Yesterday

Mosquito Harbor was just another bay in the larger town of Gouldsboro.

Gouldsboro, Plantation No. 3 east of the Union River, was laid out in 1762 and granted to Nathan Jones, Robert Gould and Francis Shaw. Thomas Frazer of London financed the venture to explore the new township, sending his attorney John Lane to represent his interests.

Winter Harbor girls dance around their maypole in 1914.

THE ACADIAN COMMUNITY WOMAN’S CLUB

Frazer and Lane would gain title to most of the township in subsequent years. William Shaw came into possession of the western part of Gouldsboro, and in 1796 would sell this land to William Bingham of Philadelphia. This section would become the future community of Winter Harbor.

The first settler of Mosquito Harbor was listed as a “free Negro” with nine individuals living in his household. He may have settled here prior to 1790, but his origins are unknown. He used the name Thomas Frazer and operated a salt works where the creek joins the lower harbor.

Nathan Jones, operator of a mill on Mill Creek, and Joseph and Lois Bickford settled at Mosquito Harbor by 1800. A small community would eventually develop on Ironbound Island and, by 1820, six families were said to be living at the harbor.

Fishing was the predominant business at hand. John Frisbee would achieve his own success at Lower Harbor in the 1830s and 1840s, owning parts or all of several vessels.

Thomas Arey lived at Schoodic for a time and was followed by his son, James. Jabez and Eleanor Myrick came to Winter Harbor prior to 1850 and settled on Big Moose Island, Schoodic Point. Abram and Catherine Jacobs, William and Reliance Higgins, and Enoch and Bethial Newman, with their families, settled on Ironbound Island.

Dr. John Frisbee moved to Winter Harbor from Kittery. He was a skilled physician, ran a ship chandlery and owned parts of many vessels. Dr. Nathanel Pendleton removed his family from Islesboro to Mosquito Harbor circa 1840. His diaries shed some much-needed light on early events in the community.

There are other important families in the history of Winter Harbor, all with their unique contribution to the community. The families of Bunker, Coombs, Gerrish, Grover, Guptill, Hammond, Joy, Sargent, Smallidge and Tracy are just a few of the names that still reflect in the population today.

Farmers, fishermen, sea captains, merchants and sailors all, a community of people wresting a living from the stubborn soil and the treacherous waves. The women were silent partners in so much of this activity, patiently caring for their homes and raising the next generation.

The name of Mosquito Harbor was replaced in 1854 with the name Winter Harbor entered into the records of Gouldsboro. The population had grown to 311 by 1850.

The cod fisheries employed most of the men and older boys of the community, with the well-established routes taking them to Newfoundland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Grand Banks. Most of these vessels were relatively small, averaging about 40 tons, with a number of smaller boats under 15 tons. The vessels were often crewed by members of an extended family, and boys as young as 10 or 12 could be found among the crew. These younger boys were “learning the ropes” and sometimes could be found standing at the rail waiting for the cod to strike.

Winter Harbor had a church, a school, two stores, and a post office in 1881.

In 1889, the Gouldsboro Land Improvement Co. was formed with the idea of turning Winter Harbor into a summer resort. Grindstone Neck was purchased for this purpose, with lots and roads surveyed and laid out. One of the stipulations of building required a “cottage” to be built for not less than $2,000.

Grindstone Inn was built to attract visitors and potential customers. The inn could accommodate more than 200 guests. In 1902-03, the inn was enlarged to accommodate the laundry and housing for the hired help. The inn burned in the fall of 1956. Other amenities included a golf course, a swimming pool and a yacht club.

The establishment of the Grindstone Colony greatly changed the complexion of the community at Winter Harbor. The town separated from Gouldsboro in 1895, largely because of the increased tax revenue from the colony and the influx of new businesses.

By 1897, the community was served by three churches, a physician, a barber, a printer, a library, an insurance agent and a lawyer. The Masonic Lodge No. 192 and the Order of the Eastern Star provided fraternal fellowship.

The community could also boast of a livery stable, four land companies, a marine railroad, and a telephone and telegraph office. There were six general stores, an apothecary, a feed and grain emporium, a dry goods and clothing store, a confectionery store, two meat markets, a lumberyard, a dairy, a coal-wood-hay-straw dealer, and a store that sold boots and shoes.

The community would also have its own undertaker, a blacksmith, three masons, a millinery shop, and a boat dealer. The difference between 1881 and 1897 is striking. The influx of summer tourists brought the settlement to maturity. The economy was diversified and many new jobs were created. For better or for worse, the times had changed and had replaced the small fishing hamlet that had existed on Mosquito Harbor.