In July 1895, the first color issue of Comfort rolled off the presses to be sent nationwide to over a million subscribers. W. H. Gannett established his phenomenally successful magazine (1888-1942) to promote Giant Oxien, his . . . — — Map (db m111271) HM
An expedition under
Colonel Benedict Arnold
for the capture of Quebec
marched from this place
in September 1775
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
To record . . . — — Map (db m110856) HM WM
Holiday shoppers on Water Street in 1932 had a brand new store to shop! That year, the S.S. Kresge five and dime store opened in a modern Art Deco building unique in downtown Augusta. The new building replaced an Italianate block . . . — — Map (db m111199) HM
On June 8, 1834, Judge Daniel Cony's home was consumed by fire. Judge Cony had erected the frame of that house on October 17, 1797, on the 20th anniversary of the capture of General Burgoyne's army. Cony was a Massachusetts militia . . . — — Map (db m186064) HM
Distinguished Citizen of Augusta
Revered by the people of the city
for years of service to them as
Physician, Counselor and Leader — — Map (db m110774) HM
In 1856, James North built Meonian Hall, named for Maeonia in Asia Minor. The Italianate building stood on the site of the Burton House, Augusta's first post office in 1789. During the Civil War, patriotic rallies and civic meetings . . . — — Map (db m111246) HM
Abraham Lincoln's assassination in Washington on April 14, 1865, as the Civil War was ending plunged Augusta into sorrow. Businesses closed on the 19th and soldiers, civil authorities, and societies converged at the black draped . . . — — Map (db m186073) HM
Welcome to Augusta
Indigenous people occupied the Augusta area for thousands of years before European explorers arrived. Little evidence remains of their time here, but patches of forested land along the Kennebec give us a glimpse . . . — — Map (db m186068) HM
Augusta in the Civil War
Civil War was now inaugurated: fifty years of dispute over slavery came to a contest of arms with the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor by forces of the new Confederate States of America. News of . . . — — Map (db m186091) HM
Augusta in the Civil War
Civil War was now inaugurated: fifty years of dispute over slavery came to a contest of arms with the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor by forces of the new Confederate States of America. News of . . . — — Map (db m186097) HM
These buildings were built to house the E. C. Allen Publishing Company. Allen has been called the forerunner of the advertising agency business, the pioneer of low-priced mail order periodicals, and the creator of the premium idea . . . — — Map (db m111073) HM
Not for fame or reward
Not for place or for rank
Not lured by ambition
or goaded by necessity
But in simple obedience to duty
as they understood it
These men suffered all
Sacrificed all
Dared all - and died
[Historical information excerpt at bottom of marker]
Old Fort Western and downtown Augusta sit on the site of ancient Cushnoc, the Abenaki word signifying the head of tide on the Kennebec River. Although according to the archaeological . . . — — Map (db m110823) HM
News of surrender at Fort Sumter and the onset of war reached Augusta on April 12, 1861. Governor Washburn quickly approved Horatio Staples' call for Augusta volunteers, who joined others at Capitol Park to form the 3rd Maine . . . — — Map (db m186099) HM
In honor of the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps who, from 1933 to 1942, changed the face of Maine by building parks, roads, trails, forests and citizenship, leaving a lasting legacy to the conservation of natural resources for which all . . . — — Map (db m111015) HM
At the request of Maine's Governor, the Federal Government established a military hospital at Camp E.D. Keyes. In operation from June 1, 1864, to November 30, 1865, the hospital was a self-contained complex equipped with operating . . . — — Map (db m186082) HM
On June 14, 1894, the cornerstones for the Masonic Temple and Lithgow Library were laid with imposing Masonic ceremonies. Parades, speeches, and feasting marked the day, and hundreds of people from all over the state participated. . . . — — Map (db m111147) HM
In commemoration of the first trading voyage of the Pilgrims of Plymouth to the ancient Indian village at Cushnoc on the Kennebec River, 1625, and on this site the establishment of their fur trading post with the Indians, 1628, Jown Howland in . . . — — Map (db m110858) HM
An endless quest for riches brought Europeans to the Kennebec River by 1607 and to Augusta by 1625. In 1628, the Plymouth (Massachusetts) Colony constructed Cushnoc Trading Post on the Kennebec riverbank at the head of navigation, . . . — — Map (db m110861) HM
In 1910, Delbert W. Adams opened a store on Water Street offering "strictly first-class goods at a fair margin of profit." In 1920, Adams moved across the street to 190 Water Street, where the store operated until it closed in 1982. . . . — — Map (db m111248) HM
This reproduction of the Liberty Bell was presented to the people of Maine by direction of The Honorable John W. Snyder Secretary of the Treasury
As the inspirational symbol of the United States Savings Bonds Independence . . . — — Map (db m128550) WM
For over 200 years, this site has anchored a span over the Kennebec River. Construction of the first bridge began in May 1797 by the Proprietors of the Kennebec Bridge, which owned and subsequently operated the bridge. Completed on . . . — — Map (db m110811) HM
The embargoes leading to war caused economic hardship in Augusta, and news of war generated disdain in this Federalist Town. Citizens mounted a protest by hanging an effigy of President Madison from the public wharf and flying an . . . — — Map (db m153146) HM
They deserve our everlasting gratitude.
This garden of remembrance is to honor our fallen heroes whose bodies were never found.
Stones have been placed to keep memories of their heroism alive.
Memorials here are for those who . . . — — Map (db m127032) WM
Amid the destruction of the 1865 Great Fire, a new and magnificent building was already rising. Granite Block, built at the corner of Water Street and Market Square, was a three-story edifice faced with granite. The third floor had a . . . — — Map (db m111087) HM
The Pilgrims' trading post at Cushnoc had enjoyed a monopoly of fur trade with local Abenaki since 1628. In the spring of 1634 a vessel commanded by John Hocking of Portsmouth challenged that monopoly. Arriving at Cushnoc, Hocking . . . — — Map (db m110824) HM
The U.S. Arsenal was established here in 1827. Several of its commanders became prominent in the Civil War, including Capt. James Ripley, who became a Brigadier General and Chief of the Army's Ordnance Department; Lt. Robert . . . — — Map (db m186100) HM
On April 15, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln asked Maine to furnish one regiment to quell the rebellion of the Southern states. Maine's Legislature instantly called for 10,000 volunteers and appropriated $1 million to restore the . . . — — Map (db m186063) HM
Six of the seven batteries of mounted light artillery raised by the State of Maine beginning in 1861 were mustered into service and trained in Augusta. They encamped in an expanse of high ground immediately southwest of the State . . . — — Map (db m186062) HM
Charlotte Holand Vance Morrill could hold a grudge. When in 1869, her husband Lot lost his seat in the U.S. Senate to Hannibal Hamlin, she blamed James G. Blaine, who from then on she refused to allow in her house. Lot Morrill served . . . — — Map (db m186078) HM
Constructed facing the Kennebec River in 1799 by Arthur Lithgow, this majestic Federal style dwelling in 1807 became home to Reuel Williams, one of Augusta's most prominent nineteenth century citizen. The 14-room house featured an . . . — — Map (db m110889) HM
Market Square was an early civic and commercial center for the community. Bordering the Square were Pollard's Tavern and the first Meeting House, built in 1782. In 1816, hard times prompted "Ohio Fever" and the square was a . . . — — Map (db m111082) HM
Melville Weston Fuller, an Augusta native, returned to the city following his graduation from Harvard Law School. Here he briefly practiced law, held municipal offices, edited a newspaper and then migrated to Chicago, where he became one of . . . — — Map (db m116071) HM
Chosen in 1879 as a Memorial Park with the Civil War Monument dedicated September 21, 1882. A World War One monument was also placed at the southern end of the park. — — Map (db m186070) HM
As part of the strategy to expand and strengthen Massachusetts' territorial claims along the Kennebec River, a Boston-based land company, the Kennebec Proprietors, built Fort Western in 1754. Commanded by James Howard, the Fort . . . — — Map (db m110822) HM
Old Fort Western was built in 1754 at Cushnoc, an Abenaki name for the site of an important 17th-century Plymouth Colony trading post. The Old Fort's main house (barrack) is New England's oldest surviving wooden fort building and a symbol of . . . — — Map (db m111208) HM
The Gothic style cottage, now used for business, was built by the Reverend Sylvester Judd as a home and parsonage. In 1840, Judd became minister of Augusta's Unitarian Church, the church of local elite. In 1841, Judd married Jane . . . — — Map (db m110891) HM
In 1982, ten year old Samantha Smith wrote a letter to Yuri Andropov, the leader of the Soviet Union asking, "Why do you want to go to war with the United States?" Mr. Andropov's reply to that letter, his invitation for Samantha to visit, and her . . . — — Map (db m111036) HM
In the golden years of wooden shipbuilding, Maine-built ships carried American goods worldwide-and Augusta was no exception! Master William Jones' shipyard was located here in the 1840s & 1850s. From 1837 to 1856, 37 vessels were . . . — — Map (db m153160) HM
The afternoon concert at Augusta city hall on May 1, 1897, proved to be both popular and historic. On that day the people of Augusta heard the most famous band in the land—Sousa's Band! John Philip Sousa was by the time of his . . . — — Map (db m110780) HM
Steamboats debuted on the Kennebec in 1818. By 1823, the Kennebec Steam Navigation Company operated the Waterville between Bath and Augusta. A nationwide economic decline later forced them out of business, but the organization . . . — — Map (db m111161) HM
Eastman Johnson was born in Lovell, but moved to Augusta in 1834. The family lived on Pleasant Street and at 61 Winthrop Street, where Johnson began his artistic career by drawing portraits of notable local persons such as . . . — — Map (db m186075) HM
In 1865, Augusta observed the Fourth of July in peace. The war had been won and the city celebrated with a procession, an oration, and a dinner at the Augusta House. The day began with a cavalcade of Fantastic Bummers marching . . . — — Map (db m186053) HM
On the morning of September 17, 1865, a fire began in the new, still unoccupied Dr. H. H. Hill building on the east side of Water Street, above Oak Street. An arsonist later convicted of setting a Portland fire was suspected, . . . — — Map (db m111205) HM
By 1858 Water Street had been transformed from a wilderness into a bustling business district featuring many fine commercial brick and wooden buildings. That year a pioneer photographer, Simon Wing of Waterville, took two stereo . . . — — Map (db m111238) HM
Dedicated in 1882, this majestic monument honors Augusta's Civil War dead. Fifty feet from the base to sword tip, it features the figure of a woman representing Patriotism guarding the honor of her martyred sons. In her hands are an . . . — — Map (db m186071) HM
Augusta's "Castle"! When first opened in 1890, the Portland Transcript called 295 Water Street "one of the most picturesque public buildings that the government has bestowed upon any city in the Union." Built of Hallowell . . . — — Map (db m111133) HM
A living memorial dedicated to all Maine Sons and Daughters who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, those who made the supreme sacrifice as well as those who have returned. — — Map (db m111038) WM
On this site stood the homestead of William Penn Whitehouse, Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1911 to 1919. An 1863 graduate of Colby College, Whitehouse studied law with Sewall Lancaster, then opened his own law office in . . . — — Map (db m110937) HM
To the memory
of our heroic dead
who fought for the liberty
of humanity
1917-1919
—————
Quiet they rest
in this high hope serene
that we for whom they died
shall keep the faith
Killed in Action . . . — — Map (db m110952) WM
Looking down the river from where you are, the building foundation remanents you see are those of an electric power generation station which began operation in the late 1890's and is pictured on this display.
Water power was used to drive belts . . . — — Map (db m147321) HM
The Kennebec River is the largest river in Maine. Originating from Moosehead Lake, the river flows 190 miles through Somerset, Kennebec and Sagadahoc Counties to the Gulf of Maine at Popham Beach. The Kennebec was a primary travel route for . . . — — Map (db m125013) HM
The Kennebec River is the largest river in Maine. Originating from Moosehead Lake, the river flows 190 miles through Somerset, Kennebec and Sagadahoc Counties to the Gulf of Maine at Popham Beach. The Kennebec was a primary travel route for Native . . . — — Map (db m125019) HM
This Flag of the USA
was flown over the
US National Support Element
In Kabul, Afganistan
on July 17, 2011
In Honor of
VFW Post 6924 — — Map (db m125048) WM
Near this spot stood the 1771 homestead of the Elias and Mary Taylor family, pioneer settlers of Kennebec, Cushnoc, Hallowell, Winthrop and Manchester and Patriots of the American Revolution. In 1775 their eldest son John Taylor joined the . . . — — Map (db m123670) HM
The land for the Library was donated by the Winthrop Mills Company and it was designed by the Hon. Harry H. Cochrane. Construction started in 1926 under the direction of Victor King of North Monmouth. Dedication exercises for the New Library were . . . — — Map (db m136998) HM
The Franco-Americans who settled in the Central Maine area in the 19th and early 20th centuries came for the most part from Quebec counties bordering Maine, such as Beauce and Frontenac.
Eventually, other immigrants from Prince Edward . . . — — Map (db m116152) HM
The history of toll bridges across the Kennebec goes back to the early 1820's when the bridge connecting Waterville-Winslow was partially destroyed by a March flood in 1827. Another great flood in 1832 damaged the bridge which was rebuilt only to . . . — — Map (db m147328) HM
Front Inscription
Veterans Memorial Park Dedicated to veterans of all wars
Bourque Lanigan Post 5 American Legion Waterville, Maine Dedicated May 23, 1999
Rear Inscription
Commander William E. Pasha
Chairman Thomas I. . . . — — Map (db m95780) WM
Front Inscription
1917-1919
In honor and appreciation of those who served their state and county to the credit of the City of Waterville in the World War.
There are 14 rows of inscribed namesAdjoining Plaque
American Legion . . . — — Map (db m95781) WM
This blockhouse is the only building that remains of a larger fort complex, built by British-Americans in 1754-1755, to defend the upper Kennebec River Valley from possible attack by the French and their Native American allies.
The . . . — — Map (db m116133) HM
Native Americans inhabited this site at the confluence of the Kennebec and Sebasticook Rivers from at least 5000 years ago, until 1692.
A pilgrim trading post was also located on this site in the 1650s.
Located within Fort Halifax Park is . . . — — Map (db m116136) HM