US State Capital History Maine, Maryland, and Michigan
The history of Augusta, Annapolis, and Lansing
The Oldest Wooden Fort
Members of the ill-fated Popham Colony first explored the area in 1607. The first inhabitants were English settlers from the Plymouth Colony who made it a trading post on the Kennebec River in 1629. At that time the settlement had an Indian name – Cushnoc which means “head of tide”. Due to Indian uprisings and bad revenues, the Plymouth Colony stopped trading and Cushnoc stayed empty for the next 75 years.
In 1754, a blockhouse named Fort Western was built at Cushnoc on the eastern bank of the Kennebec and now it is the oldest wooden fort in the U.S. The city was incorporated as part of Hallowell in 1771. Later on, the name was changed to Augusta in honor of Augusta Dearborn the daughter of Henry Dearborn who was an American soldier and statesman.
Maine became a state in 1820 and Augusta its capital in 1827. A dam was built across the Kennebec and soon there were ten sawmills. When the Kennebec & Portland Railroad arrived in 1851 the city became a mill town. Today Augusta has much to offer tourists who want to take a look back into its history including a tour of Fort Western.
Among other attractions to visit in Augusta is the beautiful domed Maine State Capitol Building sitting on Weston’s Hill overlooking Capitol Park. It offers spectacular views from the top of the hill.
Home of the U.S. Naval Academy
Today Annapolis is a lovely city on the Chesapeake Bay.
Annapolis the capital of Maryland made its wealth through the slave trade. It was a settlement that was named Providence in the Province of Maryland. It was founded on the Severn River. The settlers were Puritan exiles led by Governor William Stone in 1649 and came from Virginia.
After several uprisings, Sir Francis Nicholson had the capital of the royal colony moved to Anne Arundel’s Towne and renamed it Annapolis after Princess Anne who became the Queen of Great Britain. The city was incorporated in 1708.
From the middle of the 18th century until the American Revolution broke out Annapolis had a wealthy and cultivated society. In 1745 Jonas Green founded The Maryland Gazette and it became an important weekly journal. The city’s chief industries were oyster packing, boatbuilding, and sail making.
Annapolis has many streets from colonial days named after British royalty. There are lovely homes built in the 18th century. It is home to the U.S. Naval Academy founded in 1845.
In the summer of 1984, The Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium hosted soccer games as part of the Games of the XXIII Olympiad. During September 18-19, Hurricane Isabel damaged much of the city. As a result, downtown was flooded and many homes and businesses were damaged. It went through a lot of renovation.
Annapolis celebrated the 300th Anniversary of its 1708 Royal Charter from mid-2007 through December 2008. The charter established democratic self-governance.
Capital Set in Wilderness
Lansing the capital of Michigan is located on the Grand River. When the capital was first moved to its location from Detroit everything was mostly wilderness. In 1847 it was called the Village of Michigan and later assumed the name of the township Lansing that it was located in. The township was named for Lansing, New York.
The Michigan State Capitol was built in a park in the center of the city. Today Lansing is a major automobile production center, producing autos and automobile parts. The city also produces textiles, metal products, and glass.
Among the main attractions in Lansing is taking a look at the Old Town with 44 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
About the Creator
Rasma Raisters
My passions are writing and creating poetry. I write for several sites online and have four themed blogs on Wordpress. Please follow me on Twitter.
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