low, while many fine residences
are on the hillsides farther back. Bangor is the seat of three state
institutions--the Eastern Maine general hospital, the Eastern Maine insane
hospital and the law school of the University of Maine--and of the Bangor
Theological Seminary (Congregational), incorporated in 1814, opened at
Hampden in 1816, removed to Bangor in 1819, and empowered in 1905 to confer
degrees in divinity. The city has several public parks, a public library
and various charitable institutions, among which are a children's home, a
home for aged men, a home for aged women and a deaconesses' home. Among the
principal buildings are the county court house, the Federal building, the
city hall and the opera house. The Eastern [v.03 p.0316] Maine Music
Festival is held in Bangor in October of each year. The rise of the tide
here to a height of 17 ft. makes the Penobscot navigable for large vessels;
the Kenduskeag furnishes good water-power; and the city is the trade centre
for an extensive agricultural district. The Eastern Maine State Fair is
held here annually. Bangor is one of the largest lumber depots in the
United States, and also ships considerable quantities of ice. The city's
foreign trade is of some importance; in 1907 the imports were valued at
$2,720,594, and the exports at $1,272,247. Bangor has various manufactures,
the most important of which (other than those dependent upon lumber) are
boots and shoes (including moccasins); among others are trunks, valises,
saws, stoves, ranges and furnaces, edge tools and cant dogs, saw-mill
machinery, brick, clothing, cigars, flour and dairy products. In 1905 the
city's factory products were valued at $3,408,355. The municipality owns
and operates the water-works (the water-supply being drawn from the
Penobscot by the Holly system) and an electric-lighting plant; there is
also a large electric plant for generation of electricity for power and for
commercial lighting, and in Bangor and the vicinity there were in 1908
about 60 m. of electric street-railway.
Bangor has been identified by some antiquarians as the site of the mythical
city of _Norumbega_, and it was reported in 1656 that Fort Norombega, built
by the French, was standing here; but the authentic history of Bangor
begins in 1769 when the first settlers came. The settlement was at first
called Conduskeag and for a short time was locally known as Sunbury. In
1791 the town was incorporated, and through the influenc
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