Creativity has flourished throughout Biddeford's history. Particularly in the arts and technology, the folks in Biddeford have found new and striking ways to express themselves.
Shaw & Clark Sewing Machine, Biddeford, ca. 1865
McArthur Public Library
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the in-migration of people from other cultures, such as the Irish and French-Canadians, plus the successful manufacturing at the many mills, combined to foster a lively cultural scene.
Pierre Painchaud as 'The Mad Miser,' Biddeford, ca. 1899
McArthur Public Library
It was an atmosphere ripe for discovery of new ways of doing things. Whether it was portraying a "Mad Miser" in the theater, rallying patriotic fervor with World War I artwork, or inventing new technology to keep a local industry booming, Biddeford has produced real originals, individuals whose impact has reached far beyond the banks of the Saco River.
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