Influence of Commendation and Encouragement as a Means of Incitement to Study

The Maine Normal December, 1866

In this first issue (Volume 1, Number 1) of The Maine Normal Jacob Abbott wrote the very first article. This periodical was established in December, 1866. Abbott's six page essay highlighted this 46 page issue. This journal was designed to help teachers, professors and educators in the Maine schools. It was a monthly periodical priced at $1.50 per year or 20 cents per issue.

Abbott wrote other articles for this journal including Applications of Electro-Magnetism (Volume 2, No. 1, January 1868), Three Insoluble Problems (Volume 2, No. 4, April , 1868), Electro-Telegraphy (Volume 2, No. 3, March , 1868), The Squaring of the Circle (Volum2, Number 9 September, 1868) and Navigation of the Air (Maine Normal Vol. 2 No. 6 June, 1868).

George G. Gage was the editor and Volume 1 was published by J. Weston Swift and Co. in Farmington, Maine. Volume II which began in January, 1868 was published in Portland, Maine by Brown Thurston. Because of pecuniary difficulties, this periodical under the stewardship of Gage was discontinued with the last issue being in December, 1868.

This journal was renamed The Maine Journal of Education in January, 1869 and at that time Volume III was published by Brown Thurston. The journal had a new editor, A. P. Stone.