The Baxters of Maine: Downeast Visionaries

This is a double biography of two men—father and son—who left a vivid imprint on the State of Maine. James Phinney Baxter, the father, was six times mayor of Portland, creator of its modern park system, and one of Maine's foremost historians. His wealth, which he made in the canning business, was left to Percival, the youngest of his six sons, who achieved immortality by using it to buy Maine's highest and most beautiful mountain, Katahdin, and 200,000 surrounding acres. As a legislator and governor, Percival had tried to persuade the government to preserve this gem of the north, and when he failed, he did it himself, leaving it to the people of Maine as a magnificent state park. This is a fascinating look at Maine in an era stretching from before the Civil War to the end of the 1960s.