Maine Memory Network

Music in Maine - Opera, Orchestras and Stages

"Nordica told the New York Herald: "Brunnhilde…is a most trying role...you must be so note perfect in that role that nothing can disconcert you."¬¬…"

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.

Farm-yard Frames

Throughout New England, barns attached to houses are fairly common. Why were the buildings connected? What did farmers or families gain by doing this? The phenomenon was captured in the words of a children's song, "Big house, little house, back house, barn," (Thomas C. Hubka <em>Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn, the Connected Farm Buildings of New England,</em> University Press of New England, 1984.)

Bookplates Honor Annie Louise Cary

A summer resident of Wayne collected more than 3,000 bookplates to honor Maine native and noted opera singer Annie Louise Cary and to support the Cary Memorial Library.

Student Exhibit: The Story of the Heywood Tavern

The story of the Heywood Tavern in Skowhegan.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Reform and Repeal

"Burden Collection Led by New York's Pauline Sabin, the Womens Organization for National Prohibition Reform became an effective anti-prohibition group."

A Soldier's Declaration of Independence

William Bayley of Falmouth (Portland) was a soldier in the Continental Army, seeing service at Ticonderoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth Court House, and Saratoga, among other locations. His letters home to his mother reveal much about the economic hardships experienced by both soldiers and those at home.

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.

Writing Women

Published women authors with ties to Maine are too numerous to count. They have made their marks in all types of literature.

Extracting Wealth

Maine's natural resources -- granite, limestone and slate in particular -- along with its excellent ports made it a leader in mining and production of the valuable building materials. Stone work also attracted numerous skilled immigrants.

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.

The World's Largest Oxen

Named for the two largest things in Maine at the turn of the 20th century, Mt. Katahdin and Granger of Stetson, were known as the Largest Oxen in the World. Unable to do farm work because of their size, they visited fairs and agricultural events around the Northeast.

Trolley Travel

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

Ice: A Maine Commodity

Maine's frozen rivers and lakes provided an economic opportunity. The state shipped thousands of tons of ice to ports along the East Coast and to the West Indies that workers had cut and packed in sawdust for shipment or later use.

Northern Threads: Penobscot mocassins

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads, Part I," about telling stories through Indigenous clothing, featuring an essay by Jennifer Sapiel Neptune (Penobscot.)

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"… Gorham's Corner (the intersection of Fore, York, Danforth, and Pleasant streets) was a largely Irish-American neighborhood with more than its share…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1919 to 1934: The Nation Follows Maine Into Prohibition

"… other Americans, Prohibition opponents like New York native Pauline Sabin, leader of the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1865 to 1919: The Drys Gain New Adherents and Leaders

"… first "inebriate asylum" in Binghamton, New York, to help cure its sufferers. Prohibition on the Horizon X In Maine, liquor laws were…"

Music in Maine - Music Education

"… Camp, Sidney, 1932Maine Historical Society New York Philharmonic conductor for nearly 50 years, Walter Damrosch served as honorary president of…"

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"… store, and played vaudeville stages in New York. Franco Bands Alphonse Cote, Lewiston, 1918Franco-American Collection, University of…"

Navy Firefighting School, Little Chebeague Island

Little Chebeague Island in Casco Bay was home to recreational facilities and a firefighting school for WWII sailors. The school was part of a Navy effort to have non-firefighting personnel knowledgeable in dealing with shipboard fires.

Summer's Favorite Game

Baseball often is called the National Pastime. For many people, baseball is encountered in the backyard and down the street, a game played by a few or the full contingent of a team.

A Tour of Sanford in 1900

This collection of images portrays many buildings in Sanford and Springvale. The images were taken around the turn of the twentieth century.

Biddeford, Saco and the Textile Industry

The largest textile factory in the country reached seven stories up on the banks of the Saco River in 1825, ushering in more than a century of making cloth in Biddeford and Saco. Along with the industry came larger populations and commercial, retail, social, and cultural growth.