Eastport*

Eastport is a city in Washington County.

History
The Passamaquoddy Tribe has called this area home for at least 10,000 years and as many as 20,000 years according to many archeologists.The St. Croix colony, near Calais, predates Jamestown by three years. The first naval battle of the American Revolution occurred just off what is now Machiasport. Moose Island, on which Eastport is located, was occupied by the British army from 1814 to 1818, when the border between the United States of America and British North America was finally agreed upon.During the nineteenth century, the port of Eastport was a major shipping center for the United States, rivaling the port of New York in the 1850's. The lumber, stone and fish that were exported and the numerous commodities imported created a lively schooner trade up and down the east coast.This prosperity enabled an increase in recreational pursuits, such as weekly concerts, community theater, grand balls and cakewalks, and community athletic events. These live on today in the annual four-day July Fourth festivities, Salmon Festival, Pirate Festival, Yacht & Boat Races, Theatre Productions, Arts Events, Kayaking, Biking, Sailing, Baseball and in the community-wide interest in the high school basketball teams.

This region was the birthplace of the sardine industry.The tides in this area, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, are the greatest in the United States. Tides reach 25 feet or more during storms. These tides were to be harnessed for electric power in the failed Passamaquoddy Tidal Power Project of the 1930's. The Quoddy Maritime museum on Water Street has a working model of the dam on display.Passamaquoddy and Cobscook Bays are teeming with unique animal life both above and below the water. It is commonplace to see whales playing in harbor in the summer months while eagles soar overhead. There are moose and deer everywhere. Every now and then a bear will find its way into town. This has contributed both to the area's historic fisheries and its present aquaculture industry.The proximity of Maine and New Brunswick ports encouraged a smuggling trade from the late eighteenth century on.