Things to do / Travel Guide
The Maine Coast is just 250 miles long, as the crow flies, but thanks to some ancient glaciers and the odd monster hurricane, this once-straight stretch of coast is now a craggy, zigzagged conglomeration of coves, inlets, and cliffs, with about 3,478 miles of coastline. Mother nature paid special attention to this place, to be sure.
The first to experience this place were the prehistoric Paleo-Indians. These fur-clad hunter/gatherers came down from the frozen north tundra of what is now Canada and took up residence here. And come, they did. You can still see evidence of their penchant for oysters by visiting places like Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor, and Damariscotta, where ancient piles of discarded oyster shells still sit on the beaches.
Apparently, rumors of the good seafood got around because Norse explorers are said to have begun showing up on the Maine Coast as early as 1100 A.D. - probably with their own dipping sauce. However, there's not much evidence to substantiate their long-term presence here. The next confirmed Europeans were not to show up until John Cabot sailed to these waters on “The Mathew” in 1498. We understand he preferred cod with a nice dill sauce. Still, no confirmed landing site for his ship has ever been established. The first to actually set foot on Maine soil was an Italian by the name of Giovanni Da Verrazano (of New York City's Verrazano-Narrows bridge fame), who sailed under the French flag. The “La Dauphine” made anchor somewhere near the tip of the Phippsburg Peninsula in May, 1594. Being French/Italian made for some interesting cuisine combinations, no doubt shared with the natives. If this trend would have held, we'd all be eating pasta with a nice Chardonnay for Thanksgiving!
It appears Verrazano got his meal to go, because he continued sailing south. His map named the area “The Land of Bad People,” no doubt due to bad service, or at least a few errant spears and arrows sent his way. Following Verrazano were a plethora of other temporary visitors, none of whom took root.
In 1614, the colorful Captain John Smith came upon Penobscot River. He reached Mohegan Island and meticulously mapped the area. Smith gets the honor of being the first person to coin the phrase “New England,” which appeared in his 1616 tome “Description of New England.” Catchy, no?
Once Massachusetts was colonized in 1626, things began to change for the Maine Coast. The rivalry between the British and French began to make its presence felt, as the two nations faced off over land and trade issues in the area until the Treaty of Breda in 1667. Not wanting to be left out of all the warring going on, the Native American Wabanaki or “People of Dawn” decided to jump into the fray. These were actually a composite of all the region's native Algonquian speaking tribes - the Micmacs, Maaliseets, Passamaquoddies, and the Penobscots. Thus began a series of wars between these tribes and the British, mostly over trade issues. There were five in all, ending with the French and Indian War (1754-60), where the French decided to go for the spoils of the preceding four wars. Finally, a peace conference took place in 1762 at Ft. Pownall (now known as Stockton Springs). It seems peace broke out just in time for the Revolutionary War to begin.
The Maine Coast saw its share of action during the Revolutionary War. In one notable action, the well-armed, but poorly-defended, British warship HMS Margaretta was captured by a group of Maine Militia at Machias. Once the British were defeated, it was clear sailing for the region until 1812. Then, the British Royal Navy invaded the Maine Coast and occupied it until the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814.
Finally, in 1819, a constitutional convention was held in Portland and set the stage for statehood, which was granted on March 15th, 1820, making Maine the 23rd state.
Following statehood, Maine became a leader in commerce, with shipping, timber, and a very robust commercial fishing industry topping the list. Then came the Civil War. Maine contributed the highest contingent of soldiers per capita to the Union forces, with 70,000 donning the blue and gold. Sadly, some 18,000 lost their lives in this epic conflict.
To this day, the Maine Coast has been a bright star in the pantheon of U.S. states, contributing in many meaningful ways to the overall success of the country. Today's tourism industry is a prime factor in the region, with a well-honed offering of quaint New England towns, inns, bed and breakfast establishments, and natural beauty. So, for those fortunate enough to sample its offerings, we wish you happy trails and bon appétit as you make your own personal history along the Maine Coast!
Historical Attractions in Portland, Bangor, Acadia, Bar Harbor and the Maine Coast
History
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