USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Bustins Island > History of Bustins Island, Casco Bay, 1660-1960 > Part 3
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A southerly view on East Side of Bustins - 1895
Evelyn, now Mrs. Donald Kitchin, who still lives in the old farm house, says: "I made my first trip to Bustins by sail boat with dad and mother from Bunganuc. I was about a month old. During my childhood I remember dad had eight cows. He used to swim them over from Flying Point. A city lady once asked if it wouldn't make the milk salt. You see, the summer residents used to buy their milk fresh on the island from either dad or Henry Merrill.
"I plainly remember gathering eggs in the old hen house near where the tennis courts are today. There was a grand old plum tree in the hen yard, too. It was fun to pick up the warm eggs in my apron and then gently deposit them in the butterbox. The nearby middle field was where dad had the most wonderful garden: string beans, corn and all kinds of vegetables. Fishing was good too. Flounders, perch, cunners, tatoag and eels could be caught right off our wharf. Dad used to have a man working for him and every time there was a thunder storm he'd put on his boots and get in a feather bed.
"Mother told me of her scrape at low tide on Flying Point. Father had to carry her ashore. He stepped on a slippery rock and mother went into the clam flats and got her nice petticoats all wet. She said, she was so mad they dried before she got half way to Brunswick."
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Old what July, 1892.
Sketches by Mary F. Sawyer 1892
Henry deville clan would
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Looking up the hill from the store - 1895
"Island View" First Summer Cottage on Bustins (Photo 1921)
The Stover (Merrill) House remodeled 1895 (Same cottage as page 18)
George Guppy and Henry Merrill - 1895
Southeast
Shore
1896
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The Bustins School House - 1895
The "Phantom" at Steamer Wharf - 1895
VIII
The Building Boom Of The 1890's
1892
The year 1892 will go down in Bustins Island history as the begin- ning of the building boom. We can not begin to tell about all of the cottages that were built on Bustins, but will mention some of them.
The first cottage was erected in 1892 and is known today as "Island View" on Lot 19, Section B. This cottage was built by Nowell Sawyer of Bradford, Massachusetts, who had married a daughter of the famed George Anderson, master builder of clipper ships, from Freeport. Nowell had a son, the late Wallace L. who later married Gertrude Clark of Waltham, Massachusetts, and two daughters, Georgianna and Molly. The Sawyers are direct descendents of Jane Means of the Means Massacre on Flying Point. Georgianna Sawyer taught school in the little Bustins schoolhouse in 1893. There were twelve children in attendance. The same year another house, known as the Liberty Cottage, was built by a Mrs. Sheehan on Lot 10, Sec- tion C.
395 1893
In 1893 the Merrill brothers, Josiah P. and William G., built two summer cottages for themselves. They employed Reuben Curtis, a carpen- ter who had formerly worked in Freeport shipyards. Josiah P. Merrill built the cottage known as "Quinnebasset" on Lot 26A, Section B, which for many years was called the Marr Cottage. William G. Merrill built "Rocky Nook" nearby on Lot 39B, Section B. About this time the Merrill brothers embarked on a grand plan to develop the island. E. C. Townsend, a survey- or, was brought over and lots were laid out of the Merrill holdings. Two other houses were built in 1893. They were the Pidge and Kelsey Cottages on Lots 5 and 6, Section C.
The first steamboat began regular service in Casco Bay from Port- land to Chebeague in 1875, and about 1888 the Freeport steamer called "Phantom" began to make trips to Bustins, hauling freight and passengers from Portland to Freeport, Mere Point, Birch Island and Harpswell. When the Sawyers first landed on Bustins in 1892, they came on the "Phantom." The Sawyers said, "There was at that time just a temporary wharf on the southwest end of the island, about a hundred feet to the north of the present wharf. There wasn't a single house on the south side of the island when they arrived, just a rough cart road along the shore to the east. We had no sooner landed when it began to rain, thunder and lightning something ter- rible."
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895
1895
The Merrill Brothers' "Rocky Nook" - 1896
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"Quinnebasset" - 1896
A more permanent wharf was built in 1893 on its present location by the Merrills and the Steamboat Company, so that building materials and freight could be more readily handled.
1894
In 1894 the Nichols built a house, presently owned by the Glenn Guernsey family, on Lot 1, Section A, while Hattie Howe built the house presently occupied by the George Drew family, on Lot 3, Section B. Near Brainard's Landing the present Nickerson and Roberts cottages were built on Lots 12 and 15, Section C. At the same time five houses were built on the west side, commencing near the steamer dock. They were those of the Twitchells, Soules, Pinkhams, Dillinghams and Wilsons. The Twitchell cottage owned for many years by the Walton family called "Point Of View" was built about 1896 on Lot 2, Section D. Nearby "Waumbek" was built in 1897 on Lot 13, Section D. by Mary Ellen Patterson, "a character" well re- membered by the old-timers. Some of the cottages erected in this early period were known to have been built for about three or four hundrd dollars each.
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Henry Merrill's Express - 1896
"Bathing" Nubble Cove - 1896
EXERC'S
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The steamer "Madeleine" - 1896
View on the West Side of Bustins - 1896
No history of Bustins would be complete if we did not mention some of the local people who worked on the island. Two of these personages were that of Charles and Margaret Guppy, who came to the island from Freeport about 1885. The Guppys had lived in the Stover house with Henry Merrill for awhile. The Guppys were great clam diggers. It was not uncommon for them to shuck clams by the barrel, which they would salt and then sell at the store, on the Stone Wharf at Chebeague, in exchange for sugar, flour and other commodities. Shucked clams in those days were used mostly for fish bait and were worth from two to five dollars a barrel.
Mrs. Guppy in speaking about Henry Merrill said, "We stayed with Henry a few years. My, what a man to smoke a pipe! One winter he smoked all of pa's tobacco, all our tea leaves, and carroway seeds, too. The Guppys had six children : Sadie, George, Mamie, Charles, Albert and Jimmy. Mrs. Guppy, when one of the kids did some deviltry and she wasn't sure which one, she "licked 'em all and shoved 'em under the table so as not to repeat."
Mr. Guppy is perhaps better remembered with his horse and wagon which hauled lumber, ice and all kinds of freight brought to the island. He was a character well known for his expressions about matters concerning island affairs. Many a tall yarn has been told by Mr. Guppy. In 1896 he built a house on Lot 13, Section B, now owned by the Carriers. It is told that during the construction a great wind arose, such that the house was shifted somewhat on its foundation. Mr. Guppy said, "If that's the way the Lord wants it, that's the way it's going to stay."
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The Guppy Cottage - 1897
Mr. Guppy haying on Flying Point - 1897
The Store - 1895
1895
The store was erected by William G. Merrill in 1895 and operated by him for a few years. The store consisted then of just the main building with a porch all along the front. The Post Office was first called "Seeket."
Some old papers that were preserved from the Bustins store dated 1899, mentioned the following families in its records: Sawyer, Swett, Mer- rill, Carberry, Powers, Dillingham, Nichols, Phillips, Howe, Pinkham, Cur- tis, Callahan, Hosmer, Gruel, Burrage, Gould, Bacon, Parkingson, Garfield, Weller and Sheehan. The following are some of the prices of commodi- ties: milk .06 a quart, eggs .18 a dozen, lettuce .05 each, strawberries .15 a box, apples .10 a peck, corn .15 a dozen. The following items were listed by the pound, butter .20, tomatoes .06, chicken .15, pork .20, and lobster .10.
1896
In 1896 B. E. Swett constructed a wharf in front of a cottage which is today known as "The Berries." The wharf served as a landing for freight and passengers on the east side of Bustins, although the steamer did not always stop there. A unique system was employed to signal the captain of the steamer, both here and at the Merrill Wharf. It consisted of a barrel which could be raised to the top of a flag pole if anyone wanted to go to the mainland.
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Swett Wharf - 1903
Mr. Swett brings horse and wagon to Bustins - 1900
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Boat Signal - 1893
A few years after the completion of the Swett wharf, some houses were built in this area. Later the Swetts employed R.E. Schofield, a survey- or, to draw a plan and lots were staked off on Mr. Swett's property. The Carberry Cottage (The Berries) was built in 1897 on Lot 52A, Section E. Later about 1903, Mr. Swett built two cottages, one of which is presently known as the A. B. Lafleur Cottage on Lot X, Section E, the other is known as the Robert Maurer Cottage on Lot 53, Section E. The present Baker Cottage on Lot 7, Section A called "Walingorfa" was built about 1907 by the Newhalls.
The Nonantum Cottage on Lot 22B, Section B, near where com- munity house is today, was built by Josiah P. Merrill for his son Frank Merrill in 1898.
During the 90's the first church services were held on Bustins in a grove where the public landing now touches the shore. In the early 1900's the meeting place was changed to a grove on Lot I, Section C, which is presently about the location of Mr. Barnard's generator house and garden. Later, a shelter was built here which had a raised platform and housed the organ and some chairs. This served as the meeting place for the islanders until the community house was erected. Besides church and community singing, a wedding, bean suppers and occasionally a vaudeville show were held here. It has been said that these meetings in the grove were usually well attended. Sometimes even the squirrels were there to chat and drop acorns on the people.
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The
Store
and
Restaurant
1900
Mr. Swett's Two Cottages 1903
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The Newhall Nichols Ray and Carberry Cottages 1912
IX
Bustins 1900 - 1910
From 1900 to 1910 was a period in which the cottage building on Bustins was the most rapid. Sometimes there were six or eight houses being built in one year.
1900
The Merrills sold their store in 1900 to Fred Wilson. Mr. Wilson and his wife traveled with a theatrical troupe of actors during the winter and resided summers in a cottage he had built on Lot 18, Section D, on the west side of the island. Wilson added a kitchen and enlarged the front of the store to accommodate a small restaurant.
During the early 1900's development of boating activities slowly progressed. Victor Coffin said, "There wasn't a single gasoline powered boat around Bustins until about 1898 when a few single cylinder engines began to appear in some of the fishing boats." A few people on the island began to acquire their own motor boats after 1900, notably, Bibo, Russell, Fuller and Guppy. Some of the engines in these boats were not always reliable. As a matter of fact, when you tried to start some of these hand cranked engines, you never knew whether it would run the boat forward or backward. During the early 1900's Mr. Guppy began to carry some passen- gers from Freeport to Bustins. He also used to take parties out sightseeing, fishing or on picnics.
John Ray assembled the first portable house about 1900 between the Nichols and Carberry cottage. Dr. L. W. Eugster, a well known resident of the island for many years, said, "John Ray was quite a character and considered to be one of the best dressed men on the island. He used to dis- turb the neighbors by rising at five a. m. every morning to shave and play the victrola on the piazza." It has been said that an appendectomy was per- formed on the porch of Mr. Ray's cottage. The attending surgeon said, "Bustins is the best place in the world for an operation, no germs."
1902
Mrs. Frank Garfield, now in her nineties, said she came to Bustins in 1901. In 1902 they built their cottage on Lot 17, Section A. It was the twentieth cottage to be built on Bustins. There were about seventy-five people on the island at this time. The other cottages nearby; namely: "As You Like It," "Swansea," "Red White and Blue," and "Casco Vista" were all built about the same time. Members of the Garfield family spent many summers camping in a tent, which they said was fine except for the night when a skunk came to visit.
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Trolley Car and Casco Castle, South Freeport - 1902
In 1902 in Freeport, a form of transportation became prevalent as it had in other parts of the country. This was the electric street railway as it was called. It had already connected Portland with Yarmouth, and at this time, it was extended through to South Freeport, Freeport and Bruns- wick.
A summer hotel, known as the Casco Castle was erected by the elec- tric trolley company. The castle was at one time a famous summer resort on Casco Bay. This hotel was built to resemble a medieval feudal castle. It had a fieldstone tower, which was a replica of a Norman Castle. There were stairs going up the inside to the top and a bridge connecting into the upper floor of the hotel. From the top of the tower people could see for miles around, over Casco Bay. The trolley cars came within a short distance of the hotel where there was a suspension walk over a gully leading to the castle. A beautiful garden was a feature of the hotel lands. There was also a zoo containing buffalo, deer and a number of other animals. The electric railway brought great crowds and the Casco Castle did a flourishing busi- ness for a while. However, in 1914 after one of the poorest seasons, the Castle made of wood, burned. Arson was suspected. Since then, trees and bushes have grown up and all that remains of the entire establishment is the stone tower and a few rock walls.
The advent of the automobile and the bus slowly replaced the use- fulness of the street car and the line became unprofitable and was abandon- ed in 1927. Many Bustins people used to come from Portland by trolley car. They well remember how it used to bob and sway over the curving, irregular track.
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A
MacMillan's Cottage "Wychmere" - 1905
A cruise on the "Iris" - 1905
1903
Donald B. MacMillan came to Bustins Island in 1903 and established a summer camp for boys. The Wychmere Cottages on lot 39A Section B was built and the two Merrill cottages, Rocky Nook and Quinnebasset were rented to accommodate a group of about thirty boys. Mr. MacMillan was, at this time, physical director of Worcester Academy. He was assisted by Clifton A. Towle, instructor of science, and two counselors, Mr. Ralph P. Robinson and Mr. Levi C. Greenwood, both of Worcester Academy. This camp was known as "Nautical Camp Wychmere." The boys were from twelve to eighteen years old. They were required to wear uniforms con- sisting of one white duck yachting suit, white duck hat and sleeveless jersey with monogram and cap. The charge for the season of eight weeks was $125.00.
Here the boys learned much about seamanship. A Captain Alfred Mayo of Provincetown had a sloop, about 50 feet long, called the "Iris," which would on occasions take the camp boys for a cruise on the coast. The boys also enjoyed all kinds of athletics. Championship baseball games were held at the ball field. The Bustins Cheer was originated at this time by the camp boys and recites as follows:
Boom - a - lacka Cheese - a - lacka Boom - a - lacka - lalı Bustins! Bustins! Rah - rah - rah ! Hit her up! Hit her up! Hit her up again! B - U - S - T-I-N Rar - rah - rah; Rah - rah - rah, - - Bustins!
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Cole Porter, famous song writer - 1905
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Rowing the Swampscott - 1905
On the water there was canoeing and water sports. A twenty six foot Swampscott boat was available for occasional deep sea fishing around Eagle Island and Halfway Rock. Here one could catch cod, haddock, hake and pollack. A landing was built at this time in the cove just a short dis- tance from Turtle Rock which was the center of their water activities. Mac- Millan had this boys camp every year until 1908, when it was discontinued.
One of the boys in MacMillan's camp was Cole Porter, now a famous song writer. In a letter to the author Mr. Porter says he remembers Bus- tins days well and of being in one of the first minstrel shows.
About 1905, a party of Bustins people were out sailing near Goose Island, when a severe wind squall overturned their boat. Captain Mac- Millan and a crew on the "Iris" went to the rescue of the people who were clinging to the side of the boat. One member of the party, a young boy, was drowned. He was brought to Bustins but efforts to revive him were futile.
Captain MacMillan became interested in polar exploration and later became world famous in this field. He led an expedition in 1911 for the National Geographic Society. Between 1911 and 1937 he made several trips gathering scientific data, especially in Labrador, Greenland and Baffin Land. MacMillan is presently known as Admiral MacMillan, and in 1958 he visited Bustins and showed the islanders many interesting pictures of his travels in the North Country.
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Bustins East Shore - 1905
1905
In 1905 the Bustins Island Cottagers Association was formed, and committees appointed to see to certain duties, such as island improvements, entertainment, athletics and religious services. Dr. Pidge was elected the first president and the first meeting of the B.I.C.A. was held in the grove. Some of the items of interest under discussion at those early meetings were; improvement of the tennis court, repairs to the steamer wharf and the question of kerosene lights and the public landing. On the social cal- endar, plans were made for a clambake, whist party, field day and a gala vaudeville slow to be held in the grove.
Mr. E. S. Hosmer came to Bustins in the late 1890's and was prominent in all of the island musical affairs. He composed the music to the song "To Thee, O Bustins!" by M. E. Given.
One of the first large steamers was called "Madeleine" which was later followed by the well known "Maquoit" about 1905. In 1910 the Harpswell and Casco Bay Steam boat Companies consolidated and became known as Casco Bay Lines.
Jolın Lavers came from Freeport in the early 1900's and occupied a small cottage located close to the water in a cove in front of the old Bibber house. He worked some for Mr. Swett, and later was a competitor of Charles Guppy in the freight and general work on the island. This cot- tage was later destroyed by fire in 1914.
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Sailboat racing - 1905
The Cottage by the shore - 1905
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Casco Queen Hotel - 1910
Miller Log Cabin - 1908
Mr. Miller, Mary F. Sawyer and pony "Brownie" - 1915
1908
In 1908 Mr. Lavers built a hotel located on a plot of land across the road from Miller's well, and to the rear of the present day Lafleur house on Lot x, Section E. It was called the Casco Queen Hotel. It had a dining area and several rooms on the second floor. Mr. Lavers also built a cottage on Lot 10, Section B, which he used for a while as a bakery and store for the hotel and the island people. The hotel remained only a few years, for in the spring of 1915 it was destroyed by fire.
Another notable cottage in this area was the Log Cabin built by William Miller about 1908. It was made of logs cut on the island and was located on Lot 1, Section B, presently owned by the Richard Taisey family. One of the feature attractions of this cottage was the beautiful shrubs, roses and flowers in which Mr. Miller took great pride. Mr. Miller had a Shetland pony which he had brought over from Scotland. For several years he used
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to start out from his home in Lynn, Massachusetts, with pony cart and bag- gage and come to Bustins, making the trip in two or three days. The Miller log cabin was the 70th cottage to be built on the island. .
At an Island Meeting in 1908 it was voted to have the name of the Post Office changed from "Seeket" to Bustins Island and at this time Mr. Wilson added the main dining room at the store which was known as the grove dining room.
One of the most novel and picturesque cottages on Bustins was the 1909 one erected on a rocky ledge about two hundred feet away from the shore, on the southeast side of the island known as the Nubble. It was built in the spring of 1909 by a Mr. Arthur Reynolds, who was a superintendent of the Electric Street Railway in Freeport. Mr. Reynolds liked to be near the water and wanted to build something different from the usual type of cot- tage. He had a boat which could go 10 miles per hour. This two story building is octagonal, with a conical roof through which a chimney pro- jects. It is completely surrounded by an open porch with a railing and stairs leading to the rocks below. At low tide the Nubble is accessible by walking across the flats, but at high water it can be reached only by boat. Originally there was a portable bridge or trestle which connected the Nub- ble with the island and in 1913 Mr. Reynolds built a small one room cottage opposite the Nubble which they used sometimes on stormy nights. How- ever, the work of setting up the runway each year, plus occasional storms which battered the structure, made the use of the bridge impractical and it was discontinued after a few years. In 1925 the Nubble was sold to the Paul Nickerson family whose heirs still hold title to the property.
The "Nubble" - 1913
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Leaving Bustins on Guppy's Boat - 1912
L. G. Richardson in "Scoot" - 1909
Wash Day 1910
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Having fun at the Ball Field - 1912
"Belles of Bustins" - 1910
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Bustins 1910 - 1920
By 1910 the rapid pace of house building began to slacken somewhat, although there were still some houses being built each year.
1911
The town of Freeport in 1911 appropriated $400. for maintenance of roads and $200.00 for liglits, and plans were made for a public float. At this time there was only the steamer dock, the Swett wharf and two private floats, one that MacMillan had built in the cove near Turtle Rock, and one built by a Mr. Bibo in front of the Roberts cottage. In 1911 the MacMillan wharf was discontinued in its present location and portions of it were moved over by Mr. Brainard in front of Lot 10, Section C, and became known as the Brainard Landing.
After the MacMillan camp ceased to operate, ball games continued to be played frequently on the island at the athletic field and sometimes at some of the other islands. One of the big events of the season was the country fair. There were clowns, shooting galleries, articles to sell, punch, fortune tellers and pony rides for the children.
The Athletic Committee made their first report on the needs of the golf links in 1911 and a year or so later, a club was formed and plans made to- ward improving the course. Donald Hosmer said, "We used to start on the hillside near the Bibber or Swett barn and drive towards the ballfield. That was when there were more open fields."
In 1912 the public float was installed. The town of Freeport contribut- ed towards its construction and $250 was appropriated to buy a chemical hand drawn fire engine.
1912
For several years there had been some talk by the islanders of building an assembly house. In August 1912, at a meeting of the Cottagers Associa- tion, plans were made to raise $1,500 to build a community house near the old school, but it was decided not to start building until two thirds of the funds were available.
One of the most pretentious houses on Bustins was erected by Mrs. Lancaster in 1912 on Lot 5, Section B, now owned by the R. W. Tosier family. It contained a large central room with an open stairway leading up to a balcony. It is here that Sunday song services and social affairs were held. Sometimes there was impromtu entertainment by local or visiting talent, while on other occasions the Graphophone was the principal source of music.
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Picture of Bustins Island taken by John Garfield
1912
We shall not try to further state when each of the various houses were built on Bustins. There is no question but what each family had a particu- lar reason as to why a certain location was chosen as a building site. We would like to point out, however, that the majority of the cottages standing today, of which there are nearly one hundred, were built from 1892 to 1920. Many of the early houses were built by a carpenter known as Rueben Cur- tis. About 1911 Mr. Henry Soule, who had worked a few years with Mr. Curtis, became the principal contractor and built several cottages.
1913
In 1913, in order to facilitate the proper handling of island business, a corporation was formed known as the Bustins Island Village Corporation. In this way, a portion of the taxes assessed by the town is returned to the islanders to help defray the costs of maintaining the roads and other neces- sary works. This corporation received a charter from the State Legislature and a group of officers was chosen; namely a clerk, a treasurer and five overseers. The overseers elect their own chairman and have jurisdiction over all island municipal affairs. The Bustins Island Cottagers Association, however, retained control over the social and religious functions on the is- land.
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