Enjoy the latest issue of our KnowlesLetter! Features include Jack Ledbetter, MDI Historical Society, Outdoor Adventures in Acadia, Northeast Harbor Food Trucks...and so much more.
letter knowles REAL ESTATE AND VACATION RENTALS SUMMER 2026 DIstinctive Properties. Legendary Service.
CULTURE, PLACES, RECIPES LOBSTER
MDI HISTORICAL SOCIETY HISTORY
VISITOR TURNED LOCAL JACK LEDBETTER
REVIEWS ON THE FAVORITES GET OUTDOORS
THE KNOWLES COMPANY RENTALS FEATURES & REAL ESTATE FEATURES
2 | KNOWLESLETTER SUMMER 2026 | Photos: Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Maine, June 1, 2023
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Accesible Adventures with MDI Wheelers 04 Knowles Selects: Biking Trails 07 Mount Desert Island Bike Rentals 08 Looking Back at Mount Desert Island: MDI Dairies 09 Weekly Farmers Market Schedule on MDI 14 The Knowles Company Featured Real Estate Listing: Birchcroft 15 Jack Ledbetter: Visitor Turned Local 16
Words From Local Lobstermen 20 A Taste of Maine: Savory & Sweet 21
Let’s Talk Lobster: Lobster Pounds by Town 22 By The Marina: Northeast Harbor Food Trucks 23 Grand Designs: Architecturally Significant Rental Properties 24 The Knowles Company Featured Rental Listings 28 Knowles Selects: MDI Peaks 30 Knowles Selects: Rainy Day Activities 31 The Knowles Company Featured Real Estate Listings 32 The Knowles Village 34
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Accessible Adventures with MDI Wheelers BY SHANNON BRYAN Ed Wood finds bike riding on Acadia’s carriage roads to be magical.
For years he regularly biked miles in the park with friends, marveling at the views while the carriage road gravel crackled under his bike tires and sunlight flickered through the tree canopy. “Riding on Acadia National Park’s carriage roads has always been a great blessing to me,” he said. “The park is a unique gem. It’s one of the great assets of the U.S.” Fifteen years ago, Wood was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Among his symptoms over the years, he found his balance progressively worsened,
Photo: Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Maine, June 1, 2023.
so he switched to an electric-assist recumbent bike. Around that same time, Wood met Rick Smith, who had experienced a devastating stroke 13 years ago. Wood turned Smith on to the electric-assist recumbent, and that changed everything.
“Ed and I were out on the carriage roads laughing and even crying – it was so enjoyable,” said Smith. They were soon joined by George Woolley, who is living with a chronic neurological condition that affects his balance.
Friends Art Worster and Dave Edson rode along as safeties. Since Wood and Smith both live in the town of Tremont on Mount Desert Island, the group was aptly dubbed “Tremonsters.”
“It’s been a joy to discover adaptive biking and get back on,the carriage roads with my good friends,” said Woolley.
“These bikes gave me the chance to get back into the park,” said Smith, who adds that it’s also wonderfully therapeutic. “Riding in the park again has been great therapy for me. It makes me feel whole again.”
Eventually, though, Wood’s Parkinson’s made riding even the recumbent unfeasible, and Wood thought his rides on Acadia’s carriage roads had reached their end. But the Tremonsters – Wood’s caring and determined group of friends – are a generous lot who believe the splendor of Acadia’s carriage roads are for everyone. They wanted to make sure Wood could still get out for a ride. Bringing Adaptive Biking to the Community thus began MDI Wheelers, born from a perfect blend of solution-finding and serendipity. The group of friends formed a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in hopes of helping more people from the community who are unable to ride a bike get out on Acadia’s carriage roads with adaptive bikes.
MDI Wheelers is a volunteer-led organization, propelled by dedication and generous donors. Dave Edson, Janet Wood,
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Photo: Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Maine, June 1, 2023.
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Josie Briggs, Dean Read, Eleanor Andrews, Lisa Horsch Clark, Gerald Collins, Jared Erskine, Robert Graham, and Rick Smith all currently serve on the MDI Wheelers board of directors. They’ve benefited from support from Portland Wheelers, an organization with a similar mission in southern Maine. Started in 2015, the group has been generous with sharing their expertise. Five years ago, MDI Wheelers purchased its first OPair electric- assist wheelchair tricycle, or e-trike, at a discounted rate from Portland Wheelers. It purchased a second and third trike in successive years, thanks to an anonymous donation. The e-trikes have three wheels for stability (one in the back, two in the front) and feature a wheelchair-like seat in the front for a rider. The “pilot” pedals from the back seat and has an overview of the road and the rider. The bikes are Class 1 trikes, which means they are ‘pedal assist’ with the least powerful electric motor, and are the only kind allowed on Acadia’s carriage roads. The park has also granted MDI Wheelers a special-use permit for the rides. Friends of Acadia donated funds to purchase a trailer to haul the trikes.
Pedal Power
Volunteers Are a Key Component
Photo: Sue Ferrante-Collier in yellow vest, 2026.
MDI Wheelers has also been training additional volunteers to serve as pilots and safeties. Safeties ride alongside the e-trikes. They team up on the carriage roads in a “pod” consisting of two riders and two pilots on the three e-trikes, along with two safeties who ride their own bikes. Rides are slow and gentle and mostly take place on the carriage roads around Eagle Lake and Paradise Hill, although routes vary to help ensure riders and volunteers maintain enthusiasm. Rides are also always free.
For more information or to schedule a ride, visit mdiwheelers.org. SHANNON BRYAN is Friends of Acadia’s Content and Website Manager. The full article can be found with Friends of Acadia. wonderful. They’ll say, ‘I could do this every day!’ Many of them used to ski or bike on the carriage roads and hike in the park but it may have been 30 years since they were last able to get out onto the trails like this. And Park visitors when they see us…the smiles on their faces are priceless!” Susan Ferrante-Collier, an Associated Broker with The Knowles Company, has been volunteering with the MDI Wheelers for several years after hearing about the organization from a friend. “I absolutely love this!” says Ferrante- Collier. “It makes my day, my week, my year. I can’t wait to get started again every spring! The joy it brings the riders, many who are from here, is
“We want not only riders but volunteers to benefit from this,” said Edson. “They will get as much out of this as the riders.”
This season, MDI Wheelers is offering rides twice a week on Thursday and Friday mornings to people in the community and park visitors. “It’s important how vital public space is. Nature brings people together,’ said Smith. He adds that it’s vital that public spaces be accessible to everyone, and that’s a driving force for MDI Wheelers and the program’s potential. Perhaps MDI Wheelers could help lead the way for other national parks; that’d be icing on the cake. This collaborative effort has already brought the magic of Acadia’s carriage roads back to the lives of Ed Wood and others who treasure it. “It’s been a great feeling,” Wood said. He describes riding on the carriage roads as a “return to childhood. I’m very grateful to my friends.”
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6 | Photo: Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Maine, June 1, 2023, | KNOWLESLETTER SUMMER 2026
KNOWLES SELECTS: Biking Trails
Looking for activities around the Island? Enjoy the beautiful views of the park in style (on a bike). Biking with a group, especially with kiddos, can be a hassle. We have broken down our favorite biking spots from The Knowles Company into kid-friendly, moderate, and accessible-for-all options!
Kid-Friendly Biking First on our list is the Eagle Lake Carriage Road. This is a great place to ride with kids, as it’s mostly flat with one big hill about halfway through. This 5.9-mile loop is accessible from Rt 233 (Eagle Lake Road) with parking at the
Carriage Road parking area or at the Eagle Lake boat ramp. Leaving from downtown Bar Harbor? There is also a Bicycle Express run offered by the Island Explorer free bus service that runs from downtown Bar Harbor to Eagle Lake every half hour. On this ride, you will explore the perimeter of Eagle Lake, surrounded by the island's greenery and Mountains. Eagle Lake is the perfect spot to enjoy your island leisure, immersed in nature. This body of water was dubbed “Eagle Lake” in the mid-19th century when well-known landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church spotted the majestic bird soaring above during one of his visits. Keep your eyes out, and you may spot a bald eagle as well! Looking for another spot nearby? Add the Witch Hole Pond loop for a longer ride. We recommend avoiding the bustling Eagle Lake Road with your group and gear, but fear not! The Eagle Lake Carriage Road connects to the Witch Hole Loop. Simply find your way to the northern end of the Eagle Lake Carriage Road and look for post #6 marking the intersection. This connector trail travels under the stone bridge. Upon passage, you will find post #9, placing you right on the Witch Hole Pond Trail. This trail is a 3.3-mile loop around Witch Hole, a pond carved out by glaciers retreating over the Cadillac granite 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Keep your eyes peeled for beavers swimming in the pond. If you’re really feeling ambitious, add on the Around the Mountain loop. This loop is quite the challenge, traveling 11.3 miles and reaching 469 feet in elevation. This winding trail will take you over seven stunning stone bridges, and per the name, you will find yourself viewing quite a few of Acadia’s peaks as you loop Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Peak, Sargent Mountain, and Penobscot Mountain. Down for another Adventure? The daily ferry from Bar Harbor to Schoodic Peninsula, operated in conjunction with the Island Explorer will take you on an adventure to a different part of Acadia National Park. Schoodic Peninsula, the only piece of Acadia located on the mainland, offers another beautiful place to ride bikes and enjoy coastal views. Along the six-mile peninsula loop, you will be immersed in the scenery of lighthouses, granite coastline, seabirds, and green islands. We highly recommend this trip if you would like to enjoy Acadia with far fewer visitors around. If you’d like to get off your bikes, a variety of science and nature talks are offered at the Schoodic Institute.
Learn the history of Acadia’s Carriage Roads and find bike routes on the Acadia National Park website.
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Mount Desert Island Bike Rentals
Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop Address: 141 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 288-3886 Full-service shop with large fleet and long-standing local expertise.
Acadia Bike Rentals Address: 48 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 288-9605 Popular downtown option with standard bikes, e-bikes, and tours.
Acadia Ebike Adventure Address: 1 Dewey St, Bar Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 266-6543 Premium e-bike service with park drop-off access.
Acadia Royal Rides Address: Bar Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 460-5049 Boutique delivery-based e-bike and concierge service.
Island Bike Rental Address: 102 Main St, Northeast Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 266-9211 Closest access to carriage roads; family-friendly setup.
MDI e-Bikes Address: 25 Visitor Center Rd. Bar Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 412-3778 Carriage Road Bike Rentals — Explore carriage roads with MDI e-Bikes
Southwest Cycle Adress: 370 Main St., Southwest Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 244-5856 Full service bike shop, rents, sells and services all types of bikes.
Island Time Acadia Address: 16 Village Green Way, Southwest Harbor, ME | Phone: (207) 779-4665 E-bike tours and rentals on the carriage roads and throughout Acadia National Park.
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Looking Back at Mount Desert Island
Reading the Landscape: MDI Dairies Raney Bench, Executive Director, MDI Historical Society
Photo: Ricardson’s Dairy farm, located on Oak Hill Road, operated under the exclusive contract of Seal Harbor summer residents from the 1920s-1940s. Courtesy of John Clark Collection, Mount Desert Island Historical Society
product as healthy and clean. As these improvements were made nationally, Mount Desert Island (MDI) dairies were forced to keep up, but not always from the efforts of the farmers themselves. Highly educated summer residents coming from urban areas, often doctors and professors on the cutting edge of current technology, knew about the methods required to test for milk-borne diseases and the new procedures required to avoid contamination. They brought this knowledge to MDI, working through village improvement associations to require regular inspections and testing of island dairies. The high demand for clean milk created by the influx of summer people placed economic pressure on farmers to meet the standards they expected, which shaped MDI’s dairy industry as it grew from small, family use to large-scale production and eventually pasteurization. Impacts from a Growing Summer Colony In the mid-1800s, the growth of seasonal visitation to Mount Desert Island required additional food resources to feed people staying in boarding houses, and later hotels, and eating at restaurants. As large family estates were built to accommodate returning wealthy families, and Bar Harbor’s reputation as a summer destination was solidified, large-scale food production was necessary to sustain the masses, both from locally sourced products and those shipped here. Growth in visitation outpaced the necessary improvements to infrastructure that towns and business owners should have invested in, resulting in contaminated water and other unsanitary conditions, which brought about outbreaks of disease. In 1873, an
At its height, there were over forty independent dairies on Mount Desert Island, primarily located in the fertile lowlands of the Emery District within the town of Eden (later Bar Harbor). Driving the roads near the Stone Barn Farm, along remnants of farms and fields, familiar places take on new meaning. Suddenly, one can see the small farms and how they were laid out- wood lots, barns, hay fields, garden plots, milk rooms, and pastures were a component of each farm, with various configurations between neighbors. If you know how to look, MDI’s dairy history is still evident on the landscape; all that’s missing are the cows. Milk Safety Producing dairy products that are safe and healthy is no easy task, a fact the general consumer can be forgiven for knowing little about today, but in the late 1800s to mid-1900s, milk safety was daily news. Island newspapers ran regular stories about bacterial counts found at various dairies, and educational campaigns to build awareness of milk safety were targeted for all ages. Summer seminars brought doctors from throughout the region to discuss public safety improvements at local dairies, and health officers worked with community members to increase awareness of milk-borne diseases while reassuring people about milk safety. This reflected a national effort to market the product as vital for human health, especially for children. Building milk into the massive industry requires testing to overcome numerous deadly diseases, cleaning up within the industry, and marketing the
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Photo: Fogg Farm, located in the Emery District of Bar Harbor, displays its farming and dairy delivery vehicles in front of the farmhouse and barn. Most dairies and farms were located on the north and northwestern side of MDI, where the rich soils were more productive for farming than the rocky soils in the eastern and southwestern areas. Image undated, ca. 1890s. Courtesy of the John Clark Collection, Mount Desert Island Historical Society
outbreak of typhoid led to several deaths that were investigated by Dr. Wm. J. Morton and reported on in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. In his report, Dr. Morton cites the growth of Bar Harbor from “no more than half a dozen houses” to a dozen hotels and a large collection of smaller houses that during the summer season could accommodate between two and three thousand people. “We have, in this instance, repeated at Bar Harbor, an experience common to many growing villages where sanitary precautions have failed to keep pace with increased population.” Mistrust of the intelligence and capacity of the local population to apply new science guiding improved health and safety standards is clearly expressed in this report, and is a characterization also found in later milk regulation by summer residents. “The proprietorship of both hotels and cottages is almost exclusively confined to the native population, whose limited means and contracted ideas have precluded any further realization of the requirements of a civilized township than those primary ones of food and shelter. As a consequence, the primitive means of disposal of the excreta and kitchen washings of a half- dozen cottages are still applied to the crowded summer village….The evidence of lax sanitary measures was seen on every hand.” An outbreak of disease or a poor reputation for cleanliness could quickly ruin a summer resort, with people choosing to vacation elsewhere. This concern demanded immediate improvements to sanitary standards on MDI. Preventing infection was a primary concern, so efforts were taken to create sanitary standards and ensure they were followed. This was one of the main efforts of the Village Improvement Associations (VIA) or Village Improvement Societies (VIS) that were
established in Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, Somesville, and other villages in the late 1800s.
Primarily run by summer residents and prominent year-round businessmen, doctors, and judges, the VIAs tasked themselves with a number of community responsibilities, including roads and paths, recreation, and sanitation, which included a milk committee. Each VIA had a slightly different committee structure and focus, but all of them had a milk committee which oversaw dairy inspections for cleanliness and gave recommendations for improvements, ensured milk was being tested for various diseases, and reported their findings to the community. A concerted effort was made to educate the public and farmers about the cleanliness of milk supplies and which farms were the cleanest and therefore produced the safest milk. Often, a condescending tone can be detected in these reports, and farmers had to subject their homes, work, and employees to oversight from outsiders. Diseases, Testing, and Monitoring Raw milk, which was the standard product before pasteurization ensured milk was disease-free, does not contain enough antimicrobial compounds to kill pathogens, and over a dozen serious illnesses can result from contaminated milk, including food poisoning from E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, to more serious infections like tuberculosis and typhoid. “While no major outbreak of disease during the summer season was ever traced to the island's milk supply, the threat of infection was ever-present in the urban visitor’s mind. Milk reform was a major issue in large cities.” The reform movement increasingly impacted MDI dairies, starting with inspections and
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testing. The Bar Harbor VIA annual reports contain the most detailed information on the evolution of dairy inspections and milk testing, but Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor also had sanitary committees with milk subcommittees. In 1906, Bar Harbor VIA hired a milk inspector based on concerns that island dairies were not taking seriously the threat of contamination and illness, “Investigations made by the Chairman of this Committee reveal a state of affairs in the dairies supplying the town that is, to say the least, astonishingly lax. The dairymen are willing to conform to suitable regulations as to tests of cattle, etc., provided they are able to secure a return for the increased expenditure involved. Unless consumers are willing, as they have thus far failed to show themselves, to pay for the greater cost of certified or guaranteed milk, it will not be forthcoming.” Bar Harbor VIA began adding a Milk Report in their annual meeting report in 1911, when it documented a request for funds to collect and test samples of milk from fourteen dairies, noting, “chemically, all milk samples examined were excellent.” Yet, the report goes on to offer some areas for improvement, “Your committee is of the opinion that the farmers supplying the milk for BH are intelligent and willing to do what is in their power to meet suggestions. While the number of bacteria in most of the milk examined is excessive… it is certain that a few improvements, if adopted by the farmers, will reduce bacterial content to within a reasonable limit. The chief faults are: A) Dark, unventilated, unwhitewashed, and unscreened cow barns B) Bacteriologically unclean utensils and bottles due to the lack of milk rooms used solely for bottling and refrigerating purposes C) Lack of information on the part of the farmers as to what is required and how to do it D) Lack of interest on the part of the consumers.” Despite the fact that island dairies were producing clean milk, overall concern for public health and fears from outbreaks of milk-borne disease in other parts of the country brought a sense of urgency to the management of local suppliers. Dr. Robert Abbe, a summer resident and physician, convened several sanitation forums starting in 1915 to address the “means of efficiently handling special problems of resorts.” Speaking of milk specifically, Dr. Abbe said, “There is no valid excuse for epidemics because of Pasteur’s work conquering them and making sanitary conditions possible.” It would take another fifteen years before pasteurization became standard on MDI.
Photo: Mary Dow Dunham visiting a dairy farm. Date unknown, ca. 1905. Image courtesy of the Seal Harbor Library
Summer Influence on Dairies
By 1912, the milk inspector in Bar Harbor was visiting “between twenty and thirty farms supplying our community with milk (which keeps us in touch with the farmers and grangers and in knowledge of their spring water supply and general health, so that if at any time suspicion was aroused, we could more quickly put a finger on the most likely point of trouble. At present, we may be congratulated on having an unusually favorable sanitary island resort.” Not only were farmers required to improve sanitary conditions on their farms, new improvements were also constantly being recommended that cost upfront investment. In addition to sanitation improvements, the cost of bottles, bottling machines, and bottle washers was a steep investment for a small farm. Coupled with the seasonality of the milk-drinking population, making enough money as a dairy farmer on the island was a challenge. Dairies tried to diversify their products to increase income by offering farm- fresh eggs and produce in addition to butter and cream.In addition to the large volume of milk needed to supply summer demands, a larger variety of dairy products was being requested. “Attempts have been made to induce at least one farm to produce cream, but the short season and difficulty in disposing of the skimmed milk to advantage would make the venture an unprofitable one at the present time. We are
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endeavoring to find some way in which cream could be produced on the island at a profit, as each year we find that the cream which is shipped from some distance is not entirely satisfactory, and manifestly we cannot control in any way the conditions under which it is produced.” Summer residents lacked understanding that their increasing demands created economic challenges for the farmers. “There has been some complaint on the part of some summer residents regarding the price charged for milk. Clean milk cannot be produced here at a profit for less than the rate now prevailing; it is much greater economy to pay two or three cents per quart more for milk and have the dairy men feel that the price attained will enable them to make improvements, than to buy at such a low price as to force them to produce it at as low a cost as possible. The great care essential in producing clean milk increases the cost, a factor which must not be lost sight of.” In Seal Harbor, summer residents wanted raw milk they felt certain was safe and clean from bacteria, and as in Bar Harbor, they required regular testing of raw milk and inspections of local farms. “Between 1903 and 1922, summer resident Edward K. Dunham, a bacteriologist from New York City, served as chairman of the Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society's Sanitary Committee. Having built a lab at his summer home, Dunham inspected farms, tested milk for bacteria, and prompted the Sanitary Committee to adopt the New York County Medical Society's milk certification guidelines.” Dr. Dunham’s wife, Mary Dow Dunham, assisted him in this work and took over testing and communicating with farmers after his death. The town of Mount Desert had fewer dairies than Bar Harbor, and summer residents relied on Vesta Clement for their residential milk supply. When Clement died in 1919, Dr. Dunham, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and others formed an investment group that encouraged Pearl Richardson, who had worked for Clement, to start a new dairy, one that would follow their instructions for ensuring a safe supply of raw milk. Richardson’s dairy was funded by summer investors, but it struggled to make enough money to sustain the farm year-round. People complained that the summer residents cared only for their own interests, forcing investments that locals could not sustain in the winter months. This seasonal “boom and bust” cycle was hard on island dairy farms, but it led to innovations and cooperative agreements that eventually stabilized the industry.
Photo: John Clark Sr. (Jack) delivering flowers and milk to Seawall Campground, 1951. Many dairies diversified their delivery service to include produce from market gardens, eggs, and flowers as a method for increasing profits. John Clark Collection, Mount Desert Island Historical Society
Boom and Bust
While a few small dairies primarily funded by summer residents could produce raw milk, the general population demanded pasteurized milk, likely as a result of national trends and fears of infant mortality and illness. A multi-page feature in the Bar Harbor Times in 1932 addressed these concerns: “Pasteurization is the surest way to prevent bovine TB and typhoid.” The feature goes on to talk at length about the new Mount Desert Dairy Cooperative, ‘It’s not just another business. It is something new and daring and different.’ [It’s a] cooperative pasteurizing plant; Percy Kief, one of the farmers, serves as president. In addition to new buildings, the cooperative planned to operate four panel body closed delivery trucks, three in Bar Harbor and one for Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor. It will handle not only milk and cream but the best grades of eggs, butter, cheese, and ice cream. The cream will be manufactured at the plant… 217 tested cows of high breeding will furnish milk for the dairy, which expects to produce and sell 75% of the milk used in Bar Harbor and vicinity. The main purpose of the new dairy, according to Kief, is to prevent duplication of effort and to give quicker and more thorough service to the dairy product consumers of this vicinity. By combining their efforts, the producers believe that under one head they can increase service to a great extent and bring about a profitable and efficient solution to the milk and products situation.
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Cooperation among dairy farms produced efficiencies because not every farm had to bottle and deliver their own supply; instead, the milk would be sold to the cooperative, where additional products like butter, cream, sour cream, ice cream, and more could be made and delivered. While less popular than pasteurized milk, some customers still wanted raw milk, and the dairy cooperative ensured it would be clean and safe. Delivery routes were divided based on the geography of the island, and agreements were made between milkmen about routes, although some competition was still present. Milkmen tempted consumers to change drivers by giving free samples of products they considered superior or offering reduced prices. Drivers were up before sunrise to complete their routes, seven days a week, all year long. In summer, it was important to deliver milk early, before the heat or sun risked spoiling. This flurry of activity slowly wound down and, “In the late 1970’s, the day of the small dairy was coming to an end, largely due to the growing popularity of large chain grocery stores. These stores drew customers away from the “mom and pop.” grocery stores, which people now used only for occasional shopping. These little stores had been an important wholesale market for small dairies, whose sales then suffered as well. The chain stores were buying milk products, but only from large producers who could contract to provide huge quantities at low prices, something small dairies could not do.” The last dairy plant on MDI was Clark’s Dairy in Southwest Harbor, which was a bottling and distribution center; they did not own or milk their own cows. In 1980, Clark’s sold their business to Hancock County Creamery in Ellsworth, and the plant became MDI Spring Water. Descendant John Clark is passionate about preserving MDI’s dairy history. His extensive collection and online catalog of dairy history documents this important and once prevalent part of the economic and cultural fabric of the island. The dairies might be gone, but once you know how to look, their history is still written on the landscape.
Download the free MDI history tour MDI History Adventure
WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
A History Adventure Wherever you are on MDI something interesting happened! Download our free MDI History Adventure app to start exploring over 20 sites located in every island community. You will see new places and learn new things about Mount Desert Island and discover how our communities are unique, yet interconnected. Download the MDI History Adventure App for MacOS or Android at the Apple or Google Play stores, or scan the QR code below to access on the web.
Essential History For Your Island Adventure Somesville Museums & Gardens 3 Oak Hill Rd, Somesville | Tues - Sat 10 AM - 4 PM Explore the history of MDI through the towns, traditions, and people who have shaped the island into what we know today. Know Before You Go gives an overview of our history, connecting the villages and larger events that bind MDI into one island community. From here, the exhibit and mobile app help you keep exploring. The Sound Schoolhouse operated as a school for the children of the quarrying and farming families of Somes Village from 1892 until 1926. The permenant exhibit here tells the story of the schools on Mount Desert Island around the turn of the 20th century. Sound Schoolhouse, Offices, & Archives 373 Sound Drive, Mount Desert | Mon - Fri 10 AM to 4 PM
Admission at both campuses is a suggested $5 donation. Members and children free
Raney Bench is the executive director for the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. The full article, including all citations, is in Chebacco: The Art of Nourishment, 2025, and is reprinted with permission from the MDI Historical Society.
Contact Us Phone: 207-276-9323 Email: info@mdihistory.org PO Box 653 Mount Desert, ME 04660
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Farmers Market Schedule On MDI Weekly
Eden Farmers Market YMCA parking lot, Bar Harbor May - October Sundays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Northeast Harbor Farmers Market The Marina, 10 Huntington Street, Northeast Harbor June 20 - August 20 th th Thursdays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Southwest Harbor Farmers Market Pemetic School lawn, 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor June - October Fridays 9:00 am - 12:30 pm Salsbury’s Organic Garden Supply, Town Hill July 11 & 18, August 1 & 15, September 5 & 19 9:00 am - 12:00 pm MDI Community Market
Photo: @northeastharborfarmersmarket, Northeast Harbor Farmers Market Sneak Peak , Instagram, 2026.
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Birchcroft Featured Listing
DIstinctive Properties. Legendary Service.
Birchcroft 3 ASTICOU HILL TRAIL, NORTHEAST HARBOR
'Birchcroft', a c.1920 classic Fred Savage shingle style cottage encompassing 4.07+/-private acres high on Asticou Hill Trail above Northeast Harbor, with 8 bedrooms, 4 baths, and vast porches overlooking gardens and an expansive lawn. Renovated over the years to modern times and comfort, while still embracing graceful antiquity. With expansive porches front and back, an elegant living room, library, and a grand dining room with diamond mullions windows, all together are perfect for friends and family gatherings throughout the seasons. Abutting Land Garden Preserve conservation areas and gardens to the South, Asticou Gardens moments away, and Acadia's mountains to the North, outdoor enjoyment is endless! ‘Birchcroft’ offers timeless elegance and comfort, fostering precious time together, coupled with the joys of Acadia by land and sea.
$3,750,000 MLS# 1663565 By Appointment Only
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1 SUMMIT ROAD BOX 367 NORTHEAST HARBOR MAINE 04662
207.276.3322
Jack Ledbetter: Jack Ledbetter : Visitor Turned Local
There's a particular kind of patience that separates a great photographer from a good one — the willingness to set up a camera on a tripod at four in the afternoon and simply wait for the light to change. For Jack Ledbetter, that patience seems innate to his character. He gladly will set his camera up at 4 pm waiting for sunset past 7 pm on some island off the coast near here.
Gallery, run by a local fixture, Thistle Brown, in what many considered the best gallery in Northeast Harbor. Thistle took Jack under her wing there, teaching him how to run a gallery and further introducing him to the local community. Soon after, Jack moved into a working studio where he could photograph, develop, frame, and show his work under one roof. His gallery is more than a retail operation. Jack builds his own frames by hand, fashioning them from raw wood,
Jack's relationship with photography began in his native Georgia in sixth grade, when his parents handed him an AGFA 35mm camera. His teacher, Tish Meyers, taught him to work in the darkroom. The following summer, after his completion of the seventh grade, Meyers invited him to visit family with her in Christmas Cove, Maine.
sanding and staining them himself. He has spent years visiting galleries to study how other photographers present their work, absorbing what he liked. The result is a signature aesthetic: clean, warm, and cared for; matching the photographs themselves; creating a final touch that
It was that summer in 1974 when he initially became familiar with the coastal features of Maine, as he spent it outdoors hiking and sailing. Jack returned to Maine in 1983, driving the entire Maine coast from the New Hampshire border up to Eastport on Route 1. "Captivated" is the word he uses, and it shows in his work. Two years later it was official: Jack had fallen in love with Acadia and Mt. Desert Island. Mid-summer, he walked into The Knowles Company, looking for a place to rent. It just so happened that one of the brokers, Harriet Whittington, had just listed a property for sale with a small bungalow in the back. “I went over and looked at it. She said, ‘if you’d like it, call me and I'll make an appointment with the owner,’ and that's how it all happened,” recalled Jack. During those early years he developed his approach to the island's people and places, drawn especially to Bass Harbor's lobstering culture. A sucker for the old wooden lobster traps to this day, he loved the gear, the boats, and the stories behind the faces and dress.
Angela Drexel Photo, Jack Ledbetter with his Deardorff Camera,
shows the depth of craftsmanship in his work.
Beyond his gallery, Jack has served on the board of the Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor for fifteen years and served as president for four. As the beloved folk-art institution dedicated to the woodcarving legacy of Gilley's bird decoys and sculptures, the museum is a natural fit for someone who has spent decades documenting the craftsmanship, resilience, and quiet beauty of this corner of the coast. Jack has also developed a deep preference for Maine winters, something that surprises people who associate him with the island's summer crowds. The pace, the quiet, the acquainted social scene, and the particular quality of the light suit him. He came for the summers and stayed for the whole year, which is perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to life in Maine. As you stand in front of any of Jack’s pieces, you can feel the unique tranquility found here. A truck coming up the hill in snow, wooden lobster traps by the still harbor, a woman under moonlight, a small house on a grassy isle: it’s the delicacy of love for the Maine coast.
In 1986, Jack began selling his work through Wingspread
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Jack Ledbetter Photo, Brothers Island.
Jack Ledbetter Photo, FW Thurston’s, Winter mid 1980's.
Jack Ledbetter Photo, Frenchboro Sunset with Starburst.
Jack Ledbetter Photo, Frenchboro, Low Tide.
Jack Ledbetter Photo, Blakeslee, Moonlight
Jack Ledbetter Photo, Frenchboro, Covered Boat.
17 All photos granted by Jack Ledbetter |
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Jack Ledbetter Photo, Mount Katahdin Sunset.
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Words From Local Lobstermen
“Lobstermen and lobsterwomen are not like most commercial fishermen. We devote ourselves to our craft with extreme intensity while also maintaining our natural resources, and keeping the population of lobsters plentiful and healthy for the future.”
- Whit Chaplin
“We are hard-working like the farmers of our land! We are at the mercy of extreme, ever-changing weather conditions. I am a sixth-generation lobster fisherman; my daughter is seventh. Most lobster fishermen have a true love for what they do and respect for all the creatures we are surrounded by, whales, seals, and so many different species of waterfowl.”
- Mark Fernald
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For the uninitiated, selecting the right type of lobster can be a little confusing. New Shells, once called "shedders," are lobsters that have recently shed their outer shell. Their softer shells are easier to crack and many find the meat sweeter and more tender, though there's less of it, as the lobster hasn't yet grown into its new shell. They also tend to run slightly cheaper. Hard Shells, on the other hand, have full cavities of meat — particularly in the body — and some argue the flavor is richer overall. The shells take more effort to crack, but most find it worth it. The good news is you really can't go wrong. A Taste of Maine: Savory & Sweet
Classic Maine Lobster Roll By Kate Chaplin, Rental Agent and Owner at The Knowles Company
INGREDIENTS (makes two rolls): 1 steamed lobster Lemon
1-2 Tbsp mayo celery (optional)
Steam a lobster, lobsters do not experience pain, so don't feel guilty about this step. Bring 1 1/2" heavily salted water to boil over high heat in a VERY large stock pot or pasta pot. Grasp the lobster by its crossed claws to safely remove their rubber bands, then swiftly place them in the boiling water. Return the lid to the pot, and cook the lobster for 13-14 minutes for new shells ("shedders"), or 15-16 minutes for hard shells. If cooking a large batch of them, shift the lobsters mid-way through. It's best not to overcrowd the cooking pot. Remove the lobster from the hot water (don't let them overcook), and rinse them off with cold water to make handling them easier. Pick the meat from the claws, knuckles, body, and tail per usual and cut or tear it into bite-size pieces. The meat can be kept for up to 48 hours refrigerated, but it's best fresh and slightly warm. Add to the lobster meat: a squeeze of lemon, mayo, and diced celery if you are feeling particularly adventurous Serve in a lightly buttered and toasted hotdog roll (preferably Nissan brand, as it has soft white sides that toast nicely!) and serve warm or cold with chips and slaw on the side.
Fahrwasser, Lobster roll, AdobeStock, 2026.
Seaglass Blueberry Coffeecake By Elizabeth Secor, former rental homeowner and real estate client
INGREDIENTS: 2 eggs 1/2 c melted butter 1 c sugar 1 c plain yogurt (not Greek) 1 c blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, dust with 1 Tbsp of flour)
2 c all purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp lemon rind
Heat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. Beat together eggs, butter, and sugar. Stir in yogurt. Sift together dry ingredients and add to eggs mixture. Gently fold in berries and zest. Bake approx. 1 hour and test for clean crumb. Time may vary on pan shape and if using frozen berries. Flip pan over as soon as it’s out of the oven so cake doesn’t stick, but leave covered until cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Freezes very well and makes great muffins.
Returning tenants to Seaglass Cottage, a former vacation rental in downtown Bar Harbor, knew that they were in for a treat when they arrived. Former homeowner, Elizabeth Secor, would leave a freshly baked Blueberry Coffee Cake for each week’s guests. It was no surprise that the Secors had tenants who returned year after year! This tasty recipe works well for coffee cake or muffins and would make a perfect Maine dessert to go along with your lobster roll. Enjoy!
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LOBSTER POUNDS BY TOWN Let’s Talk Lobster
Mount Desert The Nor’Easter Pound & Market
Bar Harbor The Travelin’ Lobster
The Happy Clam Shack
Abel’s Lobster
C-Ray Lobster
Tremont Thurston’s Lobster Pound Archie’s Lobster Pound Southwest Harbor Beal’s Lobster Pier
Rose Eden Lobster
Bar Harbor Lobster Pound
Bar Harbor Lobster Bakes
Stewman’s Lobster Pound
Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound Trenton Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound
Bar Harbor Lobster Co.
Cranberry Isles (Islesford) Little Cranberry Lobster
Gateway Lunts Lobster Pound
Maine Fresh Catch Market
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| Photo: Coachwood, Fishing boats moored in Bass Harbor Maine at dusk, 2026, AdobeStock.
NORTHEAST HARBOR FOOD TRUCKS By The Marina
Have you noticed some of the latest business developments in Northeast Harbor? Down at The Marina, you can now enjoy lobster and fruits, with a view.
The Berry Spot Northeast Harbor has long been missing something — a fresh juice spot. The Berry Spot was born out of exactly that observation. Opened in late June this year, and parked right at the marina, the truck will run daily from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm, stepping in to fill a need the community didn't realize it had. The menu is built around fresh, feel-good food — acai bowls, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and signature lemonade, alongside cold coffee drinks and a rotating selection of pastries sourced from a local bakery. Behind the truck is Isaiah, the 17-year-old son of Rae, the owner of Bub's Burritos in Southwest Harbor. Entrepenuership is second nature for this family, and Isaiah has stepped into that tradition with confidence. The Berry Spot is his venture — a young entrepreneur identifying an unmet demand in his own community and building something real around it. With a prime marina location, a fresh and focused menu, and that unmistakable homegrown drive, The Berry Spot is shaping up to be a great addition to The Marina scene. What makes The Berry Spot stand out is how effortlessly it fits into the rhythm of marina life. Nearly everything on the menu can be served on toast, so whether you're rushing to catch a boat or just looking for a light bite between errands, a satisfying meal is never more than a few minutes away. The truck is designed with convenience in mind, without cutting corners on quality. Fresh ingredients, locally sourced pastries, and a thoughtfully curated drink menu elevate it well above typical grab-and-go fare. It's the kind of spot that, once it's there, you'll wonder how you ever did without it.
The Bucking Lobster There's a small food truck tucked into a perfect little nook of pavement down at the Northeast Harbor Marina, and if you haven't found it yet, consider this your sign. The Bucking Lobster has become a word-of-mouth gem, catering to visitors and locals alike. The owner makes everything herself, and every item with care. The story starts with a little bit of luck and a leap of faith. Owner and operator Mani came to the island with her partner, Dan, a lobsterman who fishes right out of this harbor. In 2022, he floated the idea half-jokingly, “what if you ran a food truck selling the lobster I catch?” Two days later, this truck from another local lobsterman appeared for sale. They bought their truck that November, with no real plan beyond a feeling that it was right. "It seemed kind of crazy," she admits. "But it was just right here." The name? “The Bucking Lobster” was at the top of a long list of names and kept winning. Before the island, Mani spent years in Wyoming — ranching, working with horses, living the wide-open-sky life. The Bucking Lobster is a nod to the classic Wyoming bucking horse, while embracing what Maine does best: lobsters. What you'll find on the menu is the result of three summers of refinement. The classic cold lobster roll is the top seller, followed closely by the hot butter roll for those who want something a little richer and traditional. Bite into Mani's own creation, the lobster banh mi roll: lobster tossed in a house-made spicy mayo, and piled onto a roll with homemade Asian-inspired pickles. It's bright, it's different, and as far as we can tell, you won't find it anywhere else on the island. The crowd at the window on any given afternoon tells you everything about what this truck means to the community. Mani has made a point of keeping the menu accessible — there is something for the picky eater and a party looking for their lobster delights. "I've tried really hard to make sure it's not just for tourists," she says.
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Prior to the Gilded Age, Mount Desert Island consisted mainly of quiet fishing villages and farmland. The arrival of “Rusticators,” affluent families making their way to Maine to escape city life for the summer, opened the floodgates, introducing the area to wealthy industrialists such as the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Astors. By the late 1870s, many of these families began building “cottages” along the shorelines in Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, and Northeast Harbor. Some of the most notable architects of the late 19 century and early 20 century had a hand in shaping the design of the most glamorous homes in the area. th th Architecturally Significant Rental Properties Grand Designs
Boston-based William Ralph Emerson was best known for his work with Frederick Law Olmsted on the creation of the National Zoo campus in Washington, DC. along with his Shingle style of houses and inns, many of them in Bar Harbor. In the Shingle style, English influence was combined with a renewed interest in Colonial American architecture which followed the 1876 celebration of America’s Centennial. To attain a weathered look on a new building, cedar shakes were dipped in buttermilk, dried, and
Redwood
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installed, adding a recognizable gray tinge to the shingling. On Mount Desert Island, you can find Emerson’s work at Saint Jude's Episcopal Church (1887) in Seal Harbor, The Reading Room at the Bar Harbor Inn (1890), and Redwood cottage (1879) in Bar Harbor, among others. Redwood, built for Boston businessman C.J. Morrill, was the first Shingle style house built in Bar Harbor and one of the oldest of the style in the nation. This stately home, which overlooks Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands, can be seen from Bar Harbor’s Shore Path. Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day was well known for designing buildings on university campuses in the early 1900s. Day designed the Free Museum of Science and Art at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896 and followed that up with projects at colleges and universities around the country including Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University, University of Colorado, University of Delaware, Wellesley College, and Yale University. His work on the different campuses did not favor any single architectural style but included examples of Gothic Revival, Georgian Revival, and Collegiate Gothic, among others.
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Bide-A-While
In 1896, Day completed the summer estate, Bide-A- While , of J.L. Ketterlinus, a prominent American lithographer and business executive. Under supervising architect Fred Savage, the house was built with cedar shingles and locally mined granite on a 4.96-acre waterfront estate in Bar Harbor that is also known for its extensive gardens.
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Born and raised in Northeast Harbor, Fred Lincoln Savage is known as Mount Desert Island’s most prolific architect, designing over 300 homes on the island and across Northeastern Maine. His homes are often identifiable by their shingle-style architecture which often featured heavy stone foundations using local granite, complex rooflines, and shingle siding. The Asticou Inn is one of the most recognizable of Savage’s designs. The original lodging, which was owned by Savage’s parents, was destroyed by fire in 1899 and designed and rebuilt by Fred Savage in 1901.
Juniper Ledge
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Savage moved to Bar Harbor in 1903, building and living in his Tudor-style home that is now the Atlantean Cottage Bed & Breakfast. He designed several of the “cottages” that are still located on the Shore Path along Frenchman Bay. Random Ridge and Juniper Ledge in Northeast Harbor are examples of Fred Savage designs.
Random Ridge
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