![]() ![]() This did not sit well with the idyllic visions that Maine wished to offer to tourists, and the moral turpitude mainlanders accused them of, only fanned the flames of outlandish and moralistic newspaper accounts. The residents of Maine accused the islanders of incest, feeble mindedness, and passing on inferior genetics. The talk of Malaga, though, went beyond casual bigotry. One headline of The Bath Enterprise in 1902, described the living conditions on Malaga Island, and the residents as “Not Fit For Dogs-Poverty, Immorality and Disease…Ignorance, Shiftlessness, Filth, and Heathenism…A Shameful Disgrace that Should Be Looked After at Once.” As the islands of Casco Bay were bought by entrepreneurs, Malaga remained a community untouched, one filled with “degenerates”, as many newspapers during early 20th century described the residents. During Victorian times, hotels and resorts along the Maine coast became the premiere location for the rich to escape the summer heat. This was a time where Maine was becoming the “vacationland” that we know today. Resting at the far eastern edge of Casco Bay, Malaga was ripe for development. ![]() This struck moral indignation in the people of Maine. The residents were of varied lineages such as blacks, Scottish, Irish, Yankees, and Portugese, and although many couples were not legally married, they lived in as families. Tar paper shacks were erected on the island, same as any other part of Maine. Those who took up residence on Malaga Island were poor, and their life was hardscrabble but, according to researchers, it wasn’t much different than the mainland. The shell beach on Malaga Island, and lobster traps kept on the island. As a community of mixed races, it drew the attention of those opposed to miscegenation, and Mainers with a bigoted view. At the height of Malaga’s population, 42 individuals lived here, and it was set up like any other fishing village along coastal Maine.īut Malaga was different. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was common to have squatter island groups off the coast of Maine, surviving on what little they could eke from the sea. Eventually, a small community of squatters developed, making a living on fish and lobster. Sources disagree about who settled the island first, with Henry Griffin or Benjamin Darling cited as the founder of this community neither of them ever owned the island. It was named for the Abenaki word for cedar and was inhabited in the mid-19th century. In a state where there are over 4,600 islands off its coast, it is easy to pass by without second glance. Malaga Island is located at the mouth of the New Meadows River and now owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Unpopulated and overgrown by brush, this island hides a dark truth of Maine’s history, a tragic chain of events spurred by the racist “science” of eugenics married with political corruption. One can find serenity on Malaga, a striking contrast against its grim past. There is a significant absence of life on this small, 40-acre island, save for vegetation and chattering red squirrels, which belies the fact that a small fishing community once resided here. Lobster traps are stacked on the beach, spruce trees tower high, set against the azure sky. The cold green waters of the Gulf of Maine lap against the shore of Malaga Island. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates.The western shore and channel between Malaga and Bear Island. ![]() You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Year should not be greater than current year ![]() Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Sorry! There are no volunteers for this cemetery. GREAT NEWS! There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos You may not upload any more photos to this memorial ![]()
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