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106-466: Originally named Mahoning , the ship spent almost her entire career operating off the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts , where through the course of several decades she accumulated an outstanding record for aiding ships in distress. Other highlights of her career included the foiling of a filibuster raid on Cuba in 1869, and participation in the funeral pageant of renowned philanthropist George Peabody . She also briefly served as USS Woodbury in

212-496: A description by Robert David Lion Gardiner in a 1976 documentary about the island. An earlier source that describes the settlement and early life on the island makes no mention of the shed. The island was settled by Lion Gardiner in 1639, who moved there with his family from the Connecticut Colony . He reportedly purchased the island from the local Montaukett people for "a large black dog, some powder and shot , and

318-665: A few Dutch blankets." The Indians called the island Manchonake , while Gardiner initially called it Isle of Wight , because it reminded him of the Isle of Wight in England . The Montauketts gave Gardiner the title, at least in part because of his support for them in the Pequot War . The island was not part of the Connecticut Colony or the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations of

424-547: A line to the stricken vessel and tow it to safety, albeit at the stately pace of 3 knots. In spite of such admirable efforts, however, Woodbury was clearly an obsolete ship, and in barely serviceable condition due to rotting timbers and worn out boilers. In 1913, the Revenue Cutter Service succeeded in its request to Congress for a replacement vessel, which was slated to enter service in 1915. Woodbury achieved one of her last triumphs when on 7 August 1914, "in one of

530-444: A new cable link between the two countries. A formal reception at Portland was organized the following day for Faraday ' s officers and electricians, to which the officers of Levi Woodbury were also invited. In December, Levi Woodbury was transferred to Eastport, Maine , to take the place of revenue cutter Mosswood , which had been ordered to New York. Over her many years of operation from New England ports, Levi Woodbury

636-425: A park, but it is deemed a navigational hazard because of the possibilities of unexploded ordnance. It is privately owned now. A manor house built by David Gardiner in 1774 burned to the ground in 1947, it is thought after a guest fell asleep while smoking. Valuable antiques were destroyed, with the caretaker escaping by jumping from a window. Owing to the high cost of upkeep, the island was put up for sale in 1937. It

742-556: A quarter of the population of Lewiston, Waterville , and Biddeford are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the Mid Coast and Down East sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including Irish , Italian , Swedish and Polish , have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century immigration waves. Today there are four federally recognized tribes in Maine, including

848-590: A range of 2.5 miles (4.0 km): "one blank cartridge and two excellent line shots [that] fell short". This reception persuaded the vessel to make for Seal Harbor instead. A year later, at Portland in November 1866, the British Government presented Captain Webster, commander of Mahoning , with "a fine gold chronometer and chain, in token of his services to British seamen in distress during last Winter." In May 1867,

954-485: A remarkable 51 years with the Revenue Cutter Service, making her one of the longest serving cutters in the organization's history. Levi Woodbury was sold on 10 August to Thomas Butler & Co., of Boston, Massachusetts, and later entered service as the merchant Laksco . She disappears from shipping records in 1932. [REDACTED] Media related to USRC Mahoning/Levi Woodbury at Wikimedia Commons Maine Maine ( / m eɪ n / MAYN )

1060-530: A separate state. On March 15, 1820, under the Missouri Compromise , Maine was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky Atlantic Ocean and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily forested interior, and its cuisine, particularly wild lowbush blueberries and seafood such as lobster and clams . Coastal and Down East Maine have emerged as important centers for

1166-537: A single 30-pounder Parrott rifle and five 24-pounder howitzers. She was crewed by a complement of seven officers and 34 enlisted men. Mahoning was commissioned into the Revenue Marine on 18 July 1864. Among her first duties was the transport of a Congressional Committee in mid-August to Wiscasset , Fort Popham and Bath, Maine . On 29 September, Mahoning arrived in Boston, Massachusetts from Portland, Maine , on

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1272-404: A trust fund for upkeep of the island, but it was exhausted by the 1970s. When Alexandra Gardiner Creel died, her rights passed to her daughter, Alexandra Creel Goelet. Robert David Lion Gardiner and Goelet were to have a highly publicized dispute over ownership and direction of the island. Robert accused Alexandra of wanting to sell and develop the island. She accused him of not paying his share of

1378-718: Is a state in the New England region of the United States , and the northeastern most state in the Lower 48 . It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia . Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, nearly larger than

1484-547: Is evident with migratory birds like piping plovers , American oystercatcher , and northern harrier , as well as resident species like black-capped chickadees , blue jays , and barred owls . Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as spotted salamanders , wood frogs , and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like brook trout , landlocked salmon , and multiple gamefish , while marine life in offshore waters includes Atlantic puffins , harbor seals , minke whales , and lobster . Maine's abundance of lobster makes

1590-527: Is forested or unclaimed, the most forest cover of any U.S. state . In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The Northwest Aroostook unorganized territory in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km ) and a population of 10, or one person for every 267 square miles (690 km ). Maine

1696-651: Is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome . The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed oaks of the Northeastern coastal forests . The remainder of the state, including the North Woods , is covered by the New England–Acadian forests . Maine has almost 230 miles (400 km) of ocean coastline (and 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of tidal coastline). West Quoddy Head in Lubec

1802-462: Is now Odanak . The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during Dummer's War , with the capture of Norridgewock in 1724 and the defeat of the Pequawket in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to Canada , where they were settled at Bécancour and Sillery , and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south. Maine

1908-516: Is part of a cultural region known as Acadia that goes over the border into New Brunswick . Along with the Acadian population in the north, many French-Canadians came from Quebec as immigrants between 1840 and 1930. The upper Saint John River valley area was once part of the so-called Republic of Madawaska , before the frontier was decided in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Over

2014-526: Is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous states. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals which straddle the New Hampshire border. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to

2120-479: Is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population. This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937. Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states. In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in

2226-404: Is to the north and northeast, and the province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the 45th parallel north in latitude . Maine is the easternmost state in

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2332-583: The Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg . Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine , most famously the armored cruiser USS  Maine  (ACR-1) , whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the Spanish–American War . To the south and east is the Gulf of Maine , and to the west is the state of New Hampshire . The Canadian province of New Brunswick

2438-529: The Contiguous United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of Lubec is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. Estcourt Station is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see extreme points of

2544-488: The Eastern white pine . Coastal regions are characterized by hardy sea milkwort , sea-blight , bayberry , and the invasive rugosa rose . Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as moose , black bears , and white-tailed deer , along with smaller species like red squirrels , snowshoe hares , and raccoons . Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States. Avian diversity

2650-762: The Kennebec River and St. Croix River notionally became Cornwall County, Province of New York under a 1664 grant from Charles II of England to his brother James , at the time the Duke of York . Some of this land was claimed by New France as part of Acadia . All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the Dominion of New England in 1686. All of present-day Maine

2756-719: The Mi'kmaq Nation . In 2020, 7,885 identified as being Native American alone, and 25,617 did in combination with one or more other races. Gardiners Island Gardiner's Island is a small island in the Town of East Hampton , New York , in Eastern Suffolk County . It is located in Gardiner's Bay between the two peninsulas at the east end of Long Island . It is 6 miles (9.7 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide and has 27 miles (43 km) of coastline. The island has been owned by

2862-630: The Olympus . On 5 June 1873, Mahoning was renamed Levi Woodbury in honor of the Supreme Court Justice of the same name. In early June 1874, Levi Woodbury was despatched from Boston to try to locate the SS Faraday , a cable-laying ship from Britain whose appearance at Boston was behind schedule. Levi Woodbury departed Boston with a large party of about 150, including the mayor, several ex-mayors and other dignitaries. Thick fog however frustrated

2968-528: The Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate and conflict with the local Indigenous people caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution . During

3074-606: The Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock . A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain Christopher Levett at a place called York , where he had been granted 6,000 acres (24 km ) by King Charles I of England. It also failed. The 1622 patent of

3180-604: The Spanish–American War . After her final decommission in 1915, Levi Woodbury was placed into service as the merchant Laksco . She disappears from shipping records in 1932. Levi Woodbury —originally named Mahoning after a creek and a valley in Pennsylvania —was one of six Pawtuxet -class screw schooners ordered by the Treasury Department in 1863 for the United States Revenue Marine. Mahoning

3286-575: The United States Congress passed a resolution authorizing Captain Webster to receive a gold medal from Sir Frederick Bruck for aiding British vessels in distress. In July 1869, Mahoning participated in the foiling of a planned filibuster raid on Cuba by "a motley collection of ex-officers and fanatics" known as the Cuban Liberators, who had gathered on Gardiners Island , New York, in preparation for their attack. Mahoning , still under

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3392-598: The Wabanaki Confederacy , aiding the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and the Mahican of New York . Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the American Revolution . Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, Iroquois -inspired settlements, while those along

3498-574: The War of 1812 , the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with the goal of annexing it to Canada via the Colony of New Ireland , but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a peace treaty that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become

3604-503: The creative economy , especially in the vicinity of Portland , which has also brought gentrification to the city and its metropolitan area. The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , Penobscot , Androscoggin , and Kennebec. During the later King Philip's War , many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become

3710-517: The "right to possess the land forever", with the island being declared a proprietary colony Gardiner was given the title of Lord of the Manor and the attenuating privileges of governorship. On October 5, 1665, after the British had taken over New Netherlands and established the Province of New York , and it had been established that Long Island would not be part of the Connecticut Colony, Richard Nicolls ,

3816-524: The American Civil War and the Spanish–American War. Despite her age, she was still able to perform useful service. On 10 January 1913, for example, the crew of Woodbury were able to effect temporary repairs to their ship's broken rudder to go to the aid of the steamer Monhegan , which, after breaking down on the Maine coast, was being driven to destruction by a gale. Woodbury was able to get

3922-640: The American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the Colony of New Ireland . The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the Treaty of Paris ending the revolution, although the final border with British North America was not established until the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Maine

4028-399: The British excursions, Americans captured some of the crew. The British came to arrest then owner John Lyon Gardiner, who, being a delicate man, adopted the "green room defense", where he stayed in a bed with green curtains surrounded by medicine to make him look feeble. The British, not wanting a sick man on board, let him be. The British were to bury several personnel on the island during

4134-520: The British, nor was it a part of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands . It evidently fell under the jurisdiction of Earl of Stirling, William Alexander , who had been given Long Island by the King of England in 1636 and required Gardiner to gain his approval of the land grant through his agent James Farrett. It has been privately owned by Gardiner's descendants for 385 years. The royal patent of 1639 gave Gardiner

4240-742: The Gardiner family and their descendants since 1639 when Lion Gardiner purchased it from the Montaukett chief Wyandanch . At 5.19 square miles (13.4 km ), it is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States, though slightly smaller than Naushon Island in Massachusetts, owned by the Forbes family . The island is 5.19 square miles (13.4 km ) in size. Its 3,318 acres include more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) of old growth forest and another 1,000 acres (405 ha) of meadows. Many of

4346-514: The Gardiners, though trial testimony given by John Gardiner on July 17, 1699, makes no mention of any threats, and Kidd's conduct appears to have been quite civil. Kidd was tried in Boston, and Gardiner was ordered by Governor Bellomont to deliver the treasure as evidence. The booty included gold dust, bars of silver, Spanish dollars , rubies, diamonds, candlesticks, and porringers . Gardiner kept one of

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4452-456: The Maine coastline, and that these waters, with their "immense number of shoals, rocks, reefs and islands", combined with the "very strong tides, high winds, fog, vapor and ice" typically accounted for about four fifths of the total number of ships aided by the Revenue Cutter Service each year. For example, in 1888, of the 526 ships in distress aided by the Service during the year, 400 were assisted by

4558-511: The Manor House. Indicating to Mrs. Gardiner that the box of gold was intended for the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Lord Bellomont , Kidd gave Mrs. Gardiner a length of gold cloth , captured from a Moorish ship off the coast of India, and a sack of sugar in thanks for her hospitality. A legend developed that Kidd warned that if the treasure was not there when he returned he would kill

4664-522: The North Atlantic Fleet from 8 May to the end of hostilities in August, during which time she was referred to simply as Woodbury in naval records. Though Woodbury may have participated in troop convoys to Cuba , her primary duty in this period consisted of blockading the port of Havana . She took no prizes during her brief naval career and appears to have been involved in no engagements. Control of

4770-567: The Province of Maine was split at the Piscataqua River into the Province of New Hampshire to the south and New Somersetshire to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day Saco as Lygonia . Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The Territory of Sagadahock between

4876-573: The Revolution, and both sides of the Civil War. The Gardiner family always came out on top. In 2005, the Goelets offered to place a conservation easement on the island in exchange for a promise from the Town of East Hampton not to rezone the land, change its assessment or attempt to acquire it by condemnation. The Goelets and East Hampton agreed upon the easement through 2025. Gardiners Island's NNL status

4982-578: The United States ) Maine's Moosehead Lake is the largest lake wholly in New England, since Lake Champlain is located between Vermont , New York , and Quebec . A number of other Maine lakes, such as South Twin Lake , are described by Thoreau in The Maine Woods (1864). Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail , which extends southerly to Springer Mountain , Georgia , and

5088-452: The United States. According to the 2010 census , Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic White of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents. Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population. According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 4,411 homeless people in Maine. The table below shows

5194-526: The bird on the island. In addition to the family mansion and the Gardiners Island Windmill , structures on the island include a private airstrip on the south side and a carpenter's shed said to have been built in 1639. The shed's claim to being the oldest surviving wood-frame structure in New York state is disputed by some. No primary sources authenticating its construction have been produced, only

5300-496: The buildings date back to the 17th century. In 1989, the island was said to be worth $ 125 million. The island has the largest stand of white oak in the American Northeast. Other trees include swamp maple , wild cherry and birch . The island is home to New York state 's largest colony of ospreys and is one of the few locations in the world where they build their nests on the ground, as there are no natural predators to

5406-406: The coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer. European contact with what is now called Maine may have started around 1200 CE when Vikings are believed to have interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County , most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine

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5512-430: The combined area of the remaining five states. Of the 50 U.S. states , it is the 12th-smallest by area , the 9th-least populous , the 13th-least densely populated , and the most rural. Maine's capital is Augusta , and its most populous city is Portland , with a total population of 68,408, as of the 2020 census . The territory of Maine has been inhabited by Indigenous populations for about 12,000 years, after

5618-483: The command of Captain Webster, initially approached the island with a force of 12 marines , but it was quickly realized this force was inadequate, and an additional party of 38 marines sent for, which arrived aboard the tugboat Rocket . After locating the filibusters' camp and firing a few warning shots, the marines were able to capture most of them without incident. The captives, in a "dirty and disorganized condition" and numbering 125 in total, were then transported aboard

5724-412: The country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure. The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016. As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in

5830-516: The course of the war. Some of the British fleet that burned Washington assembled in the harbor in 1814. Gardiner's supply boats were manned by slaves during the war, and this made it easier for them to pass through British lines. After the State of New York abolished slavery in 1827, many of the freed Gardiner slaves went to live in Freetown , just north of East Hampton village . Julia Gardiner , who

5936-438: The cutter was returned to the Treasury Department on 17 August 1898. She seems to have retained the name Woodbury in Revenue Service records following the transfer. After the war, Woodbury returned to her former base at Portland, Maine, on 16 November to resume patrols of the New England coast. That routine occupied her for the next 17 years. On 18 July 1904 she was involved in a minor collision with SS  Sebascodegan in

6042-434: The cutwater with an iron, V-shaped icebreaker 3/8 of an inch thick and extending 18 inches above and below the waterline, secured by a number of heavy chains. Officers would discard their normal uniforms in preference for reefer jackets, fur cap and gloves. The extent of Levi Woodbury ' s contribution to maritime safety over this period can be gauged by the fact that she was one of only two cutters assigned to patrol

6148-544: The diamonds which he later gave to his daughter. A plaque on the island marks the spot where the treasure was buried. The Gardiners sided with the colonists during the American Revolution . A fleet of thirteen British ships sailed into the island's Cherry Harbor and began foraging and pillaging its manor house at will; they were planning to turn it into a private hunting preserve. Among the British interlopers were Henry Clinton and John André . At one point, Major André and Gardiner's son Nathaniel Gardiner exchanged toasts on

6254-410: The disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the Bay of Fundy is the Old Sow , the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere . Maine is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . It is called the Pine Tree State due to its largest distribution and presence of pine , including Pinus strobus and Pinus resinosa . Over 80% of its total area

6360-505: The early 1700s to Kahnewake , a Catholic Mohawk village near Montreal , where some were adopted and others ransomed. After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia , and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury , with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during

6466-455: The entire length of the sound. These features also have made it attractive for boat builders, such as the prestigious Hinckley Yachts . Bubble Rock, a glacial erratic , is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park . By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near Lucerne , 30 miles (48 km) away. The Iapetus Suture runs through

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6572-413: The estimated $ 2 million per year upkeep and taxes of the island. Robert said he would not oppose ownership by the government or a private conservancy group. The case went to court in 1980 and Robert was initially barred from visiting the island, but in 1992, courts ruled that he could visit the island (although the Goelets and Gardiner were not on the island at the same time). Robert Gardiner, who claimed

6678-399: The expedition, and Levi Woodbury was obliged to return in the afternoon. On 8 June Faraday was finally located off White Island , where she had anchored due to thick fog, and Levi Woodbury despatched to greet the vessel. The party from Levi Woodbury were warmly greeted aboard Faraday and treated to a "sumptuous lunch", after which various toasts were made celebrating the prospect of

6784-416: The first Governor of the Province, issued a new patent to Lion Gardiner's son David. In 1688, when Governor Thomas Dongan granted a patent formally establishing the East Hampton municipal government, there was an attempt to annex the island, which the Gardiners successfully resisted. Gardiner's Island would remain independent of outside municipal jurisdiction until after the American Revolution , when it

6890-457: The following year, keeping a balance between slave and free states. Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court remains in Portland. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment , under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , prevented the Union Army from being flanked at Little Round Top by

6996-417: The glaciers retreated during the last ice age . At the time of European arrival, several Algonquian -speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the Wabanaki Confederacy . The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , founded by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony , established by

7102-441: The harbor at Portland, Maine due to excessive speed in dense fog by the cutter resulting in US$ 1,200 in damage to the steamer. By 1912, her armament had been upgraded to a single rapid-fire 3-pounder. She also carried a 250 watt radio. By 1913, Woodbury was not only the Coast Guard's oldest cutter, she was the oldest active-duty vessel in U.S. government service, as well as being the only ship to have seen active service in both

7208-413: The island at the expiration of Sperry Rand's lease in 1963. Gardiner inherited three Gardiner fortunes: from his father, his uncle and his Aunt Sarah. The island was designated as a National Natural Landmark (NNL) in April 1967 by the National Park Service , in recognition of its waterfowl and shorebird habitat, and its role as a breeding ground for osprey . Sarah Diodati Gardiner had also set aside

7314-593: The island. Nathaniel Gardiner was a surgeon for the New Hampshire Continental Infantry . He was the American surgeon who later attended to André before he was executed for spying with Benedict Arnold . Following the revolution, the island was formally brought under East Hampton town jurisdiction. During the War of 1812 , a British fleet of seven ships of the line and several smaller frigates anchored in Cherry Harbor and conducted raids on American shipping through Long Island Sound . Crews would come ashore for provisions, which were purchased at market prices. During one of

7420-497: The island. One source states it was named in General Order 194 of 27 December 1904 for Daniel Tyler , a general and Civil War veteran who died in 1882. Another claim is that it was named for former President John Tyler (1841–1845), who married Julia Gardiner Tyler , born on Gardiners Island. The fort was intended to consist of Battery Edmund Smith, with emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 disappearing guns and two 5-inch M1900 guns on pedestal mounts. Records indicate that it

7526-421: The jurisdiction of East Hampton). Between 1890 and 1893 the island was shrinking at the rate of 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 feet (3.3 m) per year. On March 7, 1894, the lighthouse was abandoned and shortly afterward fell into the ocean. A lighted buoy was then moored ¼ miles northeast of the lighthouse. During the Spanish–American War , the War Department appropriated $ 500,000 to build the Fort Tyler battery on

7632-528: The late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies , with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in

7738-416: The lighthouse began in 1854, with the lighthouse being first lit in 1855 following a $ 7,000 construction expenditure. It was a 27-foot (8.2 m) square 1½ story brick building with a sixth order Fresnel Lens producing a fixed white light located 33 feet (10 m) above sea level. A March 1888 nor'easter caused a break in the peninsula, permanently turning the point into an island (but leaving it under

7844-597: The melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features. Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the last ice age . Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of 175 feet (50 m). The extreme depth and steep drop-off allow large ships to navigate almost

7950-549: The most important ... [rescue] incidents of the year", she towed to safety the steamer Bay State , which, with 250 passengers and a crew of 104, had run aground "in a very exposed position" at Portland Head . A little under a year later, on 19 July 1915, Woodbury was placed out of commission, a few months after the creation of the United States Coast Guard , and a few days before the commission of her $ 225,000 replacement Ossipee . Woodbury ' s decommission ended

8056-481: The most relevant evidence being the Maine Penny , an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954. The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , led by French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . His party included Samuel de Champlain , noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area Acadia , including the portion that later became

8162-657: The north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient Laurentian terrane , and the south and east underlain by the Avalonian terrane . Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include: Lands under the control of the state of Maine include: Maine has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in

8268-530: The northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the Atlantic Ocean , resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the 75–85 °F (24–29 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s   °F (around 15   °C). January temperatures range from highs near 30 °F (−1 °C) on

8374-579: The notional title "16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner's Island" and lived in East Hampton , married in 1961 but had no children, leaving him with no direct heir. In 1989, Gardiner attempted unsuccessfully to adopt a middle-aged Mississippi businessman, George Gardiner Green Jr., as his son. Green was a descendant of Lion Gardiner. Upon Robert's death in 2004, total ownership passed to Goelet. Shortly before his death he said: We have always married into wealth. We've covered all our bets. We were on both sides of

8480-467: The other ships of her class, her contract called for a hull of oak , locust and white oak , strengthened with diagonal iron bracing. Her two- cylinder oscillating engine drove a single 8-foot (2.4 m) diameter screw propeller . Mahoning ' s speed is unrecorded but was probably similar to the 12 knots achieved by her sister ship USRC Kankakee . She was topsail schooner -rigged for auxiliary sail power. Mahoning ' s armament consisted of

8586-562: The racial composition of Maine's population as of 2016. According to the 2016 American Community Survey , 1.5% of Maine's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (0.4%), Puerto Rican (0.4%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%). The six largest ancestry groups were: English (20.7%), Irish (17.3%), French (15.7%), German (8.1%), American (7.8%) and French Canadian (7.7%). People citing that they are American are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in

8692-538: The region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans. Maine has the highest percentage of French Americans of any state. Most of them are of Canadian origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the American Revolutionary War . There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in Aroostook County , which

8798-656: The revenue cutter in the distance bearing down upon him, and experiences feelings which a landsman cannot understand. These patrols, authorized directly by the U.S. President , were made "as close to the land as the safety of the vessel will permit", and were as extended as possible, weather, supplies and emergencies allowing. Preparation for the patrols began in November, with all the ship's equipment, including masts, sails, rigging, boats, tackle, steering gear, pumps etc. being carefully inspected and repaired or renewed where necessary. New towing hawsers and heaving lines would also be procured. The ship would additionally be fitted over

8904-516: The revenue cutter to Fort Lafayette , where they were held pending further orders from Washington . On Saturday 29 January 1870, Mahoning participated in ceremonies occasioned by the return from the United Kingdom of the remains of noted philanthropist George Peabody at Portland Harbor, Maine. The ceremonies began at 10:15 am when Mahoning conveyed members of the U.S. Legislature to HMS  Monarch , where they conducted an inspection of

9010-473: The same day as her sister ship Pawtuxet from New York City , and a comparative trial between the two vessels announced. On 16 November, while attempting to enter the port of Castine, Maine during a gale, Mahoning was mistakenly fired upon by Battery White, which apparently mistook her for a Confederate privateer . Mahoning ' s Captain Webster reported that the Battery fired three rounds in total, at

9116-484: The sea has been summed up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden , in "Renascence": All I could see from where I stood Was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked the other way, And saw three islands in a bay. Geologists describe this type of landscape as a "drowned coast", where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. A rise in land elevation due to

9222-436: The ship and viewed Peabody's casket. The legislators then returned to Mahoning to be given a sightseeing tour of the assembled fleet from Mahoning ' s deck. Mahoning later joined the fleet as it formed a procession to escort Peabody's casket to shore. Mahoning participated in a second ceremonial passage on Tuesday, 5 August 1872, when she escorted out of the harbor a Japanese diplomatic mission departing Boston on

9328-599: The site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in Iceland and Greenland , the Norse first identified America and attempted to settle areas such as Newfoundland , but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that Vikings in Greenland returned to North America for several centuries after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with

9434-469: The southern coast to overnight lows averaging below 0 °F (−18 °C) in the far north. The state's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 1911, at North Bridgton. Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to " nor'easters " or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine,

9540-404: The southern terminus of the new International Appalachian Trail which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle , Newfoundland and Labrador . Machias Seal Island and North Rock , off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both Canada and the Maine town of Cutler , and are within one of four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute , but it is the only one of

9646-403: The southwestern interior portion of the state, where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas. Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of tropical cyclones , as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine. In January 2009, a new record low temperature for

9752-625: The state of Maine. The Plymouth Company established the first English settlement in Maine at the Popham Colony in 1607, the same year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia . The Popham colonists returned to Britain after 14 months. The French established two Jesuit missions: one on Penobscot Bay in 1609, and the other on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The same year, Claude de La Tour established Castine . In 1625, Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour erected Fort Pentagouet to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became

9858-497: The state the largest producer of lobster in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the 2010 United States census . At the 2020 census , 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . As of 2010, Maine

9964-605: The state was set at Big Black River of −50 °F (−46 °C), tying the New England record. Annual precipitation varies from 35.8 in (909 mm) in Presque Isle to 56.7 in (1,441 mm) in Acadia National Park. Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as balsam fir , sugar maple , and its state tree,

10070-607: The two Maine cutters. Levi Woodbury had already accumulated a "remarkable" record of assistance by 1883; by 1892, it was being said of her that she had "battled with more ice"—and by extension, assisted more ships in distress—than any other steamer on the Eastern seaboard. With the Spanish–American War on the horizon, Levi Woodbury was ordered to join the U.S. Navy 's North Atlantic Fleet on 24 March. Two days later, she received orders to report to Norfolk, Virginia , arriving there 2 April. She subsequently participated in operations with

10176-436: The war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year. Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise , which geographically restricted the spread of slavery and enabled the admission to statehood of Missouri

10282-540: Was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas. As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the North Maine Woods . The mean population center of Maine is located in Kennebec County , just east of Augusta. The Greater Portland metropolitan area

10388-540: Was bought by a multimillionaire relative, Sarah Diodati Gardiner, for $ 400,000. She erected a new 28-room manor house in the Georgian style. She died in 1953, unmarried, at age 90. Upon her death in 1953, the island passed in trust to her nephew Robert David Lion Gardiner and niece Alexandra Gardiner Creel (brother and sister). From 1955 until 1963, Sperry Rand leased the island for top echelon meetings. Robert David Lion Gardiner and Alexandra Gardiner Creel occupied

10494-626: Was built in Philadelphia by J. W. Lynn. Among those aboard for the launch, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 29 July 1863, were "a number of ladies, many officers of the Philadelphia Navy Yard , and other invited guests." Mahoning was christened by Miss Rebecca B. Thomas, daughter of Philadelphia's Collector of Ports, Colonel W. B. Thomas. Mahoning was 130 feet (40 m) long, with a beam of 26 feet 6 inches (8.08 m) and both draft and hold depth of 11 feet (3.4 m). Like

10600-462: Was formally annexed to East Hampton. Gardiner established a plantation on the island, raising corn , wheat, fruit, tobacco, and livestock. Privateer William Kidd stopped at the island in June 1699 while sailing to Boston to answer charges of piracy . With the permission of the island's proprietor, he buried a chest, a box of gold , and two boxes of silver in a ravine between Bostwick's Point and

10706-602: Was much fought over by the French , English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by Native American tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 Abenaki raid on York , where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage. The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in Queen Anne's War of

10812-501: Was never armed. The shifting sands caused problems for the fort and it was abandoned in the late 1920s. In 1938, Gardiners Point Island was declared a National Wildlife Refuge by Franklin D. Roosevelt and transferred to the Agriculture Department. During World War II , the former Fort Tyler was used for target practice and was reduced to its present state of ruin. The state of New York briefly considered turning it into

10918-465: Was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed

11024-443: Was regularly selected for the arduous duty of winter patrolling. The purpose of these patrols, which were carried out from 1 December to 1 April each year, was to cruise off "dangerous points" of the coastline in search of ships in distress and render them appropriate assistance: Many a poor mariner, with his sails blown away, ground tackle gone, leaking badly, heavily iced up, food lockers empty, or perhaps out of his reckoning, sights

11130-568: Was to become President John Tyler 's second wife and First Lady in 1844, was born on the island in 1820. Gardiners Point Island is an tiny islet in Block Island Sound that is the former location of both the Gardiners Island Lighthouse and Fort Tyler . Once a peninsula of Gardiner's Island, it is the location of a 14 acres (5.7 ha) parcel the federal government purchased from the Gardiners in 1851 for $ 400. Work on

11236-505: Was unified as York County, Massachusetts under a 1691 royal patent for the Province of Massachusetts Bay . Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the Androscoggin tribe of the Abenaki nation , also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's War . They were relocated to St. Francis , Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers' Rangers in 1759, and

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