
EAGLES!
The following two houses are the first you will encounter when approaching Perkins from the Richmond dock.
TUBBS-REED HOUSE
DUNBAR-BLEN-STAFF HOUSE
HISTORIC DUMARESQUE HOUSE, RENOVATED IN 1968 TO A SALTBOX STYLE. DOCTOR SYLVESTER GARDINER BUILT FOR HIS DAUGHTER WHO MARRIED CAPTAIN PHILIP DUMARESQUE.
THE HOUSE LATER OPERATED SWANGO HEALTH SPA, WIDELY ADVERTISED AS THE SWEDBORGIAN MODEL FOR RESTORING HEALTH TO MANY ILLS BY DOCTOR JOHN HEBBARD.
ROBINSON-POWELL HOUSE AT THE CAMPGROUND – NEXT TO THE DUMARESQUE HOUSE
LILY-WADE HOUSE NEXT TO THE FENCED-IN YARD TO HOLD JERRY THE MOOSE. A woman’s bust statue formerly looked back from the bay window at peeping visitors!
MAXWELL-TARR HOUSE, last house on the PERKINS HIGHWAY. When the house began to fail, the front deteriorated to appear like a dollhouse where you could look into the rooms. Jesse Tarr once operated a black fox farm here. Now it is only a brick chimney left standing in the cellar.
CURTIS CEMETERY Photo by T. BLEN PARKER
Wild rice on North side of Abagadasset Point looking North to SWAN ISLAND,
Thwing’s Point is on right, Pork Point on left
View of Richmond Village across the Kennebec River from Swan Island
Richmond view of Swan Island dock, and farther back see the old green swing bridge.
CHOICE VIEW FARM [CVF] looking SW at the mouth of Eastern River, Middle Ground
and SWAN ISLAND
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SWAN ISLAND!
FROG POND across from the campground
HAWKWEED
SNAPPING TURTLE QUEEN
SOUTH MAIN STREET, SWAN ISLAND
Tan color shows loss of agricultural lands between 1956, 1981 & 1998 [half to reforestation, half to development]
View of RICHMOND VILLAGE, JJ HATHORN BLOCK and old STATE OF MAINE dock from Swan Island.
Leaving the SWAN ISLAND DOCKSIDE
OLD SWAN ISLAND DOCK &OLD SWAN ISLAND SKOW used to move excavation and truck vehicles necessary to transport visiting groups and to maintain the PERKINS HIGHWAY.
LOWER PERKINS HIGHWAY
TREES & HOMES DETERIORATE in abandoned PERKINS TOWN
ENORMOUS PINE, partially healed where a huge branch broke off
LUSH FERNS provide a cool spot for hikers to rest
The chain link fence encloses the “sick pen” at the Lily-Wade house, where animals were afforded the chance to recover free from predators. Jerry the Moose lived there until being transported to the Bronx Zoo.
POLLY POWELL visits JERRY the moose
STEVE POWELL photos
JERRY’S arrival on Swan Island – POWELL PHOTO
CORN CRIB, where corn was stored to dry, off the ground aeration
View across SWAN ISLAND field towards DRESDEN where hikers enjoy a rest on the granite bench.
Model depicting tug towing 3 & 4-masted schooners in the KENNEBEC
Model depicting 4-masted schooner loading ice at the MORSE ICE COMPANY
View of the CAMPGROUND, lean-to view toward
SWAN ALLEY & LITTLE SWAN ISLAND
One of several lean-to’s with plank floors and log benches inside. Grills and fireplaces are located at each lean-to and hand-pumped water is available near the public restrooms.
MERRYMEETING BAY wild rice
SUNSET PADDLE around the island
Ancient neighbor! FEMALE SNAPPING TURTLE
Spring paddling provides challenges when competing with remaining ice cakes!
The following book offers information that would pertain most closely to the Kennebec River and Merrymeeting Bay.
KENNY EDGECOMB c. 1900 cleaning a sturgeon at his FISH HOUSE
Beautiful patterns of a sturgeon tail
ABOUT SMELT FISHING ~ ARTWORK DONE BY BRYCE MUIR
X-COUNTRY SKIING BY MOONLIGHT
SUNSET PADDLE
COAST GUARD ICE CUTTER BREAKING THROUGH KENNEBEC RIVER ICE
CANADIAN GEESE travel over the island following the Eastern Flyway
Stan Richardson, Nat Fellows, & Steve Powell displaying a goose, 72-inch wingspan
POWELL photo
GEESE FLYING in typical V-formation
WILD TRILLIUM (trillium, wakerobin, tri flower, birthroot, birthwort) is a genus of perennial flowering plants native to temperate regions of North America and Asia.
Thank you, Ed Friedman – FRIENDS OF MERRYMEETING BAY, for sharing your photos.
IN MEMORY of Dr. Bruce Tremblay – ORIGINAL FRIENDS OF SWAN ISLAND PRESIDENT.