A G L I M P S E I N T O FAL M OU T H , M A I N E

BY P ET ER BOUC HA R D

N AT I V E A M E R I C A N S F O L LO W E D R E C E D I N G G L AC I E R S I N T O M A I N E A R O U N D 1 1 , 0 0 0 BC E . AT T H E T I M E O F E U R O P E A N C O N TAC T I N T H E S I XT E E N T H C E N T U RY , A L G O N Q U I A N S P E A K I N G P E O P L E I N H A B I T E D P R E S E N T- DAY FA L M O U T H. W H E N F R E N C H E X P LO R E R S A M U E L D E C H A M P L A I N M A D E

E U R O P E A N C O N TAC T I N T H E A R E A I N 1 6 0 5 , H E I D E N T I F I E D T H E S E P E O P L E A S T H E " A L M O U C H I Q U O I S , " A P O L I T Y S T R E TC H I N G F R O M T H E

A N D R O S C O G G I N R I V E R T O C A P E A N N A N D C U LT U RA L LY D I S T I N C T F R O M T H E I R WA M PA N OAG A N D A B E N A K I N E I G H BO R S .

W I TH I N T HE A LM OUC H I QUO I S , A S EM I -A UT ON OM OUS BA N D C A P TA I N

J OHN S M I T H C A LLED T HE “A UC OC I S C O” I N HA B I TED C A S C O

BAY. EN G L I S H EXP LOR ER C HR I S TOP HER LEV ETT OBS ERV ED I N

1623 T HAT THE A UC OC I S C O S AG A M OR E S K I TT ERY G US S ET L I V ED

AT THE P R ES UM P S C OT FA LLS . P R OT EC T I ON OF N EW FRA N C E OR

F URTHER UP T HE C OA S T W HER E T HE

WA R FA R E W I T H N E I G HBOR I N G N AT I V E A M ER I C A N N AT I ON S OV ER AC C ES S TO EUR OP EA N T RA D E A N D EP I D EM I C S , ES P EC I A LLY

BET W EEN 1614 A N D 1620 , D RA S T I C A LLY R ED UC ED T HE P OP UL AT I ON OF N AT I V E P EOP LES I N S OUTHER N M A I N E . S T I LL ,

I N D I A N S M A I N TA I N ED A P R ES EN C E I N THE C A S C O BAY A R EA UN T I L K I N G G EOR G E 'S WA R I N THE 1740S . FR EN C H M I L I TA RY D EF EAT A N D I N C R EA S I N G EN G L I S H S ETT LER M I G RAT I ON T O T HE A R EA F R OM P R I M A R I LY S OUTHER N N EW EN G L A N D I M P ELLED M OS T

N AT I V E A M ER I C A N S TO M I G RAT E TOWA R D THE

A N C I EN T FA LM OUTH EN C OM PA S S ED THE P R ES EN T DAY C I T I ES OF P ORTL A N D , S OUT H P ORTL A N D , W ES T BR OOK A N D C A P E

EL I ZA BET H. TODAY ’ S T OW N WA S KN OW N A S N EW C A S C O , A N D WA S ON LY A N E I G HBOR HOOD W I TH I N THE L A R G ER C OLLEC T I ON OF C OM M U N I T I ES A R OUN D C A S C O BAY KN OW N A S FA LM OUTH.

FA LM OUTH ’ S EA R LY YEA R S W ER E M A R KED BY EXTR EM E V I OLEN C E A S I T L AY ON A BOR D ER L A N D ZON E BET W EEN EUR OP EA N S A N D

N AT I V E A M ER I C A N S .

I N 1765 , C A P E EL I ZA BETH (T HEN I N C LUD I N G S OUT H

P ORTL A N D ) WA S S ET OFF. I N 1786 , P ORT L A N D BR OKE

AWAY , FOLLOW ED I N 1814 BY W ES T BR OOK , A LT HOU G H

BOUN DA R I ES BET W EEN I T A N D FA LM OUT H W ER E

R EA D J US T ED THR OU G HOUT THE 19T H -C EN T URY. T

THE EXT EN S I ON OF T R OLLEY S ERV I C E F R OM P ORT L A N D TO THE FA LM OUTH F OR ES I D E I N 1898 C ATA P ULTED THE T OW N I N T O T HE

M OD ER N ERA. TR OLLEY S C EM EN T ED FA LM OUT H ’ S EC ON OM I C C ON N EC T I ON T O P ORTL A N D A N D T RA N S F OR M ED T HE F OR ES I D E

N E I G HBOR HOOD I N TO A R EL A XAT I ON S P OT F OR N EAR BY C I T Y D W ELLER S . P

I N 1943 , P ERC I VA L P R OC TOR BA XT ER D ON AT ED M AC KW ORTH I S L A N D T O T HE S TATE A S A W I LD L I F E R EF UG E ; TODAY I T I S S I T E OF THE S TAT E S C HOOL F OR T HE D EA F A N D HA R D OF

HEA R I N G . [

F OLLOW I N G W OR LD WA R I I , FA LM OUT H BEG A N T RA N S F OR M I N G F R OM A R URA L

AG R I C ULTURA L C OM M UN I TY I N T O P R I M A R I LY A R ES I D EN T I A L S UBUR B OF P ORTL A N D . M I L I TA RY P ER S ON N EL W HO

M OV ED TO THE T OW N W HI LE C A S C O BAY WA S BA S E S A I L F OR A M ER I C A ’ S

D ES TR OYER F LEET F R OM 1941 TO 1944 K I C K S TA RTED TH I S G R OW TH.

Ƒ A LM OUTH ’ S LOC AT I ON ON THE OC EA N , A LON G W I T H I T S

R ES P EC TED P UBL I C S C HOOL S Y S T EM , HA S M A D E I T ON E OF THE M OR E ATTRAC T I V E C OM M UN I T I ES I N G R EATER

P ORTL A N D . T H I S D EM A N D C ON S EQUEN TLY LED D EV ELOP ER S TO C ON S TR UC T TW O A D D I T I ON A L C OUN TRY C LUBS I N 1986

A N D 1988 . T HE N AT UR E OF S UC H EN C LOS ED N E I G HBOR HOOD S A N D OTHER H I G H - S C A LE S UBD I V I S I ON S

L I KE I T HA S ON LY R EC EN T LY TUR N ED THE TOW N I N TO ON E OF T HE M OS T A F F LU EN T I N M A I N E .

“ HOM E I S A N A M E , A W OR D , I T I S A S T R ON G ON E ; S T R ON G ER THA N M AG I C I A N EV ER S P OK E , OR S P I R I T EV ER A N S W ER ED T O , I N THE S T R ON G ES T C ON J URAT I ON . ”

- Charles Dickens