Augusta (Maine)

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In 1628, the Plymouth Company established a trading post on the Kennebec River in southwestern Maine. Traders had long been visiting the site, which was then known as Cushnoc. In 1754, Fort Western was built there. It was the fort where Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec assembled in 1775 and in 1921 the garrison house was restored as a museum. A settlement developed around the fort with an economy, mostly based on shipping and shipbuilding on the Kennebec.

The settlement was named Augusta and it was chosen to become the state capital of Maine. In 1829 the capitol building was constructed. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch, but it was later enlarged and remodeled. Manufacturing started in Augusta in 1837, after a dam was built across the river. Nowadays, shoes, computers, electronic equipment and paper products are manufactured.

Apart from the capitol, there are several interesting sights in Augusta. One of them is James G. Blaine's early 19-century home, which is now the governor's mansion. There is a branch of the University of Maine in Augusta.

Augusta has various hotels and restaurants. The city is 840 km northeast from Washington D.C.