June in Maine has a particular quality. The screen doors go back on. The moose come down to the water at dusk. The days stretch so long that 8:45pm still looks like late afternoon. It’s the month the state earns everything it promises the rest of the year.
The June issue of The Monthly Connection is out — and it leans into all of it.
The Swedish Colony That Forgot Time
Most people don’t know that Maine has a living Swedish colony. In 1870, a man named William W. Thomas, Jr. — who had served as American Consul to Sweden under Abraham Lincoln — recruited 51 Swedish immigrants to come north and farm the fields of Aroostook County. He chose it deliberately: the pine forests, the winters, the gray sky reminded him of Dalarna County, Sweden. Half of those first settlers didn’t survive the first winter. The rest stayed. They named a town New Sweden — and they brought Midsommar with them. The festival has run every June since 1871. Swedish visitors who make the trip to Aroostook County tend to leave with the same observation: this is what it used to look like. Maine has that effect on things.
The Legacy of Shem Drowne
The grasshopper weathervane atop Boston’s Faneuil Hall is one of the most recognized landmarks in New England. What most people don’t know is that the man who made it — America’s first documented weathervane maker — was born in what is now Eliot, York County, Maine. Shem Drowne left for Boston as a boy and never looked back. But Maine can claim him. And inside that famous grasshopper, a hidden note reads: “Shem Drowne made it, May 25, 1742.” Maine made him first.
Moose Safari Season
June is the best month to spot a moose in Maine — calving season, long evenings near the water, and if you know where to look, the odds shift dramatically in your favor. Laura has some personal experience with this. Watch the video.
The Market — Honest and Specific
Virtually every major forecaster agrees: mortgage rates are staying in the mid-6% range for the foreseeable future. More Americans now carry a mortgage above 6% than below 3% — a tipping point that quietly passed in 2025. The June issue takes an honest look at what that means, what a good deal actually looks like in today’s Maine market, and why the best opportunities rarely announce themselves.
The June Monthly Connection also includes a community spotlight on Hallowell — Maine’s antique riverport on the Kennebec — plus the full May market statistics for Cumberland and York Counties.
Every month, Maine Home Connection publishes The Monthly Connection — local stories, market insights, and Maine history you won’t find anywhere else.
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About the Author: Michael
