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EASTERN 31AIJK ISLANDIt’s Entirely Surrounded by Waterand Mystery.Who owns Eastern Mark Island, a.n outside island of Casco Bay, about three miles from Small Point harbor? This “Island of Mystery” is not more than a four-hours' trip for the ordinary motor fishing boat from the city of Portland, yet it is as isolated and inaccessible through its geographic location as if it were far out in the open sea, says the Kennebec Journal. The presence here a few days ago of a stranger who insinuated that he wished to buy the “Island of the Evil Name/ 'as the natives.refer to it, has revived a story that a quarter of a century ago was the one topic of conversation from Cape Small Point to Bath and from Bath to Orr’s, Bailey and other islands of lower Casco Bay, So far the would-be purchaser has been unable to establish a clear title to the island. The history of the island, in brief, is as follows:Twenty-five years ago Eastern Mark Island was the property of Lemuel Wallace of Cape Small Point. One day three men of apparent city breeding approached him and after some negotiating made a ..trade for the property. Mr. Wallace died several years ago ,and, although he left relatives ,they. have become widely scattered and the papers that may have passed seem to have disappeared. The purchase was in the early spring and a week or two following it the new owners and two other men, one of them a burly negro, arrived at Small Point. They bought a stout fishing boat as a means of conveyance to the island. At Phipps burg they purohaslied a large quantity of lumber, which was taken by fishermen to Mark Island. That was the last time any native set foot on its shores for two years. Naturally curious to view the house they knew was going up, the fishermen attempted once or twice to land. They were met at the shore by the negro and ordered away, being told that no visitors were wanted, as the island was now private property. Naturally, Eastern Mark Island and its mysterious occupants were a prolific source of gossip to the people hero 25 years ago. For one summer, a winter, and a part of another summer, strange proceedings continued out there on the wave-washed bit of land. A schooner would appear about the place, anchor for a short time, and go away. Then all was quiet. A visit to the island revealed that its owners had gone. About this time there appeared in the New York and Boston papers a story of the capture of part of a gang of counterfeiters, who it was said, had been making spurious money somewhere along the coast of Maine. For many years ihe house stood unmolested, then as there were no indications that its owners intended returning, the native fishermen , gradually helped Dame Nature in the work of dismantling until to-day nothing but a few traces of the foundation remain.
Newspaper Details
Naugatuck Daily News
Naugatuck, Connecticut, US
Mon, Nov 10, 1913
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Judith R.
USA 27 May 2018
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Naugatuck Daily News
