"Penobscot and Passamaquoddy families from Indian Island in the Penobscot River, occupied land on both sides of Ocean Avenue at Cape Arundel every summer for almost 50 years. The Rancos settled first near Picnic Rocks in 1878. The Mitchells set up camp on Emery Point the following year. Both families later camped at the mouth of the Kennebunk River along with the Shays, the Neptunes, and the Nicolas, who first came in the summer of 1882. At first, they lived in tents but as time went on they built more permanent wooden structures. They made a good living making and selling sweetgrass baskets for the tourists. Louis Francis and Joseph Ranco, both Old Town Penobscot Indians, made birch bark canoes every summer near Government Wharf. Ranco is credited for making the first canvas canoe and patenting several canoe improvements over the years. Thanks to Joseph Ranco, Kennebunkport was considered a canoe-making center in the early-1900s. 'Indian Village' was torn down by landowner John Peabody in 1936." - Sharon Cummins
"John S. Peabody is pulling down the last wooden tent-like building that remains of the large colony of Indians that once occupied the land on both sides of Ocean Avenue ... About 58 years ago, the two families [the Mitchells and the Rancos] settled themselves at the mouth of the river on land owned by the late Henry Peabody and now owned by his son, and each year the colony grew larger and larger as the Shays, Mitchell, Rankos, Neptune, and Nicola families came here for the summer from Old Town and returned there in the winter. They built canoes, gathered sweet grass made beautiful baskets, and did a flourishing business for many years ... The coming of the motorboat and the automobile put an end to the safety and interest in canoeing for many, and gift shops with foreign wares took the place of simple and native handcraft." - Kennebunk Star - April 24, 1936
Bibliography:
Indigenous Peoples Day 2019 post by Sharon Cummins for the Kennebunkport Historical Society
Indian Village at K'Port No More - Last of Tribe Buildings Razed This Week - Kennebunk Star, 4/24/1936
