A stereograph image captured the William Underwood Co. cannery, which operated in Southwest Harbor at Clark’s Point, circa 1870.

Working Waterfront

A fishery transformed by canning

Men handled the heavy lifting and soldering of cans, while women cooked, processed, and packed the meat in addition to labeling cans. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Historic Eastport mansion restored to new life

One of Eastport’s behemothic houses—a remnant of the port’s mercantile legacy—has been saved from demolition. Beyond its historic value, the Isaac Hobbs mansion carries a vital connection to stories much larger than its own. One of the last stops on the Underground Railroad and the former home of Don Gellers,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The state of local journalism

An Oct. 30 event honoring Tom Groening, the retiring editor of The Working Waterfront and Island Journal, was as much a toast to his own career as it was an uneasy reflection on the important but precarious role journalism plays in the world. The event opened with remarks by Colin… SEE MORE

Lauren Stevens sang during an event in Veazie on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. At the event, the audio version was released of a report documenting how Wabanaki people have lost access to sea run fish. PHOTO: CATHERINE SCHMITT

Working Waterfront

How Wabanaki access to sea run fish is changing

For thousands of years, Wabanaki people were sustained by “sea run” fish that moved between rivers and the ocean. Fish evolved this migratory strategy to ensure they would reproduce successfully, but it also resulted in abundant and nutritious food for people, as hundreds of thousands of salmon and millions of… SEE MORE

Cushing fisherman Danny Staples handles recently caught lobster at his private wharf in October. Staples has led a town effort to buy a nearby property and make it into the community’s first public working waterfront. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Shoring up Cushing’s working waterfront

Longtime fisherman Danny Staples has his own wharf on Pleasant Point Gut in Cushing, where he and several others can access the water, land lobster, and do some maintenance of their vessels. But that piece of waterfront didn’t help Staples this past fall, when his boat’s rudder broke as he… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bringing our stories to our followers

NAME: Emma Perry TITLE: Impact and Event Specialist FOCUS: As the Impact and Event Specialist I play a key role in reporting on the impact of Island Institute’s work and overseeing the administration of the Glenn Fund Community Impact grants and scholarships. Through this work, I ensure our funding creates… SEE MORE

Belfast’s sardine packing plant under construction in the early 20th century. PHOTO: PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM

Working Waterfront

A sardine-packing plant’s 20th century history

The epicenter for the Maine sardine business at the turn of the 20th century was Downeast in Eastport and Lubec, but 50 years of heavy fishing pressure coupled with intense competition between packing companies in the area forced some of the companies to look for new opportunities down the coast.… SEE MORE

A view of Stonington Harbor, looking east. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

The serendipity of island life brings joy

I couldn’t have predicted that I’d soon be gripping the gunwale of a lobster boat, cheering and shouting alongside a lobstering family… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering a friend and island helper

Bill was unusually gendered, and as a child and young adult on the island he struggled with the predictable torment—predictable at the time, but now, thankfully, fading. While his was a very difficult identity for us to quantify or for him to acknowledge and deal with when he was an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

School of rock

The band mounted the stage, confidently striding up the ramp to find their places behind the microphones and amplifiers. Earlier that afternoon they had loaded everything out of their practice space, working together as a team to make sure nothing was left behind. Their sound check was efficient, and they… SEE MORE