Klondike Mountain Preserve

Klondike Mountain Preserve. . , Arboretum , Alan Mead started the arboretum at Klondike Mountain in 2016. A naturalist with a special affection for trees, he got others involved in planting and taking care of the trees you will find planted here. He even grew seedling trees, of which many were oaks, and sold them at events to raise money. Soon, many were sponsoring trees in memory of loved ones, as you will read on the plaques that identify the species planted here. Each year, people check on the health and progress of "their" trees and help to maintain the arboretum. , Alan passed in 2018 at the age of 88, but his hopes for the arboretum live on. His ashes were spread beneath the trees by a loving family; he will always be here and will always be a part of this special place. One very dry year, a man, who was never identified, came often to water thetrees. We hope that others will reach out in their own way to further Alan's dream and help keep the arboretum healthy!, [ Photos: ] , Above: Alan and a volunteer install the Klondike Mountain Preserve Sign , Below: Sunset at the summit!, History , In 1897, Mr. Charles Fisher and Reverend Prescott Jernegan came to Lubec looking for a way to make a quick buck. They claimed that they could extract gold from seawater, and founded the Electrolytic Marine Salts Company. The two hired 100 workers to convert an old grist mill into their plant, and the following spring they sunk 240 "accumulators" into Cobscook Bay to collect gold., While they claimed that the high tides and rapidly flowing waters of the Lubec Narrows were perfect for their process, they likely set up shop in Lubec due to its remote location. When investors from New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut came to inspect the process, Fisher and Jernegan duped them by diving into the bay at night and planting gold in the accumulators. The two men were so successful in attracting investors that that they began construction of a second plant with the help of over 700 laborers, mostly Italian immigrants who had been working on a rail line in Machias. In July of 1898, as word spread that all was not well at the plant, Jernegen and Fisher fled the area and were never prosecuted for their deception., Prior to ownership by DCC, the property which now comprises the Klondike Mountain Preserve was owned by the Blanch family. In the Blanch family for over 100 years, the pasture supported the family's dairy farm. At one time, they had as many as 100 head of cattle and other livestock., Fowler's Mill Pond trail features stands of mature spruce, white pine, big tooth aspen, cedar, fir and birch, and skirts the shore of Fowler's Mill Pond., Klondike Mountain Trail traverses ledge outcrops. At the summit, ground juniper, wintergreen, mountain cranberry, stunted conifers, and a variety of lichens are abundant and the views are beautiful!, [ Preserve Guidelines were not transcribed. ]