Here we have a fort that was started in 1808 and finished about 1812, just before the War of 1812. It was named for Commodore Preble, prominent in the Revolutionary Navy. At the time of the Civil War it was enlarged and had a complement of 72 guns. The early fortress was of whitewashed brick ramparts which faced the channel.
On the site of this fort a log meeting house once stood, a gathering place for the earliest settlers of this area. This location may be reached by going to South Portland and proceeding to the Maine Vocational Technical Institute on Fort Road. This school now occupies the Fort Preble grounds. The old fortifications are in the rear of the grounds at the water’s edge.
When you arrive at the fort, go to the Administration Building and secure permission to check the old ramparts.
Here you will find many old gun emplacements. These should be given your undivided attention; use your metal detector very carefully as many artifacts and relics must still be lying about. Don’t forget to check the beach area in front of the old ramparts. The ground inside the granite walls should be another interesting spot for the metal detector. One of the earliest cemeteries in the entire Cape is located on this point of land. It is called the “Thrasher” burying ground. The Thrashers were the early settlers of this area. They had a large farm on the point back in the 1600’s.
Much trading with the Indians took place on Fort Point where Preble was erected, so I would definitely not miss this location on my treasure hunting expedition.
As I mentioned earlier the Civil War was in progress when the fort was enlarged. There are probably many articles of this period still in the compounds of old Fort Preble, so go over the area and see what you can come up with. I’m sure your time will not be wasted.
This is one of the easiest locations to reach, as it is on the mainland, and a short ride from Portland either by bus or taxi. There is a restaurant within hailing distance of the fort, so you can get a lunch and keep right on with your search.
Considerable Indian interest is attached to French’s Island in the lower bay. An Indian skull was found under three feet of clam shells and it was figured that the skull was three or four centuries old.
French’s Island is located between Great Chebeague and Goose Island and to the south of Bustin’s Island. To reach this island you proceed to Flying Point, Freeport, then by boat to Bustin’s Island, then over to French’s. It is a short trip from the mainland. You will have to hire someone with a motorboat to take you across the bay. This island is privately owned, so permission must be secured before you land and start your treasure hunt. I believe a Portland resident owns this island. A check of the records will no doubt reveal the owner’s name and address.
The finding of an Indian skull proves that if there were Indians on French’s Island there could have been earlysettlers, and also pirates on this small island. In days gone by some of the pirates preferred small islands on which to hide their ill-gotten gains.
When going over this island I would give special attention to the beaches. The pirates sometimes buried their treasure in a hurry, as a government boat would be coming up fast in pursuit. It has been mentioned in the history books that this island was a headquarters for an Indian Sagamore, or Chief. Some of their trinkets and relics of the early settlers may still be hidden from view awaiting your detection.
Many of these small islands had clear fresh water springs that attracted the seafarer. The longboats would put in and fill their casks with fresh water for the coming voyage, so a check in this area for a spring might pay off.
Again I say, please be sure to get permission from the property owners before you proceed with your expedition.
Here history tells us that the first settlers arrived about 1743. This island is one of the larger islands of Casco Bay and there are still many of the old homesteads there. A definite link with this early period still standing on Bailey Island is the so-called “Gardiner” house built in 1818. It stands back from the road at the northern end of the island and in the rear is an ancient well. The timber came from the ruins of a log house built by Deacon Timothy Bailey, for whom the island was named.
Another interesting house on the island is one called the “Captain Jot” homestead. As the name implies, this house belonged to a sea captain. It dates from 1763, an interesting location for the treasure seeker. Your detector should be able to locate something of interest in this vicinity.
There are many spots to be checked on this island. A good idea is to ask the natives where these old houses are.
I have found that the inhabitants of a particular locale can tell you the history of various points of interest, as most of the older folk have this information at their finger tips. It usually pleases them, the fact that you are asking questions about their own backyard. They will point out many facts and locations that the history books have overlooked.
This island may be reached from the mainland. From Portland take the highway leading to Brunswick, Maine. There you will find signs directing you to Bailey’s Island. It is a beautiful trip to the island. The road is bordered by tall Maine pines, rolling meadows, streams, old farms and neat modern homes. To me the trip down to the island is one of lasting memory.
During your treasure hunting time on the island, don’t forget to have some tasty Maine lobster for lunch. You can purchase these delicious morsels right on the island all cooked. There are tables and benches at which you may sit while enjoying one of Maine’s famous lobster dinners.
The beaches that face the open sea should be checked carefully with your detector, as many landings have taken place here from 1763 until today. Who knows what might be buried along these shores? This island should be one of the finest on your check list, as it is so easy to reach. The author wishes you the best of luck here.
One of America’s famous authors, Harriet Beecher Stowe, made this island stand out in the annals of Casco Bay by writing her popular story, “The Pearl of Orr’s Island.” This story was published in 1862 when the island itself was practically isolated and unknown. The appearance of this story was a literary event for thousands of Mrs. Stowe’s readers.
The island takes its name from two brothers; namely, Clement and John Orr, who in 1748 bought the greater part of the island for two shillings an acre. The brothers originally came from the north of Ireland.
Here on Orr’s the treasure hunter will find at the north end of Long Cove a small cove that is known as “Smuggler’s Cove.” Orr’s Island is probably the best known island inCasco Bay. In the old days a rickety old wooden bridge was built by the settlers to connect the island with the mainland, and it was really living dangerously to go over this ancient structure. This old bridge has now been replaced by a modern causeway.
On the Island of Orr’s many Indian attacks were repulsed by the early inhabitants. If you are real careful when searching with your detector, you should find Indian relics or artifacts that were buried by the sea-going population of the 1700’s. Many a three- and six-masted schooner sailed in and out of the harbor at Orr’s Island. Who knows what pirate ship visited this area in the dark of night with maybe a contraband cargo?
In this area I think that I would check every little cove and inlet very carefully. Most anything might be found hidden along the shores and, also, near some of the old dwelling sites. A good check along the roadway to and from the island might reveal a hidden article. Especially check both sides of the roadway and work back a ways from the edge of the road about twenty or thirty feet. The old road did quite a bit of curving as it wound its way to the island. These curves have been eliminated to a great extent with the building of the new road. As I mentioned, if you grid the area well back from the road, you have an excellent chance of discovering some by-gone article. It could be a pewter mug, buckles from shoes, gold coins and who knows what else?
Take your metal detector and ply the ocean side of the island. This section seems most likely to have been populated by the seaman, smuggler, pirate or what have you. It may be, that during trading and making business deals with each other, the seaman could have lost some coins in the dirt to be buried over and lost for hundreds of years. Also many of the natives, no doubt, kept their savings in the private caches buried from sight at the rear of their cabins.
Another likely area to check out would be the area where the old ferry used to dock. The ferry ran from Orr’s Island to Bailey’s Island. If you wanted to take the trip you signaledthe ferryman by lowering the flag that was flying high on the tall flagpole. The ferry would proceed across the narrow passage of water known as Will’s Gut. The fare was fifteen cents to Bailey’s Island, but to return to Orr’s Island, it would cost you twenty-five cents.
The sea trip from Portland to Orr’s Island by the island steamers of Casco Bay is a journey to remember. You, of course, can reach Orr’s Island by automobile via a road that swings down to Orr’s from Brunswick, Maine. When you reach Brunswick just follow the signs and soon you will be on the “Island of the Pearl.” Good hunting to you.
This long neck of scenic beauty is a close neighbor of Orr’s Island. It lies to the north, northwest and can be reached by auto via the rotary traffic circle at Brunswick, Maine.
Many stories and tales have been written about Harpswell, some fact and others legend. Each has its own place in American literature. Located on the east side of the Harpswells is the site of the Skolfield Shipyard. This yard was the birthplace of many rugged sea-going vessels. Some were three masted and others six. These full-rigged ships sailed into practically every seaport along the Atlantic Coast. A visit to this site will be worth your time. The next stop on ourtour of Harpswell might be the old meeting house where the early settlers held their town meetings and discussed the Indian problem. The area near the meeting house would be a good hunting ground for your detector, but please don’t forget to secure trespassing rights before you proceed with your search.
One of the phantom legends of Harpswell, and perhaps one of the best, was put into poetry by one of America’s best known poets; namely, John Greenleaf Whittier. His poem was called, “The Dead Ship of Harpswell.” It was written in 1866 and was inspired by the legendary tale told to the younger set by their grandfathers and grandmothers. I suppose a few great-grandmothers and grandfathers also told the ghostly tale. The preceding words of phantom legend will give you a bit of atmosphere when you arrive on Harpswell.
As you go down this peninsula check all coves and inlets with your instrument. Leave nothing uninvestigated, as this area is one of several that was abandoned in the late 1600’s due to Indian uprisings.
I would give my special attention to Pott’s Point; this point is located on the very end of the neck and a good place for pirates or smugglers to land and hide a chest of doubloons, pieces-of-eight or other booty taken from some poor unfortunate vessel that came into their grasp. Check the beach area, then go into the interior of the “Point.” Many treasures have been buried under a large tree or boulder that was a thousand yards from the shore. If you see a rocky cave or large boulder check them for mysterious markings, such as crosses, circles, arrows and such, carved or cut into the rocky surface. Some of these hidden treasures have been located by following a crude direction sign left by a cut-throat on a rocky ledge or in a rocky cave.
Use your probing rods as you check with the detector. The exact center of the location of any buried object can be determined much more easily with the probe. Your camera also is a much needed piece of equipment. You can recordyour treasure hunting progress on film for viewing by your interested treasure-seeking friends. Study your movies or still pictures with your associates. Maybe some suggestions by them would be of real help to you on your next treasure expedition.
“Shelter Island,” as you pronounce the name, it sounds almost like “Treasure Island” of Robert Louis Stevenson fame. It not only sounds like it, but this island comes as close to “Treasure Island” as any island in the entire bay. We don’t seem to read or hear too much about this small island in the very middle of Casco Bay. It is more or less hidden from the open sea and was a perfect hiding place for the smuggler and privateer who plied these waters while trying to escape and hide from the revenue cutters.
What I have just mentioned in the preceding paragraph should make a treasure hunter’s ears stand up. This island was not a refuge for smugglers and pirates only; it also was a refuge for the early settlers of Mere Point on the mainland.The settlers would be driven from the mainland by vicious attacks from the Indians, and they would flee to their blockhouse on Shelter Island. This blockhouse was built for this exact purpose, so you can imagine what you might find on this island in the way of buried treasure; not only artifacts from the early settler days, but also relics from the old days of smuggling and privateering.
The location of Shelter Island is as follows: Take the Harpswell road from Brunswick on Route 1 and proceed about half way down the Harpswell Neck, then go to the northern side of the shoreline. There you will see Shelter Island just off shore. The Author has never been over to the island, but has seen it from a distance. It looks very inviting as a spot to do some real down-to-earth treasure hunting.
On my trip to Harpswell, I think that I would inquire as to the ownership of this little island, and try to include it in my tour of treasure hunting locations. Here is a nice area for the metal detector and probe to do their work. I think, with any luck at all, you should locate something of treasure value here.
Please check as to trespassing rights before you land here. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I most certainly would check the coves and beaches very carefully, especially any good landing place for a longboat.
On our way down the bay we will find Long Island nestled in between Peaks and Great Chebeague Islands, but don’t sell this island short, as it has a history going back to the sixteen hundreds. The first settlers were here around 1640, so you see we have a background of real early history on Long Island.
The Indians gave special attention to Long Island because of its many fresh water springs. It was, and still is, a delightful place to put on an old fashioned shore dinner. The early settlers and Indians would join together and have a mammoth outdoor shore dinner on this island to celebrate some new trading deal between each other.
There are several nice beaches that should receive your attention when checking with the detector, but, by all means,don’t forget to check the areas surrounding the fresh water springs. The areas leading back from the beaches should be gone over with the thought in mind to watch for the sunken ground locations that could have been the site of old log cabins or vegetable cellars. Many a treasure has been uncovered in a locale such as this.
Stone walls also are a source of buried monies and household valuables. A small metal detector would be just the instrument to use when checking out cellars, walls, floors, old wells, etc. The six-inch loop detector would be perfect for this type of hunting. These small detectors are much more sensitive than the larger ones when seeking small objects. Some of these smaller detectors also will detect through salt water where the larger detector will work only through fresh water. The larger detector, of course, will give you greater depth. I have read where some of these larger instruments will detect a metal object that is five feet long at a depth of twenty feet. This is a super job of metal detection. The type of detector used, of course, has a lot to do with the size of the object that you are searching for. Personally, if I were a novice at treasure hunting, I would purchase a small detector and learn how to operate it before purchasing a larger one. Of course, if you know how to operate a detector, the size will make no difference whatsoever. The Author has a small detector and is now thinking about the purchase of a larger model. The choice of size is strictly up to you. Happy Hunting!
To locate this small island we will follow Route 1 north from Portland until we reach Freeport Village. Here we will make a right turn at the yellow blinker light and follow the signs to Flying Point. When we reach Flying Point we will look offshore across the small bay and there we will see Pettengill Island. There are no inhabitants on this island although I believe it is privately owned.
The Author rowed over to Pettengill and landed on the rocky southwest point. Here I discovered an old iron cleat that had been sunk into a large boulder. The hole in the rock had been hand drilled to accommodate the cleat. Whoever drilled this socket in the hard rock surely worked hard, as Icould see it would take a person three or four hours to drill a hole this deep with a hand drill. What type of boat was moored to this cleat would be anyone’s guess. The cleat was checked as to age and was believed to be about a hundred years old.
There are several open areas in the thick pine groves that could easily be locations for buried treasure. On the easterly side of the island you will find a small cove and perfect beach for landing. Maybe some band of pirates also thought that this cove was a good spot to land and hide a bit of loot. I would go over this cove area very carefully, and as I mentioned, don’t forget the southwest point of the island. I still think you could come up with something at either location. Your iron probe would serve you in good stead, as most of the clearings are covered with pine needles. The probe will push easily through the needles until you reach harder ground. Most of the islands are very rocky, so anything that was buried would not be too deep due to the rocky condition, probably two or three feet deep in the ground.
This large island lies between Orr’s Island and the mainland. You will cross this island on your way to Orr’s Island and Bailey’s Island. It seems to be part of the mainland but actually is not. The name “Sebascodegan” in Indian language means “marshy place and a place for gun-firing.” Thus, the interpretation would mean “a good place for hunting water fowl.”
To reach Sebascodegan proceed the same way as though you were going to Orr’s Island. That is, go to Brunswick and follow the signs to Orr’s and Bailey’s. On the way down the neck you will notice several historic old churches with the old burying ground nearby. Many of the old gravestones have some really interesting epitaphs. It is worth a short stop just to read a few of these.
The first settlers to reach Sebascodegan arrived in the year 1639. The first bridge to the mainland was built in 1839, so you see, you also have some real old history connected with this area of the bay.
Near the end of the Revolutionary War several British privateers were preying on the shipping lanes in and around Casco Bay. One of the most notorious of these sea-going bandits was a “Captain Linnacum.” He was of Scotch descent and commanded a schooner called the “Picaroon.” This pirate captured many luckless coasting boats, and it is said, he buried several caches of loot in and around Sebascodegan Island. Nobody seems to know just where the treasures might be hidden. The many caves and inlets should command your attention. I also would not forget to check the inland areas. In the old days this island was criss-crossed with Indian trails, so you see, anything might be unearthed along some of these old trails. Of course, the trails have long since disappeared, but I would use my detector in general directions leading from the coves to the forests. I would give special attention to river banks and brooks. There has been many a rich find located in the vicinity of a river or stream.
The Brunswick Chamber of Commerce used to put out a regional map of the Brunswick area. This map was a very good job, and it showed many of the islands in the Brunswick area. You might stop and check at the Chamber of Commerce. They may still be able to help you.
Cundy’s Harbor is located on the very end of this island and it would be a likely spot for any pirate to anchor to come ashore. I would not forget to go over this area very carefully with my detector. You could ask some of the natives where the schooners used to land in the old days. I am sure they would be pleased to help you with some information on the subject.
Sailing ship
Some of the treasure hunters that I know really load themselves down with all sorts of equipment. They remind me of a pack mule. You do not have to have a truck load of this hardware on your back. Here I will mention the essential articles you should take along on your next treasure hunting expedition.
First, I would put down on my list a metal detector, of course. Next, I would take a folding Army trench shovel. These can be purchased in almost all Army surplus stores. Next, I would take along my camera, movie or still, and several rolls of film. A permanent record on film can be enjoyed in years to come. The next article to be brought along should be an iron probing bar. You could make your own or purchase one from the metal detector dealer. They are very inexpensive and very valuable on a treasure hunt. If you decide to make your own, just obtain a five-foot length of ¼-inch rolled steel. This may be purchased from any steel manufacturing plant.
Next on the list should be old clothes. Never go on a treasure hunt with your best clothes on. You may have to wade along a breakwater, cross a brook, and who knows what else. I know I got caught by the in-coming tide one day and had to walk along a breakwater up to my hips in the cold Atlantic. Wear a pair of old shoes or canvas loafers. Something you don’t care about and then it will make no difference if they get a salt bath or covered with mud.
Last, but by no means least, take along plenty of lunch, or be sure that the area in which you intend to hunt contains a store or a Maine lobster shop. This Maine sea air will create a terrific appetite.
Best of luck to all my readers.
B.K.
William Willis’ History of PortlandVol. I & IIBailey and NoyesPortland, Maine1885
Forts of MainebyHenry E. DunnackState of Maine Librarian1924
Isles of Casco BaybyHerbert G. Jones1946