Lubec, Maine

Lubec (/luːˈbɛk/ loo-BEK) is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. It is the easternmost municipality in the contiguous U.S. (see extreme points of the United States) and is the country's closest continental location to Africa.^[2]

The town, with a population of 1,237 at the

From 1897 to 1898, the town was the site of a swindle in the sale of stock in the Electrolytic Marine Salts Company, the brainchild of Reverend Prescott Jernegan and Charles Fisher of Martha's Vineyard.^[6] Jernegan claimed to have developed a method of using "accumulators" to get gold from sea water, and bought an old grist mill to turn it into a factory. The scheme attracted an abundance of investors, who were all too eager to funnel money into the company after being promised astronomical returns. In the summer of 1898, work was suspended without explanation. Jernegan and Smith vanished, and the fraud was gleefully exposed by newspapers across New England.^[6]

Lubec reached its population peak in the 1910s and 1920s, hovering a little above 3,300. Since then, the population has generally been in a gradual but steady decline. As of 2020, its population had fallen to 1,237.

• 
  General view c. 1910
• 
  War monument in 1908
• 
  Bank Square c. 1908
• 
  Lubec in 1973

Geography

Lubec is located in northeastern Maine, at 44°51′38″N 66°59′5″W / 44.86056°N 66.98472°W / 44.86056; -66.98472.^[7]

According to the

Lubec is the

Lubec is crossed by Maine State Route 189. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge connects the town to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.

Sites of interest

• Lubec Channel Light

• 
  West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
• 
  Center of Lubec as seen from Campobello Island

Bay of Fundy International Marathon

The Bay of Fundy International Marathon is a marathon between Lubec and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada. A 10K is also organized alongside the marathon. The 10K takes place entirely within Lubec.^[10]

The race begins at

The first marathon was run in 2013. It included over 500 registered runners and was held in June. The race provided significant economic benefits to the area. The 2014 edition featured fewer runners (286 total). The organizers attributed the decrease to the "Boston effect", whereby marathon runners chose other marathons to run in order to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon.^[10]

Climate

Lubec has a

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the town was $20,565, and the median income for a family was $26,098. Males had a median income of $25,170 versus $19,375 for females. The

2010 census

As of the

There were 682 households, of which 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.8% were non-families. Of all households 41.9% were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.58.

The median age in the town was 54 years. 14.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.4% were from 25 to 44; 36.9% were from 45 to 64; and 28.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Education

Lubec Consolidated School belongs to Maine School Administrative District #19. Kenneth Johnson is the Superintendent of Schools.^[14]

Notable people

• Myron Avery, lawyer, explorer
• James Henry Carleton, brevet major general in the U.S. Army^[15]
• Hazel Marion Eaton, daredevil, shallow diver, long distance swimmer, hoop roller, motordome thrill racer – one of the "mile a minute girls". Close friend of Beatrice Houdini
• Albert Brewer Guptill, author and photographer^[16]
• Sumner Pike, member of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, member of the Atomic Energy Commission
• Hopley Yeaton, ship captain, considered the "Father of the US Coast Guard"

Gallery

See also

• Machias, Maine
• Washington County, Maine

References

Further reading

• Joshua M. Smith, Borderland Smuggling: Patriots, Loyalists and Illicit Trade in the Northeast, 1783–1820 (Gainesville, University Press of Florida, 2006)

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Lubec.

• Town of Lubec official website
• Lubec Memorial Library
• West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
• Quoddy Head State Park
• Visit Lubec Maine
• Bay of Fundy International Marathon – held in Lubec, Maine and Campobello Island, New Brunswick