Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library: Maine Food and Maine Cookbooks

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Maine Food and Maine Cookbooks

Maine is well known for its wonderful food. Who could resist eating lobster by the sea, having a big bowl of chowder, tasting wild blueberries, having maple syrup on blueberry pancakes and eating a Whoopie Pie.

Here are some of the foods people associate with Maine:

Fiddleheads
Potatoes
Fudge
Blueberries
Lobster
Maple Syrup
Needhams (potato candy)
Whoopie Pies
Moxie (soda made in Lisbon Falls)
Chowder
Rhubarb
Apples
Fudge
Molasses Cookies
Oyster Stew

The library's Maine Collection has a wonderful assortment of Maine cookbooks. When you look through some of the older ones, you'll find interesting recipes of camp and lumber food, farm food, and recipes for hard times.

Some Cookbooks you might enjoy:

Hard Times Cookbook

Good Maine Food

Flavor of Maine

Northwoods Tales and Unusual Recipes

Country Fare: Reminiscences and Recipes From a Maine Childhood

Learn to make your own Whoopie Pies:

Whoopie Pie History

Whoopie Pie Recipe

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Library History

As early as 1874, a group of interested persons formed the Presque Isle Library Association. The members referred to themselves as the Half and Half Club, a group dedicated to social exchanges, mutual improvement, and the establishment of a public library. The club’s name reflected the fact that its officers would consist “half of ladies and half of gentleman, when it can be arranged.”

The early collection of books, formed from donations rotated among many Presque Isle businesses, with the librarian usually drawn from the business that housed the books.

The books were first placed in George Rowell’s drugstore and then moved to the Post Office where Mrs. Luce, the postmaster’s wife, served as librarian. Later Laila Smith’s millinery store held the collection. In 1905 the collection was moved to Holmes Jewelry Store and Mr. Holmes was the librarian.

Presque Isle citizens voted to build a library in 1907, using a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie Fund. Thomas H. Phair purchased a lot from the Dudley heirs for $1,000 on the southeast corner of Second and State Streets, and citizens raised an additional $937.50 for a small adjoining lot. The Presque Isle Library opened on July 1, 1908 with a collection of 2,000 books.

As the city’s population grew, the community needed a larger building and used state funding and a matching donation of $60,000 from Mark Turner, a local businessman. In April of 1967, the newly expanded Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library opened its doors.

Today the library offers a diverse collection of books, magazines, videos/DVDs and programs and events. The library also provides computer and Internet access. To learn more about the library and the services offered just stop in, call, or visit the Website to see a list of events.