Moosabec history and culture is different from
other coastal Maine communities in some respects and commands interest far
beyond the local area. Local residents and scholars outside Maine have shown
interest in the following themes which will have permanent exhibits and
dedicated library resources at the Center. The library will include books and
video tapes, as well as house oral history collections as they develop for the
region. The Center will initially be open throughout the summer, and for
events and by appointment in the Winter. The primary Moosabec Center library
themes are:
Tall Barney Beal lived on Beals
Island from his birth in 1835 to his death in 1899. This Downeast fisherman,
according to legend, stood approximately seven feet tall and possessed
enormous strength. The tales of Tall Barney's exploits are celebrated in
innumerable books and magazine and newspaper articles. Richard Dorson of
Indiana University, in his book Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the
United States, likens Tall Barney to Beowulf, Hercules and Samson.
These folktales from Downeast are a part of the folklore curriculum in
colleges and universities across the country. Tall Barney is buried in the
Beals Cemetery next door to the land donated by the Town of Beals for
construction of the Center. Perhaps 50 percent of the residents of Beals and
Jonesport are descended from Tall Barney. A statue of Tall Barney will
ultimately be placed in the middle of the Moosabec Center courtyard. Local
resident and author, Velton Peabody, has published a book on Tall Barney
folklore and has donated its publishing rights to the Beals Historical
Society. The book will be on sale at the Center to support its development.
Basketball, many would say, put
Beals Island on the map. In the 1950s, Beals High School, with a total
enrollment averaging 30 students, won three state small school basketball
championships. The teams took boats over from the island to the mainland to
play games. It is believed that the success of the Beals basketball teams at
tournaments in Augusta and Bangor shed light on the need for a bridge to the
mainland. It is not surprising that soon after the teams’ successes, in
1958, a bridge was built. While the bridge has improved access, it has also
changed the community and has hastened the shift away from fishing and
traditional industries. Since consolidation in 1969, Jonesport-Beals High
School basketball teams have continued their winning ways.
Boat-building has a long tradition
in the Moosabec area, dating from the earliest settlement in the late 1700s.
The design of the Beals Island-model or Jonesport-model lobster boat
originated here and its impact on today's Maine lobster fleet is recognized
the length of the coast.
