Maine Memory Network

Maine Streets: The Postcard View

Photographers from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. of Belfast traveled throughout the state, especially in small communities, taking images for postcards. Many of these images, taken in the first three decades of the twentieth century, capture Main Streets on the brink of modernity.

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."

Maine and the Civil War - Togus Veterans' Hospital view, 1885

"Each building is drawn on the view and an index tells the names of each. This facility was the first of its kind established to serve disabled…"

Promoting Rockland Through a Stereopticon, 1875

Frank Crockett and photographer J.P. Armbrust took stereo views of Rockland's downtown, industry, and notable homes in the 1870s as a way to promote tourism to the town.

In Time and Eternity: Shakers in the Industrial Age

"In Time and Eternity: Maine Shakers in the Industrial Age 1872-1918" is a series of images that depict in detail the Shakers in Maine during a little explored time period of expansion and change.

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.

A Snapshot of Portland, 1924: The Taxman Cometh

In 1924, with Portland was on the verge of profound changes, the Tax Assessors Office undertook a project to document every building in the city -- with photographs and detailed information that provide a unique view into Portland's architecture, neighborhoods, industries, and businesses.

War Through the Eyes of a Young Sailor

Eager to deal with the "Sesech" [Secessionists], young deepwater sailor John Monroe Dillingham of Freeport enlisted in the U.S. Navy as soon as he returned from a long voyage in 1862. His letters and those of his family offer first-hand insight into how one individual viewed the war.

John P. Sheahan, 1st Maine Cavalry, 31st Maine Infantry

John P. Sheahan of Dennysville served in the 1st Maine Cavalry from August 1862 until March 1864 when he was commissioned as a lieutenant in Co. E of the 31st Maine Infantry. His letters reveal much about the life of a soldier, including political views and thoughts about the war.

Home: The Longfellow House & the Emergence of Portland

The Wadsworth-Longfellow house is the oldest building on the Portland peninsula, the first historic site in Maine, a National Historic Landmark, home to three generations of Wadsworth and Longfellow family members -- including the boyhood home of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The history of the house and its inhabitants provide a unique view of the growth and changes of Portland -- as well as of the immediate surroundings of the home.

Umbazooksus & Beyond

Visitors to the Maine woods in the early twentieth century often recorded their adventures in private diaries or journals and in photographs. Their remembrances of canoeing, camping, hunting and fishing helped equate Maine with wilderness.

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.

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.

Slavery's Defenders and Foes

Mainers, like residents of other states, had differing views about slavery and abolition in the early to mid decades of the 19th century. Religion and economic factors were among the considerations in determining people's leanings.

Summer Camps

Maine is home to dozens of summer-long youth camps and untold numbers of day camps that take advantage of water, woods, and fresh air. While the children, counselors, and other staff come to Maine in the summer, the camps live on throughout the year and throughout the lives of many of the campers.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - People of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House

"… to the popular poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who had died in 1882. View: The Wadsworth Era, 1786-1807 View: The Longfellow Era, 1807-1901"

Maine and the Civil War - Offer for war battle images, Houlton, ca. 1862

"… the most recent battle, which is Pittsburg Landing (Shilo) in 1862. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Maine and the Civil War - Poster seeking cavalry horses, Aroostook County, 1861

"… for the Union cavalry in various communities in Aroostook County. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Maine and the Civil War - Letter from Daniel Lord to his wife, July 21, 1861

"He sends greetings to his children, also. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Music in Maine - B-flat fife, ca. 1860

"Six smaller holes tone towards end and larger blow hole opposite. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Music in Maine - Drumsticks, 1861

"… were normally made from rosewood, and were 16 to 17 inches long. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Maine and the Civil War - Bluehill Academy Journal, 1863

"There are 13 stars above the drawing and arrows in the eagles claw. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

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

"… The Longfellow House & the Emergence of Portland View exhibit: A Snapshot of Portland, 1924: The Taxman Cometh View exhibit: Picturing Henry"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - Census, Timeline

"View Selective Time of Portland  The selected timeline of Portland with population figures also provides insight into the growth and changes in the…"