A long maritime history

In 1762 the first pioneers of European descent, Deacon Pease Clark, his wife and son staked a claim on the bend in the Kennebec River that is now Hallowell, Maine.

Until the advent of roads and rail, the Kennebec River was the main highway of connection to the rest of the world. Hallowell from early days became a destination port for goods created along the river and inland.

The Coos Trail was a route from inland that extended all the way to what is now New Hampshire and ended in Hallowell. Any goods harvested or created along this route found their way onto ships for delivery in the southern colonies or abroad.

The ships of the Kennebec were known in all the ports of the world. Many ships were built on Hallowell’s shores. Ice cut in the winter from our lakes and rivers was shipped all down the coast and to the Caribbean islands to preserve foods.

It is estimated that over half of all the men and boys from the Hallowell to Gardiner region went to sea on Kennebec ships at some point in their lives.

I made the entire upper left quarter of the mural about the sea to indicate its importance to the early life of Hallowell.

artist, Chris Cart

local models

Local Hallowell people who posed for this section of the mural are:

• Erik Peterson, the seaman in the rigging, upper right.(1)
• Zack Cart, climbing the ratlines (2)
• Buddy Iaciofano, seaman hauling the halyard (13)
• Dave Pottle as Captain Drew (12)