06/03/2026
The City of Bangor held a ceremony recently naming a trail in honor of Bangor native and civil rights pioneer Gerald E. Talbot.
The trail extends from Sylvan Road over to Stillwater Avenue. It’s part of a broader trail system extending from Cascade Park and the adjacent Saxl Park north to the Eastern Maine Community College campus and then over to the Essex Street Recreation Area.
The City Council in May 2025 authorized the naming of the trail for Mr. Talbot, who in 1972 became the first Black legislator in the state’s history. He would prove instrumental in the passage of the Maine Fair Housing Act, the Maine Human Rights Act and in improving conditions for migrant workers while advocating for tribal sovereignty.
His accomplishments also include serving as chair of the Maine State Board of Education and working with historian H.H. Price to edit an anthology focused on the story of Black Mainers from the earliest of times: “Maine’s Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People.” He also amassed a renowned body of documents, photographs, papers and artifacts that he donated to the University of Southern Maine in 1995 as a way to teach African American history in Maine.
Mr. Talbot grew up near Second Street in Bangor and the City in 2021 renamed Second Street Park to Talbot Park in his honor. He passed away May 9 at the age of 94.
His four daughters, his widow Anita Talbot and other family members attended the recent ceremony. The Talbot family is shown in the accompanying photo, with Mrs. Talbot seated at right.
The City wishes to thank Eastern Maine Community College for allowing the use of Rangeley Hall to hold the ceremony.
