Coastal Maine: A Maritime History

Giovanni Verrazzano was, officially, the first European to discover the Maine coast. From that date in 1524 on, explorers including Andre Thevet and Sir Humphrey Gilbert reached her shores, and Maine gradually become populated by pioneers who utilized the abundant fish and lumber. Privateers, coal schooners and coastal steamers were built during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Maine yards and, at the same time, fishermen built sloops and lobster boats in every quiet cove. Roger Duncan's rich and anecdotal history traces Maine's 400-year maritime history, detailing the state's role in the development of the United States and emphasizing Maine's role in the fishing industry. Other themes explored are the demise of the coastal trade when faster transportation was offered by railroads and automobiles and the sudden popularity of yachting after World War II.