Historic Rangeley exhibit showcases western Maine’s earliest human history

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026

Historic Rangeley is using archaeology to tell one of the oldest human stories in Maine, spotlighting evidence that people lived and traveled through the western mountains thousands of years ago. Archaeological evidence from the Vail Site dates to around 10,700 BCE, when glaciers were retreating and Paleoamerican people hunted caribou across the newly exposed post-glacial tundra. “They were the first humans to exist in current day Maine and are the ancestors of today’s Wabanaki people,” said Michelle Landry, executive director of Historic Rangeley, referring to the Penobscot, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq and Passamaquoddy tribes.