74 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



Arrowsic, and Phipsburg. It now includes only the island, originally known as Eraskohegan, and 

 later as Parker's Island, about nine miles long by an average of two miles wide. 



The locality was visited by John Smith as early as 1014, and from his writings we learn that 

 French fishermen visited it at an earlier date. The first permanent settlers were engaged in the 

 fisheries, which, from that date to the present time, have been continued without interruption. 

 Though little has been written of the extent of its early fisheries, it is said that as early as 1794 

 a Mr. Riggs was engaged in fitting vessels and in curing the fish landed by them. His business 

 continued to increase, and by 1812, according to the estimates of his son, Moses Eiggs, about 

 twenty-five "bankers" and an equal number of shore vessels fitted and cured their fish at his place. 

 Others soon engaged in the trade, and in 1S43, according to the same authority, between 25,000 

 and 30,000 quintals of fish were cured at Riggs (Jove alone. 



Up to this time few fish had been cured on other parts of the island, it beiug the custom for 

 the catch to be handled by the professional curers, who either charged one-sixteenth of the 

 market value of the fish or reserved one quintal of fish out of every sixteen for their services. 

 Gradually, however, the fishermen began to build small curing-stands of their own, and they 

 usually kenched the fish that were landed from time to time until the close of the season, when 

 they could give their attention to ''making" them, or, as was not uufrequently the case, their 

 wives and children cured the first cargo while they were out after another trip. 



Both the shore and bank fisheries increased in importance until 18(58, when, according to Mr. 

 W. K. Riggs, one of the largest dealers, Georgetown handled annually nearly $250,000 worth 

 of fishery products, the greater part of which were landed by the fishermen of Georgetown and 

 the adjacent towns of Westport, Woolwich, and Phipsburg. 



The fleet has since been gradually reduced, until there arc now but six fishing vessels, aggre- 

 gating 91.05 tons, owned on the island. These are valued at $5,000, and carry a total of thirty 

 men. In 1879 there were six curing-stands, each doing a small business, the total quantity of fish 

 cured being about 5,500 quintals, of which more than one-third were hake. 



The boat fisheries of Georgetown are quite varied. The fishermen of the western part of the 

 island are chiefly engaged in the river fisheries for alewives, shad, salmon, and other species, 

 though a few go to the outer islands to fish for cod, haddock, and hake. The residents of the 

 eastern and southern sides of the island are more largely dependent upon the fisheries, and, while 

 they work on land during a portion of the year, a greater part of their revenue comes from the 

 water. 



About the 1st of April the trawling season begins, continuing till September, when a small 

 school of herring reach the shore. These remain for several weeks, and the fishermen engage in 

 their capture as long as they find it profitable, after which most of them fish for lobsters. Some 

 continue in the lobster fisheries till the following spring, wliile others "haul out" at the approach 

 of stormy winter weather, and devote their attention to clamming till the spring trawling season 

 arrives. In 1879 there were thirty boats, with fifty-two men, engaged in the shore fisheries, the 

 average stock to a man being about $125 to $150. This is said to have been from $50 to $75 below 

 the average for other years. 



Ship-building was formerly an important business in the town. The fishermen began giving 

 their attention to this work during the winter mouths as early as 1835. From that date they have 

 built a greater part of their own vessels, in addition to a number that have been sold elsewhere. 

 Nine different firms have been engaged in this business to a greater or less extent since 1835, 

 and from that time to 1878 thirty-eight fishing vessels have been built, in addition to a considerable 

 number of larger crafts for the coasting and foreign trade. 



