Phillips, Maine – Its Advantages and Resources (c.1900–1910) [Civic Promotion]

Rare early 20th-century promotional booklet Phillips, Maine: Its Advantages and Resources, circa 1900–1910. 28 pages, measuring 6 × 3.5 inches, illustrated with 17 halftone photographs and a line map highlighting the town’s industries, scenic landscape, and community infrastructure. Issued without publication date or imprint, though attributed by OCLC to Knowlton & McLeary Co., Farmington, Maine. Only one institutional copy traced (Cal State Library, Sutro Branch).

Physical Details & Condition:
Printed wrappers; stapled binding. Light handling wear, mild foxing to rear wrapper, and small edge rubs; text block clean. Well-preserved overall, with images sharp and evenly toned. A scarce survival of small-town New England boosterism promoting industrial and residential settlement opportunities.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Phillips leveraged scenic assets—Mount Blue, Saddleback, nearby lakes—and dependable spring water to market health, industry, and opportunity. Halftone views of Main Street and Upper Village capture a rail-served community where lumbering, small manufactures, and sportsmen’s hotels coexisted, reflecting broader New England boosterism and rural development.

Produced for civic promotion, the booklet extols Phillips’ scenery, rail access, clean water from Mount Blue, and institutions like Phillips High School and The Elmwood Hotel. Photographic views of Main Street, Upper Village, and surrounding mountains document the town at the height of Maine’s rural development push.

Subjects: Phillips Maine, Knowlton & McLeary Co., Rural Development, Maine Tourism, Industrial Expansion, Early 20th Century Printing, Illustrated Booklets, Small-Town America, Farmington Maine, New England Ephemera; Americana, Local History, Regional Promotion.

Item #21205

Price: $150.00