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Description
In 1604 Samuel de Champlain, sailed up the Penobscot River searching for the legendary City of Norumbega only to be hindered by the falls, now famous as the Bangor Salmon Pool. It is at the confluence of the Penobscot and Kenduskeag Rivers, just below these falls, we now have the City of Bangor, incorporated in 1791 and her sister city, Brewer incorporated in 1812. Due to its proximity to the timberlands, this region became an important center for shipyards and sawmills, who were shipping Maine lumber worldwide. Surrounding Bangor are numerous cities and towns, many of whose economies were agriculturally based. The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce area encompasses the 21-communities along the Penobscot River Corridor. One of the key resources for this region has been the Penobscot River. The river has served the area in a number of capacities. First the river served as transportation corridor moving goods, materials and people in and out of the region. The river has also been a commodity, with both Brewer and Orrington having significant ice-harvesting operations shipping ice south along the eastern seaboard. The river has also been a provider of energy with a number of hydro-electrical dams along the watershed. It has always served this region as a recreation area, as it spills from Penobscot Bay into the Atlantic. The history of this region demonstrates the strong economic clusters within the 21 communities providing for a broad economic base...