Bangor Historical Society

10/22/2026

Just a couple of pictures of the amazing sunset last night in our little corner of Bangor.

10/22/2026

We are so happy to be bringing our William Stone copy of the Declaration of Independence to the Cole Land Transportation Museum on November 4th as part of their Veterans & Family Night. We hope to see you!

Veterans and families, join us November 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. for a free evening to connect, remember, and explore the museum, with a special viewing of the Bangor Historical Society’s historic copy of the Declaration of Independence.

10/22/2026

Did you know?
This Queen Anne-style house on Birch Street was built in 1906. William J. Largay lived here with his wife, Agnes, and their five children.
Largay, a retail clothing merchant, was president of William J. Largay Co. on Exchange Street. He came to the United States from Canada in 1885. By 1940 he was chairman of Bangor’s board of assessors and his son, Thomas, was manager of the store.
Largay’s wife died in 1937 and he died in 1969. Both were buried at Mount Pleasant Catholic Cemetery.

10/21/2026

For those attending our Darker Mount Hope Cemetery Tours on October 23 & 24:
-Please make sure you enter the cemetery through the 1048 State Street entrance. If you are using a GPS, use "Second Maine Regiment Memorial" to take you to the correct gate. The other gates will be closed.
-Please dress warmly.
-Wear comfortable footwear; the tour is a little over a mile long and takes a little over an hour. Some small hills are included.
-Flashlights are encouraged.
-Check in for your tour time no sooner than 20 minutes before your scheduled departure. Check-in is in front of the Superintendent's Lodge of the Cemetery.
-Have a great tour!
Tickets are still available for both nights.
To purchase tickets, please visit the following links:
Friday, October 23rd: https://bangorhistoricalsociety.org/event/darker-mount-hope-cemetery-tour/
Saturday, October 24th: https://bangorhistoricalsociety.org/event/darker-mount-hope-cemetery-tour-oct-24th/

10/19/2026

The Thomas A. Hill House will be closed on Tuesday, October 20th. We will reopen on Wednesday, October 21st, 10am-4pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.

10/19/2026

Did you know?
Rebecca Fiske, daughter of Jacob McGaw Sr. and Margaret Orr, was born in New Hampshire in 1783. Her brother Jacob McGaw, a prominent attorney, came to Bangor in 1805. That may be how Rebecca met her husband, James Ballou Fiske of Bangor, a merchant and overseer of a ‘poor farm’. They married in 1814 and had six children, including the Rev. John Orr Fiske, who was a well-known minister in Bath where he served at the Winter Street Congregational Church for more than 40 years.
She died in 1851 at the age 68.

10/18/2026

Did you know?
While this home on Graham Ave North was built in 1910 by real estate broker Frank Brackett, it doesn't appear that he ever lived there. The first resident appears to be railway mail clerk Kenneth Archibald.
Kenneth was born in Maine in 1880 and married Annie Ramsey in 1902. The couple was living in the house by 1914. Between 1921 and 1930 they moved to Orrington. Kenneth died in 1937 and is buried in Orrington.
The next residents of the home were Maine Central RR brakeman Howard Bradley Finley and his wife, the former Marie O'Leary. Howard was born in Bath, ME in 1892 and Marie was the daughter Irish immigrant and Bangor police officer Simon O'Leary--Simon issued the city's first speeding ticket.
Howard was a WWI Veteran. He and Marie married in 1917 and had 2 children, Howard, Jr. and Ellen. They lived in the home until at least 1945 before moving to California. Howard died in 1947 in Alameda, CA and Marie in 1951 in San Francisco.
After attending Maine Maritime Academy, Howard, Jr. served in the Navy during WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam. He died in the Pittsburgh area in 2016.
In San Francisco, Ellen served as a nurse during WWII. She met her husband, Lester Siciliano there. She became a well-known activist for social justice causes and was recognized by First Lady Nancy Reagan for her work. She died in 2012 in the Pittsburgh area.

10/17/2026

Did you know?
This 1875 map shows the European and North American Railway buildings and tracks next to Washington and Exchange Streets.
Formerly the French Block, the building shown as Number 13 on this map was built in 1808 and used as retail stores until the railroad hired Bangor architect George Orff in 1872 to convert it into a passenger terminal. The building remained in service until the new Union Station opened in 1906.

10/16/2026

Did you know?
This Newbury Street home, built around 1853, was home to popular Bangor florist Adam Sekenger, Sr. and, after his death, his son, Adam Sekenger, Jr. Both men were well known, highly respected florists who operated a business selling the plants and flowers grown on their property.
At one time this land housed 14 greenhouses with 26,000 feet of glass. Two of those were devoted to the Sekenger's 28,000 rose bushes.