Lisbon, Maine

 is a small town in New England where Jake Epping lives and teaches.

2016
Jake teaches English and Literature at South Lisbon High School. In the evenings, he teaches adult education GED courses. Harry Dunning, the janitor at the school, is one of his students. Jake and Alice Nelson, the vice principal of the school, attend the GED graduation ceremony where Harry receives his diploma.

Jake's close friend, Al Templeton, owns and operates Al's Diner across the street from a closed factory. Jake frequents the establishment, preferring to order Al's Fatburgers instead of a healthy salad. Jake's wife, Christy, meets Jake here to sign their divorce papers. ("The Rabbit Hole")

1960-1963
When Jake travels to the past, Al's Diner is not there. Instead, there are a few houses where some children are playing. Across the street is the factory, open and functioning. A food truck is on the property catering to the factory workers. The Yellow Card Man, a bum, approaches Jake telling him that he does not belong there.

Downtown bustles with activity. Jake's modern clothes provoke stares so he quickly gets a haircut and buys a suit. ("The Rabbit Hole")

Sadie Dunhill has two cousins who live in Lisbon. Her vacation to see them coincides with the day Jake travels back to the past - October 21, 1960. ("The Eyes of Texas")

Alternate 2016
When Jake returns from 1963 after saving John F. Kennedy, he finds a ruined and desolate Lisbon. The United States has been ravaged by nuclear apocalypse. Kennedy was re-elected, but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was never passed because of declining American support for Kennedy. Controversial Alabama governor, George Wallace, became president in 1968 and escalated Vietnam into a nuclear war, which precipitated other atomic conflicts around the globe.

Jake goes back through the rabbit hole to reset time and restore things to the way they were before. ("The Day in Question")

Historical
Lisbon is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States.

The community was originally part of Bowdoin, a township within the Kennebec Purchase. But because travel to attend town meetings was difficult, on June 22, 1799 the General Court of Massachusetts divided Bowdoin in two to create Thompsonborough. Residents, however, soon grew dissatisfied with the long name. Consequently, it would be renamed in 1802 as Lisbon, after Lisbon in Portugal. In 1808, Lisbon annexed the remainder of Little River Plantation (part of the Pejepscot Purchase) as Lisbon Falls.

With fertile and easily cultivated soil, farming was an early industry. Sawmills and gristmills were built using water power from the streams. Larger brick mills followed to manufacture textiles. In 1864, the Worumbo Mill was established to produce woolens, and would remain a principal employer until it burned in 1987. Today, the small mill town is largely a bedroom community for companies like Bath Iron Works and L.L.Bean and increasingly for people working in the Portland area.

Stephen King graduated from Lisbon Falls High School in 1966.

Production

 * The scenes involving Al's Diner were shot in Guelph, Ontario, Canada at the corner of Oliver and Huron Streets. The May 2015 Google StreetView of 118 Huron Street shows the diner set being constructed. Note that there is no concrete foundation. It is 2x4 construction on the ground and pieces for the curved ends of the diner are in the Ryder truck parked on Oliver Street.
 * Several scenes from the pilot, including the car dealership, diner and men's clothing store, were shot in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada.

External Link

 * Official Website of the Town of Lisbon, Maine