Discovering the Past: Freeport's Land and Its First Inhabitants

A big project is happening in Freeport, Maine. Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment is teaming up with the Penobscot Nation. They want to learn about the land's history. This land was once home to the Wabanaki and Abenaki peoples. They got a $10, 000 grant for this project. The money comes from the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. This group helps people learn about Maine's role in American history. The grant is part of celebrating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed. The project will look at what the land was like 1, 300 years ago. They want to know how it changed during and after the Revolutionary War. The research will go on until 2026. But it will lead to more projects with the Penobscot and Abenaki peoples. Tilly Laskey is leading the project. She is a public historian at Wolfe’s Neck Center. She will search through six archives in Maine. She wants to find old manuscripts and maps. These will help create a database of Wabanaki people in the area.The team will also walk the land at Wolfe’s Neck Center and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Members of the Penobscot Nation will help verify the cultural uses of the land. Most of the grant money will pay for their time and travel. The goal is to teach Freeport residents about the Penobscot people's traditional homelands. They want to know why the Penobscot people are no longer on the land. They also want to learn about the regenerative farming practices the Penobscot people used. Before European settlers arrived, about 10, 000 to 20, 000 Wabanaki people lived in southern Maine. When the English settlers came in the 1600s, they focused on making money from the land. This was different from the Wabanaki culture. Wolfe’s Neck Farm has been in Freeport for a long time. The Smith family started the farm in the 1950s. The Casco Bay History Lab connects the landscape to history. Wolfe’s Neck Center wants to learn more about regenerative agriculture. This is something the Wabanaki people did a long time ago.