For such a small island, MDI has an incredibly rich and diverse history. Most people are familiar with the stories of Bar Harbor's Gilded Age, or George Dorr establishing Acadia National Park, but there's so much more! Did you know our smuggling history dates back much earlier than prohibition, to the Jefferson Embargo in 1807? Or, about the Battle of Norwood Cove when locals successfully fought a British naval frigate, the HMS Tenedos? Wild weather adds to the romance of our long winters and hearty perseverance, but the Purple Fire Snowstorm remains one of the top ten weirdest weather events in US 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. 

This program is a collaboration between the MDI Historical Society and the Northeast Harbor Library and is offered in-person and virtually via Zoom. It will be recorded for later viewing. Registration information available soon

Raney Bench is the Executive Director of the MDI Historical Society, and a curator, author, and editor. She publishes and speaks on the importance of history in our understanding of the world today. She is a collaborative leader working with history to promote engagement about climate change, housing, sovereignty, and cultural shifts on MDI. She serves on the Southwest Harbor Sustainability Committee and Environmental Subcommittee; the New England Museum Association board; and is a volunteer ambulance driver for Southwest Harbor and Tremont.