Maine is a place apart from the mainstream of American society. Its citizens are a hardy people who subsist through their ingenuity in a region of abundant natural resources in what can be a harsh, uninviting climate. The image of Maine as both a vacationland and a frontier removed from the national mainstream has influenced the development of the State.
Early in Maine's history, the region was viewed as being in the way of world trade routes. As explorers realized the abundance and variety of natural resources the area had to offer, they turned their attention from finding a route through to the riches of the Far East to viewing Maine as a desirable place for European settlement and trade.
Maine's unique combination of ocean, fresh water lakes, rivers, forests, and fertile land made it a thriving, prosperous region. Year after year, an increasing throng of settlers, merchants, visitors, artists, and writers brought images of Maine to the rest of the world that shaped the State's economy, identity, and heritage. The history behind the image of Maine remains a vital part of how we and those from away view Maine today.
