Last updated: March 14, 2022
Article
Self-Guided Winter Walk: Around Otter Point
by Mary Ann Schaefer, Acadia National Park volunteer
Introduction: The Timeline
Walking the Park Loop Road, 1.4 miles from the east entrance of the Fabbri Picnic Area around Otter Point and returning to your starting point from the west, is a journey through centuries of history. As you walk, take a moment to learn about the past of Mount Desert Island. Look, listen and think about those who came before.
The information presented along the way is not a linear walk through time, but an opportunity to connect what you see with different periods in time and how people have used the land. Attach significance to dates that are mentioned, but understand that History is not just about dates. It is about real people who lived and walked upon this very same ground in years past.
Approximate Time: 45 minutes to one hour
Photo by Ray Schaefer
1. Apple Trees
"It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man."
— Henry David Thoreau
Apple trees are seen in many places throughout the park. They are not native to North America, but are frequently historic markers or clues showing where early European farm houses once stood on Mount Desert Island. Look around and imagine this spot in 1850; a land of rocks, trees and wild berries and the sound of the ocean’s waves crashing on the rocks nearby. This land provided many opportunities for families. Early European settlers cleared land, selling the trees they cut down for timber to be used for shipbuilding, homes and barns. After building a house for the family, they planted crops such as corn, hay, wheat, potatoes and apple trees. They raised chickens, pigs, cows and sheep. All of this hard work provided them with food and shelter, but it was not always enough. Many of the men had other jobs as carpenters, lobstermen, or stone cutters to add to their income. Living so close to the ocean offered opportunities for an additional food source and jobs. Life was busy and sometimes difficult, but it was not all work as neighbors worked together to form a community establishing schools and churches. The small farms may have vanished but the evidence of these hard-working families lives on in the apple trees.
- What evidence of our way of life will people find in 100 years?
- Would you have liked to lived here 100 years ago? What would you have done for fun?
2. The Wabanaki, People of the Dawn
The history of Maine begins with the Wabanaki who have lived in the region for more than 12,000 years. They're still around today. They have great respect for the earth because it provides everything they need to survive: trees and grasses for shelter, game, fish, fruits, nuts and roots for food. In the past, birch bark wigwams and canoes served them well with seasonal moves hunting moose and deer and fishing along the seacoast. Their intricate baskets and beadwork were valuable items for trade.
In 1613, Wabanaki Chief Asticou met with the French which led to a settlement the French named Saint Sauveur. Unfortunately, the Europeans brought diseases like smallpox, cholera and influenza to the New World. Within 30 years after the arrival of Europeans on Mount Desert Island, 90 percent of the Wabanaki died from disease or warfare. By the mid 1700s, the Wabanaki were being pushed off of their lands by European settlers.
A word to describe the Wabanaki people might be “survivors.” After more than 300 years they are still here living in the area, telling their traditional stories, creating their crafts, and performing their songs and dances. Their culture and their traditions live on and are displayed at the Abbe Museum, demonstrated through a Cultural Connections program and taught in the schools in Maine. The Wabanaki will always be an important part of Maine’s history, and future.
3. Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain, a navigator and cartographer, or mapmaker, was among the crew aboard Pierre de Gua’s ship that sailed into the Gulf of Maine in 1604. Champlain was sent by the King of France to explore and map the coast of what is now Maine and Massachusetts.
As he passed the shores of what we know as Acadia National Park, he wrote, “We passed also near an island …it was very high, notched in places, so as to appear from the sea like a range of seven or eight mountains close together. The summits of most of them are bare of trees for they are nothing but rock ... I named it the island of the Desert Mountains.”
The map he created was extremely accurate, and 400 years later, the name of the island remains. Rounding the southern tip of the island, on September 5, 1604, his ship hit a rocky outcrop, sometimes referred to as The Spindle, and took on water. They were forced to come ashore at Otter Cove to repair it. It is believed that he and his crew spent the winter at Otter Cove repairing the ship.
- What materials do you think they would need to repair the ship and where would they get them?
- Imagine you are looking at this island for the first time. What name would you choose for it?
4. Egg Rock and the Lighthouse
Egg Rock was named for the many seabirds that nest on this island. The Wabanaki used Egg Rock as a summer camp trapping birds and collecting eggs, a nutritious food source. As more Europeans populated the area and boating activity increased, this rocky outcrop hidden by waves or fog caused damage to many boats, so a lighthouse was built on the island in 1875. Instead of the usual tall tower standing next to the house, the light tower of this lighthouse is actually built in the center of the light keeper’s house. A red light, which signals danger, flashes every five seconds.
Egg Rock became a very popular place during the 1800s when tourists and people in the fashion business hunted thousands of birds every year for their feathers and shipped them all over the world. Feathers and even whole birds became a popular and expensive fashion item on ladies’ hats. Fearful than many bird species would become extinct; The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 made the collection of wild bird feathers illegal.
Today, the island is closed to the public to protect the birds that nest there. Once every five years, volunteers come to count the eggs in the nests on the island.
- What do you think a light keeper’s job involves?
- Would you like to live in this lighthouse?
- Why is it important to keep people from being able to visit Egg Rock?
- Why do you think they count eggs on the island?
5. The Schoodic Peninsula
From here you can see the Schoodic Peninsula extending out from the mainland across Frenchman Bay. The Schoodic Peninsula was added to Acadia National Park in 1929. This land, once owned by John Moore, was donated to the park by his widow and daughters. The deed required land to be “kept forever as a … public park …or for such other uses … including the promotion of biological and other scientific research.”
A US Naval Base opened on Schoodic in the mid 1930s, replacing Naval Base Bar Harbor (also know as Radio NBD) at Otter Point. When the base on Schoodic closed in 2002, the land was given back to Acadia National Park and the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC) was established. With the help of the Friends of Acadia and other charitable organizations, SERC, now called the Schoodic Institute, has become a center for scientific research, and a source to help teachers and students learn about nature and the conservation of our natural resources.
- Why do you think it was important for the park to consider John Moore’s request for how the land was used?
- Why would the Schoodic Peninsula be a good place for scientific research?
- What type of research might they do at the Schoodic Institute?
Photo by Ray Schaefer
6. The Ringing Bell
Do you hear a bell? The bell buoy out in the water was placed there to warn boaters of a craggy rock called The Spindle. During high tide, The Spindle cannot always be seen but can cause great damage to a ship that sails into it. It is believed that this is the rocky outcrop Samuel Champlain hit while exploring and mapping the coast. Buoys have been used for hundreds of years to direct sailors to safe passageways. The color of a buoy is very important in directing traffic in the water. In 1850, the government stated that all buoys should be colored and numbered. A black buoy was a signal to pass to the right of the buoy when moving upstream and a red buoy is a signal to pass to the left. Fifty years ago, all black buoys were painted green because green was easier to see from far distances. A bell buoy is the simplest buoy as it does not require any power; the bell rings as the buoy is moved by the sea.
- How do you think the buoy stays in the right place?
- Is there another color other than green that you think might be seen better?
7. The Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine, an arm of the ocean enclosed on three sides by land, extends from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia. It is fed by frigid waters from the north called the Labrador Current. These cold waters provide a nutrient rich environment for marine life. Pierre du Gua, Sieur de Monts, a French nobleman, led an expedition from France into this gulf in the fall of 1604. Sent here by the King of France, he was to build a colony and establish a fur trading headquarters. They chose to build the settlement on Saint Croix Island, but after a very harsh winter, which led to the death of half of their population, the colony relocated to new settlement called Port Royal, which also failed, in what is now Nova Scotia.
- Why would the area around the Gulf of Maine be a good place, or not so good, to establish a settlement?
- The French thought building a settlement on an island in an unknown land was a good idea. Make a list of the pros and cons about this decision.
Photo by Ray Schaefer
8. The Cranberry Islands
Four hundred million years ago, Mount Desert Island was once a super volcano. Most of this and the surrounding islands are made up of igneous rock, which is the cooled magma from the volcano. This giant volcano exploded sending huge amounts of magma, volcanic ash and melted rock far and wide. Once the volcanoes stopped erupting about 380 million years ago, erosion wore down much of the land. Glacial erosion of the land in the last 2 million years and the changes in sea level created the five islands known today as Great Cranberry, Little Cranberry, Sutton, Bear and Baker Island.
Over the last 10,000 years, the Wabanaki people visited these islands to collect shellfish and clams. Europeans that settled on the islands were mostly fishermen and lobstermen since the thin soil on the hard bedrock was not suitable for farming. The governor of Maine toured the islands in the mid 1700s and was so impressed with a 200-acre cranberry bog that he gave the group of islands their name: the Cranberry Islands. A young couple, William and Hannah Gilley, moved onto Baker Island in 1806, established a small farm and raised their twelve children there. The government built a lighthouse in 1828 on Baker Island and hired William Gilley as the first light-keeper.
- Would it be fun to live on an island all year?
- What would be the good points of living on an island?
- What would be the bad points?
- Would you like to live on an island with just your family?
9. A Long Journey
Europe lies about 3,600 miles across the ocean from this point. Think about the people aboard the small, wooden ships that set sail from their homeland in France, England, Spain or Portugal to come to a wild, unknown land. The ships were roughly 130 feet long, about the size of the Fabbri parking lot. They carried a crew of 35-40 men. The voyage from France to the coast of Maine took about six weeks. Each ship carried enough food to feed the crew for several months and supplies to repair the ship and build the new settlement. That didn’t leave much living room for the crew. Many people became ill on these voyages because of difficult living conditions and a poor diet.
Although there is a lot of information about Pierre de Gua’s expedition to these coastal waters in the 1600s, there is some evidence that the first Europeans to visit this land were Vikings. They may have sailed past this spot as early as 1060, 600 years before the French arrived.
- What kind of food do you think they brought on their voyage?
- How do you think they stored the food to keep it from spoiling?
Photo courtesy of visitor Nathan Johnson of Portand, ME
10. Scenes from Acadia
Walking along the road, glimpses of the jagged cliffs and rocky shores of Mount Desert Island appear. These views inspired many artists in the mid 1800s and led to the popularity of this island as a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy cities. Artists from the Hudson River School like Thomas Cole and Frederick Church visited MDI around 1825 and captured the beautiful landscapes in their paintings. The paintings were displayed in New York, Boston and Philadelphia inspiring people to come experience the peace and tranquility of those scenes. A group of people including George Dorr, Charles Elliot and John D. Rockefeller Jr. wanted to protect this very special place and preserve its beauty. One way to guarantee everlasting protection of the land was to have it declared a national park.
11. The Settling of Mount Desert Island
As the Wabanaki continued their seasonal visits to MDI for hunting and fishing, the French and then the English were building small settlements in this part of Maine. Around 1760 land grants drew more settlers who first worked at farming and lumbering, but eventually turned to the more profitable fishing and shipbuilding industries. As awareness of the area grew through landscape paintings in the mid 1800s, visitors seeking the solitude of nature came to this area to escape the busy cities. These ordinary people, teachers, college students and clergy, known as “Rusticators,” spent their summers here, camping or boarding with local residents while exploring the island. As the numbers increased, hotels were built to accommodate them. At one time there were 30 hotels in Bar Harbor, most offering little more than a bed, a shared bathroom and plain, basic food. The tourist boom provided a variety of jobs for the locals in the hotels and restaurants. By the late 1800s the very wealthy began to visit the island building elaborate “cottages,” bringing a more sophisticated air to Bar Harbor. Hard economic times and the Fire of 1947 put an end to the “Golden Age” of Bar Harbor.
- Are you a native Mainer?
- Do you know about your family’s history or the history of your hometown?
Courtesy of the National Park Service, Acadia National Park
12. Why Is A Road Here?
John D. Rockefeller Jr. built Carriage Roads throughout the interior of Mount Desert Island, allowing locals and visitors access to the forests and mountain tops. But what about coastal scenery? Once automobiles were allowed on the island, in an effort to protect park lands and control where cars could go, Rockefller saw a need for a road system that provides views of all the features that made Acadia so special. For more than 30 years, he worked to acquire land, move a naval base, and build a road that passes through deep forests, around mountains, along rocky coastline and up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. The Park Loop Road was completed in 1958.
- By the early 1900s the number of automobiles used for transportation was growing fast. Cars were not allowed on Mount Desert Island until 1913. Why do you think residents didn’t want those early automobiles on the island?
- As national parks become more and more popular, traffic in the parks is a problem. What might be some solutions to congested roads in our parks?
13. The Highest Point on the Eastern Seaboard
At 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard. The mountain was originally named Green Mountain but George Dorr changed it to Cadillac Mountain. Dorr wanted to honor the French past of the island by naming the mountain after Antione de le Mothe Cadillac, who was given title to this land by the Governor of New France in the late 1600s. Cadillac lived in the area for a short time and then moved on eventually establishing a settlement that is now the city of Detroit. Before the road up Cadillac Mountain was built, visitors would hike up the mountain or take a cog railway to the summit. The Green Mountain Cog Railway and the Green Mountain House Hotel on top of Cadillac Mountain opened in 1883. It cost $2.50 per person to sail across Eagle Lake and take the half hour ride up the mountain. That was a lot of money in those days, equal to about $67 today. The railway, which only operated in the summer, closed due to a low ridership seven years later. The hotel closed about 10 years later.
- Do you think the mountain should be called Cadillac or Green Mountain today? How about "Wapuwoc," which means white mountain of the first light in Wabanaki culture?
- Would you like to see a cog railway or a hotel on top of Cadillac Mountain today? Why or why not?
Photo by Ray Schaefer
14. The Meltwater Channel
The rounded tops of Cadillac and Dorr Mountains help tell the story of the huge glaciers that covered most of Maine 20,000 years ago. As ice more than a mile thick moved over this land like sand paper, sharp peaks of mountains were smoothed over and U-shaped valleys were carved between them. The pressure caused by the weight of the ice and the friction created by the moving ice over the land caused the ice underneath to melt. The melted ice water formed a river under the ice, similar to the way the water is moving under the ice in this picture along a park trail. As the water moved, it picked up dirt and rocks, eroding the land underneath the glacier making a river-like channel that the meltwater carved between harder rock. A meltwater channel can be seen between Cadillac and Dorr Mountain and it extends all the way down to Otter Creek, passing under the causeway bridge and out to the ocean.
- Do you know of any other rounded mountains in Acadia?
- Do you know of any other evidence of glaciers in the park?
15. Naval Radio Bar Harbor
Alsesandro Fabbri lived on Mount Desert Island in the early 1900s. A ham radio operator, he thought Otter Point would be a good location for a radio tower to receive radio transmissions from Europe. In 1917, while World War I was raging in Europe, Fabbri’s antenna picked up coded messages from the German Command to their navy ships. After attending a dinner with then Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fabbri demonstrated the power of his antenna. Roosevelt himself heard clear communications from Germany and became convinced that Fabbri’s radio station could help defeat Germany. Within a few months, the US Navy sent radio equipment to Fabbri’s small station and on August 28, 1917, Naval Radio-Bar Harbor was officially put into service. Fabbri was named commander of the naval base and given the rank of Ensign in the Naval Reserves. This radio station played a major role in helping to defeat Germany. It was the only station to pick up a message from Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany requesting a peace treaty to end World War I. The Radio Station at Otter Point continued to operate until February 28, 1937, when the transfer of operations to the Schoodic Peninsula was completed.
- Why do you think Fabbri’s antenna was able to pick up such a strong signal from Europe from this site?
- How could hearing Germany’s communications help defeat Germany in the war?
16. Change
As you have walked along this road have you gained a sense of how life on Mount Desert Island has changed through the years? Change is a part of life. For thousands of years, the Wabanaki have lived in connection with the land, honoring the earth for its gifts to them. As Europeans came, they brought a very different way of life constructing settlements, extracting resources, and fighting over control of land. Families and farms dotted the island forming communities where people worked and played together. Tourists discovered the island and appreciated its remarkable beauty, but with this popularity came business, industry, overfishing of waters and clear cutting of mountains. To protect the land, a national nark was formed. The parks are here for you to come see, listen, smell, touch and imagine. But providing a place where visitors can interact with nature while protecting natural environments is a difficult balancing act. Increasing visitation and challenges like climate change have made it necessary to manage visitation, starting with a comprehensive Transportation Plan and a vehicle reservation system for Cadillac Mountain. Honoring the land and its history is an important step in preserving it.
- What changes have you experienced in your life?
- Does change always make things better? Why or why not?
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Title |
GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
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1 |
Introduction (Parking Lot) |
44.31449 N 68.19498 W |
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2 |
Apple Tree |
44.31466 N 68.19371 W |
|
3 |
The Wabanaki |
44.31352 N 68.19173 W |
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4 |
Samuel de Champlain |
44.31206 N 68.19005 W |
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5 |
Egg Rock and the Lighthouse |
44.31096 N 68.18932 W |
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6 |
The Schoodic Pennisula |
44.31067 N 68.18920 W |
|
7 |
The Ringing Bell |
44.31043 N 68.18935 W |
|
8 |
The Gulf of Maine |
44.30976 N 68.18978 W |
|
9 |
The Cranberry Islands |
44.30714 N 68.19164 W |
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10 |
A Long Journey |
44.30714 N 68.19239 W |
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11 |
Scenes From Acadia |
44.30779 N 68.19317 W |
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12 |
The Settling of Mount Desert Island |
44.30998 N 68.19323 W |
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13 |
Why Is There A Road Here? |
44.31065 N 68.19335 W |
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14 |
The Highest Point on the Eastern Seaboard |
44.31412 N 68.19626 W |
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15 |
The Meltwater Channel |
44.31427 N 68.19631 W |
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16 |
Naval Radio Bar Harbor |
44.31419 N 68.19599 W |
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17 |
Change |
44.31413 N 68.19563 W |