Maine Memory Network

Music in Maine - HEAR

"… Society Volunteers, Maine Medical Center, Portland, 1965Maine Historical Society Radios Montgomery Ward radio, Mapleton, 1929Haystack…"

Umbazooksus & Beyond

Visitors to the Maine woods in the early twentieth century often recorded their adventures in private diaries or journals and in photographs. Their remembrances of canoeing, camping, hunting and fishing helped equate Maine with wilderness.

Music in Maine - Country Music

"What really captivated me were the stories told (some true, some as if they were true), the way they rhymed, and the way the music—often…"

Music in Maine - Music stores

"1930Maine Historical Society Hiram Chase & Son, Belfast, ca. 1895, ca. 1895Belfast Historical Society Music stores well instruments and sheet…"

Maine Sweets: Confections and Confectioners

From chocolate to taffy, Mainers are inventive with our sweet treats. In addition to feeding our sweet tooth, it's also an economic driver for the state.

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"1897Maine Historical Society Born in Rapsted Field, Denmark, Soren Hansen Bruns (1863-1910) left Denmark to avoid conscription into the army."

We Used to be "Normal": A History of F.S.N.S.

Farmington's Normal School -- a teacher-training facility -- opened in 1863 and, over the decades, offered academic programs that included such unique features as domestic and child-care training, and extra-curricular activities from athletics to music and theater.

Music in Maine - Bluegrass Music

"… Foggy Dew, Westbrook, 1956Maine Historical Society Musician and television repair man, Al Hawkes, founded the Event Records label in Westbrook in…"

Enemies at Sea, Companions in Death

Lt. William Burrows and Commander Samuel Blyth, commanders of the USS Enterprise and the HMS Boxer, led their ships and crews in Battle in Muscongus Bay on Sept. 5, 1813. The American ship was victorious, but both captains were killed. Portland staged a large and regal joint burial.

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.

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"… Zimelman A Family Rejoices, Portland, 1971Maine Historical Society Samuel Zimelman served as cantor of the Hochschule Synagogue in Lomazy, Poland…"

CODE RED: Climate, Justice & Natural History Collections

Explore topics around climate change by reuniting collections from one of the nation's earliest natural history museums, the Portland Society of Natural History. The exhibition focuses on how museums collect, and the role of humans in creating changes in society, climate, and biodiversity.

Music in Maine - Music Education

"… with ukulele, Sanford, 1931Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media The Portland Sunday Telegram featured five-year-old Robert Cheney of Sanford…"

Music in Maine - Kimball Drum, ca. 1860

"The writing probably was added by Maine Historical Society Librarian Nathan Goold. Kimball of Portland was 17 when he enlisted on June 24, 1861."

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.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1820 to 1865: Temperance and the Maine Law

"1 banner, ca. 1848Maine Historical Society An Era of Reform By 1820, changes in religious attitudes in New England led to a widespread era of reform."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1919 to 1934: The Nation Follows Maine Into Prohibition

"… Confiscated liquor bottles, Portland, 1927Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media The dream of outlawing the manufacture, sale, and consumption…"

Music in Maine - Military Marching Bands

"Maine Historical Society and Maine State Museum The earliest marching bands in the United States were part of military units, used during drills and…"

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… Historical Society Receipt for piano forte, Portland, 1836Maine Historical Society Stephen Longfellow’s (1776-1849) estate paid J.S."

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

"1970Maine Historical Society The Cumberland County Civic Center opened in Portland on March 3, 1977, with the rock band ZZ Top as the first concert."

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.

Music in Maine - Civil War drum, ca. 1861

"Civil War drum, ca. 1861 Contributed by Maine Historical Society Description Henry Green (1832-1901) of Portland carried this military…"

We Saw Lindbergh!

Following his historic flight across the Atlantic in May 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh commenced a tour across America, greeted by cheering crowds at every stop. He was a day late for his speaking engagement in Portland, due to foggy conditions. Elise Fellows White wrote in her diary about seeing Lindbergh and his plane.

Slavery's Defenders and Foes

Mainers, like residents of other states, had differing views about slavery and abolition in the early to mid decades of the 19th century. Religion and economic factors were among the considerations in determining people's leanings.