Islesford Historical Society 2000

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2000 Time Capsule Project

(for the year 2000)

In March, following the Town Meeting, there was a meeting of those interested in the Time Capsule Project.   We have a grant from the Maine Humanities Council to buy the capsule which will be buried under a stone in the mid-island cemetery next August.   A professor from the history department at the University of Maine joined our meeting.

Every effort will be made to give those who open the capsule in 2100 a picture of life on Islesford as it is in the year 2000.   We will try to show how the fishermen fished and what their boats and gear were like.   Also how carpenters, summer residents, housewives, and others live and work in 2000 on a day to day basis.

We hope to place in the capsule black & white photos of every house currently on the island along with photos of as many residents as possible.   Pictures of island boats and their owners too.   Each resident is encouraged to write one page (both sides) describing his/her current life on the island.   Each photo and write-up will be placed in an acid-free envelope before placement in the capsule.   Herb Stroup is currently taking black & white photos of residents and others will be doing so during June and July.   We are told that black and white photos will last longer than color photos.

The children from the school attended the meeting and were quite excited with the time capsule idea.   Each of them will be given a mini time capsule.   They will be encouraged to prepare material for our capsule and they can also put whatever they want in their own mini-capsule.

If you have letters, photos, or other items for the capsule, they can be left with Cindy Thomas at the library.   Remember that they should depict life as we live it in our community now.   Information that will be of interest to those who open the capsule 100 years from now.   Participation is, of course, entirely voluntary.

--Hugh Dwelley

Cynthia Thomas watches
Hugh Dwelley close the capsule.

Time Capsule Sealing

Midnight, 31 December 2000

Members of the Islesford community want those living on the tiny island in 2100 to know what island life is like today.  On New Year's eve members of the Islesford Historical Society gathered to close a time capsule that will not be opened for one hundred years.  Those who open the capsule will find letters that describe island life in 2000, photos of island residents and their homes, a Town Report and list of voters, the island telephone book, and A History of Little Cranberry Island.  A dozen historical society publications are included and a book illustrated by Ashley Bryan.  The capsule contains a description of current lobstering methods with photos of lobster gear and samples of knitted trap heads and bait bags.

Historical Society President Hugh Dwelley said that he tried to think what he would like to find if he opened a capsule closed in 1900 and then to imagine what residents in 2100 would like to learn about today's community.  Librarian Cynthia Thomas placed small ceramic pottery pieces in the capsule as examples of island crafts.  There were also samples of Capt. Ted Spurling's rope craft.  The capsule will rest in the island's History Room until opened in the year 2100.

2000 Summer Letter to Members

Islesford, ME 04646
July 1, 2000

Dear Members and Friends,

A safe and happy Fourth of July from your Historical Society!

ANNUAL MEETING:  Our Annual Meeting will be held at the Neighborhood House at 7:30PM on Monday, July 17th.  Following a short business meeting, we'll begin the process of filling a 100-year time capsule to be closed and placed late in August.  We purchased the capsule with a grant of funds from the Maine Humanities Council.

The annual meeting will also provide an opportunity to introduce our long-awaited A HISTORY OF LITTLE CRANBERRY ISLAND.  Get your copy at a special meeting price of $18.00!

OSPREY-WATCHING.  The pair of handsome ospreys is back in their nest at Sutton Island.  Did you follow their winter migration on cranberryisles.com?  The female went to Haiti while the male stopped off near Indian River Florida.

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Pierce have extended an invitation for a group of us to have a look at the ospreys from their front porch on Sutton Island.  As when we visited Bear Island last year, they can accommodate a group of thirty.  After viewing the ospreys and partaking of a cup of coffee, those who wish to walk, can take the path to the town dock passing by the home of John and Polly Guth and by the old John Gilley house.

The visit to Sutton will be on Saturday, July 22nd with Sunday as a rain date.  A special boat will leave Islesford at 9:30AM and will leave Sutton at noon for return.  Stops will be made at Great Cranberry as appropriate.  Guests will be responsible to pay their own boating.

The first thirty who's responses are received with a contribution of $15.00 and with 2000/2001 dues will be placed on the list for the Sutton Island trip.  Proceeds will be donated to the Islesford Scholarship Fund.

IT'S DUES TIME FOR 2000/2001.  And dues are still only $8 per individual or $10 per family.  If you can't attend the Annual Meeting, please send your dues with an order for A HISTORY OF LITTLE CRANBERRY ISLAND (200 pages hard-cover with illustrations) or any of our other publications.

A happy island summer to all!

Sincerely,
Hugh L. Dwelley, President

He who cares nothing for his ancestors will rarely achieve anything worthy of being remembered by his descendants.

Sam Hadlock Jr. in Europe
1822-1826

As most members of the Islesford Historical Society know, last year we brought out a fresh edition of God's Pocket, The Story of Captain Samuel Hadlock, Junior, of Cranberry Isles, Maine.   While in Europe, Sam met and married a young German girl who, on the Cranberry Islands, was known as "The Prussian Lady."

Last fall, one Ulf Bankmann of Berlin Germany learned about our publication of God's Pocket from this page on cranberryisles.com.   Mr. Bankmann ordered a copy of God's Pocket and subsequently sent us a copy of a paper that he had written about Hadlock and his Eskimos in 1997.

Bankmann's paper draws on contemporary European newspaper accounts and tells us much that we didn't know before.   For instance, George, the Eskimo, was quite an artist and so now we have drawings of him and of a stuffed Maori head that was also part of the show.

We have sent Bankmann a copy of Sam Hadlock's marriage certificate with the Prussian Lady and Bankmann is researching her family in Berlin.   This is a striking example of what the internet can do.

--Hugh Dwelley

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