Ferry Boat Ruth

This is my rendition of the Ferry Boat, Ruth coming to the dock in Winter Harbor.  I believe that this Ferry Dock was located on the Summer Harbor Road and the Ferry ran from BarHarbor to Winter Harbor and back.  I love the lines of this boat.  It’s funny that Winter Harbor once again has ferry service to BarHarbor.  It sure will be interesting to see how we can continue to benefit from having the new services and not become another BarHarbor.  I know we do not have the same amenities and landscape as MDI but the Schoodic peninsula sure does have a lot to offer.  The access to the raw beauty Down East is another area of potential growth.  That word-growth-good or bad????

Open for comments and ideas anytime!!!

Ice Cream Dreams

Marie Gerrish-A favorite among many.  Marie owned and operated JW Gerrish Store on Main St, in Winter Harbor, downtown.  She offered up many special treats to folks but Ice Cream seemed to be one of the best.  It probably wasn’t so much the ice cream but what it stood for to us.  We had the freedom to “go to Marie’s for an Ice Cream” -the beginning of excuses to head out the door and wander the streets.  Many folks would stop to get an ice cream for their dog as they took the ritual ride around Schoodic or Grindstone.

Marie’s was the place to go for penny candy, soda, milk shakes, sandwiches, coffee and tea.  This pretty much covered the needs of most age ranges and would mean you also would be quite likely to run into someone you knew.   It was a place to pick up your newspaper, for many years there was a Post Office attached too.

In this piece you can see a lady up in the left hand corner just above the cash register.  This was Maude Gerrish, Marie’s mother.  Marie’s mother and father opened the place and operated it for many years, I’m not sure when Marie took over.  Maude is near the cash register in this photo because some of us remember being in the store and hearing Maude call down to Marie, “Marie I don’t hear that cash register going!”  Marie worked long hours, taking only Sunday afternoon off and then she drove her mother around Schoodic.  I admire how friendly and calm she always was when I saw her.  It was probably not the job many could do but she did it well.  Thank you Marie!

Thank you too to the Historical Society for allowing me access to their photos and taking such good care of the collection.  If you are interested they have one more meeting on schedule for August and perhaps something for September that has of this writing to be announced.

August 12-7pm-Historical Society- Charles Joy will give a presentation about “John Moore”, from Steuben, he owned approx. 2000 acres on Schoodic Point and was the person to donate it to the National Park Service.  He also built a home on Grindstone called Far From Wolves-known by many as Frenchman’s Bay Lodge.

Grindstone Inn

This is my rendition of the Grindstone Inn.  I could not tell what the color of the building was from the photographs so for this work it is Raw Sienna.  Somehow I doubt it was that color or called anything like that at the time.

This grand old building was the highlight of Grindstone Point at one time.  I laughed when I read one ad that said it was such a special place that it was free of “mosquitos”.  Somehow I doubt that was true.  The building suffered a mysterious fire in the mid 1950’s and everything was lost.   Well not everything, many things like dishes, silver, decorations of sorts, ads, menus, pictures still exist today. I was lucky to access some photos from the Historical Society and from friends who have collected things over the years.   I hope this piece honors the memories of a time gone by and a way of life that helped shape our lives today.  Did you live on Grindstone and enjoy the luxuries of the Inn? Did you work on Grindstone and maybe even at the Inn, enjoying these surroundings, the people you met or maybe used these comparisons when deciding your own future?  People sometimes don’t realize the subtle influences a place like this has on the lives of everyone around.

If you would like to share memories or stories please contact me.

I thank the Winter Harbor Historical Society for their help and support.  They invite you to attend some historical presentations this summer.

July 8, 7pm-Hammond Hall-Sanford Phippen-Speaks about Frenchman’s Bay Lodge and his book about working there called “Kitchen Boy”.

August 12-7pm-Historical Society- Charles Joy will give a presentation about “John Moore”, from Steuben, he owned approx. 2000 acres on Schoodic Point and was the person to donate it to the National Park Service.  He also built a home on Grindstone called Far From Wolves-known by many as Frenchman’s Bay Lodge.

Thank you, Carol