All Non-Digital Titles

Seal Harbor and Acadia National Park are areas rich with history and natural beauty.

Several hundred photographs, taken by Seal Harbor's original residents, inspired this pictorial history of the well-known resort and surrounding Acadia National Park. A perusal through Revisiting Seal Harbor and Acadia National Park will reveal to the reader the natural beauty of the area, through views that attracted early rusticators and created such dedication from the island’s summer and winter residents that Acadia National Park was born. The pages within trace the community’s history, from its humble beginnings as a small fishing hamlet through its metamorphosis into a Victorian-era summer resort, and on through the park’s development, an economic boon for the island’s residents. From images of a time filled with sweeping Victorian dresses, grand yachts, and wildwood hikes, to accounts of the area’s prosperity in the 1910s and 1920s when the area had become synonymous with the Rockefeller and Ford names, Revisiting Seal Harbor and Acadia National Park invites the reader to take a lingering look into the lives of early islanders and summer visitors.

Journey to picturesque York County's past in this photographic history.

Rural York County, with its charming historic towns and villages, has long been one of the most delightful areas of Maine. While tourists from the nineteenth century onward sought out the high life that made Maine's coastal areas so famous, the residents of the more peaceful, pristine countryside kept the serenity of their backyard a secret. The fascinating selection of images that make up this visual history have been carefully selected as a journey into the past, a journey from Kittery up the coast to Saco; through the Berwicks and Lebanon; to Alfred and Springvale, and Sanford close by; around Acton, Shapleigh, Newfield, and Waterboro; then on to Parsonsfield, Porter, Kezar Falls, and Cornish.

From Saco Bay to York Hill, the photographic history of Saco is detailed from 1850 to 1950.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Photographs bring alive our picture of the past and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history. Jeffrey Scully has delved into numerous private collections, family albums, and the archives of the McArthur Library to create a fascinating visual history of Saco, Maine. From the shores of Saco Bay to the banks of Goosefare Brook; from high upon York Hill to the downtown bustle of Pepperell Square and Main Street, the people, places, and events of the century of change between 1850 and 1950 are chronicled for posterity.

Through this significant and entertaining collection we experience Prout's Neck the way artist Winslow Homer knew it and everyday life the way that Scarborough photographer Charles F. Walker captured it on film for future generations to marvel at.

Imagine arriving at Scarborough in the late 1800s, stepping out of your train car onto the platform, and becoming one of the many visitors enjoying the summer beauty of coastal Maine. This pictorial history transports us back to an exciting era in Scarborough's long history--a simpler time, when shore dinner houses and trolley cars were the latest attractions. The images contained in this volume--many of them rare and previously unpublished--feature early automobiles, old homesteads, and summer cottages, as well as unique views of violent shipwrecks and bustling stagecoaches.

This collection of over two hundred photographs brings life to South Portland and Cape Elizabeth in the century of change from the 1850s on.

Most of the photographs in this fascinating visual history are rare and many have never before been published. They are taken from family albums which provide an intimate chronicle of the history of the area, ranging from the Spurwink River to the boatyards at Ferry Village, the estates at Delano Park, and the many neighborhoods that make up South Portland. The photographs introduce us to the people, places, and events which defined South Portland and Cape Elizabeth between 1850 and 1950, including the descendants of some of the first settlers--the Jordans, Dyers, Murrays, and Cleeves, whose families still live in the area. This treasury of images and information will be a source of fascination and enjoyment for resident and visitor, young and old alike.

Much of Western Maine reads like a Stephen King novel.

The dense dark woods and backcountry ponds. The century-old houses with gravel driveways and immense flower gardens, acres of farmland miles from a highway. Serpentine country roads dotted with farmstands, and picturesque main streets lined with battered pickups. Places where-especially during the dark and rainy days of October and November—things can get downright spooky. 

Author Sharon Kitchens identifies the locations that serve as the basis for King’s fictional towns of Castle Rock, Jerusalem’s Lot, Derry, and Haven. Drawing on historical materials and conversations with locals and people who know King, the author sheds light on daily life in places that would become the settings for Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Dead Zone, Cujo, IT, and 11/22/63.

Although humble in their function, these carefully crafted barns have shaped the landscape of Maine for centuries.

Built long before the days of plastic and plywood, the barns have survived for generations, each with a story to tell. In Bridgton, one barn offered comfort to a 16 year-old boy when his father was injured; another New Gloucester barn was so important to one family that its likeness was engraved on their headstones. Some owners said they would rather see their homes burn than their barns, and others have dedicated their lives and countless funds to restoring and preserving these buildings. From modest English to grand Victorian, Don Perkins examines the structures, origins, and evolution of Maine’s barns, demonstrating the vital and precious role they play in people’s lives.

This wonderful photographic history shows how much, and yet how little, has changed over the century from 1870 to 1970.

The Boothbay Harbor Region was one of the first parts of the country to be colonized by European settlers, and for over 370 years it has been a home for boat builders, fishermen, farmers, and artists, as well as a vacation destination for more than a century. The Region has maintained its tranquility and sense of tradition throughout and it is fascinating to see farmers ploughing their fields using oxen as late as the 1940s. These photographs show us the faces and places that make up the Region's history: old buildings now long gone, a president's visit and Hollywood film sets, devastating fires and destructive storms, people walking on the frozen bay in the winter and haying in the summer, fishermen and yachtsmen plying the waves, ship launches and shipwrecks. We see church congregations, school sports teams, grizzled sailors, hardworking farmers, a hot dog king, and ordinary families—the ordinary folk of the Boothbay Harbor Region and the intricacies of their day-to-day lives in this beautiful area.

Explore the fascinating history of The Casco Bay Islands, Maine with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Photographs bring alive our image of the past, and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history.

The Casco Bay Islands have long been one of Maine's most treasured hideaway places. Connected to Portland and the mainland only by ferry, a trip to the islands is a trip into another world. Fairy-tale Victorian cottages are surrounded by beautiful beaches, boats, and an atmosphere of tranquility. Their separation from the outside world has allowed the islands to preserve their unique identities and rich sense of history in the face of twentieth-century changes.

Author Ruth Sargent has lived on Peaks Island for forty years and has published numerous articles on the Casco Bay Islands. In this fascinating pictorial history, she takes those familiar with the islands on an enchanting trip down memory lane, while introducing newcomers to the beauty and history which make the Casco Bay Islands the magical, magnetic places they have always been.

Over 200 rare and vintage photographs document the beginnings and transformations of this area in The Communities of Western Aroostook County.

The beauty and strength of the landscape of northwestern Maine is reflected in the people who have lived here since the area was first settled in the mid-nineteenth century. Arriving from as far away as Sweden and as near as the next village, the first pioneers transformed a hard and often unforgiving land known as ""the last frontier"" into settlements, farms, and homes. These settlements are still with us today: Ashland, Castle Hill, Crouseville, Mapleton, Masardis, Oxbow, Perham, Portage, Sheridan, Wade, Washburn, and Woodland. The settlers and their descendants earned a reputation for honesty, thrift, dependability, tenacity, and hard work which spread far beyond Western Aroostook County itself. Over two hundred vivid photographs show the way life used to be. We meet loggers and farmers, hunters and guides, and innkeepers and blacksmiths, while also getting a glimpse into the daily lives of the rich variety of people that make the western area of Aroostook County so unique. Whether pictured bustling down Main Street, enjoying Christmas sleigh rides, mourning a departed relative, hauling logs, or tending the farm, our forebears reach out to us across the decades in this fascinating book.

Join local author Harry Gratwick as he uncovers stories of adventure and bravery from the forts of Maine.

Whether dotting the coastline, guarding the banks of the Kennebec or defending the Canadian border, Maine's many forts have sheltered its towns and people since the seventeenth century. Both Fort Kent and Fort Fairfield were built after the War of 1812 during the Aroostook War, when hostilities raged between Mainers and British Canadians over the region's rich timber stands. Portland Harbor's Fort Preble became embroiled in the Civil War when a Confederate raider tried—and failed—to steal a ship from its waters. In the twentieth century, Maine's preservationists protected many of these citadels, including Fort Knox in Penobscot Bay, the largest and most elaborate of all Maine's forts.

Ghost Stories from America’s first colonies have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

New England’s haunted Yankee history comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Meet the Mad Doctor who lurks in the White Mountains, learn what really happened at Spooner Well, and tread among the spirits in Mystic Seaport. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

The pristine natural beauty of the Moosehead Lake Region is legendary.

Towering white pines, clear rivers, the massive Mount Kineo, and the unforgettable, stunning expanse of the lake itself have offered spiritual renewal to civilization-weary people for centuries. This fascinating visual history captures the essence of the Moosehead Lake Region, and reveals the many people and places that have been important in the area's past. Included are photographs of the grand hotels and the Mount Kineo House; the steamboats that plied the waters of the lake; camps such as Camp Lucky and Camp Comfort; and the stories of both Henry Red Eagle, an Algonquin boy who at 14 was the youngest licensed guide in the state of Maine (later becoming an entertainer and author), and the hermit of Moose Island, John Cusack (not the actor). The accompanying captions include a wealth of information as well as excerpts from interviews with people who spent their lives on and around Moosehead Lake.

On November 5, 1976, twenty-seven-year-old Dorothy Milliken left her rural home in Sabattus, Maine, to go to an all-night laundromat. The following morning, her body was found slumped against the outside wall.

Despite various leads, there were no arrests for her murder. Dorothy Milliken became a name typed on an index card filed at state police headquarters, her crime scene displayed in grainy black-and-white photos in the evening newspapers. Nearly five decades later, author Sharon Kitchens examines the cold case, interviewing more than forty people, including Dorothy’s family, friends, former neighbors, law enforcement and forensic specialists. Who was Dorothy? Why has her killer never been found? Did she know her murderer, or was her death due to a random, frenzied attack?

A portion of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (FAIR) Lab at the University of New Hampshire. The FAIR Lab trains students to excavate, recover and identify human remains.

The Old Orchard boasts miles of sandy beaches which were once home to Native Americans and settlers but are now booming with tourism.

From Pine Point in the north to Goosefare Brook in the south, Old Orchard boasts miles of marvelous sandy beaches. For hundreds of years, this well-loved stretch of coastline was home to Native Americans and a few hardy settlers, undisturbed by the chaos and cacophony of modern life. With the coming of the railroad in 1874 this serene place exploded into life. The boom in tourism brought hundreds and then thousands of pleasure-seekers every week to the Old Orchard. They came to relax in the opulent surroundings of the elegant hotels, to stroll hand in hand along the pier with their sweethearts, and to feel the thrill of the wind in their hair as they rode the roller coaster. Some came to dance to the Big Band sound of Glen Miller and Benny Goodman; some came to ride on the Dummy Railroad; others arrived to take airplane flights over the beach, or to watch automobile races in the sand.

In 1668, a Sagamore Indian named Wesumbe conveyed all of the lands between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers to Kittery trader Francis Small. This area ranged from the waters of the Saco to the Newichawannock River. For over

100 years, the land title was questioned. Finally, the ancient deed was declared genuine by two Boston experts: William P. Upham of the Suffolk County Court and Robert B. Swan, commissioner of public records for Massachusetts. Once the

court rendered the deed valid in 1772, this unbroken wilderness was surveyed. Within a few short years, five new communities emerged. Over 230 years later, The Ossipee Valley presents a visual history of the villages, lifestyles, and the countryside as it once was. Vintage photographs

witness a place of family and friends, working and sacrificing for what they believed important.

The Oxford Hills have always been unique in the history of Maine. They were not settled until after the French and Indian War of 1763, and their isolation allowed the communities to develop distinct identities apart from external influences. The arrival of the railroad connected the area to Portland and Boston, sparking the development of a thriving wood products industry to complement the region s agricultural economy. As transportation developed, so did the outside world s awareness of the pristine natural beauty of the Oxford Hills, and the resulting influx of tourists and sportsmen brought further growth and diversity to the area. Despite the many changes that have transpired since the sound of the first axe resounded through the valley of the Little Androscoggin River, the Oxford Hills remain one of the most rugged, independent, and beautiful regions in all of Maine."

The Portland Company manufactured a total of six hundred thirty steam locomotives, starting in 1848, along with hundreds of railroad cars, boilers, marine engines, ships, steam fire engines, elevators, and paper and textile mill equipment. Locomotives, ships, and cannons were built for the Civil War, and munitions were manufactured for both world wars. Later, the Portland Company produced snowplows, nuclear plant components, and common castings from manhole covers to streetlights. In the early 1900s, the company sold five makes of new automobiles and trucks. In this rich photographic history, the Portland Company and the city of Portland, with its great waterfront and industrial heritage, come to life.

The Sebago Lake Area is a pictorial history, chronicling the transformation of this natural gathering place over time.

Clean and clear, the waters of the streams and ponds that feed into Sebago Lake bring a constant supply of newness to a region centuries-deep in tradition. Located in southwestern Maine's Cumberland County, Sebago, ""great stretch of water,"" has been a gathering place for generations of native people and settlers. This striking pictorial history quickly transports us to the past. We see the area as it was before the railroad came through; fishermen coming to enjoy the famous landlocked salmon of Sebago, travellers spending the night at farmhouses, and later inns and hostelries. A turn of the page and we find ourselves watching majestic steamboats as they slip through quiet waters. Vistas of summer camps and classic cars abound--fond memories for many.

The scenic Upper Kennebec Valley has played an important role in the history of Maine.

Long-frequented by Native Americans, this area was settled year-round after Benedict Arnold's ill-fated 1775 expedition to Quebec. The earliest settlers found great natural resources in the woods, lakes, and the river and moved in to set the stage for this area's future. The images in The Upper Kennebec Valley show life in the area from the earliest days of photography through the 1950s. You see the area's growth and development, and its people at work and play. Examining these pages, you will see early loggers; intrepid river drivers braving log jams and swift currents to get their wood to market; hunters and fishermen, long drawn to the area; and families going about their daily business. You will also see the results of disastrous fires and floods, as well as the parades, picnics, and other occasions that brought local people together.

One of the largest bilingual Franco-American territories in the United States, the beautiful Upper St. John Valley is revealed in over two hundred images and accompanying text in this fascinating pictorial history.

This history covers the regions from Hamlin Plantation to Allagash along the river and south to Eagle Lake, Winterville, and Guerette. The Upper St. John Valley is a product of the dispersal of the Acadian French by the English in 1755 and 1785. Tested by a severe climate and semi-isolation for years, the Valley inhabitants were strong survivors. Through images dated up to 1960 we see the intense religious feeling, strong work ethic, and leisure activity of the people living in this unique enclave.

Immerse yourself in the visual language of the Wabanaki tribe and learn about how the art was---and continues to be--preserved and celebrated.

For centuries, the people of the Wabanaki Nations of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada used signs, symbols and designs to communicate with one another. As Native Peoples became victims of European expansion, the Wabanaki were separated by war, the search for work and intermarriage, as well as by hiding their identities to avoid persecution. In this diaspora, their visual language helped them keep their teachings and culture alive. Their designs have evolved over time and taken on different meanings, and they are now used on objects that are considered art. While their beauty is undeniable, these pieces cannot be fully appreciated without understanding their context. Tribal member Jeanne Morningstar Kent sheds light on this language, from the work of ancient Wabanaki to today's artists--like David Moses Bridges, Donna Sanipass and Jennifer Neptune--once again using their medium to connect with their fellow Wabanaki.

Lost in the Flames

On October 21, 1836, a bustling crowd gathered at the docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, to witness an extraordinary spectacle. The steamship Royal Tar was embarking on yet another voyage from New Brunswick to Portland, Maine, laden with a cargo of peculiar passengers. For this fateful voyage, the Royal Tar had been transformed into a circus ship. Onlookers watched as cages slowly rolled past—exotic birds in one, two lionesses in another and the regal striped Bengal tiger in a third. Then the star of the show slowly made his way across the gangplank. Mogul, the mighty Asian elephant, took his spot on the upper deck of the ship as it steamed out of the port.

After four days of stormy weather, a devastating fire engulfed the ship. The ensuing chaos left thirty-two people dead, and many of the animals were pushed overboard into the frigid waters of Penobscot Bay in a last-ditch effort to save them. The rest died in their cages. Jane Parks Gardner reveals how this tragic event left an indelible mark on Maine’s maritime history.

The tragic story of the murders of three women committed over three decades by one cold-blooded man in Maine's North Woods.

Jennie Cyr disappeared in 1977. Jerilyn Towers vanished in 1982. Lynn Willette never came home on a night in 1994. Each woman had a relationship with James Hicks, who in 2000 confessed to murdering them, dismembering their bodies and burying the remains alongside rural roads in Aroostook County. This is their story.

Author Trudy Irene Scee follows Hicks from the North Woods to west Texas, detailing three decades of evasion, investigation and prosecution. She interviews police officers and victims' families--and meets Hicks at the state prison in Thomaston, where he remains remorseless as he lives out his days behind bars. Thoroughly researched and carefully documented, Tragedy in the North Woodsis the definitive history of one of Maine's most ruthless killers.

J.H. Hall has been fishing most of his life and fly-fishing Maine rivers and ponds for over thirty years.

In his book, he has brought together some of his favorite fly-fishing experiences that go beyond morning excursions on a river's banks. He uses his fishing trips as the platform to introduce the reader to the people and the rivers that color his life and Maine, bringing all of us engaging life lessons and new experiences.

Hundreds of striking photographs document the interesting history of the Univeristy of Maine.

Established by the Morrill Act of 1862, Maine State College officially opened its doors in September of 1868 as a primarily agricultural school. By 1897, the Maine state legislature voted to change the name of the school to University of Maine, and expand the focus toward liberal arts. The flagship school of the University of Maine system, the Orono campus has had a significant impact on Maine life from its scientific inventions to its cultural contributions. Located on the banks of the Stillwater River, the university has always attracted motivated undergraduates and graduate students. From its earliest days, it has worked to be the state's center of learning, discovery, and service to the public. Here the history of the state's land grant university from 1865 to 1940 is presented in hundreds of striking photographs. They tell the story of the the school, including its academic, social, athletic, and administrative history as it grew over its first 75 years.

The town of Vassalborough, Maine, was incorporated in 1771. The town clerk modified the spelling of the town to Vassalboro’ in 1851 and then to Vassalboro in 1861. The town is nearly 48 square miles in size and is comprised of six distinct areas. With a connection to the Kennebec River and its lakes and ponds, Native Americans had a presence here for over 8,000 years, establishing seasonal villages and using the waterways for fishing. Shipbuilders rolled their completed ships to the Kennebec River, and many mills used waterpower provided by the streams. The American Woolen Mill in North Vassalboro won a gold medal for its cassimere fabric at the world’s fair in London in 1851. Wonderful historic buildings still line the streets, including the Vassalboro Historical Society’s Taylor’s House and Blacksmith Shop and Lampson’s Harness Shop as well as the town’s first firehouse. The Revere House in East Vassalboro once provided lodging to guests who were often ferried to the nearby Bradley’s Island in China Lake for bowling, dancing, and dining. Oak Grove School brought to Vassalboro students from all over the world. While Vassalboro has changed from the mill town it was in the 1800s, it remains a family-focused community, providing a sense of warmth, history, and continuity.

The Vassalboro Historical Society is proud to share the photographs and information from its vast collection. 

With over 200 historic images, Vinalhaven Island is sure to inform and entertain.

Located in Penobscot Bay, Vinalhaven Island is a land mass about 10 by 5 miles, with the town situated on Carvers' Harbor, 15 miles from the mainland. Always a working community, Vinalhaven presently serves as one of the largest lobstering centers in the world. Islanders, summer residents, visitors, and other interested persons on the mainland and elsewhere are invited to partake of this striking photographic record of the island as it was between 1860 and 1960. Contained within are classic views that bring to life the island's ongoing fishing and granite industries. Some show the enormous columns for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City being cut and polished; others document the carving of the eagles for the Buffalo, NY, Post Office. Lesser-known occupations are portrayed as well, like the making of horse nets, which employed many women. Readers are given the rare opportunity to meet such people as granite company operator Moses Webster; Joseph Bodwell (a Maine governor); Edward Russell (from Ireland) and Joseph Black (from Scotland); and O. P. Lyons, founder of the first local newspaper and band.

Explore the compelling visual history that will earn a lasting place on the shelves of area homes and be treasured by resident and visitor, young and old alike.

Wells has a history as fascinating as it is long. Blessed with tremendous natural resources, this enticing place attracted native people and then European fishermen and traders long before Edmund Littlefield established the first permanent mills on the banks of the Webhannet River in 1640. Wells incorporated in 1653 as Maine's third town, and since then more than thirteen generations of New Englanders have nurtured their families by reaping the waves of the Atlantic or toiling on the furrows of their farms. The early settlers were independent Yankees striving to make a living, but they created small communities grouped around the traditional institutions of the blacksmith shop, the store, the church, and the one-room school.

Yarmouth explores this fascinating coastal town in more than two hundred rare photographs. Haunting images, many of which have never been published, portray employees working in the shipyards and factories while the mill owners entertain in their gardens. The tranquility of life in Victorian cottages by the sea contrasts sharply with the drama of floods, fires, and train wrecks. Fourth of July celebrations appear raucous in comparison with the somber parades of Civil War veterans.