13,000 years

The Wabanaki people have lived in the Kennebec valley, from the head waters to the sea, for over 13,000 years.

The Wabanaki nations include the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Mi’kmaq, Maliseet and Abenaki. The term “Abenaki” has been wrongly used over the years to describe all the Wabanaki people. It is a mistranslation of the original Wôban-aki, meaning People of the Dawnland, the First Light or East, a term that refers to both the people and the land.

While not an original term describing a certain tribe of people, over the centuries “Abenaki” came into common usage describing native tribes from central Maine west as far as the Hudson River and Lake Champlain.

reference: The Wabanaki of the Kennebec

The Wabanaki I placed in the forefront of the mural in a relatively large area of canvas, out of respect, to show they were the first to live this land.

artist, Chris Cart

sacred place of rippling waters

The Wabanaki communities identified themselves with the rivers they lived on or with the lands along that river. The word Kennebec derives from the original Kwenebek or /kínipekʷ/ meaning deep river.

There was a large Wabanaki gathering place known as Koussinok, meaning sacred place beside the rippling waters, just above the “head of tide” of the Kennebec at the small rapids in what is now Augusta. Wabanaki people would gather in Koussinok in the warm months to grow foods they would use throughout the year. This land was sacred to the Wabanaki of the area as it was where their ancestors had long been buried.

The Wabanaki traditionally have a deep kinship with the land, waters and other beings with whom they share the forests, hills and rivers.

heading

The granite circle represents the natural world that envelops us.

This is a quote from the artist.

artist, Chris Cart

hEADING

I’m Nora, a dedicated public interest attorney based in Denver. I’m a graduate of Stanford University.

heading

a bit of text about the section of the mural…

This is a quote from the artist.

artist, Chris Cart

heading

Founded in 1937 as the Augusta Players, Gaslight Theater is the oldest continuously operating community theater in Maine. Since the late ’70’s they have made their home on the stage in Hallowell City Hall, One Winthrop Street in Hallowell (map).

“Gaslight Theater carries forward a long tradition of providing quality live entertainment to the Capital area community. We seek to provide a welcoming venue for artistic expression, education in the theatrical arts, and community engagement.“

GaslightTheater.org

Jen, my wife, has been acting in many wonderful Gaslight productions since the ’80’s. I ‘ve been dragged in to trod a bit before the curtain but more often have found myself backstage painting elaborate sets, creating props and designing playbills.

artist, Chris Cart

gaslight logo

Rebecca Singer is seen in the front as Puck from Gaslight’s production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Mathew Perry is also depicted in his role as Snug the Joiner, portraying the lion play-within-a-play, “Pyramus and Thisbe”. Matthews’ sisters, Rebecca and Hannah are also included in the mural at the far left and far right. Their father Eric Perry was a major donor to the mural project.

Richard Bostwick a lifelong Gaslight performer and director is shown in the fedora from one of his performances.

Jen Greta Cart, (the artist’s wife) is not an unfamiliar face on the Gaslight stage is shown here as a witch for her leadership of Hallowell Hexen dancers in the annual Halloween parade. Jen was indeed a witch on stage when she brought the witch “Gillian” to life in the in Gaslight’s production of Bell, Book and Candle.

You can see the latest Gaslight Season of performances here.

a haven

Slates Restaurant of Hallowell was gutted by fire in February 2007. The restaurant had been a fixture in the community since the early 1980’s. The community came together to help owner-chef Wendy Larson bring back the beloved place.

The unofficial logo or motif of the restaurant is the mermaid. Wendy Larson has painted many merfolk over the years in both the restaurant and bakery. In the mural a mermaid representing Slates is shown rising anew from the ashes—like the proverbial phoenix.

When I first began asking long time Hallowell residents what should be included in the mural, many suggested Slate’s, and not just because of its favored place for dinner. Several people who had worked at the restaurant and known Wendy for years mentioned its importance as a haven for people, in particular the LGBTQ community. Wendy has always been welcoming to many in need since opening the restaurant in the ’80’s.

artist, Chris Cart

a short move

In 2016 Slates Restaurant moved from the historic 17th century building it had been in since the early 1980’s. Even after the 2007 fire Slates had rebuilt in the same location.

However, in 2016 Wendy Larson decided it was time for a change and moved just next door to its current location, a building on Water Street that she owns.

Dotti

(August 21, 1945-Sept. 11, 2022)

Born Dorothy Proctor Galley, we all knew her as Dotti.

She worked at Slates Restaurant and Bakery in Hallowell for over 40 years, where she made many lifelong friendships with co-workers and customers alike. She started at Slates in 1982 as a waitress, and worked her way up to restaurant manager, then bakery manager. She was still helping manage the bakery part time from her home up until this past summer.

Dotti was one of the last people I included in the mural. She died after the mural was technically completed but she was so central to the doings of Hallowell, particularly the artists and musicians I had to include her.

artist, Chris Cart

heading

The pre-European run of Atlantic salmon in the Kennebec River has been estimated at 70,000 fish. Early in the settlement of Maine, a net fishery for Atlantic salmon was established in the lower Kennebec. Thousands of fish were netted daily during the runs. Shiploads were exported to Europe. Even before the end of the 18^th century observers expressed concern at declining harvests. By the time Maine became an independent state in 1820, the Atlantic salmon which had so impressed the first explorers were almost gone from the Kennebec.

This is a quote from the artist.

artist, Chris Cart

Nora Winslow Keene

I’m Nora, a dedicated public interest attorney based in Denver. I’m a graduate of Stanford University.

highway to the world

The Kennebec River was crucially important to Hallowell for most of its existence since 1762. The earliest settlers, Deacon Pease Clark and his family arrived sailing up the Kennebec from southern Massachusetts.

All the goods manufactured and grown in Hallowell and anywhere along the Coos Trail inland from Hallowell were shipped out of Hallowell’s port to cities down the coast

For 8 months of the year from spring, ice out to the next winter’s freeze, ships would make their way the 46 miles upriver from the Atlantic to the harbor at Hallowell:

…bringing Pennsylvania flour, West India sugar, and English cloth and hardware, returning with shingles, clapboards, hogsheads and barrel staves, white oak capstan bars destined for Boston or Bristol or Jamaica.

from Maine Memory Network

For the 100 years of the ice industry‘s huge importance in the area ice was cut from the river and area lakes and shipped down the river to many southern ports. One account states that “Kennebec ice” was much sought for its clarity and clean flavor.

Alewife fishery on the Kennebec was big business for many decades.

And until the 1950’s logs from the forests of Maine were sent down the Kennebec to Hallowell for sorting and milling.

One man noted that in Hallowell at the time “Every boy who had arrived at the age of eighteen and who had not been on a voyage to the East or West Indies, was looked upon as ‘non compos’, and every man over thirty who was not called Captain had forfeited the respect of the community.”

From Maine Memory Network

There were several boatyards in Hallowell, building schooners for the river trade.

far reaching trade

There were three icehouses in Hallowell located on Summer Street, the Vaughan Stream, and where the Hallowell boat landing is today.

Once in the Willemstad, Curacao history museum I saw an article that Leonard B Smith, the consul of the US in Curacao had made his start with his own schooner hauling Maine ice to Curacao to provide cold drinks to the island people.

artist, Chris Cart