Welcome to the home page of the Maine Cultural History Project. This cultural history project needs to be taken over by preferably a nonprofit, which will have a lifetime that is longer than the person who has compiled the information. The hope is that what now exists will be a framework for much more information about Maine’s history, and will be added to over time.

Purpose of this project: The purpose of this project is to present information about Maine's cultural history (subject to the limitation described below) that will be of use to visitors as well as to serious researchers and students of history. Topics to be covered by this project are listed below, and links are provided for subjects about which research is underway. It is hoped that the web pages of this project will become as rich a storehouse of information and images as are the historical societies, libraries, and private collections that can be experienced only by visits to those sources.

Limitation of this project: This project is currently limited to the cultural history of the primarily European visitors to and settlers of Maine, and their successors; that is, those who displaced the earlier Native American visitors and inhabitants. It is an attempt to describe the lives and activities of those who claimed ownership of the land and subsequently made Maine their home.

How to contribute: If you have any material that can be scanned or photographed, please e-mail info@vfthomas.com or write to Maine Cultural History Project at the address at the top of this page. Also, your comments and suggestions for additional topics are encouraged.

Cemeteries - A (growing) list of Maine's cemeteries, with information on location (UTM coordinates and latitude/longitude) given for each, plus driving directions to many from a prominent place in a town (e.g., the intersection of two numbered routes). For some cemeteries, a link is provided to a page where some or all of the names and dates on the gravestones and other markers (sometimes with links to photographs) are given.

Census Records - A table (in progress) giving which census records (1790–1850) should be consulted for each Maine town. Links to transcripts are provided when known.

Cottages - A list of cottages (past and present) on Mount Desert Island, with historical notes and photographs.

Genealogy - A record of early Maine families (and others as information becomes available).

Land Grants and Deeds - A record of early deeds of Durham (Androscoggin County), Mount Desert Island (Hancock County), and Canton (Oxford County).

Markers, Monuments, and Memorials - The “assurance” that some people have for immortality is the third step in the (long) transition from “there ought to be” (immortality) to “there must be” to “there is”. However, in the (likely) case that there is no such thing, as well as for a plethora of other reasons, humans create a “temporary immortality” for themselves and others by producing markers, monuments, and memorials that will last “forever” (that is, longer than any one person's lifespan).

Postal History - A (growing) compendium of information about Maine's postal history, including examples of postmarks.

State history - A timeline of historical events that shaped Maine’s history.

Town Histories - In anticipation of the 2021 bicentennial of Canton, the initial focus is on this town. However, submission of information for other towns is encouraged.

Town Records - Town records provide insight into what was important to the residents of a town as well as telling about some of the important developments in the town's history and who was involved in those events. Included here are town records of Eden (now Bar Harbor) and Tremont, two towns on Mount Desert Island.