"The goal of Down East has always been to hold a mirror up to Maine — its storied past and lively present — and to celebrate its flinty, independent character and unhurried way of life. As Maine has changed with the times, however, so has Down East. Today the state has come to embrace its future as well as its past. Accordingly, the magazine now focuses more on contemporary Maine life and what the future might bring and less on historical background and quaint rusticity. Booming circulation and advertising gains demonstrate the wisdom of this editorial shift."
Portland Public Library's collection of Down East is complete, and begins with the first issue, August 1954. The hard copies are available in the Portland Room.
Submissions from 1999
"Along the Waterfront." Southport Island sailors David Nutt and Judy Sanduk pla, James P. Brown
"Along the Waterfront." Visitors to Acadia National Park consistently mispronoun
Article about a L/A Arts, which has brought top-notch entertainment to the twin, Sarah Goodyear
Article about early Maine daguerreotypes and a recent exhibition of them at the, Paul Doiron
Article about Marden's Surplus and Salvage, one of the third or fourth largest s, Edgar Allen Beem
Article about the Androscoggin River, the state's third largest river, that was
Article about the remarkable transformation undergone over the past ten years by, Jeff Clark
Article profiling the history of Bates College, Paul Wright
Bangor Daily News cartoon, with detailed caption, on homelessness in Maine.
Biography of Maine historian and artist Mildred Burrage (1890-1983), considered, Henry Lofton
"Boater's Guide to the Coast." Chart with "Maine's most complete and up-to-date, James P. Brown
Book reviews of "We Took to the Land" and its sequels, "Happy the Land" and "My, Richard Grant
Brief article about the the picturesque countryside and woodlands offered by the, Frank Andrews
Brief article reporting that the price of home heating oil tumbled 22 cents a ga
Brief book reviews of "Maine Amphibians and Reptiles" by Malcolm Hunter, Aram Ca
Brief history, with photographs, of Maine license plates, which will change June
"Briefly Noted." Short book reviews of "You Auto See Maine: When Old Cars Were
"Briefly Noted." Short reviews of "Mollie Pier or The Underground Adventures of
"Briefly Noted." Short reviews of "Triple Witch" by Eastport writer Sarah Grave
Brief notes on Lewiston-Auburn made products and those who make them, including:, Leslie Cote Kehoe and Jason Stone
Cartoonist Jon Bogdonove of Friendship drew the very profitable death of Superma, Edgar Allen Beem
Charts profiling all 16 Maine counties, 25 Maine retirement communities, and cri
Column on the author's father, who is from Scarborough, and his Alzheimer's dise, Bob Noonan
Column on winter life in Maine., Richard Grant
Community radio station WERU-FM in East Orland, staffed with 100 volunteers, cap, Jeff Clark
Description of a trip to Attean Lake Lodge, near Jackman, a remote site accessib, Paul Guernsey
Description of moose-watching near Rumford and Byron., David Morine
Description of Portland Symphony Orchestra's upcoming "Magic of Christmas" conce
Description of the exhibit "Camera Obscura" at the Children's Museum of Maine in, Laura Conaway
Description of the South Solon Meetinghouse, the site of a remarkable amount of, Elizabeth Peavey
Description of trail-grooming by Presque Isle Snowmobile Club trail master Greg, Ken Textor
Descriptions of 13 Maine garden shows.
Descriptions of 36 things to do in Bar Harbor., Powell Boyer
Despite warnings about mercury-laden trout, anglers are pouring into Maine camps, Jeff Clark
Detailed description of architect John Edward Gillespie's Rockport Harbo house., Robert Post
Detailed description of Prouts Neck, home of the Winslow Homer family., Paul Mann
Detailed description of Sears Island off Searsport and the road that crosses it., Paul Doiron
Detailed description of the nature camp on Hog Island, off Bremen, and the Natio, Elizabeth Peavey
Detailed description of the Portland Boxing Club and several of its fighters. T, Sarah Goodyear
Detailed description of the town of Walpole., Bob Roundy
Detailed excerpt on lauching the USS Donald Cook from the book "The Yard: Buildi, Michael S. Sanders
Detailed explanation of Rite Aid's decision to locate a pharmacy in Camden., Jeff Clark
Detailed history and description of Lewiston's magnificent Saints Peter and Pau, Ellen MacDonald Ward
Detailed history of Central Maine Power Company.
Detailed history of the village of Flagstaff, destroyed in 1949 to create Flagst, Edgar Allen Beem
Detailed profile of Deborah Palman, Maine Warden of the Year., Paul Doiron
Detailed profile of Fryeburg Academy, one of the most successful private schools, Jeff Clark
Detailed profile of Northeast Harbor author Marguerite Yourcenar, who is better, Agnes Bushell
Detailed profile of the Decorum store in Portland, which provides home renovator, Andrew Vietze
Detailed profile of the town of Dover-Foxcroft.