Chapter 12: Looking Beyond Bangor

Here for Generations tells the remarkable tale of a town and a bank that have moved in concert since 1852. The book captures their sweeping history through triumph and tragedy and brings to life the fascinating people and events that have shaped their journey.

The bank's roots were set in the 1830s, when the bustling city of Bangor lured the best and the brightest of Maine's adventurers to its port and commercial center. Bangor was the Lumber Capital of the World complete with all the intrigue of a riverfront boomtown — potential riches and busted dreams, wealthy lumber barons, and rowdy lumbermen and sailors.

In 1852, a group of public spirited men — businessmen, lawyers, artisans, and merchants — came together in a philanthropic effort to create Bangor Savings Bank, an entity designed to help the city's poor and its working men and women save money.

From that start, Bangor Savings Bank and Bangor have seen the rise and fall of the great lumber economy and survived the economic depression of the 1870s that nearly killed the bank. They experienced the Flood of 1902, rebuilt following the Great Fire of 1911, and hung tough during the Great Depression. They also watched the city become the region's premier service and retail hub. Meanwhile, the bank rose from its simple origins to become a statewide leader in the twenty-first century — a prime source of financial services, mortgages, and the capital that fuels the economic engine of the Pine Tree State, It has been a remarkable ride.

Islandport Press, Gusto, a Matter Company, and Bangor Savings Bank present Here for Generations: The Story of a Maine Bank and its City by Dean Lawrence Lunt and read by Jamey Doughty with an introduction by Stephen King read by Joyce Clark-Sarnacki and with epilogues from P. James Dowe Jr. & Bob Montgomery-Rice.

At Bangor Savings Bank, you matter more.

We've lived and worked alongside the people of Maine since 1852. In that time, we've learned to believe in the innate ability of the people of Maine to achieve their goals and dreams. It's why we invest in Maine's communities and its people as often as we can — from supporting educational and retraining initiatives to helping local organizations energize and enhance the quality of life for Maine citizens. It's why we support the entrepreneurial spirit of Maine with products and services that meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. It's why, in short, we give you everything you need to succeed. Because we believe that you will.

Learn more about Bangor Savings Bank at bangor.com, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.

About the Author

Dean Lawrence Lunt was born and raised in the Maine island fishing village of French-boro, a place his ancestors helped settle in the early 1800s. He graduated from Syracuse University and then spent nearly a dozen years working as a journalist at daily newspapers across New England. He founded Islandport Press, a book publisher, in 1999 and launched Islandport Magazine in 2016. He is also the author of Hauling by Hand.