Thousands of years before the first English settlers arrived in the Kennebec River Valley, the region was inhabited by a tribe known as the Red Paint People, so called because their discovered graves contained a brilliant red ocher (iron oxide). Considered a highly developed people, they created implements that indicate woodworking skills, and they are known to have built small boats to explore the Kennebec Valley and beyond. The Algonquian-speaking tribes who later inhabited the region called it Cushnoc; one interpretation is that this means "the consecrated place." When the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts in the early 1600s, it was the Native Americans of Maine who kept them alive by sending gifts of food.
The Kennebec Valley was rich in furs, fish, and timber. Trade began in the area in 1628 when the Plymouth Colony of Massachusetts gained the Kennebec Patent. The first agent in command of the Cushnoc post was John Howland, who had been washed overboard during the Mayflower crossing and nearly lost. Howland shared the post with John Alden, who was immortalized in Longfellow's The Courtship of Miles Standish. Fur trading between the Natives and Pilgrims became highly profitable; for more than thirty years an amicable trading relationship existed until the increasing aggression of English settlers eager to exploit the land and its wealth forced the Natives to take the French side in the French and Indian Wars. English occupancy of the region was abandoned for almost one hundred years.
The next attempt to bring English settlers to the region began in 1754 with the erection of Fort Western on the Kennebec River. When the English defeated the French in 1759, settlers began moving into Fort Western and to an area south of the fort that became known as Hallowell. When Hallowell was incorporated as a town in 1771, Fort Western was included. A sawmill was built and lumber soon became an important source of wealth; in many instances pine boards took the place of currency. As the Hallowell area advanced more rapidly in wealth and population, rivalry developed between the two groups of settlers. The two communities divided; Hallowell retained its name and Fort Western became known as Harrington. In 1797 the two cities were united and renamed Augusta, possibly in honor of Pamela Augusta Dearborn, daughter of a prominent Revolutionary War soldier.
In 1828 a U.S. Arsenal was established in Augusta. Four years later the city became Maine's state capital. These events and the thriving river traffic that by 1840 saw a fleet of schooners traveling weekly between Augusta and Boston added to the city's prestige. A dam was constructed on the Kennebec River and cotton factories and sawmills grew up around it, attracting more settlers. By 1849 the population had grown to more than 8,000 and Augusta prospered.
The arrival of rail travel in 1851 caused a decline in river trade. The Civil War interrupted Augusta's development, and in 1865 fire devastated most of the city's business district. Still, the abundant natural resources contributed to continuing industrial and commercial prosperity. Augusta experienced mixed fortunes in the twentieth century; agriculture virtually disappeared in the area, and some industries declined. Government is the city's largest employer, providing four out of every ten jobs in the Augusta area. Employment in the service sector, especially health services, is also going strong. In the 1990s and into the early 2000s, the city has experienced rejuvenation of its waterfront and its business corridor.
Historical Information: Maine State Library, 64 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; telephone (207)287-5600