Deer Isle

Deer Isle

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Deer Isle was settled in 1762 and incorporated in 1789 from Deer Isle Plantation.  The town original town included "Great Deer Island, Little Deer Island, Isle au Haut, and Sheep Island, and several islands between Great Deer Island and Isle au Haut

At Northwest Harbor, Deer Isle is almost split in two. The remaining narrow land area, at the village, is known as the Haulover.

  1. Aug. 4, 1762 Deer Island Plantation formed
  2. February 2, 1789 Incorporated as Deer Isle
  3. February 28, 1874 Set of land to Isle Au Haut
  4. February 18, 1897 Set off land to Stonington

Villages, Locations and Settlements

Islands

  • Allen's Cove (Rev. Samuel Allen)
  • Babbidge's Neck (William Babbidge)
  • Burnt Cove
  • Campbell's Neck (John Campbell)
  • Crockett's Cove (Josiah Crockett)
  • Douglass's Cove (Robert Douglass)
  • Dow's Point  (Nathan Dow)
  • Eggemoggin
  • Greenlaw's Neck (William Greenlaw)
  • Green's Landing (Sullivan Green, Esq.)
  • Haulover
  • Moore's Harbor (Captain John Moore)
  • Mountainville
  • North Deer Isle
  • Oceanville
  • Pressey's Point (Pressey)
  • Reach
  • South Deer Isle
  • Sunset
  • Sunshine
  • Small's Cove (Job and Thomas Small)
  • Stinson's Neck (Thomas Stinson, Esq.)
  • Swain's Cove (on Little  Deer Isle - William Swain)
  • Thompson's Cove (Thomas Thompson)
  • Webb's Cove
  • Butter Island (1850) Island aka Diorigo Island  or Dirigo (historical)
  • Conary's Island (Thomas Conary)
  • Cutter's Island aka Fog Island
  • Duck Island (1840)
  • Eaton Island (1840)
  • Gibson's Island (James Gibson)
  • Great SpruceHead (1840)
  • Kimball Island (Solomon Kimball)
  • Little Deer Isle
  • Pickerings Island (1830, 1840) Island
  • South Deer Isle
  • Thurlow's Island (Captain David Thurlow)
  • York Island (Captain Benjamin York)
A Survey of Hancock County, Maine By Samuel Wasson 1876:

Deer Isle.—Incorporated (4-63 town) January 30, 1789. Population, 3,404. Decennary loss, 178. Wealth, per capita, $120. State valuation, $417,211. U. S. valuation, $680,783. First visited by European voyagers, in 1605. The abundance of deer in its forests, gave it its name. First settlement commenced near what is now known as the "Scott Farm," by William Eaton, in 1762. First church in 1773. First preacher, Rev. Mr. Noble. First pastor, Rev. Peter Powers. Rev. Joseph Brown, a dissenter, installed in 1809. Population in 1790, 682. First white child, Timothy Billings, born May, 1764. The privations of the settlers during the War of the Revolution, were terrible.

Union soldiers, 314; State aid, $6,294; town bounty, $59,128 ; cost per recruit, $208

DEER ISLAND PAPERS.


PETITION OF INHABITANTS, 1762.*


"Province of the Massachusetts Bay, to his Excellency Francis Bernard, Esq., Captain, General and Governor in Chief of the said Province, the Hon'ble His Majesty's Council and the Hon'ble House of Representatives in General Court assembled, Aug. 4, 1762.

The subscribers humbly show that sixteen of them have been at considerable expense at transporting themselves to a certain Island at the eastward, within this Province, situated on the southwest of Egemogen Reach, known by the name of Deer Island, which at high water seems to be separated into two, tho' at low water appears to be one Intire Island, have built themselves Houses, and are with the rest of your Petitioners willing to bring forward a settlement there. Pray this Court for the Incouragement of so good a work, to make them a grant of the whole of said Island, or at least that end of it, settled upon as aforesaid ; which is accounted to be about six or seven miles in length, and two or three in breadth in the widest part thereof; tho' in some places not half a mile. Or otherwise to dispose of the whole of said Island to them, or only the southeast end aforesaid, as this Court in their Wisdom shall think fit for such sum or sums of money as may be judged reasonable, and your Petitioners beg leave further to add that they are not Petitioners included in the twelve townships already granted.*

Daniel Wardwell,
Jeremiah Wardwell,
Dan'l Clark,
Dan'l Clark, in behalf of Edward
Jones,
Jno. Stone,
Moses Sewall,
Daniel Holt.
Stephen Littlefield,
William Grinnell,
Jonathan Greenlaw,
Ebenezer Greenlaw,
Charles Greenlaw,
Alex. Greenlaw,
William Greenlaw,

George Lilly,
John Winn,
John Staple,
Ebenezer Low,
Samuel Low,
Nathan Closson,
David Torrey,
Joseph Thoms,
Michael Carnay,
John Tinker,
William Eaton,
Elakim Eaton,
John Cane,
Enoch Hutchins,
Nathaniel Webber."


ClXII

*Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 46, page 488.


" Resolve on the petition of the inhabitants of Deer-Island, granting and confirming one hundred acres of land to each of said settlers, on condition. March 22, 1786.

Whereas it appears to this Court from a survey and plan of a certain island, lying within the county of Lincoln, called" Deer-Island, taken by Rufus Putnam, Esq.; in the year 1785, together with a small island lying near the west shore of the said Deer-Island, called Sheep-Island, that the said islands contain in the whole, sixteen thousand eight hundred and seventy-six acres, whereon were eighty settlers, before the first day of January, 1784; and whereas Joseph Tyler and others, settlers on the said islands, have petitioned this Court for a grant of the same, to them, their heirs and assigns: Therefore

Resolved, That there be, and :here is hereby granted and confirmed to the said Joseph Tvler, and the other settlers, who settled thereon and made a separate improvement before the first day of January, 1784, their heirs and assigns, one hundred acres each, to hold in severalty, to be laid out so as to include their respective improvements, as a compensation for settlement; on condition, that the aforesaid settlers pay into the treasury of this Commonwealth, within one year from the date thereof, for the survey, and other charges, one hundred and twenty pounds, in specie, with interest until paid ; provided that where any original settler has sold, or otherwise disposed of his improvements, the purchaser of such improvements, his heirs and assigns, shall hold the same lands which such original settler would have held by virtue of this resolve, if there had been no such sale or disposition.

And be it further Resolved, That the remainder of the said Deer- Island, with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging, be, and is hereby granted and confirmed to the said Joseph Tyler, and Mark Haskell, Joseph Colby, John Campbell, Charles Pressey, Ignatius Haskell, Thomas Saunders, Edward Haskell, Joshua Haskell, Thomas Haskell, Jonathan Eaton, Ezekiel Marshall, George Tyler, Thomas Stinson, Jun., Belcher Tyler, Nathan Dow, John Pressey, Thomas Stinson, Nathan Closson, Elijah Donham, Theophilus Eaton, Levi Carman, Ezra Howard, Ambrose Colby, Nathaniel Bray, Robert Nason, Benjamin Cole, Ezekiel Moory, John Hooper, Lot Curtis, Chase Pressey, Thomas Saunders, Samuel Frunday, John Raynes, Samuel Raynes, Thomas Smalley, Job Smalley, Charles Sellers, Josiah Crocket, Thomas Robbins, William Babbage, Joseph Whitmore, William Greenlaw, George Frees, Cortney Babbage, John Frees, Peter Hardy, Jeremiah Eaton, William Eaton, John Closson, Thomas Thompson, Robert Lin, Marcy Staples, Charles Greenlaw, Simon Fowier, David Torry, Jonathan Torry, Samuel Crombie, Joseph Donham, their heirs and assigns ; on condition, that they appropriate three hundred acres of land for the use of the ministry, and three hundred acres for the use of a grammar school, and that they pay into the treasury of this Commonwealth, within one year from the time of passing this resolve, one thousand two hundred and forty-one pounds, eight shillings, in consolidated securities of this Commonwealth, with interest."
 

Bangor Historical Magazine
VOLUME I.
July, 1883,—June, 1886.
JOSEPH W. PORTER, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.