Mount Desert Island Historical Society

06/17/2026

Due to a roof repair, the Somesville Museum will postpone its seasonal opening until June 30. Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily removed some display items sensitive to humidity while repairs are completed. We look forward to welcoming you to "Know Before You Go: Essential History For Your Island Adventure" when we open later this month!

06/17/2026

The MDI Historical Society is looking for kids of all ages to ride on our float in Bar Harbor's 4th of July parade. Our float will feature students in an 1890's era classroom learning about the Declaration of Independence. We'll have wooden school benches, a blackboard, the big school bell, and props straight from our Vintage Classroom collection. Dr. Bill Horner will be on board performing as the schoolmaster.

We're looking for about 6 students and 2–3 adults to ride the float, sit on the benches, ring the school bell, and toss candy to the crowd. It's a wonderful way to bring history to life in the community and showcase our Vintage Classroom program and students.

**What to know:**
- Participants should dress in 1800s-era clothing (think Little House on the Prairie styles.)
- Gather between 8:30 and 9:00am on July 4th at the parade start on Livingston Road in Bar Harbor.
- The parade begins at 10am and runs about an hour to the ballfield.
- High school students will receive community service credit through MDI High School

**Please sign up by July 1st** by contacting Lisa Murray at [email protected] or 207-276-9323. I'm happy to answer any questions.

06/11/2026

Looking for a unique way to celebrate Pride Month on Mount Desert Island? Take a self-guided journey through time on the Le***an History Trail of MDI: https://lesbianhistorytrailmdi.weebly.com/

The tour, launched in 2021 and created by Carolyn Gage, maps the lives of 17 incredible, trailblazing women who chose the island as their home or summer retreat.

Many living in long-term, same-sex partnerships—often called "Boston Marriages," they often used their skills and financial independence to defy rigid social customs, religious doctrines, and political norms.

As you explore the trail past their homes, ranging from glittering Gilded Age mansions to secluded woodland cabins, you will walk directly through the eras that shaped American history.

Check out the videos below to learn more about the Eastern and Western MDI segments of the tour:
East: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQD73vNWzrM
West: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiYOPczcqPI

A self-guided tour to historical sites of famous le****ns who lived on Mount Desert Island

06/11/2026

Join us tonight at 5:30 for Carl Little's talk on the history of the farm to table movement on MDI.

This coming Thursday, June 11th, we're excited to welcome Carl Little for a lecture on his 2025 Chebacco article, "Farm to Table on MDI: A Partial History." This talk is organized by the Mount Desert Island Historical Society.

Carl's talk will begin at 5:30pm and will be followed by appetizers provided by . Registration is encouraged! https://www.jesuplibrary.org/events/farmtotable

06/01/2026

Happy National Great Outdoors Month!

Here on Mount Desert Island, we are blessed with thousands of acres of wild, natural spaces where we can wander the woods and watch the sun rise and set over the Atlantic.

Healing in nature is a long-standing MDI tradition. In the 19th century, crowded cities and Industrial Revolution pollution fueled the rapid spread of disease. Doctors noticed that patients who retreated to the countryside recovered faster. This sparked a major health trend. Wealthy Victorians flocked to grand rural hotels to convalesce. F.O. Stanley famously built Colorado's Stanley Hotel to treat his own tuberculosis, while others sought the mineral springs of West Virginia's Greenbrier. While Victorians didn't fully understand why it worked, we now know the fresh air, Vitamin D, and natural UV light actively fought their illnesses.

But enjoying nature wasn't just about medicine—it was also about leisure and community. As James Creissen highlights in his article "The Dining Room Without Walls" in the 2025 issue of "Chebacco," picnicking on MDI emerged as a liberating tradition. It has long provided a unique blend of social freedom and a deep connection with the natural world, allowing people to step away from rigid societal structures and bond with the landscape.

Today, modern science backs up this history, with some modern doctors even writing formal "Nature Rx" prescriptions to help patients commit to daily walks. Spending time in the Great Outdoors is proven to:

-Lower blood pressure and reduce stroke risks.
-Manage type II diabetes and improve sleep quality.
-Extend your lifespan if you live near green spaces.
-Slash stress by 25%, boost relaxation by 30%, and drop anxiety by 20% just by sitting near a babbling brook.
-Meet your Vitamin D needs with just 8–10 minutes of midday summer sun.

With 150 miles of historic trails and 45 miles of carriage roads right in our backyard at Acadia National Park, MDI remains the perfect place to pack a picnic and fill that prescription. Where is your favorite picnic spot or historic trail on MDI to connect with nature?

Photos:
Somes Family Picnic, circa 1915

Mary Dana Bristol and Boy at Oceanside

Three Women Picnicking on the Beach

Man and Two Women Talking on the Beach


Resources:
Archive of James Creissen’s program on his Chebacco article “The Diningroom Without Walls” https://mdihistory.org/program-archives/v/the-dining-room-without-walls

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-doctors-are-increasingly-prescribing-nature

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/healthandsafety/before-and-after-parkrx.htm

https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2026/feb/nature-rx-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-nature/

05/26/2026

We are thrilled to announce that the MDI Historical Society has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Belvedere Historical Preservation Fund through the Maine Community Foundation. This flexible support grant acts as a strategic catalyst for the Historical Society's long-term sustainability. It directly bolsters our growing community reach, ensuring we can maintain the integrity and quality of our work.

The gift will help us sustain our core offerings, directly impacting our archives, year-round free public programming, community gatherings, and our history journal, "Chebacco." It supports us in offering expanded perspectives, allowing us to actively partner with and feature diverse speakers, scholars, and experts. It strengthens our work preserving island heritage, securing the tools needed to preserve the vital documents and artifacts that educate and inspire people of all ages.

We are deeply grateful to the Maine Community Foundation and the Belvedere Historical Preservation Fund for recognizing the MDI Historical Society as a vital cultural anchor on the island. Most importantly, we are grateful to you—our community—whose engagement makes this work possible.

05/22/2026

Today we celebrate National Maritime Day, May 22, with two pieces from our collection which helped keeps ships on course.

Octants, or sextants allowed ships to determine their latitude using the sun in the day, or a star in the night sky. First the sailor would look through the glass window to line that up with the horizon line. The sailor would then move the measuring arm until the sun light or star reflected on the mirror attached to the arm. Next they would record the number from the scale at the bottom. This number is used in conjunction with a Nautical Almanac providing daily and hourly positions of navigational celestial bodies. This device was accurate to within a few nautical miles.

The taffrail log allowed the ship to determine its speed in knots. The it was attached to the stern of the ship and was connected to a 100-200 foot line at the end of which was a rotator. As the water moved past the rotator and caused it to spin, it turned gears inside to record the distance. By reading the distance every hour the speed could be calculated in knots.

These two devices would allow the ship to stay the course and determine how far along they were in their journey.

Want to Learn more:
https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/octant
https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/collection-items/octant/
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_843874

To learn more about MDI's Maritime History, visit the Great Harbor Maritime Museum in Northeast Harbor: https://greatharbor.mainememory.net/page/2809/display.html

05/19/2026