Capitol Island in Boothbay Harbor in Lincoln County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)

Bringing the Town Closer Together

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

— The Museum in the Streets —

Bringing the Town Closer Together Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024

1. Bringing the Town Closer Together Marker

Inscription.
Luther Maddocks is credited with the idea of building a footbridge across the harbor in the late 1800s. The townspeople approved a warrant to build the bridge in 1901 with a fifteen-year bond issue of $1,500. Maddocks was the contractor, supplying cannery workers to do the construction. Completed in June or July, it was 885 feet long, seven feet wide, and had a 75-foot draw. To operate the swing section, a man inserted a long bar into a cogged mechanism and cranked the bridge open as he walked around in a circle pushing the bar. This allowed boats to pass through to reach businesses such as Bishop's Granary. The footbridge was wrecked in the Great Freeze of 1918 as January temperatures plummeted to 30 degrees below zero. The town needed to pay $550 to repair the damage.

C'est Luther Maddocks qui a l'idée de construire une passerelle entre les deux berges du port dans les années 1890. En 1901, les habitants approuvent un emprunt de 1 500$ étalé sur quinze ans pour la construction de la passerelle. Maddocks en est l'entrepreneur et fournit des employés de la conserverie pour la construction. Terminée en juin ou juillet,

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elle mesure 270 mètres de long, 2,10 mètres de large, avec un pont tournant de 23 mètres. Pour faire fonctionner la partie mobile, un homme insère une longue barre dans un rouage denté et ouvre le pont en avançant de façon circulaire tout en poussant la barre. Cela permet aux bateaux de se rendre aux entrepôts comme la minoterie Bishop. La passerelle est gravement endommagée lors du gel extrême de 1918 lorsque les températures de janvier chutent à moins 35 degrés Celsius. La ville doit dépenser 550$ pour la réparer.

Erected by The Museum in the Streets. (Marker Number 8.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts.

Location. 43° 51.097′ N, 69° 37.606′ W. Marker is in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in Lincoln County. It is on Capitol Island. It is at the intersection of Townsend Avenue and Bridge Street, on the right when traveling north on Townsend Avenue. Located next to the Boothbay Harbor footbridge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5 Oak St, Boothbay Harbor ME 04538, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024

2. Bringing the Town Closer Together Marker

this marker is in Midcoast Maine.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Memorial Day Parade on the Bank Square (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); An Enduring Tradition (about 400 feet away); Up the Street and Down (about 400 feet away); A Checkered Past (about 400 feet away); A Lovely Spot for a Hotel (about 400 feet away); Preserving a Business Dynasty (about 400 feet away); Veterans of Boothbay Harbor (about 400 feet away); Along the Waterfront in 1885 (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boothbay Harbor.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 177 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 20, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.