Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
French Canadians from Quebec flowed into Maine in the late 1800s, giv-
ing mill towns like Lewiston a multi-cultural flair that continues today.
Tourism
Around the late 1800s the first seeds of Maine's tourism industry were
sowed. Paintings by members of the Hudson River School, like Frederick
Church, inspired wealthy city dwellers to foray Down East. Picturesque
harbors like Bar Harbor, Camden, Boothbay Harbor and Kennebunkport
soon became seasonal watering holes for the wealthy and powerful.
Wide beaches in Southern Maine drew thousands seeking relief from the
heat of cities.
Old Orchard
quickly became a favorite playground for vis-
itors from Quebec.
The Plus Side of Tourism
During the early 1900s numerous benefactors began to work to
save many of Maine's natural wonders. George B. Dorr and
Charles Eliot put together the Hancock County Trustees of Pub-
lic Reservations and began acquiring land that would become
Acadia National Park.
By mid-century, Governor Percival Baxter privately amassed
nearly 200,000 acres in the middle of the state, including its
highest point, Katahdin. He created a privately endowed pre-
serve that carries his name. The spirit of conservation continues
unabated. Paper companies allow public recreational use of their
land either for free or a modest fee. Other land protection efforts
have created many preserves, including the
Appalachian Trail
Corridor
, the
Bigelow Mountain Preserve
and numerous lo-
cales protected by the Nature Conservancy, Maine Coast Heri-
tage Trust and other groups.
Tourism has now become one of Maine's top industries, ranking right up
there with pulp and paper, agriculture and fisheries.
Political People
“As Maine goes so goes the nation,” is a popular political maxim first
coined in the late 1800s. It stems from the state's motto -
Dirigo
, “I lead,”
and from the fact that for many years the general election was scheduled
in Maine before voting in other states.
Maine has contributed many great leaders to the nation. Hamden Maine
native
Dorothea Dix
championed the cause of hospitals for the mentally
