Maine's Standing Railroad Stations

Maine's Standing Railroad Stations offers a great gallery of extant buildings associated with Maine's railroads—stations, towers, roundhouses, yard offices and freight buildings.The depot pictured stood by the tracks in my hometown of Greenwood until 1973, when it was demolish...

Read More

Sen. Susan Collins Draws Maine

Susan Collins was one of eleven U.S. Senators who took National Geographic's challenge to "draw a map of their home state from memory and to label at least three important place...

Read More

Pepperrell Plaque Rededicated

There was a ceremony last Saturday at Sir William Pepperrell's family tomb at Kittery Point.A memorial plaque, which had been obscured by trees for 30 years, was rededicated at the site of the Pepperrell tomb and cemetery, off Pepperrell Road across from Frisbee's Market.The Pepperrell Tomb was built in 1720 as a family cemetery site. When Col. Pepperrell died in 1734, Sir William purchased the Georgian monument which rests above the tomb. The memorial...

Read More

The Building of the Cumberland County Civic Center

Here's a Flash presentation on The Building of the Cumberland County Civic Center.A caption mentions that ZZ Top was the first headlining band to play the Civic Center. True, but their opening act was a local band called The Blend. You can learn more about the band and listen to some of their music at this tribute site for founding member Jim "JD" Drown, or check out videos of their 1982 farewell concert on YouTu...

Read More

Looking Out at Main Street in Eastport, 1973

A photograph from the Environmental Protection Agency titled "Looking Out at Main Street in Eastport, 05/197...

Read More

The Origins of Burnt Coat

Swan's Island was called "Burnt Coat Island" when James Swan bought it and two dozen adjacent islands sight unseen, July 7, 1786. In his History of Swan's Island, Maine, Herman W. Small offered an explanation of the earlier name:Champlain gave the name of this island on that early map as Brule cote, "brule" meaning burnt, and "cote" hill—Burnt-hill. It is supposed that Champlain designated the island by some hill that had been burnt over. Some later discoverer translated "brule" burnt, but did not translate "cote", hence on his map he incorrectly...

Read More