Built in 1754 on the eastern bank of the Kennebec River, Fort Western became one of the first permanent settlements in what would eventually become Augusta and, in 1827, the capital of Maine. Through innovations in publishing by Gannett & Morse and Vickery & Hill, textiles by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, and lumber production along the Kennebec, Augusta thrived and prospered. Water Street flourished into the business and cultural center of the city, while Green and Winthrop Streets became some of the area's most opulent residential neighborhoods. A trolley system and the Maine Central Railroad station tied Augusta to surrounding communities and allowed visitors to come from far and wide and spend many a night at the famed Augusta House.
