History Archives - Down East

Hurrah for the Maine Voter!

From our February 1980 issue: Invited to rescind the returnable bottle law by out-of-state interests, the Maine voter said ‘No thank you,’ by a six-to-one margin. An evaluation of the increasingly independent and conservation minded voters of the State of Maine.

They Love Vintage Snowmobiles in Caribou

A retro sled is a thing of beauty, and winter isn’t over until a couple dozen take to the track at Aroostook County's Mega Meltdown vintage sled race.

The Fort Kent Blockhouse, the only remaining Aroostook War fortification

Maine Gets Its Northern Crown

How a quasi-war with Canada made our state what it is today — and helped secure a lasting peace at the border.

Visit Maine’s Only Chainsaw Museum

In Allagash, a woodsman shows off his cutting-edge collection.

Listening to 130-Year-Old Passamaquoddy Recordings

Dwayne Tomah hopes the wax-cylinder audio can help revive his tribe's language.

Lafayette National Park becomes Acadia National Park

The French-Snubbing Heiresses Who Gave Acadia National Park Its Name

How Lafayette National Park became Acadia.

14 Powerful Historical Photos That Tell Maine’s Story

The way life was — it's what came before “The Way Life Should Be.”

Maine River Ice Was Worth How Much!?

A Maine Maritime Museum exhibit reviews the state's frozen assets.

Thoughts on the Past — and the Future — from Nine 100-Year-Old Mainers

To launch our yearlong celebration of 200 years of Maine statehood, we teamed up with Maine Public to hear from a few Mainers who can reflect upon half of that time.

Paddling Together

Joe Polis believed in learning how to negotiate the ways of the dominant culture without losing one’s own.

Born on the 26th of July

The state’s bicentennial is next year, but Maine declared its independence 200 years ago this month.

Great Maine Scavenger Hunt: History

The Great Maine Scavenger Hunt is back, sending Down East readers out to explore all 35,385 square miles of Maine — from mountains to sea, from potato fields to city streets — in pursuit of the best Maine summer ever.

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