Maine Memory Network

Alligator wrench, ca. 1910

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1910 Media: Forged iron

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.