This story was originally published in March 2021. Every Mainer receives two things at birth: a name, and a Delorme’s Maine Atlas. The atlas is so ingrained in Maine culture that a car feels empty without one.
Sure, nowadays there are GPS devices and apps that modernize direction-finding, but there’s still a comfort in leafing through the pages of an old-fashioned atlas. Torn pages and coffee stains testify that its owner has actually gone somewhere. Each atlas page has secrets.
Tiny symbols invite exploration of recreation areas, family outing opportunities, and unique natural features. And there are ghosts on these pages — ghosts of places that once were — places where only the name survives. Many of the ghosts have funny names.
A drive from Rockwood to Jackman takes motorists through Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant, which is just north of Misery Gore. When Maine became a state in 1820, part of the separation agreement with Massachusetts required that the two states divide up any land that hadn’t already been granted to someone. Massachusetts could then sell its share of the land and pay off its debts for the War of 1812.
In reality, a lot of Maine land had already been sold while the state was still part of Massachusetts, helping to pay off debts incurred during the American Revolution. Historically, the act of fighting the British moved a lot of Maine real estate. Several grants around Moosehead Lake were made to fund educational institutions.
Taunton is so old,.
