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(3) The River
The Penobscot River Basin The Penobscot River is 350 mi (563 km) long, making it the second longest river in Maine, and the longest river entirely in Maine. Its drainage basin contains 8,610 square miles. It rises in four branches in several lakes in the central Maine, and flows generally east. After the uniting of the branches, it flows south, past the city of Bangor, where it becomes navigable. It empties into Penobscot Bay. The name "Penobscot" was reported by the French in sixty different ways during their occupancy, to 1664. The principal spelling was Panananshek. The Indian name was Penobsceag or Penobscoote, suggested by the rocky falls just above Bangor. From these, doubtless, the New Plymouth colonists formed the name "Penobscot", by which the river was from as early as 1626 . |
Searsport Charters, LLC (1) Stockton Harbor
(2) Fort Point
(3) The River
(4) Narrows Bridge (5) Fort Knox (6) Bucksport
(7) Verona |
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At a period when America was still an unknown New World, Spanish, French, Dutch and English navigators alike praised Penobscot Bay and River. The earliest Spanish explorer, Gomez, honored himself by naming the river "Rio de Gomez;" and others of his nation called it "Rio Grande," "Rio Hermoso," the great, the beautiful river. Thevet, the French explorer, visiting it in 1556, described it as "one of the finest rivers in the whole world. "Samuel Champlain, exploring in the service of the French in 1604-5, enthusiastically says, "The river banks are covered with verdure, and here and there lovely stretches of meadow."
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50 years before Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues, Louis Sockalexis, a Penobscot indian, was the the first American Indian major league baseball player. He had a remarkable season for the Cleveland Spiders in 1897. Soon after, the Cleveland Spiders changed their name to the Cleveland Indians. Thier red cartoon Indian is said to be a tribute to Sockalexis. |
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