AUGUSTA, the capital of Maine, U.S.A., and the shire-town of Kennebec county, at the head of navigation on the Kennebec river, 6om. N.E. of Portland. It is served by the Maine Central railroad, and in every direction radiate hard-surfaced highways, and historic trails. The population in 1920 was 14,114, of whom 2,281 were foreign-born, and 17,198 in 193o.
The State capitol is a fine building of native granite, which still keeps the original front designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1829. It houses the State museum, which contains many exhibits of Maine fauna. The executive mansion is the former home of James G. Blaine, who lived here during most of his public life. Fort Western (erected 1754) was restored in 1919 as a historic monument. Across the river on a farm of 5ooac. is a State hospital for the insane, which was established in 1834. Lake Cobbos seecontee, one of the best fishing waters in Maine, is about 4m. W. of the city. The bridge across the Kennebec is i,iooft. long, and the Kennebec dam (first built in 183 7) develops electric energy to the amount of 4,5ooh.p.
The principal industries are the manufacture of paper, cotton goods and shoes. Printing and publishing also are important, including the publication of periodicals which have a combined circulation of nearly 3,000,000. The post office handles daily 4o tons of outgoing second-class mail. There is a paper-mill with a daily output of 126 tons of newsprint; a cotton-mill with 2,000 looms and 70,000 spindles ; a lumber-mill with a daily capacity of 5o,000f t. of long lumber, 40,000 laths and 30,00o shingles; and factories making shoes and shirts. The output of the 31 establishments within the city limits in 1927 was valued at $11,444,371.
Augusta occupies the site of an Indian village, Koussinoc, where the Plymouth Colony established a trading-post about 1628. In 1754 a fort was erected. A post office was established in The town was incorporated under the name of Harrington in and became the shire-town in 1799. It was chosen as the capital of the State in 1827, and became the seat of government in 1831, on the completion of the State house. The city charter was obtained in 1849.