Page 87 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Cushnoc became part of Hallowell
in 1771. In 1797 the name changed
to Augusta after Augusta Dearborn, daughter of Henry Dearborn, and in 1799 it became county seat for newly created Kennebec County.
When Maine became a state in 1820, Augusta was chosen as its capital in 1827. The Maine State House was completed
in 1832. Making it into the state capital meant that more people moved to the city to work for the government. In 1840 the city was among the 100 largest urban populations in America, but with the growth of the U.S. westwards at this time, it soon dropped out of that grouping.
In 1837, a dam was built across the Kennebec where the falls drop 15 feet at the head of tide, and ten small sawmills were built. By 1883 it had a cotton textile mill. Then a paper and pulp plant was constructed.
The central business district developed on and near Water Street on the west bank of the Kennebec River. This street had been laid out in the late 1700s. But with the completion of the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 95 in 1955, businesses moved closer to the highway.
The old mill and factory buildings have been redeveloped into housing. The dam has been removed and the area around the dam has been turned into a city park.
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