116 Station Road
PO Box 33
New Sweden, ME, 04762
207-896-5200
newswedenmehistorical@gmail.com
280 Main Street
Stockholm, ME 04783
Sandra Hara
1149 New Sweden Rd.
Woodland, ME 04736
Stockholm, since its 1981 Centennial known as the Tri-Culural Community,
is now primarily a residential town with a population of under 300. There
are many retirees but also a number of self-employed and professionals
who have returned to town to raise their families and work in surrounding
communities. We have one store specializing in groceries and meat; a post
office; gas station/garage in what little remains of the former boomtown
mill buildings; an old railroad building; a town office; a wonderful restaurant
in the renovated Eureka Hall; a post World War II American Legion building
which draws from a wide area; a modern consolidated school; Baptist, Lutheran,
and
Catholic Churches; the Stockholm local history Museum with an associated
railroad caboose; the restored former forest-fire and WW II German plane
lookout tower; and proximity to Madawaska Lake and the great north woods.
The north end of town is somewhat famous if only for its name: California. Although no one lives there anymore, it seems that two farmers' wives who lived way out there in the boonies got fed up with it and announced that they were going to California; their husbands said "if you want California, that is what we will call this place!" But it didn't work: they went anyway, and the name stuck!
While the churches are still an important part of town life year around,
the school and the Legion (and Stan's at Madawaska Lake) also serve as
social gathering places. New ski trails have been established around the
school, and the students are enthusiastic participants in this form of
phys-ed. The school continues to sponsor one of Maine's longest running
winter carnivals, which began in 1936. Since the railroad was discontinued
and the tracks removed,
the right-of-way has become one of the principal snowmobile/ATV trails
in the area, right through the middle of town. Lots of opportunities for
woods and water fun!
The Stockholm Museum, which was built in 1900-01 as the first store and
post office in town, has now been named to the National Register of Historic
Places. It is located at 280 Main Street, across from the Post Office.
It has a website at aroostook.me.us (please leave a message on our Guest
Page), and e-mail may be sent to jhede@mfx.net. The Museum contains a large
collection of artifacts, photographs, publications, videotapes, and veteran's
uniforms, representing Stockholm's rich history as a farming community,
lumber and veneer mill boom town, and railroad junction. There are many
unusual artifacts, such as a huge hay press, a bone grinder, hand tools
and equipment, various species of tree "cookies", a display of basket-making,
an early 2-man chain saw, an early barber chair, a combination wheel-and-ski
wicker pram, the 1981 Centennial quilt, and a Swedish Crystal donated to
the Museum at the Centennial celebration
by the Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden. The Museum is generally open during
the summer from Wednesday through Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30, or on request.
Admission is free, memberships invited, donations accepted.
First Baptist Church
St. Theresa Catholic Church
Trinity Lutheran Church
Privacy Policy-We do not share contact information. Site comments, correcctions, and questions? No change is too small – email the official web guy: Bill Duncan, Bill@WilliamLDuncan.com ©2019 Site hosting courtesy of WilliamLDuncan.com. This site was originally developed with assistance of a Discovery Research grant from the Maine Arts Commission, the New Century Fund of the Maine Community Foundation and the historical societies of the Maine Swedish Colony.
Note, Dec 2019. This site is not updated on a regular basis. See individual historical society pages on Facebook for the latest.--Bill