Isle Au Haut

Isle au Haut, Maine
—  Town  —
Birch Point and Burnt Island Thoroughfare
Isle au Haut, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°3′32″N 68°37′1″W / 44.05889°N 68.61694°W / 44.05889; -68.61694
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Knox
Incorporated	1874
Area
- Total	109.6 sq mi (283.9 km2)
- Land	12.7 sq mi (32.8 km2)
- Water	96.9 sq mi (251.1 km2)
Elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	79
- Density	6.2/sq mi (2.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04645
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-35135
GNIS feature ID	0582530

Isle au Haut is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States, on an island of the same name in Penobscot Bay. The population was 79 at the 2000 census. Home to portions of Acadia National Park, Isle au Haut is accessible by mailboat (no auto ferries) from Stonington.

History

Road Scene in c. 1907

Native Americans left behind shell mounds on the island following their oyster feasts. It was part of the territory of the Penobscot Abenaki Indians when, in 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain named it Isle au Haut, meaning High Island. English Captain John Smith, who charted the coast in 1614, noted that it was the highest island in Penobscot Bay. It was included in Deer Isle Plantation, incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court on February 2, 1789 as the town of Deer Isle.

In 1792, Henry Barter was granted land on the island, which by 1800 had a population of about 50 English and Scottish settlers. They subsisted by raising sheep, farming and fishing. In 1808, the island was the scene of a murder when smugglers shot and killed a federal customs officer. In the mid-1800s, the chief occupations were fishing and boatbuilding. On February 28, 1874, Isle au Haut was set off from Deer Isle and incorporated as a town. ^[1]

By the late 1800s, when the island's population reached about 275, a village had developed beside the Isle au Haut Thoroughfare separating Kimball Island. The 1880s brought an influx of "rusticators," seasonal inhabitants often from Boston and other big cities who built vacation cottages. In 1910, Isle au Haut had 178 year-round residents and 15 summer families. Some fishermen left when motors replaced sails to power boats, allowing them to operate more conveniently from the mainland. By 1935, the population had dropped to 75.

Today, lobster fishing remains the main industry, while the portions of Acadia National Park (which cover about 60% of the island) attract a few tourists. Vacation houses, although far fewer than the nearby summer colonies of North Haven, Vinalhaven and Mount Desert Island, more than double Isle au Haut's population during the summer. Linda Greenlaw wrote a book about it titled The Lobster Chronicles (2003).

Notable residents

• Abel Douglass, pioneer & sea captain
• Linda Greenlaw, author

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 109.6 square miles (283.9 km²), of which, 12.7 square miles (32.8 km²) of it is land and 96.9 square miles (251.1 km²) of it (88.43%) is water. Isle au Haut is an island approximately 6 miles (10 km) long by 2 miles (3 km) wide in Penobscot Bay, part of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean.

Mount Champlain, elevation 540 feet (160 m), is the highest point on the island, located on a north-south ridge occupying the island's center. Rocky Mountain, elevation 511 feet (156 m), and Sawyer Mountain, at 486 feet (148 m) are neighboring summits along the ridge to the south.^[2] The terrain consists of low hills covered by temperate coniferous forests; the coastline is mainly granite boulders, with a few rocky beaches and salt marshes. Long Pond, a small freshwater lake, stretches down the eastern side of the island; being warmer and more sheltered than the surrounding ocean, it is used for recreation and one may occassionally see a float plane, although no scheduled service is available.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 79 people, 32 households, and 20 families residing in the town. The population density was 6.2 people per square mile (2.4/km²). There were 164 housing units at an average density of 12.9/sq mi (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.80% of the population. 19.7% were of French, 16.4% Irish, 11.5% Dutch, 11.5% English, 11.5% Scottish and 8.2% Finnish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 32 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 107.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $34,167. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $16,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,723. There were no families and 17.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Sites of interest

• Isle au Haut Light

References

Further reading

• History of Isle au Haut, Maine
• Joshua M. Smith, "Murder on Isle au Haut: Violence and Jefferson’s Embargo in Coastal Maine, 1808-1809," Maine History 39:1 (Spring 2000), 17-40.

External links

• isleauhaut.net
• Revere Memorial Library
• Isle au Haut Ferries & Island Information
• National Park Service Trail Map of Isle au Haut
• Maine.gov -- Isle au Haut, Maine

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Knox County, Maine County seat: Rockland City Rockland Towns Appleton | Camden | Cushing | Friendship | Hope | Isle au Haut | North Haven | Owls Head | Rockport | St. George | South Thomaston | Thomaston | Union | Vinalhaven | Warren | Washington Plantation Matinicus Isle Unorganized territory Criehaven CDPs Camden | Thomaston Other villages Hibberts Corner | Port Clyde