Maine Memory Network

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Quarrying

"Boats under sail (in the 1890s) or steam boats, soon thereafter, would come into Burnt Coat Harbor and collect brick sized cut stone."

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Lobstering

"Boat engines and fishing equipment also changed. Fishing for tuna with a harpoon, Swan's Island, ca."

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Maritime Tales: Shipyards and Shipwrecks - Page 1 of 2

"Boats were able to sail up the Scarborough River and over the marsh to Dunstan Landing. It was difficult to navigate larger ships, especially those…"

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Island Postmistresses

"… Desert and was brought to this island when a sail boat chanced to visit those places This was very inconvenient to the settlers and often the…"

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Catch of the Day: Clamming and Lobstering - Page 3 of 4

"Eventually lobster boats of about 26 feet in length were designed with inboard engines. Use of gasoline or diesel engines enabled lobstermen to fish…"

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Maritime Tales: Shipyards and Shipwrecks - Page 2 of 2

"… the Maine Coast, the ship was the largest wooden sailing ship ever wrecked off the Maine coast. Wreck of the "Washington B."

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Historical Overview - Page 2 of 4

"… eight men, likely accompanied by their families, sailed from Lynn to Black Point. While a new fort was built at the western side of Garrison Cove…"

Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary - Baird's Quarry history

"… Ringbolt Ledge, till they could safely get their sails up and maneuver out of the harbor. Moving granite from the quarry to the dock, Swan's…"

Friendship Museum

View collections, facts, and contact information for this Contributing Partner.

Islesboro--An Island in Penobscot Bay - Historical Overview

"… of beaver and moose pelts, Church and his men sailed away, and the recorded history of Islesboro (called Longue Island at the time) remains silent…"

Biddeford History & Heritage Project - RESOURCES

"(A) Rumery's Boat Yard: on the Saco River, Biddeford, Maine. Rumery's Boat Yard. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. (S) Salvas-Coulombe Theatre Collection (1885-1991)."

Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea - Shipbuilding Industry Expands - 1850 to 1857

"Sails were cut and sewn at the sail lofts of Washburn & Sons and William Campbell. Shipyard owners and builders, Robinson, McCallum and Counce, sold…"

Historic Hallowell - Ship Parts

"Sails were made by long, thin strips of cloth that were woven together by hand (until the invention of the sewing machine.) Anchors were commonly…"

Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea - The End of Wooden Shipbuilding - 1910 to 1950

"… steam replaced wind power, most of the stately sailing ships were stripped of their spars and rigging and turned into barges for hauling coal and…"

Islesboro--An Island in Penobscot Bay - Early Settlements

"At one time he owned more wooden sailing vessels than anyone in the United States. There are several stories about how the settlement of Guinea…"

Historic Hallowell - Meeting at Koussinok

"They had sailed from the Plymouth Plantation with a cargo of corn, the product of one of the new colony’s first successful harvests, hoping to…"

Surry by the Bay - History of Surry

"… the 17th century, when potential settlers first sailed up the pretty little bay searching for a safe harbor to start a new life."

Mount Desert Island: Shaped by Nature - Activities for Rusticators

"… Boat the bays or lakes (powered by oar, paddle, sail or steam)? Brave an island tour in a buckboard? Stroll a field and pick wildflowers? Some…"

Thomaston: The Town that Went to Sea - Early Wharves and Yards - 1795 to 1825

"Sail making was also set up at this location by J. Colson. About the same time, John Elliot arrived from Wiscasset and, partnered with Benjamin…"

Mount Desert Island: Shaped by Nature - Building Community and Commerce

"Soon smack-men were sailing the coast, buying lobsters to carry to Boston and New York. As the demand for lobsters grew, something else opened up the…"

Blue Hill, Maine - Shipbuilding: An Important Early Industry

"1850Blue Hill Public Library Sailing vessels were built in Blue Hill as early as 1792, but it was in the early 1800‘s that shipbuilding really took…"

Historic Hallowell - Ice Cutting and Ice Houses on the Bombahook

"… by mistake? In 1820, Captain John Bradstreet was sailing when nasty weather forced him to port his ship in Randolph."

Historic Hallowell - Ice Cutting and Ice Houses on the Bombahook

"… by mistake? In 1820, Captain John Bradstreet was sailing when nasty weather forced him to port his ship in Randolph."

Cumberland & North Yarmouth - Population Decline in Maine's Coastal Counties

"… of timber, good harbors and a demand for sailing vessels resulted in the development of the shipbuilding industry, which reached its zenith in…"