Old Town (Images of America)

By: Peter R. Stowell

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Synopsis: Old Town, situated in north-central Maine, sits snugly along the mighty Penobscot River. Taking advantage of the river’s vibrant woods and watershed, Old Town would become the country’s leading producer of timber in its early history. Penobscot Indian tribes had inhabited the land for more than 6,000 years, but the area’s resources were so vast that, by 1836, the first railroad in Maine had established a line from Bangor to Old Town, with many eager to access the town’s wealth. Since its separation from the town of Orono in 1840, Old Town has developed a robust industrial base, including Old Town Canoe Company, Penobscot Chemical Fibre, T.M. Chapman & Sons, the Bickmore Gall Company, Jordan Lumber, LeBree’s Bakery, and the James W. Sewall Company. Today, Old Town has lost much of its industrialized base, but nonetheless, its strong ethnic and religious communities, which have worked together for more than 175 years, stand ready to prepare the river town for a bright future.