Hancock-Washington-Penobscot Counties
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Jonesport’s Centennial Celebration Festivities honored all who ever lived here by Brian Swartz
T
hrow a party in Jonesport and they will come — as the celebration tossed in honor of the town’s centennial proved. After Britain won the French and Indian War in 1763 more settlers drifted ashore on the District of Maine’s far eastern coast. Families settled on the mainland and offshore islands. Settlement was particularly focused on where the Chandler and Indian rivers reached the sea. Those rivers flowed across the 48,000 acres granted to land speculators, including John C. Jones in 1789. The entire parcel became the Town of Jonesborough on March 4, 1809. Twenty-three years later, people living
along Moosabec Reach petitioned the Maine Legislature to incorporate a new town that would be split out of Jonesborough. The legislature authorized the formation of Jonesport on February 3, 1832 — and Beals would split off from Jonesport in April of 1925. Rather than celebrate Jonesport’s centennial during a frigid February, residents opted to celebrate on Labor Day weekend, the last ‘summer’ weekend in Maine. “Under ideal weather conditions … the crowd started coming early” on Saturday, September 3, 1932, noted the News-Observer of Machias. For the past weeks, newspaper advertisements and handbills had ballyhooed the big party. “Probably the larg-
est crowd of visitors ever to be here” packed Main Street as the morning wore on. Activity focused on the area between the opera house, the practically brand new Peabody Memorial Library, and the town ballfield at which Passamaquoddies had camped. Orono and Jonesport baseball teams kicked off the official events with a 10 a.m. game, won by the visitors. The Passamaquoddies sold their exquisitely-made baskets, and vendors occupying “the large number of tents, stands, and shows … vied with each other in selling candy floss, ice cream sandwiches,” or “offering a shot at the dolls. The good food and the very reasonable prices were appreciated by the visiting
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