Bowdoin College Library

Brunswick

The Bowdoin College Library serves as the main library for Bowdoin College. Its George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives holds an impressive selection of early American sources. A robust collection of Rare Books features more than 50,000 volumes with strengths in Africana, the Civil War, cookery, history, literature, the history of Maine, music, religion, and science. Among these holdings are the Esta Kramer Collection of American Cookery, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Collection, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Collection, the James Bowdoin Collection, the Northeast Boundary Collection, and many others. There are also several hundred collections of Manuscripts, including early family papers, business records, and photographs. Subject Guides are available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Special Collections’ material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections & Projects.

Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library

Lewiston

The Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library preserves the rare and unique materials of Bates College. Among these holdings are a decent selection of Book Collections, including the Dominican Collection, the Freewill Baptist Collection, the Isaac L. Rice Collection, and the Rare Books Collection. There are also several Manuscript Collections, some of which date back to the 18th century. Highlights include a collection of Account Books, the Benjamin F. Hayes Papers, the Dressler Family Collection of Alfred Williams Anthony Papers, the Freewill Baptist Records, the Garcelon Family Papers, the Hanford Civil War Letters, the Shirley Nelson Collection of Shiloh Material, the Wentworth Adams Family Papers, and Miscellaneous Manuscripts. Also available is the Bates College Historic Photograph Collection, which has been digitized.

Kennebec Historical Society

Augusta

The Kennebec Historical Society maintains a decent selection of early Maine sources. Its Collections focus on various aspects of Kennebec County’s history, including church records, diaries, family papers, government documents, military records, personal correspondence, photographs, town histories, and more. Both an Index to the Manuscript Collections and a list of the Archive Collections are available. The Society also provides a Kennebec Surname List of over 50,000 surnames totaling some 88,000 entries.

Maine Historical Society

Portland

The Maine Historical Society (MHS) retains some of the best sources for early Maine. Its Museum collects and displays various material objects related to Maine’s history and culture, including fashion, fine art, Native American artifacts, political memorabilia, tools, toys, and more. Archival materials are located in the MHS’s John Marshall and Alida Carroll Brown Research Library. Among its holdings are Architectural Drawings, Books, Maps & Atlases, Newspapers, and Photographs. There are also various Manuscript Collections that date from the 15th century to the present. Highlights include the John S. H. Fogg Autograph Collection, the Kennebec Proprietors Papers, the Northeast Boundary Collection, and the Pejepscot Proprietors Papers. Items held by the MHS may be searched with its online catalog, Minerva. Much of the MHS’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Online Collections Database, as well as the Maine Memory Network. The MHS is a participating member of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.

Maine State Archives

Augusta

The Maine State Archives (MSA) serves as the official repository for the State of Maine. Its Collections are quite vast and document well Maine’s early history. These holdings include resources for African American History in Maine, the Aroostook War, the Bingham Purchase, the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and Statehood. There are also various Historical Documents, Maps, Photographs and Image Collections, Plantation Returns, and the Wabanaki Papers. Other materials at the MSA consist of Genealogy resources, Military Records, and Vital Records. Items held by the MSA may be searched with its Archives Catalog. Much of the MSA’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Maine Repository. Another helpful online resource is the Digital Maine Transcription Project.

Maine State Library

Augusta

The Maine State Library serves as the official library for the State of Maine. Its Special Collections are home to various sources on Maine’s early history. One of the Special Collections’ most popular treasures is the original diary of Martha Ballard. A robust collection of 18th and 19th century manuscripts consists of business records, church records, deeds, government documents, family papers, indentures, legal documents, letters, military records, and much more. There are also materials related to the Northeast Boundary Dispute, a collection of historic maps, and the Vaughn Collection of medical history. The Special Collections also maintains a large selection of Newspapers. Several Genealogy Resources are also available. Items held by the State Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the State Library’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through DigitalMaine and the Maine Newspaper Project.

Miller Library

Waterville

Miller Library serves as the main library for Colby College. Its Special Collections & Archives holds some 18th and 19th century materials. There are various Collections related to Colby College’s alumni and early literary figures. Among these are the Celia Thaxter Collection, the Chaplin Letter Collection, the Colbiana Collection, the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Collection, the Harland Eastman Collection, the Thomas Bailey Aldrich Collection, A Master List of manuscript collections is available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Colby College Libraries’ Online Catalog.

Old York Historical Society

York

Formerly the Old Gaol Museum, the Old York Historical Society collects and preserves the documentary and material history of York. Its Collections consist of historical artifacts and manuscripts related to the early history of York and the surrounding region. Most of these manuscript materials are held in the Society’s Archives & Library. Among these holdings are architectural drawings, business records, diaries, family papers, ships’ logs, and more. There are also some 7,000 books and prints related to York’s history, as well as 600 rare books dating from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Over 10,000 photographs are also available.

Raymond H. Fogler Library

Orono

The Raymond H. Fogler Library serves as the main library for the University of Maine. Its Special Collections Department holds various sources related to Maine’s early history. Among these Collections are rare books and other printed items written by or published in Maine. There is also a large selection of early manuscripts, including family papers, business records, diaries, photographs, town and county records, and more. Much of this material dates to the 18th century. Finding Aids and Subject Guides are available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Fogler Library’s Online Catalog.

Readfield Historical Society

Readfield

The Readfield Historical Society collects and preserves the documentary and material history of Readfield. Artifacts and historical objects are held in the Society’s Museum. Its Archives contains various 19th century business records from Readfield, as well as church records, town records, and the personal papers of Readfield’s early inhabitants.

Other State Archives & Sources

Some of Maine’s towns still retain their earliest records. The same can be said of the county courts. Check with town and county clerks’ offices for more information on what is available. The Maine State Archives keeps a solid list of Maine Historical Societies / Historical Records Repositories. Two useful online resources for Maine research are the Digital Maine Library and the Maine Memory Network, both of which which provide access to digitized materials from various archives, libraries, and museums throughout Maine.

As a former province of Massachusetts, there is an abundance of early Maine sources at the Boston Athenæum, the Boston Public Library, the Houghton Library, the Massachusetts Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and many others. Several regional repositories also hold early Maine sources, including the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the John Carter Brown Library, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and the Rauner Special Collections Library. Early Maine sources may also be found at the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Maine has a long history as both an English colony and an imperial borderland situated near New France. As such, sources related to early Maine can be found in Canada at Library and Archives Canada and the Nova Scotia Archives, in France at the Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer, and in the United Kingdom at the British Library and the National Archives at Kew.