Cushing Historical Society

History and Archaeology Summary

Native Americans have occupied the Cushing Peninsula for thousands of years. In 1635 the first Europeans settled along the coast and began felling trees, fishing, farming, and fur trading. Early attempts at "industry" in Cushing did not take root -- an ice business, gristmills at Beaver Dam Brook, a small clam cannery. As a result, the Town has remained basically rural and residential. At one time the Town had three churches and several small stores with their own post offices. Fales General Store has been the unofficial center for seven generations.

Distant from other areas of trade, earlier citizens relied on themselves and their neighbors. Farming under less than ideal conditions, they tended to vote against costly "growth or improvements." An independent and fiscally conservative attitude persists to this day. Many current residents trace their families back to Cushing’s early days, and feel strong ties to Cushing’s history.

Resources that may qualify for protection include prehistoric sites, historic sites, early buildings, and ancient cemeteries. State and Federal Laws support historic preservation. The Cushing Historical Society, founded in 1969, has been an active resource for preservation. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) is available to assist owners with the protection of Town heritage and the identification of historic features at sites proposed for development.

Cushing Timeline

Key historical events of the past 400 years are briefly described here. Sources cited at the end of this section provide detailed information on Cushing’s history. The timeline includes census population for some years as reference. See the Population section for complete statistics. Click here for timeline.

(Information from Ruth Aiken's Records of the Lower St. Georges and Cushing, Maine, 1605-1897 & Bradley Beckett's Settlers and Soldiers of Cushing Maine before 1760, and Their Descendants Today. C. Knowles, 5/5/96. Other research by J. Carr.)

Library Sources

1. A Brief History of Cushing Maine, Cushing Historical Society pamphlet, by Chris Schmidt, 1997
2. The Cultural Landscape of Cushing, 1789 – 1997, Bradley Beckett, 1997. Quotidian Publishers, 1998.
3. Annals of Warren, Eaton, Cyrus, Masters and Livermore, 1887
4. Soldiers and Sailors of the Plantation of Lower St. Georges, Maine in the Revolution, Frank Burton Miller, 1931, Rockland, Maine.
5. Settlers and Soldiers of Cushing Maine Before 1760 and Their Descendants Today, Bradley A. Beckett, Courier-Gazette, 1986
6. Notes on the Early Settlers of Cushing, Friendship and St. George on the Lower St. Georges River, Elizabeth Freeman Reed, Boothbay Harbor Historical Society