Did You Know The Easternmost City In The US Is In Maine?

Sometimes we forget where Maine is in relation to the other states.  I mean, we don't forget what part of the country we are in, but sometimes we forget that we are the easternmost state in the country.

That means that we are the closest state to many parts of Europe, especially the northern countries.

On top of that, we also have the distinction of being the state that gets the day's first rays of sunshine.  For many years, people would make the trip up Mount Desert Island's Cadillac Mountain on the morning of January 1st, just so they could see the first bit of sunshine of the new year.

So, that means the easternmost city in the country must be in Maine, right?  Yep!

According to Wikipedia, the City of Eastport is the easternmost city in the United States of America.  Eastport was founded as a town in February of 1798.  It became a "city" in March of 1893.  Yes, even though it only has a population of just over 1,200, it is still considered a city because of the government type.

While the town was first settled by the Europeans in the late 1700s, the Native Americans had lived in the area for much, much longer.  Some estimates say the members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe called the area home for as long as 10,000 years.

Given it's location, it should be no surprise that shipping and fishing has long been a part of the city's economy.  In the early 1800s, it was the second largest port in the country.  Only New York was larger.  One of the reasons for this was the fact that the harbor never freezes over.  Additionally, fishing was (and is) a big part of the city's economy.  At one point, there were 13 sardine canneries in the city.

These days, fishing remains one of the area's largest industries.

The city is home to several interesting festivals including a salmon festival and a pirate festival.

But, what about Lubec?  Yes, technically, the town of Lubec is a bit farther east than Eastport, but it is a town and not a city.

Have you ever been to Easport?  Do you have pictures of videos you want to share with us?  Send them to us on Facebook or through our app.