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

Preserving the Catch

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024

1. Preserving the Catch marker

Inscription. The Harbor's east-side cold storage plant, known as the "Freezer," was built here in 1919 on the site of an earlier sardine cannery. The five-story main building measured 100 feet by 65 feet. By 1925, it was a fully operational cold storage facility for fish and also manufactured artificial ice. According to a Register article in August 1943, "The Boothbay Freezer is generally believed to be the best ice manufacturing plant on the New England Coast." Production was hampered during the war years, how- ever, by an acute shortage of labor. An official of the company stated in the same article, "We have six men, but we need fifty more; and we have about thirty-five women and girls when we could use a hundred and thirty-five." The factory was completely destroyed by fire in 1978.

Sur la partie est du port, l'usine de réfrigération de poissons appelée << le congélateur >> est construite en 1919 sur le site d'une ancienne sardinerie. Ce bâtiment de 5 étages mesure 30 mètres de long sur 20 mètres de large. Il est opérationnel dès 1925 pour réfrigérer le poisson et fabriquer de la glace artificielle. Selon un rapport d'août 1943 << le congélateur de Boothbay a la réputation d'être ce qui se fait de mieux sur la côte de Nouvelle Angleterre dans la fabrication de glace artificielle >>. Toutefois, le manque drastique de main d'œuvre pendant les années de guerre ralentit fortement la production. Dans le même article un responsable de l'usine note << nous avons six hommes, il nous en faudrait cinquante de plus et nous avons environ trente-cinq femmes, mariées ou non, là où il nous en faudrait cent-trente-cinq >>. Un incendie détruit l'usine en 1978.

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The Museum in the Streets. (Marker Number 18.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 43° 50.816′ N, 69° 37.43′ W. Marker is in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in Lincoln County. It is on Capitol Island. It is on Atlantic Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 73 Atlantic Ave, Boothbay Harbor ME 04538, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, 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: Diversity on the Waterfront (within shouting distance of this marker); The President Comes to Town (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Tourist Boom (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fueling the Harbor Community

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024

2. Preserving the Catch marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Along the Waterfront in 1885 (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Checkered Past (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Nautical Heritage (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cuckolds Fog Signal & Light Station (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boothbay Harbor.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 21, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.