Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 23

This is the 23rd week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.

This week's state (the 23rd one to attain statehood) is...

Maine

Date of Statehood: March 15, 1820

Here's a bit of what I discovered about Maine...

Maine is the only American state with a one-syllable name.

Maine is the only state with just on other state on its border, New Hampshire.

 Since 2005, Maine’s annual lobster yield has weighed in at more than 60 million pounds, with nearly 124 million pounds caught in 2014. (That’s almost 90 percent of the United States’ lobster supply.)

Perhaps the most popular Maine resident is the master of horror himself, author Stephen King who has sold more than 350,000 copies of his books. He lives in Bangor with his wife Tabitha in a gorgeous downtown house that is closed to the public.

The official state animal of Maine is the moose. The state is home to approximately 76,000 moose, the highest moose population in the lower 48 states. Not surprisingly, moose-watching is a popular tourist activity. 

L.L. Bean was founded in Freeport, Maine in 1912 by hunter and fisherman Leon Leonwood Bean. Its flagship store in Freeport not only has an aquarium, but is also adorned with a giant size 410 Bean boot.

More blueberries grow in Maine than any other state, over 90% of the country's blueberry crop.

Lockport, Maine is known to be the birthplace of the doughnut hole.

Maine is a top producer of potatoes and broccoli.

Maine is the third biggest producer of pure maple syrup in the country, Vermont being the first and falling just marginally behind New York State.

Until 2003, Strong, Maine, was known as the “Toothpick Capital of the World.” At one point, 95 percent of all wooden toothpicks produced in the U.S. were made in Strong. But as toothpicks declined in popularity towards the end of the 20th century, the toothpick industry began to falter. In 2003, The Forster Manufacturing Company, the last of Strong’s toothpick mills, shut down.  

Bangor, Maine, claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan, and is home to a giant 31-foot statue celebrating the legendary woodsman. The enormous Bunyan tribute, built in 1959, is “reputed to be the largest statue of Paul Bunyan in the world”—at least according to the statue’s accompanying sign.

With a little more than 66,000 residents, Portland has thehighest population of any city in Maine. That’s nearly twice the size of Lewiston, which is the state’s second largest city with just 36,000 or so residents. 

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabinin Brunswick, Maine, during the 1850s. The house where she worked on the novel is now a museum.

One of the ten coldest states, Maine has long been famous for its harsh winters and chilly springs. In January of 2009, the state experienced its coldest day ever, hitting -50°F in Big Black River.

The Maine Coon Cat (the official state cat of Maine) is the largest domestic cat breed. With their thick, layered fur coats, they’re perfectly adapted for Maine’s snowy winters. 

The Maine coast runs about 3,500 miles long – that’s more coastline than California. 

Maine has its own desert, which spans 40 acres outside the town of Freeport. Though its silt hills are now a popular tourist attraction, the desert originally developed as a result of over-farming in the area.

Maine is nicknamed “The Pine Tree State.” The tree appears on the state flag, and, as of 2012, a full 83 percent of the state was covered in forest, making it the second most tree-covered state in the lower 48 states (New Hampshire was first with 89 percent). 

Here are some unusual laws in Maine...

Shotguns are required to be taken to church in the event of a Native American attack.

You may not step out of a plane in flight.

After January 14th you will be fined for having your Christmas decorations still up.

It is against the law to advertise in a cemetery.

To stroll down the street while playing a violin is against the law in Augusta, Maine.

Only police can legally park in front of a Dunkin' Donuts in South Berwick, Maine.

Portland, Maine has a law against using a feather duster to tickle under a woman's chin.

In Rumford, Maine there must have been a problem with tenants and landlords resulting in a law against biting your landlord.

I've decided to go with this bit of Maine information for my card's inspiration...  the official state insect of Maine is the honeybee. The state has a rich beekeeping culture, and even has a non-profit organization, the Maine Beekeepers Association, which was founded in 1976 to promote understanding of the insect’s importance. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp Set: Stampendous Bee Happy Honeycomb stamped with Memento London Fog and Tuxedo Black Inks and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Fun Stampers Journey Summer Days and Recollections Black and 110# White CS

Embellishments: Stickles Glitter Glue and Brads from an unknown vendor

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