1904 Map of Bar Harbor

About this map

Frenchman Bay anchors this coastal landscape, serving as a primary maritime thoroughfare long before the modern tourism era. On Mount Desert Island, the village of Bar Harbor is shown with its intricate network of streets and piers, while the Maine Central RR terminates across the water at Mount Desert Ferry, marking a vital rail-to-steamer link for early travelers. The eastern shore is dominated by the Gouldsboro Peninsula, where small fishing and harbor settlements like Winter Harbor and Prospect Harbor line the coast. Farther south, the Cranberry Isles including Islesford and Sutton highlight the importance of offshore communities during the early twentieth century. The map illustrates a complex coastal economy dependent on established steamboat routes and natural harbors, before the widespread expansion of motorized land travel redefined the Maine coastline.