Damariscove Island

Damariscove is an uninhabited island that is part of Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County, Maine, United States, about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off the coast at the mouth of the Damariscotta River. The long, narrow island is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 1,500 feet (460 m) at its widest point. The island has served in the past as a fishing settlement, and a Coast Guard Life Saving Station.

History

The earliest residents of the island were the Abenaki, who called the island Aquahega or "place of landing."^[1] As early as 1604, the island was settled as a commercial fishing enterprise. Captain John Smith charted the island as "Damerils Iles" after a visit in 1614, with the name traditionally attributed to Humphrey Damarill, allegedly one of the early fishermen there.^[2] By 1622, the island was home to 13 year-round fishermen, with 2 shallops in the winter^[1] and up to 30 sailing ships fishing the waters in the spring.^[3] When the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were facing starvation in the spring of 1622, they sent a boat to Damariscove to beg for assistance. The fishermen responded by filling the colonists boat with cod which helped ensure the Pilgrim's survival.^[1]

Damariscove had become a thriving community when in 1671, Massachusetts Bay Colony laid claim to the island, extending their eastern borders. Over the next few years, the Massachusetts General Court established a local government there, and appointed a military officer and constable. The court also granted a license for a house of entertainment, while assessing taxes for the first time.^[4]

On August 20, 1676, in the aftermath of King Philip's War, a massive Native American assault attacked and burned every settlement east of the Kennebec River, including the nearby settlement of Pemaquid.^[5] Approximately 300 Refugees from Pemaquid, Boothbay, Damariscotta and Sheepscot converged on the island seeking shelter. Despite the presence at the time of farms, a fort and a tavern, there were not enough provisions to support this many refugees. When nearby Fisherman's Island was attacked a few days later, everyone crowded into boats and fled to the better protected Monhegan Island to the east.^[6] Despite additional attacks in 1697 and 1725, Damariscove Island survived as a fishing station.^[7]

By the time of the American Revolution, farming had begun to play a significant role on the island. Just prior to the Burning of Falmouth in 1775, Captain Henry Mowatt raided the island, burning at least one home to the ground. Historical records show that Mowatt's forces carried off seventy-eight sheep and three hogs.^[8]

By the late 19th century, most farming and fishing had moved elsewhere, while many of the surrounding areas, such as Squirrel Island, Southport and Boothbay Harbor were developing into resort communities. The remaining inhabitants of Damariscove Island primarily made a living dairy farming, with some additional income from fishing and running an ice house with ice harvested from the fresh water pond on the island. The produce was delivered by boat to local hotels and summer communities.^[9] As recently as 1914, there was a large enough population on the island to establish a school,^[10] but by 1917, enough families had moved off the island for the school to close.^[11]

Coast Guard Station

In 1897, the Damariscove Lifesaving Station was built on the island in response to the frequent shipwrecks on the ledges and shoals that surround the island. The station, which still stands today at the southern end of the harbor, was manned by the United States Life-Saving Service and then the U.S. Coast Guard until 1959. The station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Present day

While the island is now uninhabited, Damariscove harbor is still actively used for moorings and storage docks by the local commercial fishing fleet. The island, with the exception of the privately owned life saving station and surrounding area, is owned by the Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT). The northern half of the island is a protected nesting site each spring for the Common Eider.

Wind power test site

In December 2009, Governor John Baldacci named Damariscove, together with Monhegan and Boon islands as test sites for offshore deepwater wind power technologies. The legislation permits testing off Damariscove for three years, with the intent that successful tests would lead to a permanent wind farm further offshore. Critics have called for careful oversight to ensure that local lobster fisheries and migratory bird paths are not affected.^[12]

See also

• List of islands of Maine

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Woodard, p. 84.
2. ^ Griffin, p. 17.
3. ^ Boothbay Region Land Trust
4. ^ Griffin, p. 20.
5. ^ Woodard, p. 109.
6. ^ Woodard, p. 110.
7. ^ Griffin p. 21.
8. ^ Griffin, pp. 23-24.
9. ^ Griffin, p. 27
10. ^ Griffin, p. 85.
11. ^ Griffin, p.43.
12. ^ Lincoln County News, 2009-12-16

References

• Boothbay Region Land Trust, "Damariscove Trail Guide and History".
• Griffin, Carl R.; Faulkner, Alaric (1981). Coming of Age on Damariscove Island, Maine. Old Town, ME: The Northeast Folklore Society and University of Maine, Orono. 
• Woodard, Colin (2004). The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-303534-7. 
• Gelarden, Joe (2009-12-16). "Monhegan and Damariscove Islands Picked for Wind Power Test". Lincoln County News. http://lincolncountynewsonline.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=75&ArticleID=47056. Retrieved 2010-04-25. 

External links

• Boothbay Region Land Trust web page.
• "Damariscove Island". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:564757. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 

Coordinates: 43°45′55″N 69°36′45″W / 43.76528°N 69.6125°W / 43.76528; -69.6125