B A C K   T H E N

 

Winter Scene

 

Shay’s Tent

 

Mrs. Florence Nicolar Shay, a Penobscot from Indian Island, Old Town, weaves a basket while minding the seasonal sales tent that she and her husband, Leo, established along Route 1 at Lincolnville Beach. In their first season at this site, about 1930, Florence and Leo and two of their children lived in the back of the tent; in later years they rented rooms in their landlord’s farmhouse, seen in the background.

The tradition of Maine Indians—primarily Penobscots—selling baskets and other handicrafts at coastal summer resorts dated well back into the nineteenth century. In the early 1900s, such seasonal encampments could be found in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and even New Jersey. (The Nicolars had for many years traveled to Kennebunkport.) The Great Depression largely ended this tradition, although a few stalwart souls carried on into the 1960s.

Florence, a master basket maker, was from a prominent family and was a tireless advocate for Native American rights. During World War II she and Leo worked at the Boston Navy Yard while three of their sons served in the armed forces and a fourth was in the merchant marine.
Son Charles, an army medic, landed on Omaha Beach and was awarded the Silver Star and four battle stars, but when he returned to Maine he—like his brothers—was denied the right to vote, an outrage that Florence fought to correct.

Text by William H. Bunting from Maine On Glass. Published by Tilbury House Publishers, 12 Starr St., Thomaston, Maine. 800-582-1899.

Maine On Glass and prints of the photographs are available through the Penobscot Marine Museum: PenobscotMarineMuseum.org.

CONTENTS

Global Lobster Trade

When the Civil War Came to Maine

Editorial – You Watch My Back: Season 40

Uncertainty in Stock Assessments Impacts Harvest Rates

Letter – Commissioner’s Letter on LD575

If Lobster Landings Fall, Profits Could Too

Widely-Used Marine Seismic Gun Negatively Impacts Zooplankton

Hydrographic Surveys in Penobscot and Jericho Bays

Shrimp Fishermen, Shut Out For Now, Weigh in on Future Management Measures

2017 Seafood Throwdown Schedule

DOC Decision May Impact ASMFC’s Ability to Conserve Atlantic Coastal Fisheries

Dept. of Commerce
Picks Council Seats

Where New England’s Catch Goes and Why It Matters

Marine Species Distribution Shifts Will Continue Under Ocean Warming

Given the Right Tools, Fishermen Perform Data Collection

Nicholas Walsh – Fiduciary Duty

Stonington Races: Big Turn Out on a Great Day

2017 GMC Double Cab 4x4 at Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Race, August 12, 2017

24th Year for Stonington Races

Codfather Attempts to Leverage Permits and Boats

NMFS Fishing Vessel Capital Construction Fund Procedure Changes

From Beaches to the Bottom of the Sea, Microplastics Everywhere

Macroalgae Cultivation

The Voice of Safety – Life Saving Technique Easy and Available

Meeting

Life Jacket Project!

Hampton, NH Fisherman Takes Case to US Supreme Court

Groundfishing and Lobstering on the Same Trip

Data Yields Trajectory of Maine’s Coastal Fisheries at PMM

Request for Information on Offshore Oil & Gas Leases

2017 Maine Lobster
Boat Racing Schedule

Lee Wilbur – Learnin’ To Love Fishin’

Classifieds

Book Review – Phillip Barter, Maine Master

Back Then – Shay’s Tent