Following an introductory section devoted to a chronological list of European explorers and traders who made the first tentative soundings in Maine, the bulk of this book consists of a detailed history and description of each river settlement. Appended to the histories is an exhaustive list of pioneers connected with each settlement. The lists are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the original pioneer and yield such critical genealogical data as place of origin, date and place of settlement, occupation, name of wife and names of children, place and date of death, and, in many instances, names of family members in the country of origin.