Category: History

The Origins of The Historic Sweat Morin Homestead

By Lawrence Furbish, Sweat Morin Homestead board member In the 1700s, Massachusetts law (you may recall Maine was part of Massachusetts at that time) required every town to provide preaching by an "able, learned, orthodox (which meant Congregational) minister." Early attempts to form a Congregational church in Sanford floundered and, in fact, the first church here was a Baptist church. Eventually, in 1786, a church was formed and Moses Sweat was a called as its first pastor. Moses had been…
View Article

Historic 1786 House Restoration

By Lawrence Furbish, Sweat Morin Homestead board member Residents of Sanford and Springvale have been given the opportunity to enjoy a special gift, the chance to see what life was like in colonial Maine and to learn about the Reverend Moses Sweat, a very significant figure in our city’s history. Work is currently underway to preserve and restore the house built for Reverend Sweat on lower School Street at the time of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The plan is…
View Article

First Integrated Basketball Game in Maine 

Bucky Lew and his Lowell Five teammates by Chris Boucher Did you know the first integrated basketball game in Maine took place in Sanford in 1913?   The groundbreaking event took place when Harry “Bucky” Lew, basketball’s first Black professional, brought his Lowell Five to old Town Hall in Springvale Village to face the local team.  Of course, the Town Hall still stands today and is in fact remarkably well preserved. The current home of the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society, it’s one…
View Article

Sanford Rail Trail History

A transportation corridor evolves from railroad to multipurpose trail to linear park  Once upon a time, there was a railroad connecting Sanford and Rochester, New Hampshire. It was started around 1870 and was called the Portland and Rochester Railroad Company. It carried both passengers and freight. There is a great story about one of the cars sinking into soft ground near Deering Pond in Springvale until it completely disappeared. You can find a picture and more information about this story…
View Article

Mystery Remains Identified After Six Year Search

The skeletal remains that were unearthed during the excavation for Cumberland Farms in 2017 have finally been identified, thanks to help from the DNA Doe Project (DDP), a nonprofit organization that works to restore names to unidentified remains. The Sanford Police Department hosted a press conference on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, to announce the remains have been identified as those of Edith Patten, who was born in 1867 and died November 12, 1891. SPD Historian and Sanford High School history…
View Article

Categories

Sponsors

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

View Calendar

Don't Miss The Latest In History