate of Bowdoin and Harvard colleges who became an alcoholic and a founder of the Red Ribbon Reform…"

Trolley Travel

Trolleys were the cleanest and most efficient means of mass transit Maine has ever known.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - A Call to Temperance

"… of Literature, Science, Morals and Religion, Bangor June 29, 1837 Collections of Maine Historical Society; gift of Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr."

Music in Maine - Country Music

"1979Maine Historical Society Dick Curless (1932-1995) from Fort Fairfield rose to stardom with his 1965 single, A Tombstone Every Mile that…"

The Jews of Maine

Like other immigrant groups, Jews came to Maine to make a living and enjoy the natural and cultural environment. Their experiences have been shaped by their occupational choices, Jewish values and, until recently, experiences of anti-Semitism.

The Public Face of Christmas

Christmas, a Christian holiday observed by many Mainers, has a very public, seasonal face that makes it visible to those of all beliefs.

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"1940Maine Historical Society Born in Pea Cove near Old Town, Harold Breau’s career in country music as “Hal Lone Pine” took off when he met his…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Neal Dow

"1885Maine Historical Society Neal Dow (1804-1897), ca. 1880 Collections of Maine Historical Society; gift of Nathan Goold X The Portland…"

J.A. Poor and the Portland-Montreal Connection

John A. Poor's determination in 1845 to bring rail service to Maine and to make Portland the winter port for Montreal, along with the steel foundry he started to build locomotives and many other products, helped boost the economy of Portland the state.

Debates Over Suffrage

While numerous Mainers worked for and against woman suffrage in the state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, some also worked on the national level, seeking a federal amendment to allow women the right to vote

Atherton Furniture

LeBaron Atherton's furniture empire consisted of ten stores, four of which were in Maine. The photos are reminiscent of a different era in retailing.