Walking Tour Of Bangor’s Devil’s Half Acre Kicks Off Next Week

Once upon a time, Bangor was actually quite the urban center. Not just for Maine either. We've all heard when were growing up about Bangor being the lumber capital of the world, but with that came a bit of a seamier side that people tend to overlook for the wholesomeness of history.

And that's where the term "Devil's Half Acre" came in. In the mid 1800's, Maine was recognizing a self-imposed prohibition of alcohol, except for Bangor. By the 1890's, Bangor was home to over 140 saloons and bordellos, ready to take the money from lumberjacks who were extremely eager to lighten their wallets in the name of decadent pleasures.

Whether it was drinking, gambling, or...ahem...fraternizing with professional women of the evening, the Devil's Half Acre had it all. And of course the much storied figurehead of all this carousing was good old Fanny Jones. To tell this story appropriately would take a whole article all to itself. Fan ran multiple brothels, and was basically at the forefront of Bangor business pleasure. So....

The Bangor Historical Society is kicking off their guided walking tour of the Devil's Half Acre starting Wednesday June 6th. And good old Fan Jones will be your tour guide on this sordid journey of Bangor's past. Sure, the content may be a bit risque,  but nothing compared to what we see on TV on a regular basis. And, like it or not, it's a big part of Bangor's history.

So, maybe you'd like to become an authority on Bangor's darker side. This is a great starting point to get to know the Queen City's underbelly. You'll likely learn a lot, and then you can chuckle at the folks that think Bangor was always the wholesome, down home community that it is today. Because come on....that doesn't sound nearly as fun!