Maine Memory Network

Maine State Prison, Thomaston, ca. 1915

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1915-02-03 Location: Thomaston Media: Photograph on postcard

Maine State Prison yard, Thomaston, ca. 1915

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1915 Location: Thomaston Media: Postcard

Passing the Time: Artwork by World War II German POWs

In 1944, the US Government established Camp Houlton, a prisoner of war (POW) internment camp for captured German soldiers during World War II. Many of the prisoners worked on local farms planting and harvesting potatoes. Some created artwork and handicrafts they sold or gave to camp guards. Camp Houlton processed and held about 3500 prisoners and operated until May 1946.

Prisoners of War

Mainers have been held prisoners in conflicts fought on Maine and American soil and in those fought overseas. In addition, enemy prisoners from several wars have been brought to Maine soil for the duration of the war.

Freedom & Captivity Portal

The Freedom & Captivity digital collection in the Maine Memory Network, and the complete digital archive housed at Colby Special Collections, is a repository of personal testimonies, ephemera, memorabilia, artifacts, and visual materials that capture multiple dimensions of the experiences of incarceration for individuals, families, and communities, as well as for survivors of harm.

If You Knew My Story
by Anonymous (Maine State Prison)

A story about incarceration in Maine

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

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