Calendar of Events
Eden's Other Sons: MDI Seafarers, Shipbuilders, and the Slavery-Based Economies of the West Indies Trade with Anna Durand
Mount Desert Island’s shipbuilders, sea captains, and sailors hold a special place in our collective memory. Hardworking and self-reliant, these men (and occasionally their wives) created a living from the sea. But historical records also show that trading Maine-made products like salt cod and barrel staves for rum, sugar, and molasses brought MDI seafarers into economic partnership with the slave-holding plantations of the West Indies. The cruelty and injustice of the slavery-based Caribbean colonies was in sharp contrast to the determined independence we assign to the celebrated New England mariners. Drawing on historical collections from Mount Desert Island, archival newspapers, and first-person accounts of enslavement and resistance in the West Indies, we will explore the MDI-Caribbean trade during the early nineteenth century. Follow the link for more information and to register.
MDI Historical Society 94th Annual Meeting
Join other MDI Historical Society members at the Neighborhood House for the 94th Annual Mount Desert Island Historical Society meeting. The Society has been doing a lot -- free monthly programs about local history, a new vision for our future, adding to the collections, and documenting current events for future generations. Come to the Annual Meeting to celebrate our successes in 2024, and to hear more about our exciting plans for the future. The election of officers and the board slate will follow.
The Mount Desert Island Committee for Peace, 1962-1966 with Patrick Callaway
Join us on August 28 at 5:30 pm for a discussion with University of Maine lecturer and MDI Historical Society Collections Manager Patrick Callaway about his 2024 Chebacco article 'The Mount Desert Island Committee for Peace, 1962-1966.’ Follow the link for more information and to register.
Mac Smith “Plain Madeleine: Mrs. John Jacob Astor in Bar Harbor”
Join author and historian Mac Smith for a discussion and signing of his latest book “Plain Madeleine: Mrs. John Jacob Astor in Bar Harbor” documenting Madeleine Astor’s life and the Astor presence in Bar Harbor, putting her story in the context of Bar Harbor's Golden Age. Follow the link for more information and to register.
Learning from LaRue Spiker with Jenna Jandreau
Chebacco Author program: Join us Tuesday, September 24th at 5:30 p.m. for the virtual program "Learning from LaRue Spiker" with Jenna Jandreau. This online program is a collaboration between the MDI Historical Society and the Southwest Harbor Public Library. Jenna Jandreau, author of the article “Learning from LaRue” published in the 2024 edition of Cbebacco, will talk about LaRue’s prolific writing and photography in the area, and the impact both her creativity and conscience had on the people and places of Mount Desert Island. Follow the link for more information and to register.
Ruth Moore’s Microcosm with Ella Kotsen
Join Ella Kotsen for a discussion of her research and inspiration for her 2024 Chebacco article Ruth Moore’s Microcosm: Narratives that Deconstruct Notions of Inside and Outside. The program is free and will be offered in-person and via Zoom. Follow the link for more information and to register.
A Month On Mt. Desert, 1855: Revisiting The Tracy Log Book with John Taylor
The Tracy party, as it was known, is often cited as the first summer visitors to the island. Charles Tracy’s diary – what he called his Log Book – recounts the visit in wonderful detail. John Taylor will discuss the Log Book and its history of publication including the 1997 edition, edited by Anne Mazlish, and a new forthcoming edition.
Follow the link for more information and to register
A History of Housing with Thoughts for the Future
Chebacco article-based program with Raney Bench, Susanne Paul, and Noel Musson
Affordable and available housing has reached a crisis on MDI and difficult conversations are taking place in every community about possible solutions. How did we get here? Follow the link for more information and to register.
The Wild Gardens of Acadia: A Unique Teacher for Cultivating Native Plants
The 2024 issue of Chebacco explores how summer and year-round residents have changed Mount Desert Island through initiatives that broaden and enhance living and visiting here. The Wild Gardens of Acadia, located at Sieur de Monts Springs, is one such initiative. In her Chebacco article, Anne Kozak, a volunteer since 1972, recounts the history of the Gardens. Follow the link to learn more and register.
Mary Cabot Wheelwright’s “Journey Towards Understanding”
Join Carl Little on Wednesday, June 12 at 5:30 pm for a slide talk based on his 2024 Chebacco essay, Mary Cabot Wheelwright’s ‘Journey Towards Understanding.’ The program will be offered in person and via Zoom. Follow the link for more information and to register.
The Connoisseur of Prints: Experiments in Modern Art at the Jesup Memorial Library, 1915-1919
Chebacco Author Program with Mollie Cashwell. In 1915 Albert Eugene Gallatin, trailblazing critic, collector, and curator of modern art, launched an influential, four-year stretch of art display at the Jesup Memorial Library. The “Print Room at Bar Harbor,” was the only art collection open to the public on Mount Desert Island.
Join Mollie Cashwell, co-director of the Cultural Alliance of Maine and board member of the MDI Historical Society and Jesup Memorial Library for a talk about the Jesup Memorial Library's Print Room and her research while writing her article for the history journal Chebacco. Follow the link for more information and to register.
MDI SCIENCE CAFÉ Coast Lines: Sea Level Rise and Collaboration on MDI
Online-only Zoom event. Part of the on-going "Landscape of Change" collaboration, join speakers Raney Bench, Catherine Schmitt, and others to share your observations of sea level rise and its impacts, and learn how to get involved.
A collaborative effort to document and understand sea level rise on MDI continues with new partners and new initiatives, as the island contends with the significant damage to coastal ecosystems and properties seen this winter. Click to register and learn more.
History Happy Hour with Thorndike Library
Are you a master of historical trivia, a fan of fantastic island stories, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 30 at Atlantic Brewing Midtown for the MDI Historical Society’s History Happy Hour. Flex your human ecological muscles with special guests from College of the Atlantic's Thorndike Library as you are challenged to five rounds of ten questions. Prizes will be awarded to the winners!
Gather over good eats and good times while putting your knowledge to the test at this free event. All welcome! Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Ellsworth Earth Month Program - Landscape of Change
In observance of Earth Day and Earth Day month, Green Ellsworth, the Ellsworth Historical Society and the Ellsworth Public Library will present a program entitled Landscape of Change. On April 29 (7:00PM) in the Riverview Room of the Ellsworth Public Library (20 State Street), Raney Bench, Executive Director of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, will provide an illustrated talk on this ongoing project which is operating at the intersection of history, science, and the imagination. Click for more information.
The Long Shadow of New Ireland: British Designs on Downeast Maine 1775-1815
The local history of the American Revolution and the War of 1812 is shrouded in mystery for many audiences. On the island, we may be familiar with the Margaretta incident in Machias, or the Penobscot Expedition of 1779 during the revolution, or perhaps the War of 1812 through the story of the Tenedos raid of 1814. However, these seemingly isolated moments conceal a longer and more detailed plan for downeast Maine that envisioned the creation of a new royal colony under British rule. Examining how British authorities saw the region and interacted with Mainers in peace and war reveals a different picture of the past when we view local history through British eyes. Register for this event.
Stories For Change: Fresh Perspectives on the Future of MDI
Join us at 6:30 on Wednesday, April 10 at the Northeast Harbor Library for a discussion asking new leaders on MDI to share their vision for the future and thoughts on how we can come together as an island in the face of growing challenges.
SOLD OUT Tales of Lightning: Stories from 20th century Mount Desert Island with Brent Richardson
EVENT SOLD OUT
Join the MDI Historical Society and Brent Richardson for “Tales of Lightning” an evening of storytelling from 20th century Mount Desert Island, a time when horse and buggy travel was still commonplace and dairy farms dotted the island.
Fish Tales Free Community Supper
Are you reliant on the sea for your livelihood or recreation? Our goal is to foster casual conversation among the island's west-side fishing community and those businesses that rely on it, supporting your connection to each other, the waterfront, and our shared history.
History Happy Hour
Are you a master of historical trivia, a fan of fantastic island stories, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at 5:30pm on Thursday, February 29 at Jack Russell’s Steakhouse & Brewery for the MDI Historical Society’s History Happy Hour with special guests from the Bar Harbor Historical Society.
February Book Club
Join us on February 26 at 6pm to discuss Murder with an Ocean View: A Robin's Nest Mystery by Rob Lawton.
Robert and Robin Lawton are a husband and wife team who publish under the pseudonym, Rob Lawton. They live on Mount Desert Island, where they plot murders daily. The product of their combined imagination has manifested itself in the form of plays, mystery weekends, novels, novellas, and short stories.
To join or receive updates about Book Club, please email Raney at raney@mdihistory.org
Wicked Pissah: All About Severe Weather w/MDI Adult & Community Education
Maine is known for bad weather. Explore the impacts of some of our worst weather and learn more about how climate change is accelerating storm severity and sea level rise. Bring your curiousity!
Offered via Zoom and in-person at MDI High School Fee: $10 REGISTER HERE
All About Maine's "Gone Mad", The Rise and Fall of the KKK with MDI Adult & Community Education
Join historian Raney Bench to discuss the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine during the 1920s.
Offered via Zoom and in-person at MDI High School
Fee: $10
Baked Bean Supper and Concert
Join us at MDI High School for the first in-person Bean Supper since 2020! The 13th Annual Baked Bean Supper is a beloved community gathering featuring dozens of volunteer cooks and their varieties of beans, pies, and all the fixings. The supper is followed by a concert and dance hosted by the Bagaduce Northern New England Ensemble. $10/adults. $5/children
History Happy Hour - "Regatta in Paradise" with Art Paine
Join us at Peter Trout’s Tavern in Manset for History Happy Hour! Gather over good eats and good times to learn something new about our shared history. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
This month, we take a break from historical trivia, and welcome local artist, writer, and boat designer, Art Paine, to share tales and images in "Regatta in Paradise." Art will share the sixty-four-year history of the Out Islands Regatta of the Bahamas. Wooden boats, cotton sails, handmade hulls, and admirable men, women boys, and girls, sailing beautiful traditional boats. A colorful and warm visual respite from the winter blahs.
Over 40 rough-built wooden sailboats showed up and competed for cash prizes at the first race in 1954, founded as a contest between the Bahamas’ rustic fishing and freight sailing vessels. The Regatta has been running ever since, occurring at the end of Lent, before the beginning of the crawfishing season. Currently upwards of 70 boats show up at what is now called the National Family Island Regatta, still considered the most beautiful sailing event in the world among marine artists
Art Paine has been designing, building, racing, writing about, and painting pictures of boats up and down the Maine coast for over four decades. He is a contributing author for Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, and Wooden Boat magazines. More about Art: https://artpaine.com/about
Chebacco Chats: “Lucy’s Lens: Life on Mount Desert Rock 1906-1909” with Libby Bischof
In 1906 Lucy Dodge moved to Mount Desert Rock with her nephew and husband, who was the Second Assistant Keeper of the light. During her time there she photographed the day-to-day lives of the residents of “The Rock.” Libby Bischof, Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, will share her observations and research into this collection and the woman who made it.
Chebacco Chats, our weekly web series, features authors, historians, and others who study and celebrate history, the great place that is Mount Desert Island, and the way the island impacts the wider world.
The Chats are live on Zoom, and recordings are made available the week after they air.
Visit www.mdihistory.org/chebacco-chats for a schedule of upcoming episodes, and links to past episodes.
Chebacco Chats: “Jordans of the Pond: A History of the Family from the Jordan Pond House on Mount Desert Island, Maine” with Jim Reeverts.
Author and descendant of the Jordan family, Jim Reeverts’ new book is a historical documentary detailing the lives of the first Jordan’s living on the pond that bears their name. Reeverts and host Raney Bench will discuss the challenges of tracking down primary source materials and his process of weaving a story of family saga from those records.
Chebacco Chats, our weekly web series, features authors, historians, and others who study and celebrate history, the great place that is Mount Desert Island, and the way the island impacts the wider world.
The Chats are live on Zoom, and recordings are made available the week after they air.
Visit www.mdihistory.org/chebacco-chats for a schedule of upcoming episodes, and links to past episodes.
December Book Club
The Society’s book club will meet via Zoom on Monday, December 4, at 6:00pm to discuss Women of the Dawn by Bunny McBride.
Chebacco Chats: “Lydia Stories: The Carroll Family History, 1761-1917” with Joan Grant
In 1911 a doll is assembled from bits of clothing worn over the years by members of the Carroll family, gathering this family history into her creation. The doll, Lydia, is a gift for the newest member of the family, serving as keeper and narrator of the family history. Author Joan Grant will join Raney Bench to share her experience documenting the family history.
Chebacco Chats, our weekly web series, features authors, historians, and others who study and celebrate history, the great place that is Mount Desert Island, and the way the island impacts the wider world.
The Chats are live on Zoom, and recordings are made available the week after they air.
Visit www.mdihistory.org/chebacco-chats for a schedule of upcoming episodes, and links to past episodes.
The Mills of Mount Desert Island with Terese Miller
Starting with the very first pioneer families in 1762, water power, free and renewable, provided the energy that launched the mills of Mount Desert Island. Mills produced the resources for the essentials of survival, namely food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and allowed emerging settlements to thrive. We'll examine the mill locations, products, and families involved in this industry across Mount Desert Island from 1762 until the early 1900s.
Chebacco Chats: “Plaister & Herring: The Lives of Cpt. William Heath and Capt. David King” with Jessie Burchett
While spending the summer in Southwest Harbor, Historical Archaeologist Jessie Burchett volunteered with the Southwest Harbor Historical Society. While processing some archival papers she came across the records of two local families involved in the coasting trade. Using these records, she pieced together a picture of their lives, which she will share during this program.
Chebacco Chats, our weekly web series, features authors, historians, and others who study and celebrate history, the great place that is Mount Desert Island, and the way the island impacts the wider world.
The Chats are live on Zoom, and recordings are made available the week after they air.
Visit www.mdihistory.org/chebacco-chats for a schedule of upcoming episodes, and links to past episodes.
Chebacco Chats: “From the Collection” with Patrick Callaway
Historian and MDI Historical Society’s Collections Manager, Patrick Callaway will feature a unique item from the collection as a means of exploring how the past connects to the present through the items we leave behind. Keeping with next year’s Chebacco theme of ties between the island and the rest of the world, he will share a series of movie posters and advertisements for various island theatres. Stepping back in time to see the early/mid-1900s popular entertainment options allows us to see the connections to a broader pop culture that movies and movie-going provided for islanders.
Chebacco Chats: The Somesville Museum’s Heirloom Gardens, with Joy Lyons
Master Gardener Joy Lyons will talk about her process of creating and maintaining the Somesville Museum’s stunning heirloom gardens, how they have evolved, and how she and her team select and maintain the plants each season.
Chebacco Chats: Painting “That Mountainous and Sea-Girt Isle”: Harrison B. Brown on MDI with Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.
Harrison Bird Brown of Portland was one of 19th-century Maine's most successful marine and landscape painters. Maine State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. will discuss Brown's career as it intersected with Mount Desert Island.
Chebacco Chats: Ralph Stanley, A Scholar and Master of His Trade with Cipperly Good
The death of Ralph Stanley in December 2021 marked the passing of one of the last wooden boatbuilders in the region. While his boatbuilding expertise was widely recognized, Ralph was also a scholar, author, storyteller, musician, and expert on area boatbuilders, designs, and history. Thankfully, Ralph recognized the unique and specialized knowledge he had acquired over a lifetime and he generously and widely shared his stories, memories, and experiences. Her article “Ralph Stanley, A Scholar and Master of His Trade” appears in the 2023 edition of Chebacco.
History Happy Hour
Are you a master of historical trivia, a fan of fantastic island stories, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at the Rusticator Lounge at the Bayview Hotel in Bar Harbor for our Halloween edition of our members-only History Happy Hour! The evening’s game promises to be deviously delightful as we play pictionary-style trivia about the more sinister side of Mount Desert Island's history, past events, and inhabitants.