Maine Memory Network

Northern Threads: The rise and fall of the gigot sleeve

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring the balloon-like gigot sleeve of the 1830s.

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"1897Maine Historical Society Born in Rapsted Field, Denmark, Soren Hansen Bruns (1863-1910) left Denmark to avoid conscription into the army."

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"Lyre, South Limington, ca. 1840Maine Historical Society Pitch pipe, South Limington, ca. 1840Maine Historical Society John Joy (1809-1878)…"

Blueberries to Potatoes: Farming in Maine

Not part of the American "farm belt," Maine nonetheless has been known over the years for a few agricultural items, especially blueberries, sweet corn, potatoes, apples, chickens and dairy products.

The Arrival of Winter

The astronomical arrival of winter -- also known as the winter solstice -- marks the year's shortest day and the season of snow and cold. It usually arrives on December 21.

Unlocking the Declaration's Secrets

Fewer than 30 copies of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence are known to exist. John Dunlap hurriedly printed copies for distribution to assemblies, conventions, committees and military officers. Authenticating authenticity of the document requires examination of numerous details of the broadside.

Music in Maine - Country Music

"… Every Mile/Heart Talk, 1965Maine Historical Society Tombstone Every Mile, 1966Maine Historical Society A Career in Country Music By Ken…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth Era: 1786-1807

"1800Maine Historical Society Peleg and Elizabeth Wadsworth lived in the house they built from 1786 to 1807."

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.

Music in Maine - Music stores

"1930Maine Historical Society Hiram Chase & Son, Belfast, ca. 1895, ca. 1895Belfast Historical Society Music stores well instruments and sheet…"

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.

A Tale of Two Sailmakers

Camden has been home to generations of fishermen, shipbuilders, sailmakers, and others who make their living through the sea. The lives of two Camden sailmakers, who were born nearly a century apart, became entwined at a small house on Limerock Street.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland

"… House Nearly HiddenMaine Historical Society When Peleg Wadsworth built his house in 1785, what is now Congress Street in Portland was on the rural…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Longfellow Era: 1807-1901

"Greenleaf, ca. 1840Maine Historical Society Mary Longfellow Greenleaf was the sixth child of Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow."

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

"1978Maine Historical Society Civic Center model, ca. 1970Maine Historical Society The Cumberland County Civic Center opened in Portland on…"

A Focus on Trees

Maine has some 17 million acres of forest land. But even on a smaller, more local scale, trees have been an important part of the landscape. In many communities, tree-lined commercial and residential streets are a dominant feature of photographs of the communities.

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.

Protests

Throughout the history of the state, residents have protested, on paper or in the streets, to increase rights for various groups, to effect social change, to prevent social change, or to let their feelings be known about important issues.

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"1950Maine Historical Society The Lone Pine Mountaineers, Bangor, ca. 1940Maine Historical Society Born in Pea Cove near Old Town, Harold…"

Otisfield's One-Room Schoolhouses

Many of the one-room schoolhouses in Otisfield, constructed from 1839 through the early twentieth century, are featured here. The photos, most of which also show teachers and children, were taken between 1898 and 1998.

Graduation Season

Graduations -- and schools -- in the 19th through the first decade of the 20th century often were small affairs and sometimes featured student presentations that demonstrated what they had learned. They were not necessarily held in May or June, what later became the standard "end of the school year."

Music in Maine - Community Music

"1895Maine Historical Society George Washington Kemp, Leeds, ca. 1890Maine Historical Society George Washington "Wash" Kemp, came to Maine in…"

Aroostook County Railroads

Construction of the Bangor and Aroostook rail lines into northern Aroostook County in the early twentieth century opened the region to tourism and commerce from the south.