In 1605, Samuel de Champlain is said to have landed here and exchanged gifts with the Indigenous peoples of the AmericasIndians. Situated on the tidal Sheepscot River, Wiscasset was first settled in 1663. The community would be deserted during the terrors of the French and Indian Wars, and then resettled around 1730. In 1760, it was incorporated as "Pownalborough," after Colonial Governor Thomas Pownall. In 1802, it resumed its original Abenaki name, "Wiscasset," which means "coming out from the harbor but you don't see where." The seaport became a center for shipbuilding, fishing and lumber. In 1808 Fort Edgecomb was built on the opposite bank of the Sheepscot to protect the town harbor. Wiscasset's prosperity left behind fine early architecture, particularly in the Federal style architectureFederal style when Wiscasset was important in privateering. Two dwellings of the period, Castle Tucker and the Nickels-Sortwell House, are now museums operated by Historic New England. Until recently, another tourist attraction was two ship hulks near the U.S. Route 1 bridge -- the four-masted cargo schooners Hesper and Luther Little. Bought at auction for $600 each by entrepreneur Frank W. Winter of Auburn, MaineAuburn, they were brought to Wiscasset in 1932, then abandoned. Over the next 66 years, the weathered vessels would become possibly the most photographed objects in Maine. In 1998, the rotted remains were removed from the Sheepscot River by the town. From 1972 until 1996, Wiscasset was home to Maine Yankee, a pressurized water reactor on Bailey Point, and the only nuclear power plant in the state. The Maine Yankee nuclear power plant has been decommissioned and is inoperative. 'Notable Inhabitants:' * Juliana Hatfield, rock singer & guitarist * Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence * Cadwallader C. Washburn, businessman, politician & soldier 'Historical Sites & Museums:' * http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/castle.htm Castle Tucker (1807) * http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/nickels.htm Nickels-Sortwell House (1807) * http://www.lincolncountyhistory.org/lchaparts/oldjail.htm Old Jail & Lincoln County Museum (1811) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiscasset_(town)%2C_Maine