Bangor History - Wayne Reilly - Bangor Daily News

Ives, Smith deaths are a sad day in history

The recent deaths of David C. Smith and Edward “Sandy” Ives mark a watershed in Maine historical writing that makes me nervous. Who will replace them? Over their long careers at the University of … more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 11/16/09 | 740 views

'The fuel question' was a hot topic in 1909 Bangor

"THE FUEL QUESTION," as the Bangor Daily Commercial put it in a headline, perplexed Mainers a century ago. Would there be enough coal or wood to heat their homes? Would they be able to afford it? … more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 11/2/09 | 941 views

Social reform activist Addams visited Bangor in 1909

Charity was largely a private affair a century ago left to churches and philanthropic organizations. Large government welfare programs such as Medicaid seemed far beyond the public’s … more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 10/26/09 | 867 views

Did political procrastination doom Bangor’s library trove?

The destruction of the Bangor Public Library in the Great Fire of 1911 was one of the Queen City’s great tragedies. Nearly 70,000 books along with irreplaceable newspapers and documents were lost. … more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 10/19/09 | 871 views

Bangor was fascinated by flying machines in 1909

AN AGE OF WONDERS IS THE PRESENT ONE, declared a Bangor Daily Commercial headline a century ago. LIFE IS REVOLUTIONIZED. As if they wanted to eliminate time and space, Americans were fascinated by … more

10/12/09 | 665 views

Paying homage ‘to 42nd Street,’city’s theaters thrived on fanfare

Bangor was a hotbed of theatrical entrepreneurship a century ago. Within two years time, between 1907 and 1909, the Queen City had gone from having one full-time theater to six. The show houses and … more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 10/5/09 | 562 views

The historic flood of 1909

FLOOD SWEEPS DOWN ON KATAHDIN IRON WORKS, said the lead headline in the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1909. more

By Wayne Reilly
Special to the NEWS | 9/28/09 | 1070 views