The citizens of Kennebunk have always been active and engaged members of this community. The Museum is proud to present this brief overview of citizens practicing their constitutional rights and participating in democracy.
1757 | The citizens of Kennebunk village (of Wells) vote to hire its first Schoolmaster.
1772 | Residents of the Second Parish of Wells (Kennebunk) voted to build a new Meeting House (which still stands as the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church across from the Museum)
1774 | 129 residents Kennebunk Village were assessed taxes in the amount of 91 pounds 13 shillings, to support the new Meeting House, and “Town and Provincial purposes.” 3 of these people were women.
1817 | President James Monroe stopped in Kennebunk during his eastern tour on July14, 1817.
1820 | On March 15, 1820, Maine became a State of the Union through The Missouri Compromise, which allowed Maine in as a Free State and Missouri in as a Slave State, prior to the Civil War.
1820 | On June 24, 1820, Maine’s State Legislature voted to incorporate Kennebunk as its own town—separating Wells and Kennebunk.
1820 | The first Kennebunk Town Meeting took place in the Meeting House on August 14, 1820. Town meetings were held there until 1858.
1847 | Town votes to accept Brown Street from Mousam Manufacturing Co., to use as a public street connecting the village to the beach area.
1855 | Kennebunk citizens vote to purchase the town’s first public school building, the former Union Academy.
1861 | Kennebunk citizens voted to call up its first volunteer regiment to serve in the Civil War.
1893 | Town votes to buy property for an Electric Light Plant. The first lights on Main Street were soon installed in 1894.
1920 | On September 13, 1920, women in Kennebunk voted for the first time, following the ratification of the 19th Amendment in August that year. There were 1176 names on the men’s voter list and of those, 509 men voted. There were 384 registered women voters, and 280 voted that day in September.
1926 | Vice President Charles Dawes* visited Kennebunk on July 4th. As part of his speech, he said, “Again, this is the day of the demagogue. Such is the ease of public travel, the ease with which men may be reached and gathered in groups, that the demagogue has a fine chance to operate.” * Dawes was Vice President to Calvin Coolidge
1929 | Town votes to buy the Goodall Mill, which had been built in 1918 (it is now Lafayette Center). The Town then leased the building to Kesslen Shoe Company.
1971 | Maine (including Kennebunk) citizens vote to establish the Maine Human Rights Commission to battle discrimination throughout the state.
