Norway
Welcome to Norway!
The area around Norway’s Pennesseewassee Lake were inhabited by Native Americans for millennia before European settlers arrived in the late 1700’s. The town of Norway was incorporated in 1797 and has grown to become one of the prominent towns of Oxford County. Abundant water power drove the construction of mills and factories, and fertile soil promoted agriculture. The Great Norway Fire destroyed much of the downtown area in 1894, but it quickly recovered. Norway was once the global leader in snowshoe production, led by the Tubbs Snowshoe Company.
Today, Norway is a popular destination for its vibrant, historic, and very walkable downtown shopping district, and Pennesseewassee Lake is a major tourist destination for its beautiful, clear waters and fish.
Fun Facts
- Local legend has it that Norway’s name comes from an unexpected source – the original name of “Norage,” the local Native Americans’ word for “falls” was changed to Norway in order to sound more English.
- Maine humorist Artemus Ward and former Vice President Hannibal Hamlin both worked at the Norway Advertiser-Democrat newspaper office!
Sources: Wikipedia and Maine an Encyclopedia