Businesses and Professions on Mount Desert Island

Businesses and Professions on Mount Desert Island

part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project
of
V. F. Thomas Co. - P. O. Box 400 - Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
info@vfthomas.com - 207-266-5748

(updated 22 November 2011)

Welcome to the Businesses and Professions on Mount Desert Island home page, part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project.

Purpose of this web page: The purpose of this web page is to present information about businesses (other than hotels, which have their own web page) and professions, primarily through the mid-1900s, on Mount Desert Island. Entries are grouped by category, and references in parentheses are to advertisements in local newspapers. To view the advertisement, click on the newspaper citation.

How to contribute: All information (including images) should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to MDI Businesses and Professions, c/o V. F. Thomas Co.; P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.

Bar Harbor

Barbers, Hair Dressers, etc.
   A. F. Smith - under the Agamont Hotel
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   G. L. Goodwin - at the Rodick House
      advertisements: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, The Daily Herald, 6 July 1886

Boats
   Pendleton & Murphy - Steamboat Wharf
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Jacob Suminsby - Central Boat Wharf
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Clothiers
   Jas. A. Robinson & Son - Bunker Block (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)

Contractors and Builders
   Asa Hodgkins & Sons - Main Street and West Street, near Steamboat Wharf (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
   A. E. Lawrence - Cottage Street (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
   Goddard & Hunt (also architect) - (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
   W. A. Jordan - residence: Cottage Street, opposite Andrew Rodick's Hotel
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Doctors
   Dr. Rogers - office in Bradley Block, Main Street; residence: corner of Mount Desert Street and Holland Avenue
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Drug Stores
   S. D. Wiggin & Co. - Bradley Block, Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Dry Goods
   Des Isle & Brewer - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Higgins Brothers - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Mrs. U. G. Hodgkins (also fancy goods) - 105 Cottage Street (Bar Harbor Record, 5 October 1904)

Groceries
   A. B. Smith - near the head of Conner's boat wharf
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Des Isle & Brewer - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Higgins Brothers - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   J. E. Berry - opposite Rockaway House
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Samuel E. Head & Co. - Main Street, under the Agamont Hotel
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   George H. Tenney & Co. - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Hardware, Stoves, etc.
   Green & Reynolds - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Horses and related equipment and services
   Berry Brothers - Cottage Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Charles B. Pineo - Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   F. P. Richards - Cottage Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   Samuel E. Head - Main Street, under the Agamont Hotel
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Insurance
   Charles C. Burrill - No. 1, Bradley Block, Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   DeGrasse Fox (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)

Jewelry and Watches
   Frank P. Moore - Bradley Block, Main Street
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Landscaping and Nurseries
   The Mount Desert Nurseries - Schooner Head Road
      advertisement: Bar Harbor Record, 21 March 1900

Miscellaneous
   Udall - opposite Grand Central Hotel, Main Street
      advertisement: The Daily Herald, 6 July 1886

Newspapers, Printing, etc.
   Mount Desert Herald
      1881 (July 14): first issue - "Unannounced by any extended prospectus, we present herewith the first number of the Mount Desert Herald. It is designed to be a permanent newspaper; and will do its level best to set forth the advantages, attractions and interests of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, and the region of country immediately surrounding. ... Without intruding upon any one's private affairs, we wish to present from week to week as full and particular accounts as possible of the very many improvements now in progress in our village, and to this end we desire all possible information." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 2, col. 1)
      1881 (July 14): cost - "Single Copies of the Herald may be obtained at the office of publication, and at the store of Albert W. Bee, Main Street, Bar Harbor. Mr. Bee will keep a supply of back numbers always on hand." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 2, col. 1)
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881
   The Daily Herald
      1886 (July 6): first issue - The subhead reported this paper to be "a summer journal of Mount Desert news"
      advertisement: The Daily Herald, 6 July 1886

Newspaper Agents
   Albert W. Bee (also in Southwest Harbor)

Real Estate
   DeGrasse Fox (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)

Tailors and Seamstresses
   Pineo & Berry - opposite Rodick House
      advertisement: Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881

Mount Desert

Bakeries
   Northeast Harbor Bakery - Northeast Harbor
      Shirley P. Graves, proprietor

Cobblers
   Lewis Somes - Somesville

Dentists
   G. W. Anderson - Northeast Harbor

Drug Stores
   Small, Staples & Co. - Northeast Harbor

Dry Goods
   Smith's Dry Goods - Northeast Harbor

Groceries
   Kimball's - Northeast Harbor

Restaurants
   unnamed? - Howard E. Abbott, proprietor; "A new dining room at Beach [sic] Hill, by Mr. Howard E. Abbott of Tremont, was opened on the 4th inst. A band of music was in attendance. This restaurant is located between Carter's Nubble and Beach [sic] Hill Mountain, within three minutes walk of either. The proprietor is always ready to furnish guides and will do everything to render a trip to these peaks pleasant and agreeable." (Mount Deset Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3, col. 1)

Southwest Harbor

Automobile Dealers and Garages
   Moore's Garage - see Southwest Harbor Motor Company
   Southwest Harbor Motor Company - Clark Point Road
      "Moore's Garage was built in 1918–19. R. M. Norwood was the builder. On Saturday, January 21, 1933, at about 4:30 P.M. an explosion occurred in the rear of the garage and in an instant the flames were filling the wooden building, which was entirely destroyed with about fifty cars stored there. Excellent work by the fire department saved the buildings on either side. As soon as the debris could be cleared away a new company was formed, the Southwest Harbor Motor Company, with J. E. Wass and his two sons as the active partners and the present brick structure [as seen on 2 January 2011] was erected and ready for business when the next season opened." [from page 158 of Traditions and Records: Southwest Harbor and Somesville (1938) by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton]

Tremont