Saint Croix Maine

Saint Croix sits as far east as the Dominican Republic!

As the name suggests, this photo is from a place with French roots. Saint Croix sits along Passamaquoddy Bay in northeast Maine, within eye shot of New Brunswick, Canada. This is a unique area geographically. It sits as far east as the Dominican Republic, and farther north then Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Salt Marsh Storm

In the early 1600’s, the French were interested in colonizing an area of northeast they referred to as “L’Acadie”. In 1604, the French decided to stay a winter on Saint Croix island, in their first attempt to colonize this region. This group was led by Pierre Dugua. This French group included 79 colonists, including a famous cartographer named Samuel Champlain. Over the long brutal winter on this 6.5-acre island, 35 of the 79 French settlers died, including Samuel Champlain. In the Spring of 1605, the people native to this area, called the Passamaquoddy, approached the French and traded food with them. Due to this, the remaining French colonists were able to sustain their health and survive. After this dire winter, Pierre Dugua, the leader of the expedition, decided to relocate the colony. The French resettled in Port Royal, located in modern day Nova Scotia.

Since Saint Croix has a 400-year history, there are other chapters that have been written since the days of Pierre Dugua. In the 1850’s, the US Coast Guard built a light house on Saint Croix Island. This lighthouse was used until a fire destroyed it in 1976. Another interesting bit of history from this area is that the locals used to use this area to build ships. They called the area “red beach” during that time. As you can see in this photo, the name is pretty fitting. This area later became home to Red Beach Plaster Company, a producer of plaster and fertilizer. Later, the area developed into a booming granite production location. Due to the long complex history in this area, the island has had many names over the years, including “Neutral Island”, “Demonts Island”, “Muttanagwis”, “Bone Island”, “Dochet Island”, “Great Island”, and “Big Island”.

Bear Brook

Take a Closer Look

This photo ties in well with this month’s theme of “Weather”. The quiet gray setting I was treated to on the day I visited Saint Croix was particularly fitting. There is a park on the mainland with interpretive signs and statues. There is a 0.2-mile paved path that takes you to the waters edge. There are displays along the path that educate visitors on the historical interactions between the native peoples and the French settlers. There is even a Ranger Station with a store, restrooms, and drinking water (open seasonally).

The quiet gray setting was particularly fitting

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