SCORES & OUTDOORS: Bears are waking up; making it a sure sign that spring is here

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American black bear. (photo by Michael Webber)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

It’s official. Today, on the first day of spring, reports are out that black bears are awakening from their winter hibernation.

The American black bear, Ursus americanus, is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food. The American black bear is the world’s most common bear species.

American black bears were once not considered true “sleepers,” but because of discoveries about the metabolic changes that allow American black bears to remain dormant for months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating, most biologists have redefined mammalian hibernation as “specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather.” American black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators.

The bears enter their dens in October and November.

Hibernating American black bears spend their time in hollowed-out dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts and in shallow depressions. Although naturally-made dens are occasionally used, most dens are dug out by the bear itself. Females have been shown to be pickier in their choice of dens in comparison to males.

During their time in hibernation, an American black bear’s heart rate drops from 40–50 beats per minute to eight beats per minute.

It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a least-concern species, due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear, it is one of only two of the eight modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

Historically, American black bears occupied the majority of North America’s forested regions. Today, they are primarily limited to sparsely settled, forested areas. American black bears currently inhabit much of their original Canadian range. They have been extirpated from Prince Edward Island since 1937.

The current range of American black bears in the United States is constant throughout most of the northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains almost continuously from Maine to northern Georgia, the northern Midwest, the Rocky Mountain region, the West Coast and Alaska. The overall population of American black bears in the United States has been estimated to range between 339,000 and 465,000, though this excludes populations from Alaska, Idaho, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, whose population sizes are unknown. In the state of California, there are an estimated 30,000 – 40,000 American black bears, making it the largest population of the species in the contiguous United States. State of Maine biologists have estimated Maine’s black bear population between 30,000 – 35,000. Maine has the largest population of black bears on the East Coast.

In the northeast part of the range (United States and Canada), prime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech, maple, birch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the Northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar.

American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans. Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog’s. American black bears are excellent and strong swimmers, swimming for pleasure and to feed (largely on fish). They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. American black bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnal, while those living near brown bears tend to be more extensively diurnal. Their social behavior is somewhat similar to that of canids.

American black bears tend to be territorial and non-gregarious in nature. However, at abundant food sources (e.g. spawning salmon or garbage dumps), they may congregate and dominance hierarchies form, with the largest, most powerful males dominating the most fruitful feeding spots. They mark their territories by rubbing their bodies against trees and clawing at the bark. Annual ranges held by mature male American black bears tend to be very large, though there is some variation.

Predation on adult deer is rare, but it has been recorded. They may even hunt prey up to the size of adult female moose, which are considerably larger than themselves, by ambushing them. There is at least one record of a male American black bear killing two bull elk over the course of six days by chasing them into deep snow banks, which impeded their movements. Like brown bears, American black bears try to use surprise to ambush their prey and target the weak, injured, sickly or dying animals in the herds. Once a deer fawn is captured, it is frequently torn apart alive while feeding. American black bears often drag their prey to cover, preferring to feed in seclusion.

The average lifespan in the wild is 18 years, though it is quite possible for wild specimens to survive for more than 23 years. The record age of a wild specimen was 39 years, while that in captivity was 44 years.

With the exception of the rare confrontation with an adult brown bear or a gray wolf pack, adult American black bears are not usually subject to natural predation. Known predators of bear cubs have included bobcats, coyotes, cougars, gray wolves, brown bears and other bears of their own species. Many of these will stealthily snatch small cubs right from under the sleeping mother. Once out of hibernation, mother bears may be able to fight off most potential predators. Even cougars will be displaced by an angry mother bear if they are discovered stalking the cubs. Flooding of dens after birth may also occasionally kill newborn cubs. However, in current times, American black bear fatalities are overwhelmingly attributable to human activities. Seasonally, tens of thousands of American black bears are hunted legally across North America, with many more being illegally poached or trapped. Auto collisions also may claim many American black bear lives annually.

American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America’s indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit, while the grizzly bear was created by the Evil Spirit. In Kwakiutl mythology, American black and brown bears became enemies when Grizzly Bear Woman killed Black Bear Woman for being lazy. Black Bear Woman’s children, in turn, killed Grizzly Bear Woman’s children. The Navajo believed the Big Black Bear was chief among the bears of the four directions surrounding Sun’s house and would pray to it in order to be granted its protection during raids.

Although an adult bear is quite capable of killing a human, American black bears typically avoid confronting humans whenever possible. Unlike grizzly bears, which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, American black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled. American black bears rarely attack when confronted by humans and usually limit themselves to making mock charges, emitting blowing noises and swatting the ground with their forepaws. The number of American black bear attacks on humans is higher than those of the brown bear in North America, though this is largely because the American black bear considerably outnumbers the brown bear, rather than greater aggressiveness.

Compared to brown bear attacks, aggressive encounters with American black bears rarely lead to serious injury. However, the majority of American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting. Unlike female brown bears, female American black bears do not display the same level of protectiveness toward their cubs and seldom attack humans when they are in the cubs’ vicinity. However, occasionally, attacks by protective mothers do occur.

Historically, American black bears were hunted by both Native Americans and European settlers. Some Native American tribes, in admiration for the American black bear’s intelligence, would decorate the heads of bears they killed with trinkets and place them on blankets. Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head’s nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage.

Theodore Roosevelt himself likened the flesh of young American black bears to that of pork. As American black bears can have trichinellosis, cooking temperatures need to be high in order to kill the parasites.

American black bear fat was once valued as a cosmetic article that promoted hair growth and gloss. However, animal rights activism over the last decade has slowed the harvest of these animals; therefore the lard from American black bears has not been used in recent years for the purpose of cosmetics.

The American black bear is the mascot of the University of Maine and Baylor University.

OK, we’ve learned quite a bit about the American Black Bear. Although it is my belief there is nothing in the Maine woods than can kill you, I would definitely not tempt a black bear. As with any other wild animal, the best rule of thumb is to avoid them as much as possible.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

“Rooster” was the nickname of which fiery shortstop who played for the Red Sox from 1974 until 1980?

Answer can be found here.

Roland’s Trivia Question for Thursday, March 19, 2020

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Trivia Questions“Rooster” was the nickname of which fiery shortstop who played for the Red Sox from 1974 until 1980?

Answer:

Rick Burleson.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, March 19, 2020

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SHARON E. DuBOIS

SIDNEY – Sharon E. DuBois, 80, passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at her home, in Sidney. She was born December 7, 1939, in Winslow, the daughter of Sanford E. and Shirley (Stevens) Reynolds.

She attended schools in Winslow and graduated from Winslow High School. On February 14, 1959, she married Robert DuBois. They were married 50 years before his passing in October of 2009. She was employed for many years at C. F. Hathaway Shirt Factory, in Waterville, until their closing. She made many friends there. She was a past member of the American Legion Auxilliary, in Oakland. She enjoyed picking berries and making jams and jellies, best homemade biscuits, fishing, camping at Spencer Bay, on Moosehead Lake, with her “Bucksport Families,” doing puzzles, watching the golf and tennis channels.

Sharon is survived by her son, Paul E. DuBois and companion Deborah Williams, of Oakland; daughter, Peggy L. DuBois Kinsey, of Belgrade; granddaughter, Holly Kinsey Plourde and husband Charlie, of Vassalboro; great-granddaughter, Amani Plourde, of Vassalboro; five sisters, Esther Cayouette, of Winslow, Marilyn Reynolds, of Rockland, Cynthia Shroeder, of Florida, Pauline Leach, of Winslow, Effie Reynolds, Vassalboro; five brothers, Bruce Reynolds, of Winslow, Jeffrey Reynolds ,of Fairfield, Nelson Reynolds, of Winslow, Timmy Reynolds, of Winslow, Peter Reynolds, of Winslow; many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents Sanford and Shirley Reynolds; husband, Robert E. DuBois; two sisters, Audrey Gammon and Beth Meecham; two brothers, Sanford Reynolds, Jr. and Stephen Reynolds.

There will be no funeral service or visitation hours. Burial will be at the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, in Augusta, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, friends wishing may make donations in Sharon’s memory to their local Humane Society.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976.

ROBERT H. CUNNINGHAM

CHELSEA – Robert “Bob” Harold Cunningham, 70, formally of Augusta, passed away peacelully on Friday, March 6, 2020, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, following a battle with cancer. He was born in Gardiner on September I 2, 1949, the son of the late Romayne I (Cooper) and Clinton W. Cunningham Jr.

Robert graduated from Cony High School, in Augusta, in 1969. Following graduation he attended Southern Maine Vocational-Technical Institute, in South Portland. On May 6, 1972, Robert married Sylvia ( Farley) Cunningham, in Gardiner. He had been employed for 29 years for the State of Maine before he retired. Shortly after, he wenl back to work for Denny’s Restaurant and Togus VA, both in Augusta.

Throughout his life Robert enjoyed making a lifetime of memories. At a young age he worked on the farm. Classic cars and automobiles were a passion, winning ribbons in shows and parades. Robert enjoyed long rides to find new places with his Uncle Lloyd, camping trips with his family was an adventure. He admired the outside activities, gardening, boating, or just relaxing. He was always happy to share his traditions with his grandchildren and loved spending time with his great-grandson. He loved country music and dancing at dance halls. Robert became a long time member of lhe Goodwill Circle Hall, in Chelsea, Good Sam’s Capital Area Wheels, and lifetime member of the Windsor Fair.

He was predeceased by his parents Romayne l. (Cooper) and Clinton W. Cunningham; In-laws Olga H. and husband Lawrence P Farley Sr.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Sylvia (Farley) Cunningham, of Chelsea, son Philip Cunningham and his wife Kathy, of Chelsea; grandson Steven Cunningham Sr. and his fiancée Toni Fleicher; great-grandson Steven Jr., of Richmond; daughter Shannon Cunningham and grandson Brayden Garland, both of Chelsea; brother Clinton “Bill” W. Cunningham lll and his wife Diane, of Windsor; two sisters, Bonnie Bell and her husband Billy, of Augusta, and Beryl Morrissette and her husband Tony, of Augusta; cousin Karen Edwards, of Chelsea; sister-in-law Leona Farley, of Gardiner; brother-in-law Lawence Farley Jr., and hisand his wife Kelly, of Gardiner, several nieces, nephews, cousins.

Per his request, no visiting hours and funeral service. A graveside service will take place at a later date.

Condolences may be expressed at www.funeralaliernatives.net.

JAMES M. SHEA

VASSALBORO – James “Jim” Maynard Shea, 76, passed on Saturday, February 15, 2020, in Zephyrhills, Florida. He was born in Gardiner, on December 29, 1943, son of Maynard and Madeline (Allen) Shea.

Jim was a graduate of Gardiner High School.

He served in the United States Army for two years and was a Vietnam War Veteran. Jim loved his country and supported our military servicemen and servicewomen. Before his retirement, Jim worked for the State of Maine for 25 years as a high-pressure boiler operator.

He married Shirley A. Bowie on May 14, 1988, in Vassalboro. In their early retirement, Jim and Shirley traveled to Arizona to spend winters with family. They later bought a home in Zephyrhills, Florida, and spent winters there and summered at their home on Webber Pond, in Vassalboro. Jim was addicted to the warm weather, but also loved traveling to Northern Maine to camp and fish with Shirley.

Jim enjoyed yard sales, antiquing, traveling, and sightseeing. He loved the Southwest and collecting Native American art. Jim relished time with his family and friends. He always had a big smile on his face and a Schaefer beer in his hand.

Jim is survived by his wife, Shirley, of Vassalboro; son, Clifford Shea, of Augusta; foster children, William Wilson, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Peter Wilson, of Waterville; stepdaughter, Pamela Hayes and husband James, of Tempe, Arizona; stepsons, Darrell Bowie and wife Susan, of Litchfield, and Norris “Butch” Bowie and wife Victoria, of Windsor; grandstepsons, Jason Bowie and wife Betsy, of Richmond, Aaron Hayes and wife Nicole, of Tempe, Arizona; grandstepdaughters, Amber Tate, of Tempe, Arizona, Amanda McDonough and husband John, of Lisbon, Jillian Dearborn and partner Dan Lambert, of Chelsea, Cassie Boucher and husband Pete, and Jordan Bowie, of Washington, D.C. Jim also had many great-grandstepchildren.

Jim was predeceased by his parents; and stepdaughter, Brenda Bowie.

Funeral service will be at the Maine Veteran’s Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Rd., Augusta, on Friday, June 26, at 2 p.m.

JAMES A. BUOTTE

CHELSEA – James “Jim” Anthony Buotte, 57, of Chelsea, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 24, 2020, while vacationing in Gorham, New Hampshire. He was born in Gardiner, January 24, 1963, the son of Lynda Bailey (Rhoades) and raised by David Bailey.

He was very close to his grandparents, Marion Rhoades and Roland Rhoades, of Farmingdale.

He is survived by his children’s mother, Elizabeth Buotte and their children, Heather Seigars, of China, Jason Buotte and wife Sheree, of China, Cheryl Criniti and husband Bernie, of Gorham, New Hampshire; seven grandchildren and his siblings, Frank Bailey, Steve Bailey, Marcy Bailey and Alice Bailey.James loved the outdoors.

He spent several summers at the family camp on Azicohos Lake, in Wilsons Mills, where he loved to boat, hike and fish. James spent a lot of his free time working on projects and improvements on his home. He was very talented and he took a lot of pride in his work, but not as much pride that he had for his grandchildren, Shawn Seigars, Jacob Seigars, Alexis Buotte, Darien Criniti, Bryce Criniti, Caylie Buotte and Cody Buotte. He was always smiling while in there presence and was always very proud of their accomplishments. He was a great, “Pappa”, Father, Brother and Son and will forever be loved and missed.

Per his request, there will be no memorial service held.

MARINA F. HUNT

ALBION – Marina F. Hunt, 85, passed away on Friday, February 28, 2020. She was born on June 17, 1934, in the Philippines to Ambrosio Flores Sr. and Evarista Yagonia.

She attended school and college in the Philippines and was employed as a schoolteacher for 18 years after which she married Arthur W. Hunt and settled in Albion. Arthur died 17 years later. They had no children.

Marina went to a nursing school for the CNA course, in Fairfield, and after graduating, was employed as a nursing assistant in two nursing homes for 18 years. She retired in 2002. Marina enjoyed home life, cooking, listening to the 1950s and 1960s music and doing word puzzles.

Marina was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, Alejandro, Maximino, Jose, Jess and her sister, Felomina.

She will be sadly missed by her many siblings and their families to include, Jess Flores’s wife Lydia, of Orlando, Florida, Ambrosio Flores Jr. and his wife, Florencia, of New Jersey, Gabriel Flores and his wife, Fe, of Australia, Antonio Flores and his wife, Rebecca, of the Philippines, Lourdes Bovell and her husband Paul, of Australia, and Envangeline Russell, of Australia; her nephews, Dr. Noel Flores and his wife, Melissa, of California, Rene Flores and his wife Jessica, of the Philippines, Antonino Flores, of the Philippines; her nieces, Kristina Flores, of Australia, April Macabuhay and her husband Dodie, of California, Emily Deloso and her husband Erico, of Orlando, Florida; and many other nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles and grandchildren.

Special mention to her sister-in-law, Maria L. Flores whose husband, Jose, died in 2003, in California.

An online guestbook may be signed, and memories shared at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are by Lawry Brothers Funeral and Cremation Care, 107 Main St., Fairfield.

KATHLEEN M. KEEFER

SOUTH CHINA – Kathleen M. Keefer, 57, of South China, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, March 2, 2020, at home. She was born December 8, 1962, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Fredrick and Priscilla Chapman.

Kathy was a graduate of Bridgewater Raynham High School and the University of New England, in Biddeford. She grew up enjoying her summers at her family camp in Maine at Lake Nicatous, fishing every weekend she could. She enjoyed watching the deer and feeding the birds in her yard. Kathy had worked at Kmart, in Augusta, for many years then came to be a staple at The Home Depot, in Waterville, as a customer order specialist.

Kathy loved baking, often sharing recipes. You would find her bringing in goodies every Monday for her co-workers. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was a mentor of knowledge to many.

She was predeceased by her parents.

She is survived by her husband Ed; son Michael; stepsons James, Jon, Tony and Tim Keefer; her brother Stephen Chapman and wife Patty; mother-in-law Mona Pratt; brothers-in-law Steve and David Keefer and sister-in-law Terri Weeks; many cousins and nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, March 22, 2020 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Benton Family Fun Park, 269 Benton Neck Rd, Benton, Maine 04901.

PATRICIA A. NASIE

WINDSOR – Patricia Ann Nasie, 81, passed away at her home on Monday, March 2, 2020, following a brief illness. The daughter of Nancy Winn Nasie and Raymond Cavanaugh Nasie, she was born on July 16, 1938, on Long Island, New York. She graduated from Babylon High School in 1956 and then served honorably in the United States Air Force, where she met Leah J. Moulton.

An outstanding student, Pat graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University in 1971. Pat and Leah, as employees of Cities Service, transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Pat pursued graduate studies in history at the University of Tulsa. Pat was an avid bicyclist and loved exploring our national parks with Leah. Ever intrepid, they hiked the Continental Divide.

Pat and Leah returned to New England in 1987, making their home in Epsom, New Hampshire. They were married in Vermont on April 17, 2002. After retiring, Pat and Leah moved to Windsor, where they spent many happy years.

Pat is survived by her spouse, Leah, and three sisters, Gail Tumbarello, of West Babylon, New York, Karen Boyance of Glendale, Arizona, and Christine Wilkins of Crawford, Texas.

There are no public visiting hours and no public services planned.

A Celebration of Life was held on March 7.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Plummer Funeral Home, 983 Ridge Road, Rte. 32, Windsor, ME. Condolences, photos and stories may be shared at www.plummerfh.com.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929.

WILLIAM J. CULLEN

WATERVILLE – William Joseph Cullen, 97, passed away Monday, March 2 , 2020. Bill was born March 19, 1922, in Lewiston and was raised in Auburn, where he graduated from Edward Little High School, in 1940. Bill attended University of Maine at Orono, studying civil engineering, graduating with the class of ‘44. His studies were interrupted by World War II and he served honorably as an Army officer in the Pacific Theater.

He met his future wife, the former Jane Longfellow, at U-Maine and they married in 1948. Together they raised their three children in their cherished home in Waterville. He quietly demonstrated and imparted the virtues of frugality, kindness, honesty, integrity, loyalty, and politeness to his children. Bill worked for AP Wyman, the Waterville Sewer District, and was the Superintendent of the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District until he retired in 1988. In his retirement years he and Jane loved to travel and spent many happy days at the cottage at Gardner’s Lake, in East Machias, where he loved spending time with his grandchildren.

Bill took great pleasure in puttering around the house and garden. Bill also really enjoyed woodworking and was a very talented craftsman, with all of his family enjoying his workmanship in their homes. Bill kept fit walking most mornings with a local Waterville walking group.

He was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Jane Longfellow Cullen.

He is survived by his son John and his wife Natasha, of Topsham; daughters Peg and her husband Ron, of Hollis, and Kate and her husband Brent, of East Falmouth, Massachusetts.

His grandchildren include Allyson, Heather, Andrew and Emily; two great-grandchildren, Layla and Jacob.

Family and Friends may visit from 10 – 11 a.m., on March 20, 2020, at Gallant Funeral Home 10 Elm St., Waterville.

A committal service with military honors will be held at 12 p.m. in the Chapel of the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mount Vernon Rd., Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family suggests donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth and Community Center, 126 North St., Waterville, ME 04901.

BRIAN A. FRENCH

WEEKS MILLS – Brian A. French, 36, son of Leslie and Darlene French, passed away Thursday, March 5, 2020, following a brief illness. Brian was born in Augusta on February 10, 1984.

Brian was a friend to all he came in contact with. He enjoyed watching sports on television, hanging out with friends, driving truck, working in the woods, operating heavy equipment and spending time with his family during the holidays. He lived in the home he designed and helped build on the hill.

He graduated from Erskine Academy, in South China, and spent his adult life working for Leslie French and Sons.

Brian was predeceased by his maternal grandparents Richard and Iona (Rogers) Dunn, his paternal grandmother Janice (Pelton) Hisler; his Uncle Lawrence French, Sr.; and his cousins Scott Musselman and David Chase.

Brian is survived by his parents Leslie “Dusty” and Darlene (Dunn) French; paternal grandfather Leslie R. French; his brothers Nicholas and wife Amber French, and Christopher French and his partner Amanda Gil; several nieces and a nephew, all from China; many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, March 21, at 2 p.m., at the China Lake Conference Center, off China Neck Rd, China.

Memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Plummer Funeral Home website at www.plummerfh.com.

BEVERLY M. DANE

WATERVILLE – Beverly Marcue Dane, 96, passed away peacefully, in Waterville, on Friday, March 6, 2020. She was born in Oakland on February 24, 1924, the daughter of Rosa (Moody) and Harry C. Marcue.

Her family moved to Norridgewock, where she attended school, kindergarten through high school, graduating in 1942.

During World War II she worked as an aircraft engine mechanic at the air depot in Rome, New York. In 1948 she married Richard Delmont Dane, of Skowhegan. After his graduation from the University of Maine they lived briefly in New Jersey and then settled in Topsfield, Massachusetts, in 1951.

She was a member and president of the Topsfield Garden Club and she and her husband were 50-year members of the Congregational Church of Topsfield, joining that church in 1953.

Beverly and Richard also shared a keen interest in flying, and they enjoyed a number of years soaring as glider pilots.

She always loved the wildlife and natural beauty of Maine and she and her husband spent all of their free time in the state fishing, sailing and skiing at Sugarloaf.

Beverly is survived by her husband, Richard Dane; daughter, Sarah Andre and her husband Tom, of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts; son, Richard Dane Jr. and his wife Susan, of Mashpee, Massachusetts; granddaughter, Amy Damiano and her husband Gregg, of Norfolk, Massachusetts; and two great-grandsons, Oliver and Sebastian; a sister, Geraldine DeRoche, and a a sister-in-law, Louise Marcue, both of Norridgewock; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Beverly was predeceased by her parents; brother, Harry “Sonny” Marcue Jr., and sister, Rose Marie Beaulieu.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, at the First Congregational Church, 36 River Road, Norridgewock.

Graveside services will be held in the spring at the Southside Cemetery, in Skowhegan.

MARTIN H. MURPHY

OAKLAND – Martin H. Murphy passed away on March 7, 2020.

He leaves behind his wife, Beatrice MacLean, of Oakland; a daughter, Katrina Murphy of Port Orchard, Washington; two granddaughters, Kaleigha and McKenzie; a mother, Judy Metzroth, Port Jervis, New York; two sisters, Lisa Holmes, of Waldoboro, and Stacy Jones, of Port Jervis, New York; various aunts and cousins; a daughter-of-the-heart, Jennifer Morrison and her three children, Daniel, Conor and Owen; a son-of-the-heart, Eric MacLean and his three children, Jaime, Amara and Deva.

Martin graduated from Mount Desert Island High School in 1985. He was a member of the Olympic College class of 1995, where he graduated with distinction. Many were lucky to call Martin a friend. He was kind and generous, often spontaneously paying for the purchases of someone behind him in line just because. He was a man of strong emotional attachments and made sure those whom he loved knew how much they meant to him. He was well respected for his contributions at work where he was a valued colleague and mentor.

A loving husband of 22 years, Martin was a source of support, peace and fun and always provided a listening ear. Those who knew him will keep his memory in their hearts as a reminder of how to treat others. His only complaint was our society unfairly ignores or stigmatizes those who struggle with mental health. Like many others, Martin feared his struggles would make him look weak to others or that discussing his challenges might add to another’s own burdens. Martin’s belief and the legacy he leaves behind is that we make it okay to talk about the struggles and sadness we all face and that doing so might be a gift to others and make the world a more kind and gentle place.

Make it okay to talk about sadness. That would be the gift to the world that you could give to people like Martin. Be kind to those who deal with depression. They are the strongest people I know as they go through each day with sadness and still find a way to help others cope with their challenges.

No funeral services per Martin’s request.

An online guestbook may be signed, and memories shared at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are by Wheeler Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 26 Church St., Oakland.

BURLEIGH C. STEVENS

SOMERVILLE – Burleigh Clason Stevens, 89, passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2020, at his home on Long Pond, in Somerville. He was born in Chelsea on May 17, 1930, a son of George Emery Stevens and Goldie (Plummer) Stevens.

He was brought up on the Wellman Road, in Chelsea. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Frank Hiltz, who he always considered his father.

As a young lad, he went to a one-room schoolhouse for all eight grades on the Wellman Road, in Chelsea. As he got in the higher grades, he became the janitor. He was one of the first students at the school with water; and in the winter, always made sure the wood stove was started. When students arrived, the school was warm.

When he was in his teens, he drove one of the first school buses in the town of Chelsea to the one-room schoolhouse.

In 1947, he joined the Navy at 17 years old. He was stationed on the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier for four years, March 22, 1948 – December 3, 1951.

In June of 1951, he married the former Patricia Witham, and had four children together.

After his service in the Navy, he worked at Bath Iron Works and later for Bridge Construction. In 1958, he started working at Togus; first in the laundry room then he transferred to the Guard Force and Fire Department. He then transferred over to boiler maintenance until he retired in 1985 to his home on Long Pond where he was content and happy. He loved the water and his home.

From 2015 to 2019, he spent winters in Florida with his son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Julia, in New Port Richey. This past year, 2019, was hard on him due to ill health. He left us from the comfort of his own home.

Burleigh is survived by his three children, daughter Leslie Bartlett and her husband Drew, of Washington; sons Michael Stevens and his wife Julia, of New Port Richey, Florida, and Robert Stevens, of Windsor; four granddaughters, Stacey Bond and her husband Aaron, of Whitefield, Sheri Stevens, of Augusta, Heidi St. Pierre and her husband Chris, of Manchester, and Amy Jones and her husband Chip, of Manchester; six great-grandchildren, Augustus, Griffen and Keegan Bond, Coty and Mariah St. Pierre and Cameron Jones; a great-great-granddaughter, Rose Elizabeth; a brother, Manly “Pat” Hiltz, of Chelsea; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He lost his second son, Tim, on February 8, 2018. He was also predeceased by his oldest grandson, Shane Weeks; a sister, Beverly Grady and a brother, Bert Brown.

A graveside service will be held in the spring at Rest Haven Cemetery, Rte. 32, Windsor.

Arrangements were under the care of Plummer Funeral Home, 983 Ridge Road, Rte. 32, Windsor, ME.

Condolences, photos and stories may be shared at www.plummerfh.com

FLORIAN E. VEILLEUX

WATERVILLE – Florian E. Veilleux, 97, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, following a brief illness. Florian was born in Waterville on July 17, 1922, to Philip and Anna Veilleux.

He was the oldest in a family of 10. In 1946, Florian married Yvette Marie Dubois. They had five children.

Florian enjoyed school and learning, but stopped his education as a 14-year-old teenager to start working at the Lockwood-Duchess Textile Mill, in Waterville, to help his family financially. Later he became a master mechanic at Furbush Chevrolet, in Waterville, working mainly fixing automatic transmissions. He ended his career as a janitor at the Waterville Junior High School.

He was considered a jack-of-all-trades. He was gifted with many talents.

He was a devout Catholic, who had an amazing childlike faith. He was a Christ-like man, who was very giving and always willing to help others. He was a wonderful husband and caregiver for many years to his wife Yvette. As a family, we would go for Sunday rides and picnics. He loved playing cards and as a hobby, enjoyed making model cars. He also had a love for French Canadian fiddle music.

Florian is survived by his daughter, Anna Wilber and her husband Ronald, with their children Robert and wife Terri; sons, Michael and daughter, Kathleen, Daniel and wife Cecile with their children Christopher and wife Amanda, and their son Gregory, Lawrence and wife Mary, with their children Melissa French and husband John, Aimee Jacques and husband Edwin, Sonya Houle and her husband Glen, Allison Hinkley and husband Gary, Isaac and his wife Alyssa, and Sarah Burbine and her husband Jacob; his daughter Rebecca (Becky) Gilbert and husband Richard, with their children Dana and wife Becky and Dean and wife Jaime; sisters Stella Roy and her husband Claude, and Madleine McPhail and husband Richard, and brothers-in-law Joseph “Bob” Libby and Gerald “Jerry” Veilleux; 22 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Florian was predeceased by his parents; his young son, Mark and his wife of 63 years, Yvette; baby brother and a younger sister Arlene; his brothers Lionel and wife Madeline, Joseph and wife Jeanette, Raymond and wife Jackie; his sisters Gertrude Gagnon and her husband Alex, and Carmen Libby Mullen; three great-grandchildren; and his sweetheart of nine years, Barbara Mae Morse.

A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday March 21 at 11 a.m., at Notre Dame Church, 112 Silver St., Waterville.

Burial will take place immediately following the service, with a driving by procession, outside of St. Francis Cemetery, Grove Street, in Waterville.

Family and friends are invited to gather for refreshments in memory of Florian after the service.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home.

Condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made for the Meals on Wheels program, in memory of Florian Veilleux to, Muskie Community Center, 38 Gold St., Waterville, ME 04901.

WILTON A. LARSEN

OAKLAND – Wilton Arnold Larsen, 89, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2020, at Eastern Maine Medical Center, in Bangor, following a brief illness. Wilton was born on August 11, 1930, on his family’s farm, in Larone, to Arnold and Sadie (Hunter) Larsen.

In 1939, Wilton became ill with rheumatic fever and spent the next five years of his young life in and out of the hospital – often for months at a time. When he finally returned home after many operations and close calls, Wilton was unable to walk. Never one to be dissuaded by obstacles, he learned to walk with the assistance of crutches rather than spend his life wheelchair bound.

After attending Easton High School and graduating from Lawrence High School, in Fairfield, in 1953, Wilton attended the Woodrow Wilson Technical School, in Fishersville, Virginia. He graduated in 1958 with a certificate in watchmaking and returned to Maine to work for Barnstone Osgood, in Lewiston.

In 1960, Wilton married Melba Mahoney, in Norridgewock. And in 1962, he opened Larsen’s Jewelry Store, in Oakland (later located in Fairfield and Waterville). Together with their family and friends, Wilton and Melba built their home at the end of Heath Street, where he resided for the rest of his life. Wilton was civically-minded and very active in his community, serving as an Oakland Town Councilor, president of the Oakland Lions Club, and on the board of the Waterville Osteopathic Hospital.

Throughout his life, Wilton enjoyed woodworking, traveling the United States, spending time with his family, and searching out the best deal on a good cord of wood.

Wilton is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Melba Mahoney Larsen; his son, Mark (Lee Anne) Larsen, of Sidney; daughter, Susan (Phuc) Tran, of Portland; his four granddaughters, Elizabeth Larsen, Emily Larsen, Phoebe Tran, and Beatrix Tran; his brother, Gerald (Mabel) Larsen and sisters, Audrey Thibodeau, Barbara Hunter, and Sandra Otis; along with several nieces and nephews.

Wilton requested that there be no funeral. There will be a burial ceremony at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 29, at Friends Cemetery on Middle Road in Fairfield.

An online guestbook may be signed, and memories shared at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are by Wheeler Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 26 Church St., Oakland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Wilton’s memory to the Oakland Fire and Rescue Department, 11 Fairfield St., Oakland, ME 04963.

Vasalboro public works foreman presents budget request

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Budget Committee members spent most of their March 12 meeting talking with Public Works Foreman Eugene Field about his 2020-21 plans and budget request, a major piece of the annual municipal budget.

Also considered was a request from the Vassalboro Historical Society for the usual $2,500 appropriation plus $5,000 toward a $45,000 metal storage building to be set behind the barn on the Main Street property formerly owned by Betty Taylor.

An email from society president Janice Clowes said the building will be used to house and display “large items from Vassalboro,” like wagons and farm and boating equipment.

Committee members talked again about major culvert projects (see The Town Line, March 12) on Gray and Cross Hill roads. Field listed several other culverts that will need replacement soon and explained that if fish or other wildlife live in the brooks running through them, environmental regulations will require extensive work.

Selectman John Melrose, point man on the culverts because of his former job as state Commissioner of Transportation, said engineer Jim Foster helped Vassalboro get a grant to pay part of the estimated cost of the Cross Hill Road culvert. Melrose suggested the town crew do some of the work; Field protested mildly that the time would need to be taken from other summer work.

The Gray Road project started, on state requirements, as a 30-foot bridge replacing the current six-foot pipe, and has been reduced somewhat in size and cost. As of March 12, Melrose said, the state departments of transportation and environmental protection disagreed about how to proceed and the Selectboard had authorized hiring an engineer to create a plan both would accept. Melrose said the Army Corps of Engineers’ approval is also needed.

Discussion included a suggestion to do Cross Hill in 2020 and postpone the more complicated Gray Road project, and ideas for financing the Gray Road work.

Field outlined paving plans, saying in current global financial conditions he expects the cost of paving materials will be lower than expected a month ago. Melrose pointed out that after several years when few roads were paved or repaved, Vassalboro is beginning to catch up on needed work.

Field asked for higher wages for the public works crew than recommended by Town Manager Mary Sabins. He presented hourly rates for employees doing comparable work in area towns as the basis for his request.

Budget committee members made no decisions on spending recommendations. They canceled their March 24 joint meeting with the school board, because, Chairman Rick Denico said, school officials notified him they will not be ready.

Sabins reported March 16 that the selectmen’s and budget committee meetings scheduled for Thursday, March 19, were both cancelled. As of March 16, selectmen planned to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2. A March 31 budget committee meeting with the school board, requested by the latter, was not confirmed.

Recycling suspended 14 days in China

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Recycling operations suspended for 14 days at the Town of China Transfer Station effective immediately. This brief suspension should not create too much of a burden on users, but we appreciate everyone’s patience. We will update as appropriate.

CHINA: Self-storage facility gets approval

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by Mary Grow

China Codes Officer William Butler reported the planning board, meeting March 10, approved Jamie Nichols’ application for a self-storage facility on Vassalboro Road.

Nichols amended his application by adding more phosphorus treatment and reducing the amount of impervious surface to bring the facility into compliance with China’s phosphorus run-off regulations.

The board approval is conditional on Nichols getting two state Department of Environmental Protection permits.

The next China Planning Board meeting is currently scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 24. Butler said the agenda has two items, review of an application for Phase Two of the causeway project at the head of China Lake’s east basin and continued discussion of SunRaise solar projects near Route 3.

The second phase of the causeway project involves changes to the shoreline and boat landing east of the new causeway bridge, which was the heart of the first phase. SunRaise has approval for a solar array off Windsor Road (see The Town Line, March 5, p. 3), with further discussion of the surety bond for decommissioning and restoration of the property pending, and has applied for a second solar development farther east on Route 3.

China annual town meeting rescheduled to May 2

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by Mary Grow

At their March 16 meeting, China selectmen unanimously approved Town Manager Dennis Heath’s recommendations for balancing staff and residents’ safety with necessary town services in the coronavirus age.

The goal of the proposals Heath, Emergency Preparedness Committee members and others developed is “to not create mass hysteria, but show people that we’re being thoughtful and responsible,” the manager said.

To that end:

  • The annual town business meeting that was scheduled for April 4 has been rescheduled, for now at least, to 9 a.m. Saturday, May 2, with the two pre-meeting informational sessions planned for March moved to April 26 and 29.
  • Meetings of all town committees are suspended until further notice, with two exceptions: the Selectboard will continue to meet alternate Mondays for essential town business only, and the Thursday, March 19, China for a Lifetime Committee meeting will be held to continue to advise on appropriate emergency measures.
  • The transfer station will remain open the usual hours, except the Free-for-the-Taking building, which will be closed. Transfer station users should keep a safe distance from staff members and from other users.
  • Town office staff will continue to work normal hours, but with limited person-to-person contact. Those needing town office services are encouraged to do their business on-line or to call the town office for over-the-phone discussions. Beginning soon, probably March 23, the office doors will be locked and only people who have made an appointment and whose business must be done face-to-face will be admitted. Tax payments due March 27 can be left in the box outside the office door or mailed.
  • A new coronavirus page on the town website will continue to provide updated information.

China’s website is china.govoffice.com. The town office telephone number is 445-2014; the email address is info@chinamaine.org.

Selectmen and Heath do not know how long emergency measures will be in place. They will monitor news and advice about the pandemic and act accordingly.

Former Selectman Robert MacFarland asked whether the town had plans to provide supplies to housebound residents if necessary. Heath said that was one of the issues the China for a Lifetime Committee was working on, and one reason its meeting was not cancelled.

There will be limits to what the town can do, he said. That day he had asked staff to try to get a supply of disinfectant wipes: none are available, none can be ordered.

Selectmen authorized Heath to use money from their contingency fund to assist residents during the coronavirus emergency.

In other business March 16, selectmen appointed Trishea Story secretary of the Tax Increment Financing Committee.

As of March 16, the next China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, March 30.

Vassalboro planners OK re-opening repair garage

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by Mary Grow

After a thorough review and detailed information from applicant Olin C. Charette, Vassalboro Planning Board members unanimously approved his application to reopen his Riverside Drive repair garage, with vehicle sales and a state inspection station.

Charette’s Weeks Mills Garage at 1499 Riverside Drive already has a junkyard permit that Codes Officer Paul Mitnik recommended and selectmen issued in January. A neighbor who attended the March 10 planning board meeting commented that Charette had “done a good job” cleaning up the part of the property visible from the road, as required by junkyard regulations.

The building had previously been a repair garage, but the permit expired while the garage was not operating.

Charette provided information on access, internal traffic movement, screening, lighting, signage and other relevant characteristics of the property.

He said access from Riverside Drive is normally through the north gate; the south gate is opened mostly for tractor-trailers heading behind the building. It is not blocked by parked vehicles, however, so it is available for emergency access. Keeping the south gate clear was the only condition board members attached to their approval.

A paved area in the large front yard will display vehicles for sale; Charette plans to have no more than 10 at a time. There is adequate space for customer parking and for access to the garage doors on the south side.

The back part of the property is screened by earth berms with trees growing on top, the front part by fencing. Charette said there is a motion light on the front of the building. He does not plan to add more lights.

There is a sign on the building and, as required by the state for inspection stations, a small sign listing operating hours by the gate. Charette plans to be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and part of the day Saturdays. He said work will be done inside the garage, and there will be no evening or night work that might bother neighbors.

Charette and board Chairman Ginny Bracket and member Doug Phillips interjected bits of the history of the building, which Brackett said she has reviewed at least twice for prior owners’ permits.

Charette believes the building belonged years ago to a trucking company. He bought the property at auction and was then informed that it was a hazardous waste site and he had become responsible for clean-up.

“I was surprised,” he said.

The clean-up included soil removal, installation of run-off ponds and construction of the berms. It appears to have been successful; Charette said he was surprised again more recently when water from his and the neighbor’s wells tested safe for drinking.

After approving Charette’s permit, board members turned to Mitnik’s recommendation for minor amendments to Vassalboro’s Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. They will require voter approval. Later, Mitnik emailed that there is time to get the amendments on the June 1 town meeting warrant, and proposed a public hearing on them at the Tuesday, April 7, planning board meeting.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, March 19, 2020

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To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

WILDLIFE AT ITS BEST (part 1): Jayne Winters, of South China, captured this raccoon hanging on to a tree.

WILDLIFE AT ITS BEST (part 2): Jayne Winters, of South China, had the rare opportunity to capture this bald eagle on the ground.

SIGN OF SPRING: Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, recently photographed these pussy willows beginning to bud.

A look at what Maine was like before it became a state

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by Roland D. Hallee

In March 15, 1820, Maine became the 23rd state of the United States. Last Sunday was Maine’s 200th anniversary of admission to the union.

HOW MAINE GOT ITS NAME

There is no definitive explanation for the origin of the name “Maine,” but the most likely origin is that the name was given by early explorers after the former province of Maine, in France. Whatever the origin, the name was fixed for English settlers in 1665 when the English King’s Commissioners ordered that the “Province of Maine” be entered from then on in official records. The state legislature in 2001 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day, which stated that the state was named after the former French province of Maine.

Other theories mention earlier places with similar names, or claim it is a nautical reference to the mainland. Captain John Smith, in his “Description of New England” (1614) bemoans the lack of exploration: “Thus you may see, of this 2000 miles more then halfe is yet vnknowne to any purpose: no not so much as the borders of the Sea are yet certainly discovered. As for the goodnes and true substances of the Land, wee are for most part yet altogether ignorant of them, vnlesse it bee those parts about the Bay of Chisapeack and Sagadahock: but onely here and there wee touched or haue seene a little the edges of those large dominions, which doe stretch themselues into the Maine, God doth know how many thousand miles;” Note that his description of the mainland of North America is “the Maine.” The word “main” was a frequent shorthand for the word “mainland” (as in “The Spanish Main”)

Attempts to uncover the history of the name of Maine began with James Sullivan’s 1795 “History of the District of Maine.” He made the unsubstantiated claim that the Province of Maine was a compliment to the queen of Charles I, Henrietta Maria, who once “owned” the Province of Maine in France. This was quoted by Maine historians until the 1845 biography of that queen, by Agnes Strickland, established that she had no connection to the province; further, King Charles I married Henrietta Maria in 1625, three years after the name Maine first appeared on the charter.

The first known record of the name appears in an August 10, 1622, land charter to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason, English Royal Navy veterans, who were granted a large tract in present-day Maine that Mason and Gorges, “intend to name the Province of Maine.” Mason had served with the Royal Navy in the Orkney Islands, where the chief island is called Mainland, a possible name derivation for these English sailors. In 1623, the English naval captain Christopher Levett, exploring the New England coast, wrote: “The first place I set my foote upon in New England was the Isle of Shoals, being Ilands [sic] in the sea, above two Leagues from the Mayne.” Initially, several tracts along the coast of New England were referred to as Main or Maine (ex.: the Spanish Main). A reconfirmed and enhanced April 3, 1639, charter, from England’s King Charles I, gave Sir Ferdinando Gorges increased powers over his new province and stated that it “shall forever hereafter, be called and named the PROVINCE OR COUNTIE OF MAINE, and not by any other name or names whatsoever …” Maine is the only U.S. state whose name has exactly one syllable.

ORIGINAL INHABITANTS

The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Penobscot, Androscoggin and Kennebec. During the later King Philip’s War, many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become the Wabanaki Confederacy, aiding the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and the Mahican, of New York. Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of the tribes of Maine continued, unchanged, until the American Revolution. Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, Iroquois-inspired settlements, while those along the coast tended to be semi-nomadic – traveling from settlement to settlement on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer.

European contact with what is now called Maine started around 1200 when Norwegians interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County, most likely through trade. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in Iceland and Greenland, Norwegians had first identified America and attempted to settle areas such as Newfoundland, but failed to establish a permanent settlement there. Archaeological evidence suggests that Norwegians in Greenland returned to North America for several centuries after the initial discovery to collect timber and to trade, with the most relevant evidence being the Maine Penny, an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954.

The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, led by French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. His party included Samuel de Champlain, noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area Acadia, including the portion that later became the state of Maine. The first English settlement in Maine was established by the Plymouth Company at the Popham Colony in 1607, the same year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. The Popham colonists returned to Britain after 14 months.

The French established two Jesuit missions: one on Penobscot Bay in 1609, and the other on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The same year, Castine was established by Claude de La Tour. In 1625, Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour erected Fort Pentagouet to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became the Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled, and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock. A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain Christopher Levett at a place called York, where he had been granted 6,000 acres by King Charles I of England. It also failed.

Central Maine was formerly inhabited by people of the Androscoggin tribe of the Abenaki nation, also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William’s War. They were relocated at St. Francis, Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers’ Rangers in 1759, and is now Odanak. The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during Dummer’s War, with the capture of Norridgewock in 1724 and the defeat of the Pequawket in 1725, which greatly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to Canada, where they were settled at Bécancour and Sillery, and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south.

HOW MAINE BECAME PART OF MASSACHUSETTS

Maine in 1798.

The province within its current boundaries became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652. Maine was much fought over by the French, English, and allied natives during the 17th and early 18th centuries, who conducted raids against each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, adoption by Native American tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 Abenaki raid on York, where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage. The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in Queen Anne’s War of the early 1700s to Kahnewake, a Catholic Mohawk village near Montreal, where some were adopted and others ransomed.

After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia, and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury, with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine’s territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts. The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the Treaty of Paris ending the revolution, although the final border with British North America was not established until the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842.

Maine was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Long-standing disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year. Formal secession and formation of the state of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which geographically limited the spread of slavery and enabled the admission to statehood of Missouri the following year, keeping a balance between slave and free states.

Maine’s original state capital was Portland, Maine’s largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court remains in Portland.

The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, prevented the Union Army from being flanked at Little Round Top by the Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine, most famously the armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1), whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the Spanish–American War.

THE FINAL PUSH TO STATEHOOD

The Missouri Compromise was United States federal legislation that admitted Maine to the United States as a free state, simultaneously with Missouri as a slave state – thus maintaining the balance of power between North and South in the United States Senate. As part of the compromise, the legislation prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ parallel, excluding Missouri. The 16th United States Congress passed the legislation on March 3, 1820, and President James Monroe signed it on March 6, 1820.

Earlier, in February 1819, Representative James Tallmadge Jr., a Jeffersonian Republican from New York, submitted two amendments to Missouri’s request for statehood, which included restrictions on slavery. Southerners objected to any bill that imposed federal restrictions on slavery, believing that slavery was a state issue settled by the Constitution. However, with the Senate evenly split at the opening of the debates, both sections possessing 11 states, the admission of Missouri as a slave state would give the South an advantage. Northern critics including Federalists and Democratic-Republicans objected to the expansion of slavery into the Louisiana Purchase territory on the Constitutional inequalities of the three-fifths rule, which conferred Southern representation in the federal government derived from a states’ slave population. Jeffersonian Republicans in the North ardently maintained that a strict interpretation of the Constitution required that Congress act to limit the spread of slavery on egalitarian grounds. “[Northern] Republicans rooted their antislavery arguments, not on expediency, but in egalitarian morality”; and “The Constitution [said northern Jeffersonians], strictly interpreted, gave the sons of the founding generation the legal tools to hasten the removal of slavery, including the refusal to admit additional slave states.”.

When free-soil Maine offered its petition for statehood, the Senate quickly linked the Maine and Missouri bills, making Maine admission a condition for Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. Senator Jesse B. Thomas, of Illinois, added a compromise proviso that excluded slavery from all remaining lands of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36° 30′ parallel. The combined measures passed the Senate, only to be voted down in the House by those Northern representatives who held out for a free Missouri. Speaker of the House Henry Clay, of Kentucky, in a desperate bid to break the deadlock, divided the Senate bills. Clay and his pro-compromise allies succeeded in pressuring half the anti-restrictionist House Southerners to submit to the passage of the Thomas proviso, while maneuvering a number of restrictionist House northerners to acquiesce in supporting Missouri as a slave state. The Missouri question in the 15th Congress ended in stalemate on March 4, 1819, the House sustaining its northern antislavery position, and the Senate blocking a slavery restricted statehood.

The Missouri Compromise was controversial at the time, as many worried that the country had become lawfully divided along sectional lines. The Kansas–Nebraska Act effectively repealed the bill in 1854, and the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857). This increased tensions over slavery and eventually led to the Civil War.

The District of Maine was the governmental designation for what is now the U.S. state of Maine from October 25, 1780, to March 15, 1820, when it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. The district was a part of the state of Massachusetts (which prior to the American Revolution was the British province of Massachusetts Bay).

Originally settled in 1607 by the Plymouth Company, the coastal area between the Merrimack and Kennebec rivers, as well as an irregular parcel of land between the headwaters of the two rivers, became the province of Maine in a 1622 land grant. In 1629, the land was split, creating an area between the Piscataqua and Merrimack rivers which became the province of New Hampshire. It existed through a series of land patents made by the kings of England during this era, and included New Somersetshire, Lygonia, and Falmouth. The province was incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 1650s, beginning with the formation of York County, Massachusetts, which extend from the Piscataqua River to just east of the mouth of the Presumpscot River in Casco Bay. Eventually, its territory grew to encompass nearly all of present-day Maine. The large size of the county led to its division in 1760 through the creation of Cumberland and Lincoln counties.

The northeastern portion of present-day Maine was first sparsely occupied by Maliseet Indians and French settlers from Acadia. The lands between the Kennebec and Saint Croix rivers were granted to the Duke of York in 1664, who had them administered as Cornwall County, part of his proprietary Province of New York. In 1688, these lands (along with the rest of New York) were subsumed into the Dominion of New England. English and French claims in western Maine would be contested, at times violently, until the British conquest of New France in the French and Indian War. With the creation of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1692, the entirety of what is now Maine became part of that province.

When Massachusetts adopted its state constitution in 1780, it created the District of Maine to manage its northernmost counties, bounded on the west by the Piscataqua River and on the east by the Saint Croix River. By 1820, the district had been further subdivided with the creation of Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, and Washington counties.

A movement for Maine statehood began as early as 1785, and in the following years, several conventions were held to effect this. Starting in 1792 five popular votes were taken but all failed to reach the necessary majorities. During the War of 1812, British and Canadian forces occupied a large portion of Maine including everything from the Penobscot River east to the New Brunswick border. A weak response by Massachusetts to this occupation contributed to increased calls in the district for statehood.

The Massachusetts General Court passed enabling legislation on June 19, 1819, separating the District of Maine from the rest of the Commonwealth. The following month, on July 19, voters in the district approved statehood by 17,091 to 7,132.

In Kennebec County, the vote was 3,950 in favor, 641 opposed; In Somerset County the results were 1,440 in favor, 237 opposed.

Thus, Maine became the 23rd state admitted to the U.S. on March 15, 1820.