When the Woods Caught Fire
When the Woods Caught Fire How the Great Fires of 1908 & 1913 Changed West Forks At the beginning of the twentieth century, West Forks lived by the woods. Timber paid the wages, rivers carried…
North Through the Pines
North Through the Pines How an Ancient River Route Became Route 201 Through West Forks Long before pavement crossed West Forks, there was already a road north. It did not have mile markers. It did…
Before the Roads & River Drives
Before the Roads & River Drives The Indigenous History of West Forks & the Rivers That Remember Long before West Forks became known for logging, river driving, Route 201, or whitewater rafting, the meeting of…
At the Old Green Bridge
At the Old Green Bridge Working Dogs, Winter Roads & a Vanished West Forks Landmark Some photographs capture grand events. Others preserve something just as meaningful: an ordinary moment in a place that meant everything…
From West Forks to World War I
From West Forks to World War I The Story Behind Sturgis Durgin’s Military Portrait Some family photographs preserve more than a face. They preserve a moment when an individual became part of a much larger…
Called to Serve at Home
Called to Serve at Home Sturgis Durgin & Civilian Defense in West Forks – December 1941 Only twelve days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a man in West Forks received an official appointment that…
The Road That Carried Maine North
The Road That Carried Maine North From Ancient River Routes to the Old Canada Road At first light, Route 201 seems to disappear into the Maine landscape rather than simply pass through it. The Kennebec…
Before West Forks Had a Name
Before West Forks Had a Name Life Along the Rivers in the 1600s Long before logging camps, river drives, Route 201, or even the name Maine, the country around the Dead and Kennebec Rivers was…
Pierce Pond
Pierce Pond From Logging Camps to Wilderness Conservation There are places in Maine where history is announced by old buildings, monuments, or town streets. Pierce Pond is different. Here, the history is in the water.…
The Great Carrying Place
The Great Carrying Place Where the Kennebec ended, the Dead River began & generations of travelers carried the rest of the way Long before Route 201, logging roads, dams, bridges, or even the towns that…