PERCIVAL P. BAXTER, GOVERNOR OF MAINE 1921 - 1925, WITH HIS BELOVED IRISH SETTER "GARRYOWEN." GARRY OFTEN TOOK THE GOVERNOR FOR LONG WALKS AROUND THIS IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED NASH SCHOOL, JUST BEHIND THE STATE HOUSE, USED TO WAIT EAGERLY ON THE CORNER TO SHAKE HANDS WITH MAINE'S FOREMOST DOG. GOVERNOR BAXTER IS REMEMBERED TODAY FOR HAVING DONATED 202,064 ACRES OF WILDERNESS TO THE STATE, A GIFT NOW KNOWN AS BAXTER STATE PARK.

A TEAM OF TEN OXEN PULLING SOMETHING NOT SEEN IN THE PICTURE. OUR GUESS IS THAT IT WAS A VERY HEAVY SLEDGE, FILLED WITH LARGE ROCKS AND USED TO PACK DOWN SNOW ON THE ROADWAYS. Another early photo by George French

DANIEL WEBSTER, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE, SIGNED THIS 1843 LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF MAINE, ACKNOWLEGING THE RECEIPT OF SOME PAPERS RELATING TO THE FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE NORTHEAST BOUNDARY DISPUTE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN. THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WEBSTER HAD SIGNED THE WEBSTER - ASHBURTON TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, RESOLVING ONCE AND FOR ALL THE EXACT BOUNDARY BETWEEN MAINE AND CANADA.

IN 1877, THE GREAT AFRICAN AMERICAN ORATOR AND WRITER FREDERICK DOUGLASS, WHO HAD SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE FIGHTING FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY AND FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL INDIVIDUALS, TRAVELLED THROUGH NEW ENGLAND ON A SPEAKING TOUR. HE WAS INVITED BY VETERANS OF THE FIRST MAINE CAVALRY, A FAMOUS CIVIL WAR UNIT, TO JOIN THEM AT THEIR ANNUAL REUNION IN OLD ORCHARD BEACH. DOUGLASS IS STANDING FOURTH FROM RIGHT IN THE FIRST ROW. HE NOTED THAT IT WAS A SIGN OF GREAT PROGRESS IN RACE RELATIONS THAT HE HAD ENJOYED "A GAME OF CROQUET WITH LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF A DIFFERENT RACE RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL."

A TYPICAL NAME CHANGE. IN 1811, A BOY NAMED GEORGE WHITTEN WAS RESCUED FROM AN ALMSHOUSE IN CLINTON BY A MAN NAMED THOMAS ESHER. BY 1821, ESHER HAD DECIDED TO FORMALLY ADOPT THE YOUNGSTER BY HAVING THE BOY'S NAME CHANGED TO GEORGE GOWELL ESHER. THIS MEANS THAT THE WHITTEN FAMILY LINE MAY HAVE 'LOST' A DESCENDENT, AND THE ESHER FAMILY TREE MAY HAVE GAINED AN 'ANCESTOR' WHO IS NOT A BLOOD RELATIVE.