Maine State Building

Museum of Poland Spring history and the Nettie Ricker Art Gallery.

In 1891, Hiram Ricker was given a special award at the Columbia Exposition in Chicago. The Columbian Exposition of 1893 commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America and was a notable event. It was lighted by electricity and featured most of America's innovations of the 19th century.  The Maine State Building was built to display Maine products at the Exposition. The Rickers bought Maine State Building for $30,000 and made arrangements for dismantling the building and shipping it, by freight train, back to Maine. It took 16 freight cars to accomplish the task!

Hiram Riccar, Wentworth’s son, had a huge responsibility.  In early spring of 1844, Hiram wandered out to his fields and laid down in a meadow. The only thing that sustained his life was water from spring. Days later, he returned to the house with a hearty appetite he hadn't enjoyed in many years. So passed the “humors” of his stomach and his ruddy good health was returned to him. He related the tale of the miracle cure with the water to his doctor. Seeing his patient in better health than ever before, the good doctor asked that a barrel of the wonderful “elixir” be sent to him on the next stage. One month later, Doctor Clark sought out Hiram and told him that each patient to whom he had given this Poland Water had made remarkable recoveries. He wished to purchase the water for prescription purposes. Before long physicians in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were demanding that water be sent to them for dispensing to their patients. Wagon masters heading westward heard of the unusual quality of Poland Water. They too bought hundreds of barrels for their long westward treks. For the same reasons, there was hardly a clipper ship that left New England ports that did not carry Poland Water.