Maine Memory Network

Strike Up the Band

Before the era of recorded music and radio, nearly every community had a band that played at parades and other civic events. Fire departments had bands, military units had bands, theaters had bands. Band music was everywhere.

Music in Maine - Military Marching Bands

"… Band Click to explore more about Chandler's Band Chandler’s Band is the second oldest continuously operating professional band in the United…"

Music in Maine - Community and School Marching Bands

"… Marching Bands Click to explore community bands in Maine Community bands, historically comprised of male musicians, embraced diverse…"

Holding up the Sky: Wabanaki people, culture, history, and art

Learn about Native diplomacy and obligation by exploring 13,000 years of Wabanaki residence in Maine through 17th century treaties, historic items, and contemporary artworks—from ash baskets to high fashion. Wabanaki voices contextualize present-day relevance and repercussions of 400 years of shared histories between Wabanakis and settlers to their region.

Redact: Obscuring the Maine Constitution

In 2015, Maliseet Representative Henry Bear drew the Maine legislature’s attention to a historic redaction of the Maine Constitution. Through legislation drafted in February 1875, approved by voters in September 1875, and enacted on January 1, 1876, the Sections 1, 2, and 5 of Article X (ten) of the Maine Constitution ceased to be printed. Since 1876, these sections are redacted from the document. Although they are obscured, they retain their validity.

Rumford's Notable Citizens in the Civil War

A number of Rumford area residents played important roles during the Civil War -- and in the community afterwards. Among these are William King Kimball, who commanded the 12th Maine for much of the war.

This Rebellion: Maine and the Civil War

For Mainers like many other people in both the North and the South, the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, had a profound effect on their lives. Letters, artifacts, relics, and other items saved by participants at home and on the battlefield help illuminate the nature of the Civil War experience for Mainers.

Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In

Adorning oneself to look one's "best" has varied over time, gender, economic class, and by event. Adornments suggest one's sense of identity and one's intent to stand out or fit in.

Music in Maine - Rock and Roll, Punk, and Elvis

"… Click to learn more about the $ame Band The Same Band By Mike Laskey The Same Band formed in 1977 when John Etnier opened his Brunswick recording…"

Music in Maine - Bluegrass Music

"Their band, Allerton & Alton: Cumberland Ridge Runners, broadcast over radio station WLAM in Lewiston, and listeners throughout the Northeast and…"

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… published sheet music, and founded the Portland Band—later called Chandler’s Band. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's flute, Portland, ca."

Music in Maine - Country Music

"… Mountaineers, regarded as the first country band in New England, included Black and White musicians from Yarmouth and the Portland region."

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"He played clarinet with the American Cadet Band, and violin with the American Cadet Band Orchestra. Soren Bruns' Violin, ca."

Music in Maine - Music and Television

"… including Schooner Fare’s Steve Romanoff and big band musician Tony Boffa. Dave Astor Show "Regulars" Suzanne Svenson on Dave Astor, 1964Maine…"

Music in Maine - Community Music

"It was important for us to showcase the local bands and a way for us to give back to the City of Rockland for their support."

Hermann Kotzschmar: Portland's Musical Genius

During the second half of the 19th century, "Hermann Kotzschmar" was a familiar household name in Portland. He spent 59 years in his adopted city as a teacher, choral conductor, concert artist, and church organist.

Meshach P. Larry: Civil War Letters

Meshach P. Larry, a Windham blacksmith, joined Maine's 17th Regiment Company H on August 18, 1862. Larry and his sister, Phebe, wrote to each other frequently during the Civil War, and his letters paint a vivid picture of the life of a soldier.

The World's Largest Oxen

Named for the two largest things in Maine at the turn of the 20th century, Mt. Katahdin and Granger of Stetson, were known as the Largest Oxen in the World. Unable to do farm work because of their size, they visited fairs and agricultural events around the Northeast.

Northern Threads: Mourning Fashions

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring 18th and 19th century mourning jewelry and fashions.

Music in Maine - Music Education

"Family and school bands and encouraged children to learn how to play a musical instrument and to perform in front of audiences."

A Day for Remembering

Most societies have had rituals or times set aside to honor ancestors, those who have died and have paved the way for the living. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is the day Americans have set aside for such remembrances.

Fashion for the People: Maine's Graphic Tees

From their humble beginnings as undergarments to today's fashion runways, t-shirts have evolved into universally worn wardrobe staples. Original graphic t-shirts, graphic t-shirt quilts, and photographs trace the 102-year history of the garment, demonstrating how, through the act of wearing graphic tees, people own a part of history relating to politics, social justice, economics, and commemorative events in Maine.

Music in Maine - Radio Cowboys and Country Music

"… and recorded music on RCA records with a band called the Lone Pine Mountaineers—paying homage to Maine as the Pine Tree State and the Appalachian…"

Gifts From Gluskabe: Maine Indian Artforms

According to legend, the Great Spirit created Gluskabe, who shaped the world of the Native People of Maine, and taught them how to use and respect the land and the resources around them. This exhibit celebrates the gifts of Gluskabe with Maine Indian art works from the early nineteenth to mid twentieth centuries.