Island Living
Islesford and the rest of Little Cranberry Island, has a very unique and relaxed island lifestyle that is desired by many. The experience is like being able to take informal, safe, and unfettered strolls throughout a large extended neighborhood, where soon, you begin feeling as if you are a welcome member of that community yourself. People are relaxed, very friendly, and accommodating. This warm and inviting hospitality is why so many people desire to vacation on the coast of Maine. It is a place, surrounded by ocean, where you can relax and get recharged at the same time. The fact that you can get some of the best seafood in the country here, does not hurt either!
Words that Inspired
According to historical records, the likely first permanent settler of Great Cranberry Island was Benjamin Spurling in 1768. Spurling, a ship builder and sea captain, arrived here from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. During the British war with the American colonies, he was captured and held prisoner in the depths of one of the British ships. Already having a reputation as a "high-spirited man of great bravery," his command given to his son to partly console him as well as being a call to action, inspired many of his day. The words were "Never mind me, Rob, I am an old man; but give it to these dashed Britishers as hard as you can."
More History
One of the first settlers of Little Cranberry Island was John Stanley, Jr. His father, John Sr. began the lineage of the Stanley name that exists to this day throughout Hancock County. There are many places that bare the name as in Stanley Brook in Acadia National Park, within Seal Harbor, part of Mount Desert.
There were many settlers trying to make a go of agriculture as this was the accepted view of where the area's worth was. It wasn't until Colonel Black (see Colonel Black Mansion in Ellsworth) was able to effluence the perspective that the area's wealth was actually in the timber industry, that this really took off. It seems obvious today that the rocky soil is not a good bet for agricultural endeavors. But then, it was not a fore drawn conclusion.
