Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-11-16

mingle on the classic shores Of Mount
Desert!
After the destruction Of the Jesuit col
only, Mount Desert drops out OF history
until 1888, when the entire island was
granted to Antoine de Mott Cadillac by
the French monarch, but this cobleman
died without even seeing his vast estate.
Not until 17S6 did the family take posses-
sion. In that year his granddaughter,
Madame Marie Therese de Gregoire, with
her husband, came over from France and
laid claim to the property. She Was aided
by Lafayette, and after considering the
titIes, the state of Massachusetts, granted
the claim. 1t is on this authority that
every title deed to land on Mount Desert
now rests. The French couple took up
their residence ct Hull's Cove, near Bar
Harbor, and became very popular with the
rude fishermen around them. Here they
lived and died, and to-day a wooden cross
in the little battle-ground at that place
marks the last resting-spot Of these early
owners OF the most fashionable watering
place in America.
NATURAL BEAUTIES.
Nature formed Mount Desert for great
summer resort. There are but two places
on the Alta attic coast where the mountains
come down to the sea-this vicinity
Is one OF them and Camden is the other.
OF these elevations there are no less than
eighteen, the highest of which is Green
mountain, that lifts its hoary head 500
feet above the level OF the sea that washes
its base.
Another natural feature of profound in
terest Is the great boulder system, which
may here be seen in It's greatest perfection
as the legacy of the glacial age. Some OF
the rock deposits are the most interest
ing to the student OF geology that may be
found in Maine. While the bed rock OF
the island is granite, there are vast de-
posits of trap, gneiss, mica schist and
sandstone, as well as sienite and
horn blende. All these formations are
interesting, not only to the geologist, but
also to the tourists who love TO wander
among their crAgs and cliffs and note the
great chasms that have been torn into
their sides by the storms OF the old
paleozoic age and the tides OF the sounding
sea.
There is some discrepancy in regard
to the first settlers and from whence they
came. Leaving out the Jesuit colony,
which was destroyed by the pirate
ArgsIl, the fest actual settlers did not
come until about 1861, when Abraham
Somes and James Richardson pitched
their camps near where the village Of
Somesviile now stands. In . short time
Nicholas Thomas settled in Bar Harbor,
but not until 1875 had the place reached
the dignity OF having . store. Many OF
the early settlers were fishermen, and their
moss grown cellers may still be seen
scattered here and there over the island.
w. II. Sherman, Of Bar Harbor, in
Speaking OF these settlers in his history
OF the island, says:
.Bar Harbor was then but little fishing
and ship bull ling community, and the pla-
teAu from Duck brook to cromwells harbor
was sparseiy dotted with smAii farms. Its
inhabitants were few in number and simple
in manner of living. How little they rocked
of what the future might have in store for
this island home Of theirsi No visions OF
iordly mansions disturbed their thoughts
they titled the little plot which supplied their
tables. No towering hotel. with its long
corridors and handsome suites OF apartments.
rose before their minds eye. No fash Of
electric lights lit mp for them the gloomy
.caverns Of the future. They piowed the fur
row. mended their nets, feIied the timber and
built their fishing vessels for the present.
the future. with its telephones and electric
lighting, its palatial hotels and handsome
residences, disturbed them not, for they could
not conceive it."
Among the generation within the
memory OF men still living were men who
clearly forssaw the future possibilities OF
the island. The Higgins, Wssgatt, Hamor,
Roberts and Rodick families were among
the leaders, and these were the men who
first commenced its development as . sum-
mer resort. To their little hosteries came
several great artists to paint the marvel
GUS scenery OF the island, and in this way
its charms gradually came TO the notice OF
the wealthy classes in other states. Again
to quote Mr.. Sherman:
aThe artists who had made the village their
summer home took away with them sketches
OF the beautiful scenery of the island, and
slowly but surely Mount Desert crept towards
notoriety. Where once the proud trees bowed
and fell to the woodmAn's axe, handsome
summer residences grew up ~ il by enchant-
ment. the shores which once echoed 10 the
strokes Of the ship-carpenter's mallet, began to
be the scene of busy trAfic. The bay, once .
promising field for porgie fishermen, soon
became dotted in summer time with variety
of crafts, from the tiny canoe to the
stately yacht Along It's rocky shores, where
the children of former generations had
rAmbied In their long vacation. and perhaps
where smuggiers once landed their stores OF
contraband goods- there soon nocked many
plessure-seekers- Then, rs though by the
wave Of an enchanter's ward, in one glad
summer the gay transformation scene Was
enacted. and Bar HArbor stood revealed to the
world in her true character IS the queen Of
American summer resorts,"
A graphic pictured And thus was Bar