RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maine >> Somerset County >> Canaan >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).

When in Canaan, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Canaan and the surrounding area.

  • Astronomy & Satellites ...
    • Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
    • To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Canaan:
    • 44.761730, -69.561438
    • Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
    • Open the Heavens-Above website centered on Canaan
  • Bird Watching ...
    • We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
    • The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Somerset County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Somerset County
    • Since Canaan is near Kennebec County and also Waldo County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Kennebec County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Waldo County
  • Waymarking ...
    • Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
    • Open the Waymark.com report for Canaan

Communities Also Named Canaan ...

We found 29 communities that are also named Canaan.

Within Maine, the name Canaan is unique.

Beyond Maine, we know of 29 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 29 communities, 26 are located in the United States and five are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Lamar County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Alabama community of Canaan [Lamar County].
      • Lauderdale County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Alabama community of Canaan [Lauderdale County].
      • Montgomery County
      • This Canaan is located in Montgomery County and lies 1,248 miles [2,008.5 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Canaan.
    • Arkansas
      • Lee County
      • This Canaan is located in Lee County and lies 1,311 miles [2,109.8 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lee County community of Canaan.
      • Searcy County
      • This Canaan is located in Searcy County and lies 1,357 miles [2,183.9 km] to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Searcy County community of Canaan.
    • Connecticut
      • Litchfield County
      • This Canaan is located in Litchfield County and lies 267 miles [429.7 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Litchfield County community of Canaan.
    • Florida
      • Seminole County
      • This Canaan is located in Seminole County and lies 1,274 miles [2,050.3 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Seminole County community of Canaan.
    • Georgia
      • Morgan County
      • This Canaan is located in Morgan County and lies 1,068 miles [1,718.8 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Morgan County community of Canaan.
    • Indiana
      • Jefferson County
      • This Canaan is located in Jefferson County and lies 904 miles [1,454.8 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Canaan.
    • Kansas
      • Chase County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Canaan [Chase County].
    • Mississippi
      • Benton County
      • This Canaan is located in Benton County and lies 1,234 miles [1,985.9 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Benton County community of Canaan.
    • Missouri
      • Gasconade County
      • This Canaan is located in Gasconade County and lies 1,216 miles [1,957 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Gasconade County community of Canaan.
    • New Brunswick
      • This Canaan lies 240 miles [386.2 km]<3> to the east northeast of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
    • New Hampshire
      • Grafton County
      • This Canaan is located in Grafton County and lies 143 miles [230.1 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grafton County community of Canaan.
    • New York
      • Columbia County
      • This Canaan is located in Columbia County and lies 253 miles [407.2 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Canaan.
    • North Carolina
      • Transylvania County
      • This Canaan is located in Transylvania County and lies 969 miles [1,559.5 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Transylvania County community of Canaan.
    • Nova Scotia
      • We haven't found the location of this community yet.
    • Ohio
      • Wayne County
      • This Canaan is located in Wayne County and lies 678 miles [1,091.1 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wayne County community of Canaan.
    • Ontario
      • This Canaan lies 283 miles [455.4 km]<3> to the west northwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
    • Oregon
      • Columbia County
      • This Canaan is located in Columbia County and lies 2,541 miles [4,089.3 km]<3> to the west northwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Canaan.
    • South Carolina
      • Dorchester County
      • This Canaan is located in Dorchester County and lies 996 miles [1,602.9 km]<3> to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Dorchester County community of Canaan.
      • Orangeburg County
      • This Canaan is located in Orangeburg County and lies 995 miles [1,601.3 km] to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Orangeburg County community of Canaan.
      • Spartanburg County
      • This Canaan is located in Spartanburg County and lies 943 miles [1,517.6 km] to the southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Spartanburg County community of Canaan.
    • Tennessee
      • Maury County
      • This Canaan is located in Maury County and lies 1,121 miles [1,804.1 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Maury County community of Canaan.
      • Montgomery County
      • This Canaan is located in Montgomery County and lies 1,099 miles [1,768.7 km] to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Canaan.
    • Texas
      • Grayson County
      • This Canaan is located in Grayson County and lies 1,621 miles [2,608.7 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grayson County community of Canaan.
      • Limestone County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Texas community of Canaan [Limestone County].
    • Vermont
      • Essex County
      • This Canaan is located in Essex County and lies 98 miles [157.7 km]<3> to the west of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Essex County community of Canaan.
    • West Virginia
      • Upshur County
      • This Canaan is located in Upshur County and lies 690 miles [1,110.4 km]<3> to the west southwest of the Canaan that is located in Somerset County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Upshur County community of Canaan.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Canaan ...

As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.

  • Bog Corner
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Bog Corner is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bog Corner
  • Castle Harmony
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Castle Harmony is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castle Harmony
  • Cornville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Cornville is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornville
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,389 people
  • Decker Corner
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Decker Corner is located in Kennebec County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decker Corner
  • Dodge Corner
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Dodge Corner is located in Waldo County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodge Corner
  • Dogtown
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Dogtown is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dogtown
  • Hartland
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Houston Corner
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Houston Corner is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston Corner
  • Martin Corner
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Martin Corner is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin Corner
  • Stronghold
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Stronghold is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stronghold
  • Wildwood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Wildwood is located in Somerset County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood

How Far From Canaan to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Canaan to various places of note, such as the White House.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Canaan and extending to:

  • Skowhegan, which is the Seat of Somerset County, lies just to the West.
  • Augusta, which is the State Capital of Maine, lies 32 miles [51.5 km]<3> to the south southwest (SSW). If you could walk a straight line from Canaan to Augusta, with an average speed<5> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of two days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take just over a day.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 557 miles [896.4 km] to the southwest (SW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take just over a day, a buggy would take 22 days and walking would take 32 days.
  • The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,350 miles [8,610 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,065 miles [9,760.7 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 3,940 miles [6,340.8 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<9>'

Footnotes ...

<1>If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer.

Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Bird Creek to see Pete ... Bird Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name.

Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time.

Also keep in mind that Canaan could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out.
<2>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Canaan, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Canaan) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<5>While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day.
<6>The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Canaan to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Canaan. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 44.7617, Longitude: -69.5614       In this case, the coordinates for Canaan have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 302.658 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 298.508 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 298.572 degrees.