Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Kennebec River Valley sets the town of Skowhegan. Settled in 1773, it’s brimming with American History yet is host to modern businesses such as SAPPI Fine Paper, New Balance Shoe, Howard P. Fairfield, and Redington Fairview General Hospital.

Margaret Chase Smith Skowhegan is also nationally known as the home of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman U.S. Senator. The Margaret Chase Smith Library houses the Senator’s memorabilia and serves as a museum and educational center on her life and career.

Downtown Skowhegan, a Mainstreet Maine Community, is watched over by the world’s largest sculptured Indian a 62 ft. giant crafted by the renowned sculptor Bernard Langlais of Cushing.

When Colonel Benedict Arnold set out in 1775 to take Quebec from the British, he and his troops traveled along the waterways through Skowhegan, and a bronze tablet on the island in the center of town marks their route. Now, as then, Skowhegan’s commercial and industrial development has always revolved around the river gorge that runs through the downtown.

Falls from North Channel Bridge ca. 1905 One of the future projects for Skowhegan is the creation of a white water paddling facility in the gorge. This facility will host white water paddling events during the year and will be the corner stone of expanded use of the Kennebec River for recreation in the region.