Where in Maine?

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Where in Maine? How about weir in Maine? That was the question just a few years ago on this photogenic waterway. The state wanted to install a weir here to prevent farm-raised Atlantic salmon from mingling with the rare native salmon found in these waters, but locals worried that the barrier would hurt the annual runs of alewives. Early residents (the area was settled in 1763) discovered that there was much power to be harvested among this river’s ripples and rapids — it drops almost fifty feet from the pond to the bay below — and they set up an uncommon number of mills for cutting wood and grinding grain on its banks. Like so many other Maine villages, this town was known for its lumbering and boatbuilding. It can also claim a private academy, which turned out a host of accomplished individuals, from famous theologians to college presidents to members of Congress. Life along the river will remain quiet for a few more months — until the thaws bring kayakers to its white water and fishermen to its eddies. If you can identify this pretty, snowy river and the town that shares its name, send us a note at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843; whip off an email to editorial@downeast.com [2]; or post a comment at www.DownEast.com [3].