Maine Memory Network
Maine's Online Museum

Title: Penobscot River from Riverside Park, Hampden, ca. 1900

Contributed by: Hampden Historical Society

Date: circa 1900

Location: Hampden

Media: Photographic print

Title: Aerial view, Eastern Maine General Hospital, Penobscot River, ca. 1951

Contributed by: Eastern Maine Medical Center

Date: circa 1951

Location: Bangor

Media: Postcard

Title: Log Raft on the Penobscot River

Contributed by: City of Brewer

Date: circa 1910

Location: Brewer

Media: Postcard

Moving Lumber, Growing Bangor

Bangor became the largest lumber port in the world in the early 19th century, aided by several dams that diverted water and made lumber drives down the Penobscot River possible.

Eastern Fine Paper

The paper mill on the Penobscot River in South Brewer, which became known as Eastern Fine Paper Co., began as a sawmill in 1884 and grew over the years as an important part of the economy of the region and a large presence in the landscape. Its closing in 2005 affected more than the men and women who lost their jobs.

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.

Life on a Tidal River

An introduction to Bangor history as depicted by a broad-based group of city institutions and organizations. Partners included the middle-level William S. Cohen and James F. Doughty Schools, Bangor High School, Bangor Public Library, Bangor Museum and Center for History, and individual city historians. Topics covered include early railroads, natural disasters, the Brady Gang, the Civil War, and the 1940s.

Lincoln, Maine

The history of a long-time mill town as depicted by seventh and eighth grade students at Mattanawcook Junior High School, with help from Lincoln Historical Society and Lincoln Memorial Library. The site includes exhibits on the paper industry, founding fathers, wartime Lincoln, Main Street, influential institutions, and communication and transportation.