Millinocket's Little Italy

Maine has only one "Little Italy"—established in 1899 to house the families of immigrants imported to build the Great Northern paper mill.

Italian immigrants coming to the area were unfamiliar with the land and the language. Fred Peluso was working as a clerk for John Merrill, and he was appointed to watch over the new workers. Peluso saw to their every need by placing them in jobs, providing them with food, acting as translator, and helping them start their homes. Peluso built a substantial home with some outbuildings that become known as Peluso's Square, and it was complete with cobblestones. He started a store that catered to the homesick Italian immigrants and provided traditional Italian foodstuffs that could be purchased on credit. As more immigrants arrived, they settled in an area that ran along the Millinocket Stream just across from the mill. The small settlement was to become known as Little Italy, and Peluso was called the padrone or king of Little Italy. [Link]

Of Millinocket's 1,002 residents in 1900, 432 were natives of Italy.

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235-Year-Old Elm in Yarmouth To Be Felled

Frank Knight was not able to save a centuries-old American elm in Yarmouth.

The elm on the corner of Yankee Drive was magnificent, a local treasure high upon a hill above the harbor, among the oldest and the largest elm trees in New England. So Knight, the volunteer tree warden in Yarmouth, made it his mission to save it.

"They said you can’t save the tree if it’s diseased," Knight said. “But it was such a big, beautiful tree, I said, 'I'm going to try.'"

He kept the elm alive for 50 years, the two of them slowly growing older side by side. But next month, the caretaker, now 101 years old, and the tree, estimated to be 235, will finally part ways. After a valiant, decades-long battle with Dutch elm disease, the beloved elm, known affectionately as "Herbie," is set to be cut down Jan. 18. [Link, via]

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Androscoggin Riverlands State Park

Maine is planning its first new major state park in more than a quarter century.

These lands include 2,258 acres along the west shore in Turner, and 330 acres along the east shore in Leeds, known collectively as the Androscoggin Riverlands.

The land includes significant wildlife habitat; river shore, lakeshore and upland natural communities; historic landscapes; scenic vistas; and an existing recreational trails network.
This property is already widely-used for both motorized and non-motorized land and water recreation. There are presently 15 miles of multi-use trails that follow old roads on the property; and about 8 miles of hiking trails. [Link]

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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 demolished.

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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 places."

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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 tablet was erected and dedicated to the two Pepperrells in 1907 by the Pepperrell Association.

The tombstone is angled to face the water; back in the early 1700s, Estes said, there were very few of the present houses in the area, and the view would've included Pepperrell docks, Pepperrell warehouse and a fleet of Pepperrell ships, clear out to the Isles of Shoals. [Link]

This isn't the first time the gravesite has needed attention.

At the funeral obsequies of his father, Mr. Pepperrell bestowed every mark of respect that filial affection dictated. He, shortly after, ordered from London the marble structure that now stands over the vault containing the mouldering remains of the Pepperrell family, which was erected about the year 1736. This is almost the only relic of Pepperrell's day now remaining as it was at Kittery Point; and even here the vault beneath became so dilapidated a few years since, that water gained admission through its crumbling roof, and washed the dissolving remains of the tenants into an undistinguishable mass, and but for the respect entertained for the memory of the illustrious dead, by a female remotely descended from the baronet, the whole structure would long since have fallen into ruins. By her exertions and limited means the tomb was put in good repair.

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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 YouTube.

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