LB2007.1.72187

LB2007.1.72187

Photo shows the USLSS (United States Life-Saving Service) station at Damariscove Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine. DAMARISCOVE ISLAND HISTORY Damariscove is an uninhabited island that is part of Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County, Maine, United States, about 5 nautical miles off the coast at the mouth of the Damariscotta River. The long, narrow island is approximately 2 miles long and 1,500 feet at its widest point. The island has served in the past as a fishing settlement, and a Coast Guard Life Saving Station. The earliest residents of the island were the Abenaki, who called the island Aquahega or "place of landing." As early as 1604, the island was settled as a commercial fishing enterprise, with Francis Popham among those sending fishing vessels there on yearly expeditions. Captain John Smith charted the island as "Damerils Iles" after a visit in 1614, with the name traditionally attributed to Humphrey Damerill. Damerill had been a member of the failed Popham Colony, but moved to Damariscove in 1608 to establish a store to supply the fishing community. By 1622, the island was home to 13 year-round fishermen, up to 30 sailing ships fishing the waters in the spring. The fishermen had also constructed a fort with a palisade and mounted gun. 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. DAMARISCOVE LIFE SAVING STATION HISTORY 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. As recently as 1914, there was a large enough population on the island to establish a school, but by 1917, enough families had moved off the island for the school to close. The lot for Damariscove Island Lifeboat Station was acquired on 3 September 1881, from Joseph Y. Stetson of Danbury, Connecticut. It was described as "all that certain lot of land situated in the town of Boothbay County of Lincoln and State of Maine, on what is known as Damariscove Island. According to the Coast Survey Charts, the station is located on the west shore of Damariscove Harbor at Latitude North 43 degrees, 45 minutes, 20 seconds and Longitude West 69 degrees, 37 minutes. The lot was acquired under authority authorized by the Act of Congress of March 3, 1875, which states "And the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized whenever he shall deem it advisable, to acquire by donation or purchase, on behalf of the United States, the right to use and occupy sites for Life-saving or Life-boat Stations, House of Refuge, and sites for Pier- head Beacons, the establishment of which has been or shall hereafter be, authorized by Congress". During the fiscal year 1896, additional property adjacent to this land was acquired and the station was built and established in 1897. From the time that the station was established it has been a help to vessels in distress, vessels disabled and over adventurous swimmers. Two major instances of assistance are told here: "On January 11, 1905, the Schooner Ray G. stranded on Bantam Shoal at 32-1/2 miles SSW of the station. The life-saving crew at once pulled out to her with their surfboat to offer assistance. The tide was well up at the time of her grounding. Soundings were taken, anchors and lines run out and the deck load thrown overboard to lighten her. The services of a tug were procured to float her, but all attempts proved futile. Bad weather setting in, with thick took the crew ashore and succored them at the station until the following day. During the severe storm which followed, the Ray G. broke up and proved a total loss". 0n April 21, 1906, the American Schooner Catherine G. Howard struck on Bantam Rocks 1-1/2 miles SSW from Damariscove Island Stations at 2:30 a.m. The life-savers from that station went aboard in the surfboat and brought 5 of the vessel's crew ashore, the other 15 landing in a private boat. They were all cared for at the station until 2 p.m. of the 22nd. Numerous trips were made between the wreck and shore and her sails, running rigging, masts, gaffs, compass, clock, anchors and chains, 10 dories and 100 fathoms of hawser were saved by the Damariscove Island crew and 2 dories by the Hunniwelle Beach crew who went to the scene in their surfboat. Numerous times somewhat less assistance stance was given to vessels in distress. During the year 1903, the name of the station was changed from Damariscove Island to Damiscove Island. On March 15, 1939, the Secretary of the Treasury officially changed the name back to Damariscove Island Lifeboat Station. It disappears from the records in January 1960. KEEPERS: The early keepers were Eugene H. Spinney (December 3, 1897 until his dismissal February 6, 1900), Elwood S. Richardson (April 30, 1900, died "from disease contracted in the line of duty" on November 26, 1906), Joseph J. Staples (December 21, 1906 until reassigned to the Isle of Shoals station on May 16, 1910), Walter H. Godfrey (November 7, 1910 until reassigned to the Rye Beach station November 7, 1917), Charles A. Hand (acting until his appointment on November 20, 1918, he was reassigned to the Portsmouth Harbor station on September 1, 1919), Rollo A. Morton (reassigned from the White Head station on November 20, 1918 until reassigned to the Fletchers Neck station on February 1, 2 1923), and Almond G. Maker (reassigned from the Plum Island station on February 17, 1925 and reassigned to the Quoddy Head station on November 9, 1930). Chief Boatswain's Mate E.A. Gamage is the next officer in charge having been reassigned from the Cranberry Island station in 1931. Note: plate spotty Plate came in with Eastern Collection but unlikely to be Eastern negative.