Built on the banks of the Penobscot River, Bangor (pop. 33,200; BANG-gor) is the largest city in northern Maine. This site was an important rendezvous for local tribes, who called it Kendusbeag or “eel-catching place.” In 1604 Samuel de Champlain sailed up the Penobscot River as far as Treats Falls here, but long-term settlement did not begin until 1769. Throughout the next century, Bangor was the most important lumber town in the eastern United States. It also developed into a shipbuilding center, and Bangor’s lumber circled the globe. The people of Bangor were devoted to providing amusement for the loggers and sailors who would arrive in town with free time and fat wallets. In a riverside neighborhood called the Devil’s Half Acre, dozens of bars, bordellos, and gambling dens competed to empty the men’s pockets, but now the most prominent sign of life along the water is the Sea Dog Brewery (207/947-8004), at 26 Front Street, one of Bangor’s most popular bars and restaurants.
In the 19th century, Bangor was as wide open as any town in the Wild West, but traces of rougher days have all but disappeared. Modern Bangor, once a supply center for the northern half of Maine, is still a center for the lumber industry. Coming into town across the Penobscot River, you’ll turn right onto Main Street and see a 31-foot statue of a smirking Paul Bunyan, erected in 1959. The compact downtown area, impressive redbrick 19th-century buildings interspersed with church spires, lies a few blocks to the east of Paul Bunyan.
The Bangor Museum (Tues.–Sat. noon–4 pm; free), housed in an 1836 Greek Revival mansion downtown at 159 Union Street, has exhibits, furnishings, and paintings reflecting 19th-century life. Away from the center of Bangor, car, truck, and tractor fans flock to the Cole Land Transportation Museum (daily May–Nov.; $6), off I-95 and I-395 at 405 Perry Road, which displays more than 200 historic vehicles, from wooden wagons to modern 18-wheelers.
