Raye's Mustard factory in Eastport, Maine
The last remaining stone-ground mustard plant in the United States. #MarketplaceAPM
Raye's Mustard - 2016 Food Producer of the Year
The Raye family has been milling mustard for four generations. In 1900, J. Wesley Raye, a 20-year-old sea captain’s son, founded the business in the family smokehouse to make mustard sauce for Maine’s burgeoning sardine industry. While Maine’s sardine industry died off, Raye’s Mustard adapted to changing tastes to produce small batch blends. Its signature yellow mustard, Down East Schooner, has won numerous gold medals in the Worldwide Mustard Competition in recent years.
In 2006, Karen and Kevin Raye bought the business from his cousin and have grown the company from three mustards to now over 25 different varieties. The Raye’s attribute the award to their 6 full time and 4 seasonal employees. “This is truly an all hands on deck company. Our employees take great pride in their work and we’re grateful for their dedication,” said Karen Raye.
Raye’s All Natural Stone Ground mustard is made in the last remaining stone ground mustard mill in North America and Raye’s Historic Old Stone Mill still stands as a working museum. This has helped Raye’s Mustard gain national attention and notoriety including being featured on Oprah, Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart television shows. In 2016, Raye’s Mustard was featured in Google’s Economic Impact Report, a state-by-state economic impact of Google. The Google report notes that “with on-line purchases now accounting for 25% of overall sales, the Raye’s relaunched their e-commerce website twice, using Google Analytics to figure out what netted the best results.”
Karen Raye is First Vice President of the MGFPA Board and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. Kevin Raye, served four terms in the Maine Senate and President of the Maine Senate. The Raye’s are active community supporters in the City of Eastport and in Perry where they reside.
0010 maine places walking eastport
The native Passamaquoddy Tribe has called this area home for at least 10,000 years. Some archeologists estimate the habitation at 20,000 years.[5] The first known European contact was the St. Croix colony founded by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. Near present-day Calais, the unsuccessful Saint Croix Island Acadia settlement predates the first successful English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, by three years. On June 25, 1604, Champlain and his men spent a long and severe winter on St. Croix Island with no fresh water and diminished supplies. Two-fifths of the men died of scurvy, and the colony moved across the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal in present-day Nova Scotia.[6]
Fishermen and traders visited the area in the 17th century. Moose Island was first settled in 1772 by James Cochrane of Newburyport, Massachusetts, who would be joined by other fishermen from Newburyport and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On February 24, 1798, Eastport was incorporated as a town from Plantation Number 8 PS by the Massachusetts General Court, and named for being the easternmost port in the United States. Lubec, on the mainland, was set off and incorporated as a town on June 21, 1811.[7]
From 1807 to 1809, the town was a center of extensive two-way smuggling during the Embargo Act imposed by President Thomas Jefferson. In 1809, Fort Sullivan was erected atop a village hill, but it was captured by a British fleet under command of Sir Thomas Hardy on July 11, 1814, during the War of 1812 as part of the initiative to establish the colony of New Ireland. England claimed that Moose Island was on the British side of the international border which had been determined in 1783. Nevertheless, the town was returned to United States' control in 1818. The boundary between the U. S. and Canada in the area remained disputed until settled by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842.[8] Eastport is the location most recently occupied by a foreign country in the contiguous United States.[9]
In 1833 Eastport was the second largest trading port in the country after New York City.[9] Farms produced hay and potatoes. Industries included a grain mill, box factory and carding mill. But the island's economy was primarily directed at the sea. With tides of about 25 feet (7.6 m), Eastport's spacious harbor remained ice-free year round. The first sardine factory was built here about 1875. The population grew with the emergence of the sardine fishery and related canning businesses, which studded the shoreline by the end of the 19th century. By 1886, the town contained 13 sardine factories, which operated day and night during the season, and produced approximately 5,000 cases per week. About 800 men, women and children worked in the plants.[10] Eastport would be incorporated as a city on March 18, 1893.[8] But the fishing industry would decline, and many people moved away. Indeed, the city went bankrupt in 1937. In 1976, the Groundhog Day Gale destroyed many structures along the waterfront. Today, catching fish remains the principal industry, although tourism has become important as well.[11]
Eastport is a port of entry. An international ferry crosses to Deer Island, New Brunswick, during the summer months. Each 4th of July, the city becomes a destination for thousands of celebrants. Navy ships have docked there during the 4th of July celebration for many years. Eastport celebrated its bicentennial in 1998. Each September, the city hosts the annual Maine Salmon Festival in the historic downtown district.[12]
Eastport and Passamaquoddy Bay, 1839, by William Henry Bartlett
Washington Street c. 1905
Water Street in 1906
Elm Street in 1909
Nite Show Highlight: The Honorable Kevin Raye
He was a State Senator representing Washington County and left the Senate after serving as Senate President to run for Congress. He is also synonymous with Raye's Mustard - his family's famous mustard mill in Eastport. Kevin Raye made his first appearance on The Nite Show and in this highlight, talked about President George HW Bush - a man who certainly knew a thing or two about Maine after spending so much time in Kennebunkport.
See former Sen. Raye's thoughts HERE, and then catch FULL episodes of The Nite Show with Danny Cashman Saturday nights at 11:30 on WABI TV 5/Bangor; Saturday nights at 10:30 on FOX 23/Portland; Saturday nights at midnight on WAGM FOX 8/Presque Isle; and Saturday late night at 1 a.m. on WGME CBS 13 / Portland!
Maine last ferry July 18th at Eastport, Maine
Well Marcia is at work tonight so I have now officially started on the video of our Nova Scotia trip, almost have day one finished. Taking a little break and I thought of our little ferry ride coming back to the states. We took two ferries to get to Maine. This is a clip of the last ferry just looked interesting, and I thought I would throw it out there, there will be more in the video. Wow how time has flown.
Happy Crab Eastport Maine
Whether you're a local or just visiting, be sure to stop by the Happy Crab on Water Street in Eastport.
Music by Derek & Brandon Fiechter. Drone video shot by Jim Howard.
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Old Jail Transformed Into Grist Mill
The old Somerset County Jail in Skowhegan is being transformed into a grist mill and a center for promoting local agriculture. News 8's Steve Minich reports.
Vortiscope in Eastport, Me
via YouTube Capture
Eastport, Maine Breakwater Update Washington County, Maine VISNET.TV
Geno Spoke with Dan The Man Veno who Is overseeing the breakwater construction in Eastport Maine for CPM Construction.
The forecast is for completing the breakwater in 2017. CPM is in the initial stage of a 4 stage process. Find out more at Watch full interview
check the live link to watch the channel on line 24/7 Downeast Maine is streaming online
EASTPORT, Maine — A $14.95 million reconstruction of the Eastport breakwater, a portion of which collapsed in December, has begun.
“One of the first things they had to do was move a winter’s worth of snow,” Chris Gardner, Eastport Port Authority executive director, said Friday.
A large portion of the deteriorating 400-foot-long L-shaped breakwater and pier collapsed on Dec. 4, injuring one man, sinking one boat and damaging others. The reconstruction project is expected to take 18 to 24 months.
Gardner hopes tourists will be interested in coming to see the reconstruction project instead of staying away because the facility is closed.
“We’re intrigued by construction,” he said. “It’s not about what we’ve lost. It’s going to be about what we’re getting.”
The breakwater and pier, which are owned by the city and managed by the Eastport Port Authority, are vital to the local economy, providing deep-water berthing for cruise ships, cargo vessels, fishing boats, yachts, and U.S. Navy and Coast Guard boats.
Because the structure also protect’s Eastport’s inner harbor and marina, it’s referred to as a breakwater.
It was built in 1962 and expected to have a 20-year life. In 1982, an engineering review determined the breakwater to be in good condition and an addition was completed in 1985, Gardner said.
But in 2010, officials began to push for a plan to rebuild the structure as it began to show signs of wear. In 2012, a failure on the north side of the facility focused attention “like a laser” on the need for refurbishing.
“We recognized we were on borrowed time,” Gardner said.
The port authority received a $6 million federal grant along with $7 million from the state for the reconstruction project. Another $2 million will come from the income of the Eastport Port Authority.
Gardner said the breakwater collapsed just 12 to 14 days after the port authority put the redesign and reconstruction project out to bid.
“If we had started this the morning of the collapse, we’d be four years from getting the money together,” Gardner said.
In 1962, the facility was built using sheets of metal that were pile driven into the harbor floor to create boxes that were filled with stone and dirt. Then the top of those boxes was paved over, creating a driveable surface and parking area, according to Gardner.
But over time the sheet metal corroded, which led to interior parts of the breakwater collapsing in December, dumping the rocks and dirt into the inner harbor.
The construction project also will use composite materials in place of steel in some parts. Composites, made mostly of plastic, don’t rot or rust, Gardner said.
“The fishermen have essentially scattered, mooring their boats in various locations throughout the region.
“I have to give great kudos to the fishermen,” Gardner said, adding they “went to work to come up with their own solutions.”
From The Bangor Daily News
By Johanna S. Billings, BDN Staff
Jack Traps Factory Retail Store Tour - December 2012
Tim Jackson gives a tour of the Jack Traps Factory Retail Store in Monmouth, ME. jacktraps.com
How it's made Toothpicks
A toothpick is a small stick of wood, plastic, bamboo, metal, bone or other substance used to remove detritus from the teeth, usually after a meal. A toothpick usually has one or two sharp ends to insert between teeth. They can come in both wood and plastic, and can also be used for picking up small appetizers (like cheese cubes or olives) or as a cocktail stick.
American wooden toothpicks are cut from birch wood. Logs are first spiral cut into thin sheets, which are then cut, chopped, milled and bleached (to lighten) into the individual toothpicks.[1] Maine used to be the leading producer of toothpicks for the United States. The last wood toothpick plant in Maine closed in 2003.[2] Plastic toothpicks, also called dental pics, are still made in America in Georgia, by Armond's Manufacturing. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a dental pic in lieu of a wooden toothpick to clean one's teeth, as they clean more effectively and one does not risk injuring your gums.
Dr. Peter Repole - Dentistry on Cobscook Bay
How one couple is serving the community from a one-operatory practice in their Eastport, Maine home.
Gov. Paul LePage - Westbrook Town Hall
Gov. Paul LePage held a Town Hall meeting to promote his new tax scheme, Moving Maine from Poverty to Prosperity. It was held in Westbrook, Maine, on 11 February 2015.
Taste of Maine Restaurant Osprey Cam
Osprey Cam
Eastport, Maine - The Adventures of Pat and Penny
The continuing adventures of Pat and Penny - this time in Eastport, ME, America's easternmost community. It's directly across the bay from Campobello Island where FDR vacationed.