Editing Rockland, Maine (section)

==History==

[[Abenaki]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous People]] called it Catawamteak, meaning "great landing place." In 1767, John Lermond and his two brothers from [[Warren, Maine|Warren]] built a camp to produce oak staves and pine [[lumber]]. Thereafter known as Lermond's Cove, it was first settled about 1769. When in 1777 [[Thomaston, Maine|Thomaston]] was incorporated, Lermond's Cove became a district called Shore village. On July 28, 1848, it was set off as the town of East Thomaston. Renamed Rockland in 1850, it was chartered as a city in 1854.<ref name="MAGDE">{{cite book |last= Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums |editor=Doris A. Isaacson |title=Maine: A Guide 'Down East' |year=1970 |publisher=Courier-Gazette, Inc. |location=Rockland, Me | pages = 261–262 }}</ref>

Rockland developed rapidly because of [[shipbuilding]] and [[lime (mineral)|lime]] production. In 1854 alone, the city built eleven [[ship]]s, three [[barque|bark]]s, six [[brig]]s and four [[schooner]]s. The city had twelve lime [[quarry|quarries]] and 125 lime [[kiln]]s, with upwards of 300 vessels to transport the mineral to various ports in the country.<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield   | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n322 284]–285| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>

[[File:Rockland, ME from Ingraham's Hill.jpg|thumb|left|General view {{circa|1908}}]]
[[File:Maine - Rockland through Wilson Pound - NARA - 23940777 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view, 1939]]

In March 1877, the [[Granite Cutters' International Union]] was formed in Rockland. It was one of the earliest craft unions in the United States and formed among the region's growing granite industry.

By 1886, shipbuilding was surpassed by the lime business, which had twelve manufacturers employing 1,000 workers. Nevertheless, Rockland had three or more [[shipyard]]s, a [[marine railway]], five sail lofts and two [[boatbuilder]]s. Other industries included three [[gristmill|grain mills]], two [[foundry|foundries]], three [[carriage]] factories, six [[lumber]] mills, two [[machine shop]]s, three [[barrel|cooperies]], one [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]], four [[granite]] and [[marble]] works, two [[boot]] and [[shoemaking|shoe]] factories, and four printing offices. [[Fishing]] was also important. Fleets of [[Friendship Sloop]]s sailed between the harbor and fishing grounds across [[Penobscot Bay]].<ref>{{Cite journal
  | last = Varney   | first = George J.   | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Rockland
  | place = Boston   | publisher = Russell   | year = 1886   | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/rockland-me.htm   | access-date = 2008-05-09   | archive-date = 2014-08-16   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140816101159/http://history.rays-place.com/me/rockland-me.htm   | url-status = dead   }}</ref>

The opening of the [[Knox and Lincoln Railroad]] in 1871 brought an influx of tourists. Inns and hotels were established to accommodate them, with the grandest being The Bay Point Hotel in 1889. With a commanding view near the [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]], the resort offered every luxury and amusement. Renamed The Samoset Hotel in 1902, it was successful until the [[Great Depression]], which began a slow decline. In the age of automobiles, travelers were no longer restricted to the limits of train service, but were free to explore elsewhere. Closed in 1969, the [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] hotel burned in 1972. A new Samoset Resort opened in 1974.<ref name="samoset">{{cite web|url=http://www.samosetresort.com/about/index.aspx|title=Samoset Resort History|access-date=2010-05-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100428085437/http://www.samosetresort.com/about/index.aspx|archive-date=2010-04-28}}</ref>

In 1915, the new [[Dreadnought|super-dreadnought]] {{USS|Nevada|BB-36}} conducted tests and completed her running trials just off the shore from Rockland.<ref name="Mightiest">{{Cite journal| date = September 19, 1915| title = Mightiest U.S. Ship Coming| journal = The New York Times| page = 9| url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/09/19/301819842.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| date = November 8, 1915| title = Nevada Meets Tests; New Superdreadnought easily fills contract requirements| journal = The New York Times| page = 6| url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/11/08/100181964.pdf }}</ref>

Today, Rockland is an officially designated [[micropolitan area]]. Since the early 1990s, Rockland has seen a shift in its economy away from the [[fishery]] and toward a service center city. It has also seen a substantial increase in tourism and the downtown has transformed into one of unique shops, boutiques, fine dining and art galleries. Rockland is the commercial center of the midcoast Maine region, with many historic inns, a coffee roaster, a food co-op, a community radio station [[WRFR-LP]], the [[Farnsworth Art Museum]] and the [http://www.cmcanow.org Center for Maine Contemporary Art] (CMCA). Rockland was named a Coast Guard City in March 2008, in recognition of the long-standing and special relationship that the city and its residents have with the [[United States Coast Guard]].<ref name="coast_guard_city">{{cite web|url=http://rocklandcoastguardcity.com/index.html|title=Rockland Coast Guard City, Rockland, Maine, One of 9 USA Coast Guard Cities|access-date=2010-05-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609043500/http://rocklandcoastguardcity.com/index.html|archive-date=2010-06-09}}</ref><ref name="robicheau">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=20060705&id=dwU1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1463,1049057|title=Rockland talked up for Coast Guard City|last=Robicheau|first=Leanne M.|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=July 5, 2006|access-date=2010-05-09}}</ref><ref name="uscg_video">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8tu_zkeLvA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/W8tu_zkeLvA| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=Coast Guard City Designation for Rockland, Maine| website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=2010-05-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On March 13, 2017, the Rockland City Council approved [http://knox.villagesoup.com/p/rockland-council-oks-diversity-resolve/1632942 a resolve to support community diversity].