The Aroostook Arms Race: Cold War in the Crown of Maine

A chronicle of Aroostook County’s Cold War military buildup, its peak, and the decline that followed.

The end of World War II set the stage for an accumulation of arms that would rival even the most vivid imagination as the United States tried to maintain a period of operational readiness matching rival nation, communist Russia.

The impact of this decades-long arms race was most noticeable in places like Aroostook County, Maine, where the town of Limestone was noted only for its rural surroundings. In 1950, Limestone’s population was 2,427 before growing 439% in the following decade, swelling to 13,102 by the end of 1960. With its proximity to Europe, this spot was selected for its strategic location as weapons were poised to strike at the Soviet Union, hidden in backyards and among the potato fields, while armed bombers were maintained in a state of operational readiness 24/7 at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone.

The impressive buildup seemed headed to an inevitable war, but in the 1990s, the Cold War ended, arms were dismantled, and Loring Air Force Base was closed; by 2020, the population in Limestone had fallen to 1,526. This book explores this incredible era, the rise and fall of the nuclear weapons stockpile in Aroostook County, and its impact to Northern Maine.