Maine Memory Network

Ships in Saco River, ca. 1890

Contributed by: Dyer Library/Saco Museum Date: circa 1890 Location: Saco Media: Photographic print

St. Leon merchant ship, Castine, 1835

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1835 Location: Castine Media: Photographic print

The Life and Legacy of the George Tate Family

Captain George Tate, mast agent for the King of England from 1751 to the Revolutionary War, and his descendants helped shape the development of Portland (first known as Falmouth) through activities such as commerce, shipping, and real estate.

Launch of the 'Doris Hamlin'

The Doris Hamlin, a four-masted schooner built at the Frye-Flynn Shipyard in Harrington, was one of the last vessels launched there, marking the decline of a once vigorous shipbuilding industry in Washington County.

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Maritime Tales: Shipyards and Shipwrecks - Page 1 of 2

"At one time ships, boats, and smaller watercraft were built in Scarborough, but the town does not share the same long shipbuilding history of many…"

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - II. Pinkies, wherries, skiffs and chebaccos: Early Settlement

"It is diabolical.” Pinky Ship, Belfast, ca. 1880Swan's Island Historical Society Dr. Small states, “About the year 1850 a decided improvement…"

Primary Sources: The Maine Shipyard

Grade Level: 9-12 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will give students a close-up look at historical operations behind Maine's famed shipbuilding and shipping industries. Students will examine primary sources including letters, bills of lading, images, and objects, and draw informed hypotheses about the evolution of the seafaring industry and its impact on Maine’s communities over time.

Becoming Maine: The District of Maine's Coastal Economy

Grade Level: 3-5 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will introduce students to the maritime economy of Maine prior to statehood and to the Coasting Law that impacted the separation debate. Students will examine primary documents, take part in an activity that will put the Coasting Law in the context of late 18th century – early 19th century New England, and learn about how the Embargo Act of 1807 affected Maine in the decades leading to statehood.