Augusta, Maine
Encyclopedia
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine
, county seat
of Kennebec County
, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont
and Pierre, South Dakota
. Located on the Kennebec River
at the head of tide
, it is home to the University of Maine at Augusta
.
in September 1607. It was first inhabited by English settlers from the Plymouth Colony
in 1629 as a trading post on the Kennebec River
. The settlement was known by its Indian
name—Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of tide." Fur trading was at first profitable, but with Indian uprisings and declining revenues, the Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent in 1661. Cushnoc would remain empty for the next 75 years.
A hotbed of Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at Norridgewock
. In 1722, the tribe and its allies attacked Fort Richmond (now Richmond
) and destroyed Brunswick
. In response, Norridgewock was sacked in 1724 during Dummer's War
, when English forces gained tentative control of the Kennebec. In 1754, a blockhouse
named Fort Western
(now the oldest wooden fort in America), was built at Cushnoc on the eastern bank. It was intended as a supply depot for Fort Halifax upriver, as well as to protect its own region. In 1775, Benedict Arnold
and his 1,100 troops would use Fort Western as a staging area before continuing their journey up the Kennebec to the Battle of Quebec
.
Cushnoc was incorporated as part of Hallowell
in 1771. Known as "the Fort," it was set off and incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court
in February 1797 as Harrington. In August, however, the name changed to Augusta after Augusta Dearborn, daughter of Henry Dearborn
. In 1799, it became county seat for newly created Kennebec County. Maine became a state in 1820 and Augusta was designated its capital in 1827. The Maine State Legislature continued meeting in Portland
, however, until completion in 1832 of the new Maine State House
designed by Charles Bulfinch
. Augusta was chartered as a city in 1849. After being named the state capital and the introduction of new industry, the city flourished. In 1840 and 1850, the city ranked among the 100 largest urban populations. The next decade, however, the city was quickly bypassed by rapidly growing metropolises in the Midwest.
Excellent soil provided for agriculture, and water power from streams provided for industry. In 1837, a dam was built across the Kennebec where the falls
drop 15 feet at the head of tide. By 1838, 10 sawmill
s were contracted. With the arrival of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad in 1851, Augusta became an even more productive mill town
. In 1883, the property of A. & W. Sprague Company was purchased by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, which erected extensive brick mills for manufacturing cotton textiles. In the late 19th century, a paper and pulp plant was constructed. Other Augusta firms produced lumber, sash, doors, window shutters, broom handles, stone cutters' tools, shoes, headstones, ice and furniture. The city developed as a publishing and shipping center. Today, government and post-secondary education are important businesses.
In the 19th century, Augusta got a regular steamboat service and the railroad. The city installed gas lights in 1859. A telephone service was available in 1880 and a local hospital in 1898. In the early 20th century, Augusta built two movie houses and a film production studio.
For much of Augusta’s history, the central business district was on and near Water Street on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The street, laid out in the late 1700s, was also the location of many of the government buildings. As the city grew and spread out the local government buildings moved further away from the business district. Many fires damaged this concentrated area, including one significant fire in 1865 that destroyed nearly 100 buildings. In 1890, the first trolley line began operation down Water Street, connecting Augusta with Gardiner and Hallowell to the south. In 1932, the motor buses replaced the trolley line. With the completion of the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 95 in 1955, local commercial developments began to move away from Water Street and closer to the Interstate.
Since the 1980s, there has been an attempt by city officials to revitalize the downtown area. Surviving mill and factory buildings have been redeveloped into housing. The dam on the Kennebec was removed in 1999 and the area around the dam has been turned into a city park. The city hall and other local government departments were relocated to the eastern bank of the river in the 1980s.
Since the mid-eighteenth century, there has been a military presence in Augusta. Fort Western has not had troops garrisoned there since the 1790s, but in 1828, the U.S. Government built an arsenal to protect their interests from Britain. During the Civil War, Augusta was a rendezvous point for soldiers traveling to the front. Many of the soldiers camped on the green in front of the Capitol building. In 1862, Camp E.D. Keyes was established in the northwestern portion of the city. During World War I, Camp Keyes was used as a mobilization and training camp for soldiers. The camp eventually became a headquarters for the Maine National Guard. In 1929, the state legislature approved the placement of the Augusta State Airport next to the camp. As the airport grew, the use of the camp as a training facility was no longer possible. Today, it is still used for administrative and logistical purposed for the National Guard.
, the city has a total area of 58.3 square miles (151 km²), of which, 55.4 square miles (143.5 km²) of it is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it (4.98%) is water. Augusta is drained by Bond's Brook, Woromontogus Stream and the Kennebec River
.
Augusta borders the towns of Manchester
to its west, Sidney
and Vassalboro
to its north, Windsor
to its east, Chelsea
to its south, and the city of Hallowell
to its southwest.
, 0.48% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
, and 1.3% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino of any race.
There were 8,565 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city, the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,921, and the median income for a family was $42,230. Males had a median income of $31,209 versus $22,548 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,145. About 11.4% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
), and two public libraries in Augusta.
Farrington, Gilbert, Hussey, and Lincoln are the four public elementary schools that are spread throughout the city. Cony High School
is the public high school that serves students in grades 7-12 from Augusta and the surrounding towns. St. Michaels is the private Catholic school that children from Augusta and surround towns may attend for tuition.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Kennebec County
Kennebec County, Maine
Kennebec County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 122,151. Its county seat is Augusta. The center of population of Maine is located in Kennebec County, in the city of Augusta....
, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
and Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre is the capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont...
. Located on the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
at the head of tide
Head of tide
Head of tide is the farthest point upstream where a river is affected by tidal fluctuations. This applies to rivers which flow into tidal bodies such as oceans, bays and sloughs. Though this point may vary due to storms and seasonal or annual differences in water flows, there is generally an...
, it is home to the University of Maine at Augusta
University of Maine at Augusta
The University of Maine at Augusta is located in the state capital of Augusta, Maine, and is a part of the University of Maine System. UMA is a regional state university providing baccalaureate and select associate degrees to meet the educational, economic and cultural needs of Central Maine...
.
History
The area was first explored by members of the ill-fated Popham ColonyPopham Colony
The Popham Colony was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America that was founded in 1607 and located in the present-day town of Phippsburg, Maine near the mouth of the Kennebec River by the proprietary Virginia Company of Plymouth...
in September 1607. It was first inhabited by English settlers from the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
in 1629 as a trading post on the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
. The settlement was known by its Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name—Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of tide." Fur trading was at first profitable, but with Indian uprisings and declining revenues, the Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent in 1661. Cushnoc would remain empty for the next 75 years.
A hotbed of Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at Norridgewock
Norridgewock
The Norridgewock were a band of the Abenaki Native Americans/First Nations, an Eastern Algonquian tribe of the United States and Canada. The tribe occupied an area in Maine to the west and northwest of the Penawapskewi tribe, which was located on the western bank of the Penobscot River...
. In 1722, the tribe and its allies attacked Fort Richmond (now Richmond
Richmond, Maine
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
) and destroyed Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
. In response, Norridgewock was sacked in 1724 during Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, when English forces gained tentative control of the Kennebec. In 1754, a blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
named Fort Western
Fort Western
Fort Western was a colonial outpost at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River at modern Augusta, Maine, United States.It was built in 1754 by a Boston land company to promote settlement in the area. The fort was a log palisade with blockhouses which protected a store and warehouse. It was...
(now the oldest wooden fort in America), was built at Cushnoc on the eastern bank. It was intended as a supply depot for Fort Halifax upriver, as well as to protect its own region. In 1775, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
and his 1,100 troops would use Fort Western as a staging area before continuing their journey up the Kennebec to the Battle of Quebec
Battle of Quebec (1775)
The Battle of Quebec was fought on December 31, 1775 between American Continental Army forces and the British defenders of the city of Quebec, early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came at a high price...
.
Cushnoc was incorporated as part of Hallowell
Hallowell, Maine
Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in...
in 1771. Known as "the Fort," it was set off and incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
in February 1797 as Harrington. In August, however, the name changed to Augusta after Augusta Dearborn, daughter of Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
. In 1799, it became county seat for newly created Kennebec County. Maine became a state in 1820 and Augusta was designated its capital in 1827. The Maine State Legislature continued meeting in Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, however, until completion in 1832 of the new Maine State House
Maine State House
The Maine State House in Augusta, Maine is the state capitol of the State of Maine. The building was completed in 1832, one year after Augusta became the capital of Maine...
designed by Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
. Augusta was chartered as a city in 1849. After being named the state capital and the introduction of new industry, the city flourished. In 1840 and 1850, the city ranked among the 100 largest urban populations. The next decade, however, the city was quickly bypassed by rapidly growing metropolises in the Midwest.
Excellent soil provided for agriculture, and water power from streams provided for industry. In 1837, a dam was built across the Kennebec where the falls
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
drop 15 feet at the head of tide. By 1838, 10 sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s were contracted. With the arrival of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad in 1851, Augusta became an even more productive mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
. In 1883, the property of A. & W. Sprague Company was purchased by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, which erected extensive brick mills for manufacturing cotton textiles. In the late 19th century, a paper and pulp plant was constructed. Other Augusta firms produced lumber, sash, doors, window shutters, broom handles, stone cutters' tools, shoes, headstones, ice and furniture. The city developed as a publishing and shipping center. Today, government and post-secondary education are important businesses.
In the 19th century, Augusta got a regular steamboat service and the railroad. The city installed gas lights in 1859. A telephone service was available in 1880 and a local hospital in 1898. In the early 20th century, Augusta built two movie houses and a film production studio.
For much of Augusta’s history, the central business district was on and near Water Street on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The street, laid out in the late 1700s, was also the location of many of the government buildings. As the city grew and spread out the local government buildings moved further away from the business district. Many fires damaged this concentrated area, including one significant fire in 1865 that destroyed nearly 100 buildings. In 1890, the first trolley line began operation down Water Street, connecting Augusta with Gardiner and Hallowell to the south. In 1932, the motor buses replaced the trolley line. With the completion of the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 95 in 1955, local commercial developments began to move away from Water Street and closer to the Interstate.
Since the 1980s, there has been an attempt by city officials to revitalize the downtown area. Surviving mill and factory buildings have been redeveloped into housing. The dam on the Kennebec was removed in 1999 and the area around the dam has been turned into a city park. The city hall and other local government departments were relocated to the eastern bank of the river in the 1980s.
Geography
Augusta is located at 44°19′25"N 69°45′55"W, making it the easternmost state capital in the US. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 58.3 square miles (151 km²), of which, 55.4 square miles (143.5 km²) of it is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it (4.98%) is water. Augusta is drained by Bond's Brook, Woromontogus Stream and the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
.
Augusta borders the towns of Manchester
Manchester, Maine
Manchester is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, located at . The population was 2,465 at the 2000 census. In the early 19th century, the town was known as "The Forks".-Geography:...
to its west, Sidney
Sidney, Maine
Sidney is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,514 at the 2000 census. Sidney was incorporated as a town on January 30, 1792...
and Vassalboro
Vassalboro, Maine
Vassalboro is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,047 at the 2000 Census. Vassalboro includes the villages of South Vassalboro, North Vassalboro, and East Vassalboro, home to the town library and sports field.-History:...
to its north, Windsor
Windsor, Maine
Windsor is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2000 census. The town was formerly known as Malta, and gave its name to the "Malta War", a minor rebellion against the Massachusetts state government in Boston over settlement and land ownership rights in...
to its east, Chelsea
Chelsea, Maine
Chelsea is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,559 at the 2000 census.-History:Chelsea was incorporated as a town on March 1, 1851 separating from a portion of Hallowell. The town was named after the town of Chelsea, Massachusetts...
to its south, and the city of Hallowell
Hallowell, Maine
Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in...
to its southwest.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,560 people, 8,565 households, and 4,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 335.1 people per square mile (129.4/km²). There were 9,480 housing units at an average density of 171.2 per square mile (66.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 0.50% Black or African AmericanRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.48% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.3% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
or Latino of any race.
There were 8,565 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city, the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,921, and the median income for a family was $42,230. Males had a median income of $31,209 versus $22,548 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,145. About 11.4% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Augusta is governed by a mayor-council system. The mayor is elected at-large to a three year term. The city council consists of eight members: four are elected from each of the city's four wards, and the other four are elected at-large. Councilors serve three-year terms and can only serve in that position for three consecutive terms.Education
There are five public schools, one private school, one college (the University of Maine at AugustaUniversity of Maine at Augusta
The University of Maine at Augusta is located in the state capital of Augusta, Maine, and is a part of the University of Maine System. UMA is a regional state university providing baccalaureate and select associate degrees to meet the educational, economic and cultural needs of Central Maine...
), and two public libraries in Augusta.
Farrington, Gilbert, Hussey, and Lincoln are the four public elementary schools that are spread throughout the city. Cony High School
Cony High School
Cony High School is a public school located in Augusta, Maine that educates students from 7th to 12th grade. Cony draws its students from Augusta, as well as the surrounding communities of Chelsea, China, Jefferson, Palermo, Somerville, Vassalboro, Whitefield, and Windsor.The school's origins are...
is the public high school that serves students in grades 7-12 from Augusta and the surrounding towns. St. Michaels is the private Catholic school that children from Augusta and surround towns may attend for tuition.
Sites of interest
- Blaine House
- Fort WesternFort WesternFort Western was a colonial outpost at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River at modern Augusta, Maine, United States.It was built in 1754 by a Boston land company to promote settlement in the area. The fort was a log palisade with blockhouses which protected a store and warehouse. It was...
- Lithgow Public LibraryLithgow Public LibraryThe Lithgow Public Library is the public library of Augusta, Maine.-History:The library is named for Llewellyn Lithgow, an Augusta merchant, who left a $20,000 bequest to the City of Augusta for the purpose of building a public library...
- Maine State HouseMaine State HouseThe Maine State House in Augusta, Maine is the state capitol of the State of Maine. The building was completed in 1832, one year after Augusta became the capital of Maine...
- Maine State MuseumMaine State MuseumThe Maine State Museum is the official Maine government's museum and is located at 230 State Street, adjacent to the Maine State House, in Augusta. The State Museum has a large collection of Maine-related topics. The Lion is displayed at the museum and is the oldest American-made locomotive in New...
- Viles Arboretum
Notable people
- Ambrose AbbottAmbrose AbbottAmbrose H. Abbott, of Augusta, Maine, was a member of the Maine Legislature, serving in the Maine Senate in 1874. He represented the Seventh Senatorial District in the 1874 Senate session, which lasted from January 7 through March 4. He previously served in the Maine Governor's Council in 1870...
, member of the Maine LegislatureMaine LegislatureThe Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate... - Martha BallardMartha BallardMartha Moore Ballard was an American midwife, healer, and diarist.Martha Ballard is known today from her diary, which gives us a rare insight to the life of the average midwife and woman in 18th century Maine. Born on February 20, 1735, Ballard grew up in a moderately prosperous family in Oxford,...
, midwife - James G. BlaineJames G. BlaineJames Gillespie Blaine was a U.S. Representative, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Maine, two-time Secretary of State...
, secretary of state and presidential nominee - Horatio BridgeHoratio BridgeCommodore Horatio Bridge was a United States Naval officer who, as Chief of the Bureau of Provisions, served for many years as head of the Navy's supply organization...
, navy officer - Beverly DaggettBeverly DaggettBeverly C. Daggett is a former Maine politician. Daggett, a Democrat, represented state capital Augusta in the Maine House of Representatives for five terms before being elected to the Maine State Senate in 1996. She served in the Senate from 1996-2004. In 2002, she was elected 111th President of...
, President of the Maine Senate - Melville FullerMelville FullerMelville Weston Fuller was the eighth Chief Justice of the United States between 1888 and 1910.-Early life and education:...
, Illinois politician - George Huntington HartfordGeorge Huntington HartfordGeorge Huntington Hartford founded The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in 1859 with George Gilman in Elmira, New York.He was born in Augusta, Maine...
, businessman - John F. Hill, Maine governor
- Robert Deniston HumeRobert Deniston HumeRobert Deniston Hume was a cannery owner, pioneer hatchery operator, politician, author, and self-described "pygmy monopolist" who controlled salmon fishing for 32 years on the lower Rogue River in U.S. state of Oregon...
, Oregon politician and businessman - Eastman JohnsonEastman JohnsonEastman Johnson was an American painter, and Co-Founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, with his name inscribed at its entrance...
, artist - George W. LaddGeorge W. LaddGeorge Washington Ladd was a U.S. Representative from Maine.Born in Augusta, Maine, Ladd attended the common schools and Kents Hill Seminary.He engaged in the drug business in Bangor, Maine....
, congressman - Dorianne LauxDorianne LauxDorianne Laux is an American poet.-Biography:Laux worked as a sanatorium cook, a gas station manager, and a maid before receiving a B.A. in English from Mills College in 1988. Laux taught at the University of Oregon...
, poet - Henry A. McMastersHenry A. McMastersHenry A. McMasters was a United States Army Corporal during the Indian Wars who received the Medal of Honor on November 19, 1872, for service at Red River, Texas on September 29, 1872.-References:...
, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Rachel NicholsRachel Nichols (actress)Rachel Emily Nichols is an American actress and model. Nichols began modeling while attending Columbia University in New York City in the late 1990s...
, actress - Frederick G. PayneFrederick G. PayneFrederick George Payne was a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Maine. He was born in Lewiston, Maine....
, politician - David PeoplesDavid Peoples (golfer)David Roy Peoples is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.Peoples was born in Augusta, Maine...
, athlete and golfer - John F. PotterJohn F. PotterJohn Fox Potter nicknamed "Bowie Knife Potter" was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from Wisconsin.-Biography:...
, congressman, judge - Luther SeveranceLuther SeveranceLuther Severance was a United States Representative and diplomat from Maine.-Life:He was born in Montague, Massachusetts on October 26, 1797. He moved with his parents to Cazenovia, New York in 1799. He attended the common schools, and learned the printer's trade in Peterboro, New York.He...
, publisher, congressman and senator - Olympia SnoweOlympia SnoweOlympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
, senator - John L. StevensJohn L. StevensJohn Leavitt Stevens was the United States Department of State Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B...
, United States minister to Kingdom of Hawaii, accused of attempting to overthrow Hawaiian Queen, 1893 - Manch WheelerManch WheelerManchester Haynes Wheeler was an American football quarterback in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Maine.- See also :...
, football player - Reuel WilliamsReuel WilliamsReuel Williams was a U.S. Senator from Maine.Born in Hallowell, Maine to Seth Williams and Zelphia Ingraham, he attended Hallowell Academy, and went on to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1804, commencing practice in Augusta, Maine.He was a member of the Maine Legislature from 1812 to 1829...
, politician - Willard G. WymanWillard G. WymanWillard Gordon Wyman was a United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, U.S. Continental Army Command from 1956 to 1958....
, general