The Fat Men's Convention of 1870

The Lewiston Evening Journal of Jan. 21, 1870, reported on the proceedings at the Fat Men's Convention held at Auburn Hall.The Committee announced that they would proceed to weigh the fattest men and conduct the contest for the prize. It was agreed that the prize lay between Mr. Brackett of North Hermon, and Mr. Haven of Chelsea. Those gentlemen were escorted from the rostrum which trembled under their tread, amid uproars of applause, and the Committee...

Read More

Maine’s Civil War Sesquicentennial

Maine History News reports on a new website devoted to the state's upcoming commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The list of Civil War monuments in Maine towns and cities is excelle...

Read More

Historical Maine Maps Added to Rumsey Collection

The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection has added five more maps of Maine, dating from 1844 to 1862. This brings the total number of Maine maps in the collection to 2...

Read More

Last Sardine Cannery to Close

On April 18, America's last sardine cannery, located in Prospect Harbor, will close.Maine was once a frenetic hub of the sardine business, starting in the 1870s. The industry reached its peak in the early 1950s, when it employed thousands of workers at more than 50 canneries. Ben Fuller, curator of the Penobscot Marine Museum, was working with a film crew on Monday, gathering material for a historical record intended for the Library of Congress.“You’re...

Read More