Life on an Island:
Early Settlers Off the Rock-Bound Coast of Maine

(Islesford Historical Museum, 1969, Acadia National Park) (The Blue Duck, 1916, Acadia National Park) O ff the jagged, rocky coast of Maine lie approximately 5,000 islands ranging in size from ledge outcroppings to the 80,000 acre Mount Desert Island. During the mid 18th century many of these islands began to be inhabited by settlers eager to take advantage of this interface between land and sea. Living on an island was not easy, however. The granite islands have a very thin layer of topsoil that is usually highly acidic due to the spruce forests dominating the coastal vegetation. Weather conditions are harsh. Summers are often cool with periods of fog and rain, and winters--although milder along the coast than inland--bring pounding storms with 60-mile-per-hour winds and waves 20 to 25 feet high. Since all trading, freight- shipping, and transportation was by water, such conditions could isolate islanders for long periods of time. On a calm day, the two-and-one-half-mile boat trip from Mount Desert Island to Little Cranberry Island takes approximately 20 minutes. As the boat winds through the fishing boats in the protected harbor and approaches the dock, two buildings command the eye's attention. The Blue Duck Ships' Store is a one-and-one-half story, gabled, wooden structure standing where the island meets the harbor. Directly behind the Blue Duck is the Islesford Historical Museum, a one-and-one-half story brick Georgian Revival building. These two buildings, part of Acadia National Park, preserve the memory of those who lived on the Cranberry Isles. Within the museum are family memorabilia, tools, and the tales of everyday life that speak of independence and self-reliance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Maine 2. Mount Desert and neighboring islands Determining the Facts: Readings 1. The Hadlocks, A Seafaring Family of Maine 2. Samuel Hadlock VI's Ledger (with transcript) 3. Edwin Hadlock's Journal (with transcript) 4. The Gilleys of Baker Island 5. The Lighthouse Letter Visual Evidence: Images 1. Little Cranberry Island, 1870 2. Little Cranberry Island, 1880s Putting It All Together: Activities 1. Living on an Island 2. Local History Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP Acadia National Park This lesson is based on the Islesford Historical Museum and the Blue Duck Ships' Store, two of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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