Old Farm Point Shorefront Park

Old Farm Point Shorefront Park. . , Welcome to Old Farm Point, where you can experience a working hay field and consider the importance of marine resources to the past and present of this community., The fish and shellfish of Cobscook Bay have been part of the livelihood of local residents for thousands of years. The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) has been one of the most important species harvested and processed around Cobscook Bay. By the 1960s overfishing caused herring stock to decline dramatically. Since then, careful management of the fishery has restored populations to a healthy level. , Today, wild-caught Atlantic herring is considered a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations., Processing herring has been a part of the economy in Lubec for generations. Harvested from boats and weirs along the shore, herring were originally preserved by smoking. By the mid-1800s, the smoked herring business employed almost every male resident over the age of 10 in Lubec., In 1880, the first sardine (small herring) cannery was built in North Lubec. By 1900, 23 sardine factories had been constructed in Lubec, supported by can factories. Men, women, and children all worked in the factories when demand for workers was high. , Because availability and demand for smoked and canned herring fluctuated, the economy of Lubec was a bit of a rollercoaster. More significant change came in the late 2oth century. The last cannery closed in 1990 and the last smokehouse in 1991. Today, lobster and shellfish are the focus of Lubec's fishing industry., Here at Old Farm Point, land that has been farmed for generations is being managed for a combination of recreational use and farming. Hay is harvested every summer, and the land is kept open, a window into what most of the area would have looked like 100 years ago., [ Photo Captions, top going clockwise ] , - Harvesting herring from a weir, ca. 1935. , - View of Lubec from North Lubec, 1928. , - Miller Family Smokehouse, Lubec, ca. 1920, located in the Brownville section of Lubec. , - Sardine Factory, North Lubec Me., early 1900’s. , - Old Farm Point Shorefront Park