Stop 5: Flowing Out to the Tides

Over the millennia, long before any of our recorded history, the Saco River nourished and sustained the lives of Wabanaki people in this region.

In 1605, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain inquired with the inhabitants at the mouth of the river about what it was called.

His map shows the answer he thought he heard — "Chauocoet" — but over time, the European settlers came to learn the more accurate name for the river.

Along with the features of the coastline, the map indicates areas where Indigenous People lived and farmed along the river — indicating a sprawling agricultural operation in the fertile floodplains.