June 19, 1760: Most of York County, which had comprised all of Maine since the late 17th century, is carved into sections to create Cumberland and Lincoln counties. Those new counties later will be subdivided to create additional counties. Cumberland County, with a population of 281,674 in 2010 and home to many of the state’s […]

June 18, 1794: Twenty-five delegates representing 17 Maine towns gather in Portland to discuss yet again the prospect of the District of Maine’s separation from Massachusetts, a proposal first raised in 1785. The delegates’ report, 300 copies of which are sent to towns in the district, concludes that by becoming independent of Massachusetts, Maine could […]

June 17, 2019: Gov. Janet Mills signs a bill into law banning single-use plastic shopping bags. Maine becomes the fourth state to do so, after California, Hawaii and New York. The law is scheduled to take effect April 22, 2020, which is Earth Day. However, on March 17, Mills announces the ban won’t start until […]

June 16, 1745: New England Colonial fighters under the command of William Pepperell (1696-1759), a wealthy Kittery merchant, seize control of the French fortress of Louisbourg after a six-week siege during King George’s War. One-third of the attacking Colonials are from Maine. The fortress stands on Cape Breton Island. The island remained under French control […]

June 10, 2019: The Legislature approves a bill that strives to settle disputes between the state and Native American tribes over sustenance fishing rights. The Senate votes 35-0 to approve the bill, which would designate dozens of Maine waterways as sustenance fishing areas. Those waterways, including several in northern and eastern Maine, would be subject […]

June 9, 1820: The Maine Legislature adopts the design of the state seal about three months after Maine becomes the 23rd state. Designed by committee – a foreboding circumstance in itself – the image shows a farmer resting on a scythe and a seaman leaning on an anchor, with a moose and a pine tree […]