Monhegan, Maine
Encyclopedia
Monhegan is a plantation
on an island of the same name in Lincoln County
, Maine
, United States
, about 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) off the coast. The population was 75 at the 2000 census
. As a plantation, Monhegan's governmental status falls between township (unorganized territory
) and town
. The island is accessible by mailboat ferry
(no automobiles) from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor
and Port Clyde
.
for "out-to-sea island." Europe
an explorers Martin Pring
visited in 1603, Samuel de Champlain
in 1604, George Weymouth
in 1605 and Captain John Smith
in 1614. The island got its start as a British
fishing camp prior to settlement of the Plymouth Colony
. Cod
was harvested from the rich fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine
, then dried on fish flakes
before shipment to Europe
. A trading post
was built to conduct business with the Indians
, particularly in the lucrative fur trade. It was Monhegan traders who taught English
to Samoset
, the sagamore
who in 1621 startled the Pilgrims by boldly walking into their new village at Plymouth and saying: "Welcome, Englishmen."
On April 29, 1717, Monhegan was visited by the Anne, a pirate ship of the snow
type. The Anne had originally been captured off the Virginia Capes
in April by the pirate Samuel Bellamy
in the Whydah
, which wrecked in a storm on the night of April 26, 1717, off of Cape Cod. The Anne made it through the storm with another captured vessel, the Fisher (which was soon abandoned and the pirates aboard her transferred to the Anne). The pirates arrived at Monhegan on April 29, and waited for the Whydah, for the pirates had not see or hear about the Whydah wrecking in the storm of the night of April 26. The pirates eventually realized the Whydah was lost, and proceeded to attack vessels at Matinicus Island
and Pemaquid (now Bristol)
. The pirates outfitted for their own uses a small 25-ton sloop
that the pirates had captured off Matinicus, one that formerly belonged to Colonel Stephen Minot. They abandoned all the other vessels (including the Anne) they had captured and most of their prisoners at Matinicus on or about May 9, 1717, on Minot's sloop.
Despite success as a fishing and trade center, Monhegan would be caught in the conflict between New England
and New France
for control of the region. During King Philip's War
, dispossessed English settlers from the mainland sought refuge on the island before being relocated elsewhere along the coast. During King William's War
, the island was captured for the French
in 1689 by Baron de Saint-Castin
. He destroyed the fishing fleet and burned the buildings, with many inhabitants escaping to Massachusetts
. But even during periods when Monhegan was abandoned, its convenient offshore harbor remained a stopover destination for ship
s. The end of the French and Indian War
in 1763 brought peace to the area, and on September 4, 1839, Monhegan was incorporated as an island plantation.
In 1824, a conical stone lighthouse
was built on the island by order of Congress
and President James Monroe
. Damaged by storms, it was replaced in 1850 by the present 48 foot (14.6 m) granite
tower, with a fog
bell station built in 1855 on nearby Manana Island. The island's 1000 acres (404.7 ha) of good land encouraged agriculture
, with potato
es the chief crop. But fishing was always the most important industry, whether locally or at the Grand Banks
. Today, it still dominates Monhegan’s economy. From October 1 through June, fishermen
harvest lobsters
from the only lobster conservation area
in the state of Maine.
on Monhegan date to the mid-19th century; by 1890, it was firmly established. Among many early members who found inspiration on the island were summer visitors from the New York School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
, such as Robert Henri
, George Bellows
, Rockwell Kent
, and Edward Hopper
. Kent and Hopper both painted the 150-foot (50 m) northside cliffs at Blackhead:
Two of the early artists in residence from the 1890s, William Henry Singer (1868–1943) and Martin Borgord (1869–1935), left Monhegan to study at the Académie Julian
in 1901.
Later members of the artist colony include Reuben Tam
, Elena Jahn and Jamie Wyeth
. Today the Monhegan Artists' Residency Corporation (MARC) tries to preserve the Monhegan artist colony by offering low-cost lodgings to selected artists who otherwise could not afford to visit the island.
, the plantation has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (80.97%) is water. Monhegan is an island 1.75 miles (2.8 km) long and .75 of a mile (1.2 kilometers) wide, located in the Gulf of Maine
, part of the Atlantic Ocean
. Adjacent Manana Island
helps form Monhegan Harbor.
of 2000, there were 75 people, 46 households, and 21 families residing in the plantation. The population density
was 87.5 people per square mile (33.7/km²). There were 177 housing units at an average density of 206.4 per square mile (79.5/km²). The racial makeup of the plantation was 97.33% White and 2.67% Asian.
There were 46 households out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.3% were non-families. 47.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63 and the average family size was 2.24.
In the plantation the population was spread out with 10.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 37.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 127.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.1 males.
The median income for a household in the plantation was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $53,125. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $13,333 for females. The per capita income
for the plantation was $20,568. There were 10.5% of families and 3.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including 10.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Plantation (Maine)
In the U.S. state of Maine, a plantation is a type of minor civil division falling between township and town. The term, as used in this sense in modern times, appears to be exclusive to Maine....
on an island of the same name in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Maine
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 34,457. Its county seat is Wiscasset. It was founded in 1760 and named after the English city Lincoln. At its founding, it accounted for three-fifths of the State's land, and stretched east to Nova...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) off the coast. The population was 75 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. As a plantation, Monhegan's governmental status falls between township (unorganized territory
Unorganized territory
An unorganized territory is a region of land without a "normally" constituted system of government. This does not mean that the territory has no government at all or that it is unclaimed territory...
) and town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
. The island is accessible by mailboat ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
(no automobiles) from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor
New Harbor, Maine
New Harbor is a small coastal village in the town of Bristol, in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. It is the home of Pemaquid Lighthouse and Fort William Henry....
and Port Clyde
Port Clyde, Maine
Port Clyde is the southernmost settlement on the St. George peninsula in central/coastal Maine and part of the town of St. George in Knox County, Maine, United States....
.
History
The name Monhegan derives from Monchiggon, AlgonquianAlgonquin language
Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
for "out-to-sea island." Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an explorers Martin Pring
Martin Pring
Martin Pring was an English explorer from Bristol, England. In 1603, under patronage of the mayor, alderman and merchants of Bristol, Pring sailed to discover the northern parts of the territory known as Virginia in America...
visited in 1603, Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
in 1604, George Weymouth
George Weymouth
George Weymouth was an English explorer of the area now occupied by the state of Maine. Ferdinando Gorges, who wanted to settle colonists in the area, sponsored an expedition under Weymouth, who sailed from England on March 5, 1605 on the ship Archangel and landed near Monhegan on May 17, 1605...
in 1605 and Captain John Smith
John Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
in 1614. The island got its start as a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
fishing camp prior to settlement of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
. Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
was harvested from the rich fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
, then dried on fish flakes
Fish preservation
Ancient methods of preserving fish included drying, salting, pickling and smoking. All of these techniques are still used today but the more modern techniques of freezing and canning have taken on a large importance....
before shipment to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. A trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
was built to conduct business with the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, particularly in the lucrative fur trade. It was Monhegan traders who taught English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to Samoset
Samoset
Samoset was the first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims. On March 16, 1621, the settlers were more than surprised when Samoset strolled straight through the middle of the encampment at Plymouth Colony and greeted them in English, which he had begun to learn from an earlier group of...
, the sagamore
Sagamore
Sagamore may refer to:* Sagamore , denoting the head of some Native American tribes* Sagamore, exclusive honor society at Washburn University* Josiah Sagamore, the name by which the Native American leader Wampatuck Sagamore may refer to:* Sagamore (title), denoting the head of some Native American...
who in 1621 startled the Pilgrims by boldly walking into their new village at Plymouth and saying: "Welcome, Englishmen."
On April 29, 1717, Monhegan was visited by the Anne, a pirate ship of the snow
Snow (ship)
A snow or snaw is a sailing vessel. A type of brig , snows were primarily used as merchant ships, but saw war service as well...
type. The Anne had originally been captured off the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
in April by the pirate Samuel Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy , aka "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century....
in the Whydah
Whydah Gally
The Whydah Gally was the flagship of the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy. The ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod on April 26, 1717, taking Bellamy and the majority of his crew with it.-History:...
, which wrecked in a storm on the night of April 26, 1717, off of Cape Cod. The Anne made it through the storm with another captured vessel, the Fisher (which was soon abandoned and the pirates aboard her transferred to the Anne). The pirates arrived at Monhegan on April 29, and waited for the Whydah, for the pirates had not see or hear about the Whydah wrecking in the storm of the night of April 26. The pirates eventually realized the Whydah was lost, and proceeded to attack vessels at Matinicus Island
Matinicus Isle, Maine
Matinicus Isle is a plantation in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 51 at the 2000 census, although during the summer that number can triple or quadruple. Remote Matinicus Island is accessible by ferry from Rockland, located away, or by air taxi from Knox County Regional Airport...
and Pemaquid (now Bristol)
Bristol, Maine
Bristol is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,644 at the 2000 census. A fishing and resort area, Bristol includes the villages of New Harbor, Pemaquid, Round Pond, Bristol Mills and Chamberlain. It includes the Pemaquid Archeological Site, a U.S. National...
. The pirates outfitted for their own uses a small 25-ton sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
that the pirates had captured off Matinicus, one that formerly belonged to Colonel Stephen Minot. They abandoned all the other vessels (including the Anne) they had captured and most of their prisoners at Matinicus on or about May 9, 1717, on Minot's sloop.
Despite success as a fishing and trade center, Monhegan would be caught in the conflict between New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
for control of the region. During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, dispossessed English settlers from the mainland sought refuge on the island before being relocated elsewhere along the coast. During King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
, the island was captured for the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
in 1689 by Baron de Saint-Castin
Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin
Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin was a French military officer serving in Acadia and an Abenaki chief. He is the father of two prominent sons who were also military leaders in Acadia, Bernard-Anselme and Joseph...
. He destroyed the fishing fleet and burned the buildings, with many inhabitants escaping to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. But even during periods when Monhegan was abandoned, its convenient offshore harbor remained a stopover destination for ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s. The end of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
in 1763 brought peace to the area, and on September 4, 1839, Monhegan was incorporated as an island plantation.
In 1824, a conical stone lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was built on the island by order of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
. Damaged by storms, it was replaced in 1850 by the present 48 foot (14.6 m) granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
tower, with a fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
bell station built in 1855 on nearby Manana Island. The island's 1000 acres (404.7 ha) of good land encouraged agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, with potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es the chief crop. But fishing was always the most important industry, whether locally or at the Grand Banks
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus southeast of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here.The mixing of these waters...
. Today, it still dominates Monhegan’s economy. From October 1 through June, fishermen
Lobster fishing
Lobster fishing, sometimes called lobstering, is the commercial or recreational harvesting of marine lobsters, spiny lobsters or crayfish.-Lobster tools and technology:...
harvest lobsters
American lobster
The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America, chiefly from Labrador to New Jersey. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster or Maine lobster. It can reach a body length of , and a mass of over , making it the...
from the only lobster conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in the state of Maine.
Artist colony
The beginnings of the art colonyArt colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
on Monhegan date to the mid-19th century; by 1890, it was firmly established. Among many early members who found inspiration on the island were summer visitors from the New York School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
, such as Robert Henri
Robert Henri
Robert Henri was an American painter and teacher. He was a leading figure of the Ashcan School in art.- Early life :...
, George Bellows
George Bellows
George Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City, becoming, according to the Columbus Museum of Art, "the most acclaimed American artist of his generation".-Youth:Bellows was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio...
, Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.- Biography :Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York, the same year as fellow American artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper...
, and Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
. Kent and Hopper both painted the 150-foot (50 m) northside cliffs at Blackhead:
Two of the early artists in residence from the 1890s, William Henry Singer (1868–1943) and Martin Borgord (1869–1935), left Monhegan to study at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
in 1901.
Later members of the artist colony include Reuben Tam
Reuben Tam
Reuben Tam was an American landscape painter, educator and graphic artist. He was born in Kapa'a on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Jan. 17, 1916. He earned a BA degree from the University of Hawaii in 1937, and also studied at the California School of Fine Art, at Columbia University with Meyer...
, Elena Jahn and Jamie Wyeth
Jamie Wyeth
James Browning Wyeth is a contemporary American realist painter. He was raised in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania, son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N.C. Wyeth...
. Today the Monhegan Artists' Residency Corporation (MARC) tries to preserve the Monhegan artist colony by offering low-cost lodgings to selected artists who otherwise could not afford to visit the island.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the plantation has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (80.97%) is water. Monhegan is an island 1.75 miles (2.8 km) long and .75 of a mile (1.2 kilometers) wide, located in the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
, part of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Adjacent Manana Island
Manana Island (Maine)
Manana Island is an island in Lincoln County, Maine, United States, lying adjacent to Monhegan island, about off Pemaquid Point on the mainland....
helps form Monhegan Harbor.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 75 people, 46 households, and 21 families residing in the plantation. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 87.5 people per square mile (33.7/km²). There were 177 housing units at an average density of 206.4 per square mile (79.5/km²). The racial makeup of the plantation was 97.33% White and 2.67% Asian.
There were 46 households out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.3% were non-families. 47.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63 and the average family size was 2.24.
In the plantation the population was spread out with 10.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 37.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 127.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.1 males.
The median income for a household in the plantation was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $53,125. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $13,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the plantation was $20,568. There were 10.5% of families and 3.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including 10.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Outdoor activities
Summer months bring artists and tourists on several daily ferries to see ocean views. In the fall, it is a good place to observe migrating bird species. Much of Monhegan is uninhabited and free to explore on 17 miles (27.4 km) of dirt hiking trails.Notable residents and semi-residents
- George BellowsGeorge BellowsGeorge Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City, becoming, according to the Columbus Museum of Art, "the most acclaimed American artist of his generation".-Youth:Bellows was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio...
, artist - Abraham BogdanoveAbraham BogdanoveAbraham Jacob Bogdanove was an American artist, mural painter, and teacher best known for his seascape paintings of the Maine coast, particularly around Monhegan Island....
, artist, visited in 1918, and most of his artwork was of views of the island by the 1920s; he visited the island every year until his death in 1946 - Jon BogdanoveJon BogdanoveJon Bogdanove is an American comic book artist and writer. He is best known for his work on Power Pack, Superman: The Man of Steel, and for creating the character Steel with writer Louise Simonson in 1993.-Comics:...
, comic book artist - Frank Bruckmann, artist
- Kate ChappellKate ChappellKate Cheney Chappell is an American businesswoman, manufacturer, and co-founder of Tom's of Maine in 1970.Chappell is a 1963 graduate of Oxford School in West Hartford, Connecticut. She attended Chatham College and Sarah Lawrence College before she and her husband, cofounder Tom Chappell, moved to...
, businesswoman - Tom ChappellTom ChappellThomas Matthew "Tom" Chappell is an American businessman and manufacturer and co-founder of Tom's of Maine in 1970.Chappell graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a B.A. in English in 1966. Chappell and his wife, cofounder Kate Chappell, moved to Kennebunk, Maine in 1968 to...
, businessman - Corlis Carroll, artist
- Jay Connaway, artist, visited in the 1920s and 1930s
- Lynne DrexlerLynne Mapp DrexlerLynne Drexler was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1928. She began painting as a child, and later took art classes at the College of William and Mary. In 1956, she moved to New York City in order to further her study. There, she became a devotee of Abstract Expressionism, and studied with two...
, artist - Charles Ebert, with his wife, Mary, made summer trips to the island, beginning in 1909
- Ernest FieneErnest FieneErnest Fiene was a 20th-century American graphic artist who primarily worked in New York City and Woodstock, New York. Fiene was known primarily for his varied printed works, including lithographs and etchings...
, artist - Robert HenriRobert HenriRobert Henri was an American painter and teacher. He was a leading figure of the Ashcan School in art.- Early life :...
, artist who invited many of his students and artist friends (beginning with Rockwell Kent), to visit the island; first arrived in 1903 but didn't return again until 1911, when he invited George Bellows. - Edward HopperEdward HopperEdward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
, artist, one of the few who still visited the island during World War I, when others had safety concerns - Eric HudsonEric HudsonEric Hudson is a South Orange, New Jersey native and Grammy award-winning music producer. Born to father Curt Hudson, songwriter/producer . He went to Columbia High School in South Orange, NJ and graduated in 2004.-2006:Omarion - 21* 01. "Entourage"* 03. "Electric"* 11. "Been With a Star"John...
, artist, first visited in 1897 and built a home in the harbor
- Wilson IrvineWilson IrvineWilson Henry Irvine was a master American Impressionist landscape painter.Although most closely associated with the Old Lyme, Connecticut art colony headed by Florence Griswold, Irvine spent his early career near Chicago, a product of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago...
, artist - Rockwell KentRockwell KentRockwell Kent was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.- Biography :Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York, the same year as fellow American artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper...
, artist, first came at the invitation of Robert Henri and stayed for several years - Josh MostelJosh MostelJoshua "Josh" Mostel is an American actor who is best known for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and two Adam Sandler films .-Life and career:...
, actor - Frances Kornbluth, artist
- Zero MostelZero MostelSamuel Joel “Zero” Mostel was an American actor of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version...
, actor - Edward Henry PotthastEdward Henry PotthastEdward Henry Potthast was an American Impressionist painter. He is known for his paintings of people at leisure in Central Park, and on the beaches of New York and New England.-Life and work:...
- Edward Redfield, artist
- Sonya SklaroffSonya SklaroffSonya Sklaroff is a contemporary American painter best known for her cityscapes of New York City.Born in Philadelphia, Sklaroff attended the prestigious Friends' Central School before going on to earn her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design...
, artist - Samuel Triscott, artist, first came to Monhagen in 1892, one of the earliest artists to visit the island
- Andrew WinterAndrew WinterAndrew Winter was an American artist best known for his landscape paintings on the coast of Maine, particularly his depictions of winter weather....
, artist, visited in the 1920s before establishing permanent residency - Andrew WyethAndrew WyethAndrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
, artist - Jamie WyethJamie WyethJames Browning Wyeth is a contemporary American realist painter. He was raised in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania, son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N.C. Wyeth...
, artist - N. C. WyethN. C. WyethNewell Convers Wyeth , known as N.C. Wyeth, was an American artist and illustrator. He was the pupil of artist Howard Pyle and became one of America's greatest illustrators...
, artist - James FitzgeraldJames FitzGeraldJames Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...
, artist
Further reading
- Trotter, Bill Monhegan Prepares for Wind Power Bangor Daily News, Oct. 28, 2010
External links
- Monhegan Memorial Library
- Monhegan Commons
- Monhegan Info
- Wik Wak Club
- Monhegan Lobsters
- Visitors' Guide
- Monhegan Associates
- The Island Inn
- http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US2301739422&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C05000US23017%7C06000US2301739422&_street=&_county=Monhegan+Plantation&_cityTown=Monhegan+Plantation&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=US Census 2000 Monhegan Plantation]
- Maine Genealogy: Monhegan Plantation, Lincoln County, Maine
- Monhegan Island overview