Tag Archives: historian
Legendary Boat Builder Ralph W. Stanley of Southwest Harbor has passed away
Ralph Warren Stanley, 92, died unexpectedly Dec. 7, 2021, at Mount Desert Island Hospital. He was born Feb. 9, 1929, in Bar Harbor, the son of Chester W. and Bertha E. (Robinson) Stanley. Ralph graduated from Pemetic High School, Class of 1948. After graduation, he attended Ricker Jr. College, where he obtained an associate degree in business. After college, he worked as ship’s hand for Captain Neil Peterson on the Niliraga owned by Gano Sillick Dunn, and after Mr. Dunn’s death he became captain of the Niliraga for Mrs. Florence Montgomery. In the winters, he was often found building fishing boats for area fishermen. Some of these are still in use. >click to read< 07:14
In 1895 a historian urged us to modernize our fish products and speed them to market
Lawyer, judge, historian and essayist — and son of Port de Grave — Daniel Prowse must surely have been smacking his lips when he wrote about our seafood in a concluding portion of his 1895 history. It was all about freshness and the abundance we had here and how we could access better markets. The railway, speeding from the east coast of our island to the west coast to meet a fast boat on the southwest corner would make it possible for us to earn big, new money from seafood hungry New Yorkers. Rapturously Prowse wrote: “Frozen cod and most delicious cod’s tongues, fresh every morning, will be transported from our shores!” I will admit that it stretches credulity to pair any judge with the adverb “rapturously,” however, I think it’s fair to say Prowse loved Newfoundland. And he always wanted us to do more and better with what we had. Good read! Read the story here 09:53
