Maine Memory Network

Scarborough: They Answered the Call

Scarborough met every quota set by the state for supplying Civil War soldiers for Union regiments. Some of those who responded became prominent citizens of the town.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - A Call to Temperance

"A Call to Temperance Back to: 1820 to 1865: Temperance and the Maine Law X Prohibition vs. License Early 19th century Collections of Maine…"

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.

Maine's 20th Regiment

The War was not going well for the Union and in the summer of 1862, when President Lincoln called for an additional 300,000 troops, it was not a surprise to see so many men enlist in an attempt to bring proper leadership into the Army.

Capt. Grenville F. Sparrow, 17th Maine

Grenville F. Sparrow of Portland was 25 when he answered Lincoln's call for more troops to fight the Confederates. He enlisted in Co. A of Maine's 17th Volunteer Infantry regiment. He fought in 30 battles between 1862 and the war's end in 1865.

Portland Hotels

Since the establishment of the area's first licensed hotel in 1681, Portland has had a dramatic, grand and boisterous hotel tradition. The Portland hotel industry has in many ways reflected the growth and development of the city itself. As Portland grew with greater numbers of people moving through the city or calling it home, the hotel business expanded to fit the increasing demand.

Pigeon's Mainer Project: who decides who belongs?

Street artist Pigeon's artwork tackles the multifaceted topic of immigration. He portrays Maine residents, some who are asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants—people who are often marginalized through state and federal policies—to ask questions about the dynamics of power in society, and who gets to call themselves a “Mainer.”

Among the Lungers: Treating TB

Tuberculosis -- or consumption as it often was called -- claimed so many lives and so threatened the health of communities that private organizations and, by 1915, the state, got involved in TB treatment. The state's first tuberculosis sanatorium was built on Greenwood Mountain in Hebron and introduced a new philosophy of treatment.

Cosmopolitan stylings of Mildred and Madeleine Burrage

Born in Portland, sisters Mildred Giddings Burrage (1890-1983) and Madeleine Burrage (1891-1976) were renowned artists and world travelers. Mildred's experiences studying painting in Paris and Italy, and the sisters' trips to Mexico and Guatemala inspired their artwork and shared passions for cosmopolitan and stylish attire. Housed at Maine Historical Society, The Burrage Papers include selections of original advertising drawings called "line sheets" from Parisian fashion houses dating from 1928 to 1936. Images of Madeleine's gemstone jewelry and Mildred's artwork accompany intimate family photographs of the sisters.

Music in Maine - Music and Television

"… on WGAN-13, the show moved to WCSH-6 in 1963, called The Dave Astor Show. For fifteen years, teens and their families gathered around the TV to…"

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"… embraced country and bluegrass music, with Bangor called “the Nashville of the North.” Radio stations developed regional broadcasts like Lewiston’s…"

Music in Maine - Country Music

"Later called the Katahdin Mountaineers, they played for over thirty years appearing in town halls and opera houses performing music, dance, and…"

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"… likely the First Parish Meeting House, also called Old Red Church, built in 1804-1806. A woodwind instrument, this bassoon disassembles into six…"

Music in Maine - MAKE

"… and performing in operas, vaudeville, and so-called “Wild West” shows. They met and sang with people from other Indigenous communities, blending…"

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

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

Music in Maine - Military Marching Bands

"… and Confederate armies learned different drum calls to alert soldiers. Directed by commanders, the drummer songs controlled infantry soldier’s…"

Music in Maine - HEAR

"Also called a record player, his invention, along with the radio, changed home entertainment from people playing instruments to people listening to…"

Music in Maine - Music Education

"Damrosch called the Eastern Music Camp “a miracle of musical achievement in the woods of Maine.”"

Music in Maine - Opera, Orchestras and Stages

"Aunt Lu, as she was called by the family, did a lot to improve our tribe through her notoriety at home and nationwide."

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

"… 1977Maine Historical Society Elvis Presley, called the King of Rock and Roll, was one of the most popular entertainers in American history."

Music in Maine - Community Music

"Work songs feature “call and response” formats based on African songs developed by enslaved peoples in the American South."

Music in Maine - Music in Maine

"Music in Maine Music is something we share as humans—non-verbal forms of storytelling and expressions of beauty and emotions through sound."

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"Music Makers Music Makers instruments Click to see more Music Makers Music makers in Maine make instruments, create music in their…"

Music in Maine - PLAY

"PLAY Watching musicians sing and play music in public is an important communal experience for the performer and the audience."