1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons
Maine ranks 47th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Maine is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the New England region. Maine is some 35 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.3 million people. The state is divided into 16 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Maine we have discovered historical markers in 116 cities and towns lying in 114 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 779 historical markers in Maine, by our count. We have cataloged 696 historical markers and 180 war memorials—each individually presented on 854 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 83 historical markers in Maine that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Maine marker in the database, Bonney Park, was added May 28, 2007. It was photographed in Auburn in Androscoggin County. The last one added was submitted on March 6, 2024, and titled Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine. It is in Bangor in Penobscot County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Maine was erected in 1859. It was this one: Reverend William I. Reese, and one of our correspondents found it in Portland in Cumberland County on December 12, 2011.
Mainers don’t want to forget their Industry and Commerce history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Maine about Industry and Commerce—200 of them—than about any other historical topic. A close second is Waterways and Vessels with 200 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Industry and Commerce topic was A. J. “Allie” Cole, added August 15, 2007. It had been erected near Medway in Penobscot County. The last one submitted also was submitted on March 6, 2024, and titled Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine. It had been erected in Bangor in Penobscot County. The earliest marker erected with the Industry and Commerce topic that we have listed was erected in 1939. It is Cushnoc Trading Post, found in Augusta in Kennebec County on November 30, 2017.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Maine? What we know is that Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine is the most viewed entry in the database from Maine since it was added in 2008. It is located in Bangor in Penobscot County. This year so far, the most viewed Mainer entry is located in Biddeford in York County. It is The Thacher Hotel / L'Hôtel Thacher.
Counties, Cities and Towns
The Maine county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Cumberland County, with 183 of them. It is followed by York County with 134 markers. The Portland area of Cumberland County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 78. In York County the area with the most markers, 32, is Kennebunk.
Checking the database for the city or town in Maine with the most markers we again find Portland at the top of the list with 78 markers in or near it. It is followed by Augusta in Kennebec County with 56 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 04101 at the top of the list with 73 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 04101 is assigned to Portland ME.) It is followed by ZIP Code 04330 with 52 markers. (04330 is assigned to Augusta ME including the Chelsea, Sidney, and Togus delivery areas.)
Historical Markers Near These Maine Cities and Towns
Getting back to Cumberland County, the first marker added to the database from there, Franklin Street Wharf, was added July 7, 2009. It was erected in 2007 in Portland. The last one submitted was uploaded on September 22, 2023, and is titled Derosier’s Market, in Freeport. The earliest marker erected in Cumberland County that we have listed was erected in 1859. It was Reverend William I. Reese, found in Portland on December 12, 2011.
By Mike Stroud, July 1988
Latest Entry from Maine “Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine”
There is no organization in charge of erecting official historical markers state-wide in Maine today. A number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Maine have been marked with history. Check out Oxford County, Somerset County and Franklin County. We've only found, respectively, 4, 3, and 2 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Maine might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Maine ranks 47th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Maine is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the New England region. Maine is some 35 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.3 million people. The state is divided into 16 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Maine we have discovered historical markers in 116 cities and towns lying in 114 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 779 historical markers in Maine, by our count. We have cataloged 696 historical markers and 180 war memorials, each individually presented on 854 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 83 historical markers in Maine that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Maine marker in the database, Bonney Park, was added May 28, 2007. It was photographed in Auburn in Androscoggin County. The last one added was submitted on March 6, 2024, and titled Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine. It is in Bangor in Penobscot County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Maine was erected in 1859. It was this one: Reverend William I. Reese, and one of our correspondents found it in Portland in Cumberland County on December 12, 2011.
Mainers don’t want to forget their Industry and Commerce history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Maine about Industry and Commerce, 200 of them, than about any other historical topic. A close second is Waterways and Vessels with 200 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Industry and Commerce topic was A. J. “Allie” Cole, added August 15, 2007. It had been erected near Medway in Penobscot County. The last one submitted also was submitted on March 6, 2024, and titled Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine. It had been erected in Bangor in Penobscot County. The earliest marker erected with the Industry and Commerce topic that we have listed was erected in 1939. It is Cushnoc Trading Post, found in Augusta in Kennebec County on November 30, 2017.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Maine? What we know is that Paul Bunyan of Bangor, Maine is the most viewed entry in the database from Maine since it was added in 2008. It is located in Bangor in Penobscot County. This year so far, the most viewed Mainer entry is located in Biddeford in York County. It is The Thacher Hotel / L'Hôtel Thacher.
Counties, Cities and Towns.
The Maine county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Cumberland County, with 183 of them. It is followed by York County with 134 markers. The Portland area of Cumberland County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 78. In York County the area with the most markers, 32, is Kennebunk.
Checking the database for the city or town in Maine with the most markers we again find Portland at the top of the list with 78 markers in or near it. It is followed by Augusta in Kennebec County with 56 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 0 4 1 0 1 at the top of the list with 73 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 0 4 1 0 1 is assigned to Portland ME.) It is followed by ZIP Code 0 4 3 3 0 with 52 markers. (0 4 3 3 0 is assigned to Augusta ME including the Chelsea, Sidney, and Togus delivery areas.)
Getting back to Cumberland County, the first marker added to the database from there, Franklin Street Wharf, was added July 7, 2009. It was erected in 2007 in Portland. The last one submitted was uploaded on September 22, 2023, and is titled Derosier’s Market, in Freeport. The earliest marker erected in Cumberland County that we have listed was erected in 1859. It was Reverend William I. Reese, found in Portland on December 12, 2011.
There is no organization in charge of erecting official historical markers state-wide in Maine today. A number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path.
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Maine have been marked with history. Check out Oxford County, Somerset County and Franklin County. We've only found, respectively, 4, 3, and 2 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Maine might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Maine ranks 47th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Maine is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the New England region. Maine is some 35 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 1.3 million people. The state is divided into 16 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Maine we have discovered historical markers in 116 cities and towns lying in 114 different ZIP Codes. 