Editing Hanover, Maine (section)

==History==

{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2010}}
[[File:Sunflower Farm, Hanover, ME.jpg|thumb|left|Sunflower Farm in {{circa|1915}}]]
The area was first settled in 1774 by Nathaniel Segar from [[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Maine |first=Hanover |title=History |url=https://hanoverme.org/history |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=Hanover, Maine |language=en-US}}</ref> Phineas Howard from [[Temple, New Hampshire|Temple]], [[New Hampshire]] purchased from [[Massachusetts]] in 1792 the unoccupied land in the township, including Howard Pond. The community became known as Howard's Gore. Combined with a portion of [[Bethel, Maine|Bethel]] separated by the [[Androscoggin River]], it then became Hanover, named by its [[Germans|German]] settlers for the [[House of Hanover]]. It was incorporated on February 14, 1843.<ref name=":0" />

Endowed with fine [[loam]] soil, [[farming]] became an early business. Indeed, Hanover was known for having some of the best intervale farms in the state. A variety of crops were grown, the chief being [[hay]]. The outlet of Howard Pond provided [[water power]] for industry. At Hanover Village, 12 mills were established. They produced [[flour]], [[woolen]]s, [[furniture]], short and long [[lumber]], [[window sash|sash]], [[window shutter|blinds]] and [[door]]s, [[dowel]]s and [[rake (tool)|rake]]s. Other goods included [[leather]], [[boot]]s and [[shoemaking|shoes]]. By the early 1950s, however, the last mills had declined and closed. More recently, Hanover has become a site for both year-round homes and vacation properties.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}