Called ." . . the most influential woman in the history of American politics," Senator Margaret Chase Smith always carried with her a strong connection to her roots in Skowhegan, Maine. How did her years and experiences in this community influence her strength of character and lifetime commitment to public service? Author Frank H. Sleeper has searched local archives to bring us rare photographs and new connections between Skowhegan and its famous senator. In this illuminating pictorial history, readers enjoy unique views of Skowhegan, with its historic buildings and riverfront, where Senator Smith spent her first forty years. Her strong convictions and tolerance for dissent, especially apparent in her famous "Declaration of Conscience" speech against Senator Joe McCarthy, may well have come from her background in Skowhegan.