Book excerpt: Holding an integral place in Maine's community, the story of its early taverns and tea rooms is an important account of commerce and political and social life. From famed Revolutionary War incidents to Civil War generals, stagecoaches and the story of rum, the history of Maine's early taverns is captivating. The tea rooms of the early 1900s were just as interesting and important. They played a large role in the national tea movement, the temperance and suffragette movements and the promotion of women's independence, and they also symbolized Maine's culture and sophistication. Join local authors Kathy and Bill Kenny as they unveil the stories, characters and history of these establishments over the past four centuries.