Maine Memory Network

Bangor Hydro Substation Fire, ca. 1950

Contributed by: Hose 5 Fire Museum Date: circa 1950 Location: Bangor Media: Photographic print

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.