In his slide talk, author Carl Little will offer highlights from his article in the 2025 Chebacco on the farm-to-table movement on Mount Desert Island.

For such a small island, MDI has an incredibly rich and diverse history. "What Happened Here" will take you on a fun romp of lesser-known island stories that will have you looking around our familiar landscapes with new eyes. 

In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, join independent scholar Cara Ryan for a journey through the storied history of the League of Women Voters on Mount Desert Island.

Spring is in the air on Mount Desert Island, and so are the birds. As warblers, raptors, and shorebirds make their way back to our island, MDI Historical Society and the Wendell Gilley Museum invite you to celebrate the season at History Happy Hour!

Sabrina Calas will explore how we teach citizenship within MDIRSS AOS 91 and beyond. Drawing on interviews with local educators and officials, she will highlight how our students are spearheading community initiatives with the same maturity and drive as the generations before them.

James Creissen will talk about how the island’s outdoor dining legacy, from the Wabanaki tradition of the clambake at Man-es-aydi’ik to the Romantic picnic craze of the Gilded Age, celebrates nature as a home without walls.

In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, join independent scholar Cara Ryan for a journey through the storied history of the League of Women Voters on Mount Desert Island.

Join Dr. Patrick Callaway for an online talk through the University of Maine, Presque Isle about the War of 1812 in Maine, and the de facto truce Maine enjoyed with the British for the first two years of the war. This changed in 1814 as a British force recaptured Castine and plotted to incorporate all of eastern Maine into British North America.

THIS EVENT IS AT CAPACITY & REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Put your knowledge to the test at the MDI Historical Society’s History Happy Hour! Gather over good eats and good times at Peter Trout’s Tavern for So You Think You Know Acadia?, a lively and challenging night of trivia covering Acadia National Park’s history, geography, infrastructure, and natural history led by Charlie Jacobi and Gary Stellpflug, two former Acadia National Park rangers and seasoned park veterans.

What can a recipe for date bars reveal about women’s lives in early-twentieth-century Downeast Maine? Many of us are comfortable cooking from a recipe, but how does one approach a recipe as a historical source?

Mainers love a good storm, it seems to run in the blood. Bad weather and how we survive it is a link that connects us to our ancestors and by looking at the past we can gain important tools for preparing for storms in the future.

Jennifer Booher talks about how she recreated Dutch still-life paintings for the 2025 "Chebacco" history journal.

Connect with community over a traditional baked bean supper and feast on beans, hot dogs, and brown bread, complete with all the fixings, followed by homemade pies and baked goods.

The Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society will welcome Dr. Patrick Callaway for a virtual discussion of the complicated war years in the disputed frontier of Downeast Maine, including the British plans for New Ireland.

Are you a master of historical trivia, a lifelong learner, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at 5:30 p.m. on January 6, 2026, at the Neighborhood House, 1 Kimball Rd, Northeast Harbor, ME, for a History Happy Hour potluck with Acadia Senior College!

History Happy Hour with special guests from the Seal Cove Auto Museum. General and automobile-themed trivia.

Swing by La Rochelle during the Bar Harbor Historical Society’s free community day! We will be there sharing our new digital tour with people and helping them download the app and navigate the 21 stops.

How has the summer community changed on MDI over the years? What was it like when you were young in the summer? What are some of favorite Island pastimes? Raney Bench, Brooks Fenno, and Jill Goldtwait at the Bar Harbor Historical Society.

Are you a master of historical trivia, a fan of fantastic stories, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at the Nor’Easter for the MDI Historical Society’s September History Happy Hour. This month's event will challenge you to 4 rounds of food and dining-related trivia, testing your knowledge of MDI’s historic menus and recipes, public suppers, foraging, dining, and much more.

Join us for an interactive discussion about what we learned in civics class as kids, what students are learning about civics today, and what type of civic education we need to strengthen our democracy in the future.

Civic educator and consultant Dan Sigward, MDI Historical Society intern and researcher Sabrina Calas, and Pathways to Restorative Communities’ Rebecca Taplin, will lead and participate in this highly interactive session to share insights on the nation’s current state of civic education and the trends that point toward the future.

A nonpartisan presentation, this educational session will first review the very basics of how Maine communities govern themselves.

The Mount Desert Island Committee for Peace reflected the challenges and opportunities of the 1960s. The great social movements of the era and the ever-present potential for world war provided opportunities for citizen groups to voice their support (or lack of support) for causes far beyond their local area.

There is a ​1​50-year gap between the first European outpost on MDI in 1613 and the arrival of settlers from New England in 1762. How do historians explain this time in between, and why ​d​id settlement happen relatively late in the colonial era?

Join us for a free community potluck and concert at our 95th Annual Meeting. Bring a dish to share and enjoy the historic music program from Boston-based Lyracle.

Join us for a talk with Anna Durand about her 2025 Chebacco article: "Baked Beans, Brown Bread, Ackee and Saltfish: Mount Desert Island's Nineteenth Century Foodways and Trade with the Slavery-Based West Indies."

Jennifer Booher created 12 still life photographs based on the Dutch still life painting tradition to accompany the essays in the 2025 edition of Chebacco. The artist will share her misadventures with historic recipes, adventures in sourcing objects ranging from a neon ‘open’ sign to oysters excavated from a Maine shell mound, and the challenge of adapting photographic techniques to re-create this style of painting. 

Join Bonnie Newsom and Catherine Schmitt as they journey through thousands of years of dynamic coastal transformation and enduring human presence. Through the lens of ancient shell mounds, they will explore the sophisticated foodways, seasonal movements, and environmental stewardship of Wabanaki people, past and present. This program is based on the 2025 Chebacco article Gifts from Former Shores.

Join us for a fascinating journey through the culinary history of Mount Desert Island with Paul Freedman, author of the article 'Mount Desert Dining,' in the 2025 edition of the history journal 'Chebacco.'

The Museums of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society in Somesville open for the season with an exhibit preview, drinks, and appetizers on Friday, June 20, from 4 to 6 PM.