WORKING WATERFRONT • June 2, 2022
Historical societies, libraries, and museums of the Mount Desert Island region have long been assembling evidence of local history in records and artifacts. Through the History Trust, these organizations are now working together to digitize, preserve, and share the results. The idea for the History Trust began to take shape nearly a decade ago when a group of island historical societies, libraries, museums, Acadia National Park, and College of the Atlantic came together seeking to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of Mount Desert Island. Known as Friends of Island History, the group cited inspiration from the leaders of the land conservation movement, particularly those who recognized the importance of caring for the island and sparked the movement to place privately-owned lands into trust that ultimately led to the creation of Acadia National Park.