A Rich History to be Uncovered
As the glaciers melted away 14,000 years ago , the Indigenous People traveled throughout the region hunting migratory animals and gathering wild plants . The 5 Tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy are descendants of these early inhabitants of what we now call DownEast Acadia and New Brunswick and have lived here for at least 10,000 years .
Drawn to the area ’ s rich resources Basque , French , and English fishermen , traders , explorers , missionaries , and settlers began arriving in the 1500s . Early settlements were established in Calais ( 1604 ), St . Saveur ( 1613 ), Pentagöet , now Castine ( 1625 ), and Machias ( 1631 ). Overlapping claims to the strategically important port town of Castine escalated into the first significant conflict between Maine ’ s French and British armies .
In 1775 , a lumber trading deal gone awry between British merchants and the people of Machias led to the capture of the British sloop Margaretta at Machias — the first naval battle of the American Revolution . The Battle of the Rim ensued two years later when Great Britain attempted to destroy Machias in revenge for the capture of HMS Margaretta .
OUR PLACE IN HISTORY
The St . Croix River , which flows through the middle of the Wabanaki ancestral homeland , became the international boundary between the United States and Canada in 1783 . After the War of 1812 , Eastport remained under British control for another four years and was the last American territory returned to the US .
The region ’ s industrious past has many ties to America ’ s economic history . Canned and smoked fish built the fortunes of many coastal towns . Granite pulled from deep quarries , and timber cut from the vast forests helped build the nation ’ s cities . The lakeside town of Princeton , a sportsman ’ s paradise , was once home to the world ’ s largest leather tannery . Historic Cherryfield remains the world ’ s largest producer of wild blueberries .
The natural beauty of Mount Desert Island attracted wealthy philanthropists like John D . Rockefeller , Jr ., who built the carriage roads in Acadia National Park . Just across the channel from downtown Lubec , Campobello Island was the childhood summer home for Franklin D . Roosevelt , who later raised his own family there with Eleanor Roosevelt . New Brunswick and Maine jointly manage Roosevelt / Campobello International Park , reflecting their deep cultural and historical connections and friendships .
Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Peavey Libray , Eastport
Plan Your Visit Today !
Cherryfield Abbe Museum , Bar Harbor
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