BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 15, 2024
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited the midcoast town of Newcastle on Thursday to meet with local officials about the possibility of turning the Frances Perkins Homestead into a national monument. The area is the former home of Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet member and a crusader for workers’ rights in the early to mid 1900s. National monument status would help the Frances Perkins Center share her story with more people. The designation would turn the homestead into federal property and make it eligible for congressional funds. The national attention would also help bring more economic assistance to preserve the land. Anyone who would like to show support for the designation can sign the organization’s petition.