Maine Memory Network

Brooks' Patent writing case, ca. 1864

Contributed by: McArthur Public Library Date: circa 1864 Location: Biddeford Media: Leather, cotton, glass, metal

William Thomas appointment case, ca. 1890

Contributed by: New Sweden Historical Society Date: circa 1890 Location: Portland; Stockholm Media: Ivory

  view a full transcription

569-575 Brighton Avenue, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Eoline M Wilson Use: Filling Station & Store

289 Forest Avenue, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Hersey Corporation Use: Store

Walker Street improvement for Dr. Holt, Portland, ca. 1895

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1895 Location: Portland Client: E. E. Holt Architect: John Calvin Stevens

Home Ties: Sebago During the Civil War

Letters to and from Sebago soldiers who served in the Civil War show concern on both sides about farms and other issues at home as well as concern from the home front about soldiers' well-being.

The Sanitary Commission: Meeting Needs of Soldiers, Families

The Sanitary Commission, formed soon after the Civil War began in the spring of 1861, dealt with the health, relief needs, and morale of soldiers and their families. The Maine Agency helped families and soldiers with everything from furloughs to getting new socks.

Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea - Ammunition Case

"Ammunition Case The origins of this ammunition case are unknown. We could assume that it was taken from a soldier who fell during battle and was…"

Early Maine Photography - Human Interest

"C.H.B." In the case of nineteen year old Henry I. Hanscom of China, the search for gold in California proved fatal, for he died of small pox in…"

A case of mistaken animal identity
by Judy Loeven

The time my neighbor's dog Tyson got away, or so I thought.

Two-minute Tale of the Pandemic
by Nancy Creighton Collins

What everyday life was like during the beginning of the pandemic.

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.

Longfellow Studies: "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie"--Selected Lines and Illustrations

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12 Content Area: Social Studies, Visual & Performing Arts
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Maine's native son, is the epitome of Victorian Romanticism. Aroostook County is well acquainted with Longfellow's epic poem, Evangeline, because it is the story of the plight of the Acadians, who were deported from Acadie between 1755 and 1760. The descendants of these hard-working people inhabit much of Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The students enjoy hearing the story and seeing the ink drawings. The illustrations are my interpretations. The collection took approximately two months to complete. The illustrations are presented in a Victorian-style folio, reminiscent of the family gathered in the parlor for a Sunday afternoon reading of Evangeline, which was published in 1847. Preparation Required/Preliminary Discussion: Have students read "Evangeline A Tale of Acadie". Give a background of the Acadia Diaspora. Suggested Follow-up Activities: Students could illustrate their own poems, as well as other Longfellow poems, such as: "Paul Revere's Ride," "The Village Blacksmith," or "The Children's Hour." "Tales of the Wayside Inn" is a colonial Canterbury Tales. The guest of the inn each tell stories. Student could write or illustrate their own characters or stories. Appropriate calligraphy assignments could include short poems and captions for their illustrations. Inks, pastels, watercolors, and colored pencils would be other appropriate illustrative media that could be applicable to other illustrated poems and stories. Each illustration in this exhibit was made in India ink on file folder paper. The dimensions, including the burgundy-colors mat, are 9" x 12". A friend made the calligraphy.