The Casco Bay Islands: 1850-2000

The Casco Bay Islands-romantic, mysterious, a world apart. Native peoples called the bay Auccocisco; their presence is recorded in the shell middens found on the shores of many of the islands. Early explorers, believing there were 352 islands in the bay, called them the Calendar Islands. Visitors from all over the world have flocked to the islands seeking peace and tranquility. The U.S. military, recognizing the strategic location of the islands, has been a presence in times of peace and war. The years 1850-2000 brought constant change. This pictorial history features more than two hundred images that illustrate how the residents of the islands in southern Casco Bay-Peaks, Cushing, House, the Diamonds, Long, Cliff, Chebeague, and Jewell-have adapted to changing times yet have remained rooted in their traditional lifestyle.