Heading down the coast of Maine we attended a festival celebrating the town's heritage as the site of the first naval engagement of the Revolutionary War, in which Machias patriots captured the Margaretta,in Machias Bay on June 12, 1775.
As history goes the previous winter came to be known as “The Winter of The Clams”. The colonists were starving to death and had nothing to eat but clams dug from the river’s edge. While awaiting the arrival of the Margaretta and her life-saving supplies, the colonists heard of the Battle of Lexington and, legend tells, erected a Liberty Pole in support of their fellow countrymen.
When the captain of the Margaretta arrived, he was incensed at the sight of the pole and threatened to fire upon the town, refusing to deliver the supplies until the pole was cut down. The people of Machias chose patriotism over hunger and attacked first. They captured two companion British ships, the Unity and the Polly, and then jumped aboard the fleeing Margaretta, armed with nothing but pitchforks and other farming tools. They captured the ship and brought its fatally injured captain to the Burnham Tavern, now a local museum.
A mile hike to the heart of town to see the parade gave us some exercise in spite of its small entries. The weather was clear for the festival held up the hill on the UMM campus green. Tents and craft booths were set up with re-enactors dressed in colonial period costumes.
The highlights were watching several carpenters using hand tools for post and beam construction chiseling out mortems, tenets and wooden nails, a bow and arrow maker carve his craft on an oh sage orange branch, salmon cook over an open fire grate, baby goats frolic, and families with young children enjoy the festivities.
Christa purchased a beautiful handmade pine needle basket done by an elderly Indian woman named Morning Star Wolf. It was by far a low key hometown community event, but fun for all who were out enjoying the sunshine on the green. Later in the evening there was a great sunset seen from the campground.
