Lily Norton was born in 1857 on a hardscrabble farm in the foothills of Western Maine. Despite difficult circumstances, her family found great joy in music and, eventually, recognized young Lily's remarkable talent. Lily's parents' "Yankee determination" and sacrifice enabled her to study with the era's most accomplished vocalists and teachers. Known as Lillian Nordica, she became one of the world's most famous opera stars. Despite her fame, Lily never forgot her Maine roots. Unfortunately, her untimely death kept her from her plan to retire to her beloved birthplace, Farmington.