2023 Annual Meeting

Falmouth's First Summer Colony

The extension of trolley service from Portland to Falmouth Foreside in 1899 transformed the Foreside into a resort for nearby city dwellers.  The Casco Terrace and Amerescoggin neighborhoods became the first summer colonies along the Foreside.  This put the benefits of "rusticating" within the grasp of the middle class.  A local resident asked if we could help them share this history with families moving into the neighborhoods.  The presentation will tell the complicated story of how small farms and the homes of sea captains became the summer playgrounds for families ranging from Portland to Auburn.

An Early Falmouth Family

A family researching their genealogy learned they were descended from Anthony Brackett, an early settler of Colonial Falmouth.  They planned a trip from Wisconsin to see where their ancestors had lived and contacted us for more information.  This was our first experience with "genealogical tourism."  We provided them with details about their family along with a self-guided tour of sites in the area associated with their family.  The presentation will share what we learned and the challenges we overcame while reconstructing the narrative for a family of Colonial Falmouth.