Maine Memory Network

We Are An Ordinary Family
by Catherine

Maine's abolitionists offer an answer to my questions about my family's experiences.

My family and Malaga Island
by Charmagne Tripp

The state of Maine evicted all residents of Malaga Island in 1912.

Apple Time - a visit to the ancestral farm
by Randy Randall

Memories from childhood of visiting the family homestead in Limington during apple picking time.

The Village Cafe - A Place We Called Home
by Michael Fixaris

The Village Cafe was more than a restaurant. It was an extension of our homes and our families.

A Note from a Maine-American
by William Dow Turner

With 7 generations before statehood, and 5 generations since, Maine DNA carries on.

A Maine Family's story of being Prisoners of War in Manila
by Nicki Griffin

As a child, born after the war, I would hear these stories - glad they were finally written down

An enjoyable conference, Portland 2021
by John C. Decker, Danville, Pennsylvania

Some snippets from a 4-day conference by transportation historians in Portland, September 7-11, 2021

"Mama sings 'get your hands up'": Maria's Diary June 2020
by Maria

Maria, 7 years old, records impressions of staying with her grandparents in Somesville in June 2020.

Service in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan by MAJ Adam R. Cote
by Adam R. Cote

Military Service has had a deep impact my life

John Coyne from Waterville Enlists as a Railroad Man in WWI
by Mary D. Coyne

Description of conditions railroad men endured and family background on John Coyne.

Elizabeth Mantis Spiliopoulos: passion for life & Greek heritage
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

A spunky 99-year-old shares her crystal-clear recollections of all the changes in her lifetime

Father Renald Labarre: the life of a Catholic priest
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

A Biddeford native provides insights on his Franco-American roots and life as a Catholic priest.

The Equal Freedom to Marry
by Mary L Bonauto

Marriage Equality, Maine, and the U.S. Supreme Court

Norcross Deer Hunting
by Albert Fowler

How hunting has impacted my life

Quinton "Skip" Wilson: different aspects of "standing out"
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

Recollections of life as Biddeford's only student of color during the 1960-70s

Catching live bait with Grandfather
by Randy Randall

We never bought live bait for fishing. Grandfather caught all the minnows and shiners we needed.

Childhood Memories of Learning to Swim on Rangeley Lake
by Betty C.

Betty's two older sisters taught her how to swim on Rangeley Lake.

Cleaning Fish or How Grandfather and Grandmother got by
by Randy Randall

Grandfather and Grandmother subsisted on the fish Grandfather caught, not always legally.

Jim Paquette - preserving his Franco-American and musical roots
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

Lead singer of the iconic Black Hart Band shares insights of his life journey.

Used, Abused, Battered, and Confused
by Anonymous (Maine Correctional Center)

The experience of domestic violence and the criminal justice system in Maine

Annette Addorio: 100+ years of memories from full life
by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center

From 1914 to 2018, highlights from my life in Biddeford

Choosing a Career in Country and Bluegrass Music
by Ken Brooks

How I became a country and bluegrass musician

There were years when it was fun to go to work at the paper mill
by Bruce Dyke

My 39 years working for International Paper was a great job for a guy like me.

Redlining and the Jewish Communities in Maine
by David Freidenreich

Federal and state policies created unfair housing practices against immigrants, like redlining.