Maine Memory Network

Eunice Sewall to mother, Portland, ca. 1846

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1846 Location: Portland; Mobile Media: Ink on paper

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Margaret and Grandpa, Skowhegan, ca. 1902

Contributed by: Margaret Chase Smith Library Date: circa 1902 Location: Skowhegan Media: Photographic print

A Focus on Trees

Maine has some 17 million acres of forest land. But even on a smaller, more local scale, trees have been an important part of the landscape. In many communities, tree-lined commercial and residential streets are a dominant feature of photographs of the communities.

Remembering Mellie Dunham: Snowshoe Maker and Fiddler

Alanson Mellen "Mellie" Dunham and his wife Emma "Gram" Dunham were well-known musicians throughout Maine and the nation in the early decades of the 20th century. Mellie Dunham also received fame as a snowshoe maker.

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Summer Pleasures cont'd

"One islander told me that her grandparents met for the first time in their mid-20s at the Seaside Hall."

Mount Desert Island: Shaped by Nature - Charles K. Savage (1903-1979): The View from Asticou - Page 2 of 6

"… his experiences working alongside his father and grandparents in the hospitality business since childhood."

My Italian grandparents and visiting their homeland
by Sherry Judd

A story about my Italian ancestors in Maine and how I found my family in Italy.

Jennie Aranovitch - honoring family legacy and Jewish identity
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

Her great-grandparents journey from Belarus through current day Jewish experience in Biddeford.

Portland History: "My Lost Youth" - Longfellow's Portland, Then and Now

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12 Content Area: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow loved his boyhood home of Portland, Maine. Born on Fore Street, the family moved to his maternal grandparents' home on Congress Street when Henry was eight months old. While he would go on to Bowdoin College and travel extensively abroad, ultimately living most of his adult years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he never forgot his beloved Portland. Years after his childhood, in 1855, he wrote "My Lost Youth" about his undiminished love for and memories of growing up in Portland. This exhibit, using the poem as its focus, will present the Portland of Longfellow's boyhood. In many cases the old photos will be followed by contemporary images of what that site looked like 2004. Following the exhibit of 68 slides are five suggested lessons that can be adapted for any grade level, 3–12.