MAINE: CASTINE DISTRICT. 43 



occasionally from small boats to furnish residents of tbe locality with fresh fish, and others catch 

 a supply for their own tables. 



BROOKSVILLE. Brooksville, lying to the south of Penobscot between Castine and Sedgwick, 

 is almost an island, being connected with the main shore by two very narrow necks of land. Jt 

 was incorporated in 1817, and named in honor of Governor Brooks, of Massachusetts. In 1870 it 

 had 1,27G inhabitants. Its principal interests are in connection with agriculture, quarrying, and 

 coasting. Mr. Samuel Wassou says of it: "West Brooksville is the Coast ville of Western Han- 

 cock [Hancock County]. Nearly every man sails, helps to man, or is part owner of a 'coaster,' 

 which gives a peculiar idiom to their language, which is perfect Greek to a backwoodsman." 



At present Brooksville has one vessel of G.50 tons with a crew of two men engaged in the shore- 

 tisheries. About thirteen men fish for lobsters from April to August, selling the bulk of their catch 

 to the Castine cannery. Seven men clam in winter, and an equal number make a business of line- 

 fishing in summer. In addition to these, fully seventy-five men fish for mackerel from two to six 

 weeks in summer, most of their catch being canned at Castiue. There are also extensive smelt 

 fisheries in the town. 



21. CASTINE AND ITS FISHERIES. 



ITS FISHERIES, PAST AND PRESENT. Castine is a small town lying to the south of Penobscot, 

 between the Peuobscot River and South Bay. It contains the village of Castine, which is one of 

 the oldest and most interesting settlements in the State. Members of the Plymouth colony occu- 

 pied it as a trading post as early as 1G30, when it was known as Peutagoet; it was permanently 

 settled by the English in 17tiO. In 1790 it was set off from Penobscot and incorporated. From its 

 earliest settlement it has been the scene of bloody conflicts, and has been frequently taken and 

 retaken by the armies of the French, Dutch, and British. In 1850 it had 1,200 inhabitants and 

 the census of 1870 showed a gain of only 44. 



Its history as a fishing town is both peculiar and interesting. Its distance from the shore 

 fishing grounds prevents any extensive boat-fisheiies, though several parties are engaged in the 

 capture of lobsters and mackerel in summer, and a number of others dig a few clams from the 

 mud-flats in winter. In 1880 ten men were engaged for a number of weeks in the shore mackerel 

 fishery, selling their catch to the cannery at the village. All of these "clam" to a greater or less 

 extent in winter, and four of them fish for lobsters from April to August. Aside from this and the 

 smelt fisheries which will be mentioned elsewhere, there is at present no fishing of importance from 

 the town. 



Though the boat-fisheries have never been extensive, the excellent harbor gave Castine an 

 advantage in the vessel -fisheries which she retained for many years. By the beginning of the 

 present century she had a few large vessels engaged in the various offshore fisheries; and the number 

 continued to increase until her vessels frequented all of the important fishing grounds, including 

 Grand and Western Banks, Labrador, Bay of Chaleur, and the Magdalen Islands. The Grand 

 Banks cod fisheries are said to have been peculiarly important. They began early in the century, 

 and by 1833 a large number of vessels were employed in this work. The fishing continued to be 

 extensively prosecuted till 1855, after which it rapidly declined, the vessels being sold to other places 

 or employed in the coasting trade. In 1878 the offshore fleet had been reduced to two sail. These 

 returned from the fishing grounds with small fares, whereupon their owners became discouraged 

 and decided to give up the business. Both vessels were immediately stripped and secured to the 

 wharves, where they have since remained. 



During the years of greatest activity a considerable number of small vessels were fitted out for 



