This post will be similar to many posts that utilize maps to help you to explore the history of Maine. In this post you are introduced to Mitchell's 1839 Travel Reference Map of the United States. The map is accompanied by a book that provides an overview of each state and a listing of the state's stage coach routes. You can explore and follow the stage coach routes that were also tied to the delivery of mail throughout the United States. You can also conduct Google Searches to research the history of Maine towns and historic events from 1839 onward. Remember to enlarge the page storyboards for easier reading. On the larger map of Maine, right click with your mouse on the image and open in a new tab. This will allow you to enlarge the map more than just clicking on the storyboard.
A Comment about The Maine Spirit Blog
Historians and horse lovers owe a great debt of gratitude to Stephen Thompson for his thorough and fascinating survey of Maine’s tie to the magnificent beast that, in both work and sport, was a principal means of tying this vast state together in the long era before the automobile.
Water Village, my history of Waterville, only touches on the horse, most particularly the astonishing creature named Nelson. Thompson’s work reveals the full tale of the impact of these beloved animals in this area, and in celebration of the horse, future generations will be grateful to know a story that otherwise might have been lost in the mists of time. -- Earl Smith, Dean of College, Emeritus, Colby College