The business of baskets


Lucy Nicolar Poolaw and Bruce Poolaw, Indian Island ca. 1940

Lucy Nicolar Poolaw and Bruce Poolaw, Indian Island ca. 1940
Item 104441   info
Maine Historical Society

Lucy Nicolar (1882-1969) was a nationally-known performer and businesswoman. She was part of the Penobscot Nation, and grew up on Indian Island. Her father was Penobscot leader and author, Joseph Nicolar.

Nicolar, a mezo-soprano, performed as “Princess Watahwaso” and recorded with Victor Records. Lucy Nicolar met and married Bruce Poolaw, from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, while traveling across the country performing as “Indians” at wild west shows and on the theater circuit.

When the stock market crashed in 1929, Nicolar returned home to the Penobscot reservation with her husband Bruce. Together, they opened Chief Poolaw's TeePee in 1947, a store that featured Penobscot artwork.

Josie Moriarty selling baskets, Indian Island, ca. 1930

Josie Moriarty selling baskets, Indian Island, ca. 1930
Item 104440   info
Maine Historical Society

Basketmaking was an economic cornerstone for the Penobscot Tribe. Tribal members traveled to sell their baskets, and set up storefronts like this one, where Josie Moriarty worked.

Indian Encampment at Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ca. 1900

Indian Encampment at Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ca. 1900
Item 78949   info
Mount Desert Island Historical Society

This stereoview of an Indian encampment on the shore of Frenchmen's Bay, Bar Harbor shows a Native American family and their temporary summer homes. These villages were common to the Mount Desert Island area during the summer months prior to the 1920's. At the Indian encampments, the Wabanaki came to the shore from Orono, Old Town, and Penobscot County tribal lands to fish, clam, and sell their handmade goods and guiding services to summer visitors. Men and women of the tribes are shown in the photo along with boats and canoes used for fishing and transportation.

Lucy Nicolar and Mary Ranco, Indian Island, ca. 1900

Lucy Nicolar and Mary Ranco, Indian Island, ca. 1900
Item 105027   info
Maine Historical Society

Lucy Nicolar (1882-1969) was the daughter of Penobscot leader and author, Joseph Nicolar, and the great granddaughter of Lt. Governor John Neptune. She became a professional singer, performing on stage in traditional regalia, blending opera arias with Wabanaki songs.

Lucy Nicolar Poolaw was a life-long advocate for Native people. She, her sister Florence, and others in the community worked to raise educational standards for Penobscot children, persuaded the state to build a bridge to Indian Island, and demanded suffrage for Wabanaki people, who were denied the right to vote by the State of Maine until 1967.

Mary Ranco (born 1885) from the Penobscot Nation, first married Joseph Sapiel and later, Byron Spencer. She was an accomplished basketmaker and raised eight children.

Wabanaki encampment, Bar Harbor, ca. 1887

Wabanaki encampment, Bar Harbor, ca. 1887
Item 80702   info
Maine Historic Preservation Commission

Tents behind Ells’ Store in the Bar Harbor Indian encampment when it was situated along Eddy Brook between the shore and Eden Street, from around 1887.

Wabanaki Indians (especially Passamaquoddies and Penobscots) came to Mount Desert Island seeking relief from the confines of reservation life, along with the economic opportunities presented by a popular resort. For them, the island was a familiar place long frequented by their ancestors for fishing, hunting, and gathering. No longer able to survive solely on the old lifeways, Wabanakis began to market their traditional arts, crafts, and canoeing skills to rusticators who visited their tented encampments. At its peak, in 1885, Bar Harbor’s summer Indian village at the foot of Holland Avenue was home to 250 Wabanakis.

The location of the Bar Harbor Indian encampment shifted over the years in response to real estate development and the Village Improvement Society’s concerns about the safety and sanitation of the makeshift village. The greatest number of images of the encampment were made when it was situated shoreside at the foot of Bridge Street, just east of the bar.

Wabanaki encampment, Bar Harbor, ca. 1890

Wabanaki encampment, Bar Harbor, ca. 1890
Item 80705   info
Abbe Museum

This postcard shows the Wabanaki sale tents at the southeast end of Ledgelawn Avenue in Bar Harbor during the 1890s.

Wabanaki Indians (especially the Passamaquoddies and Penobscots) came to Mount Desert Island seeking relief from the confines of reservation life, along with the economic opportunities presented by a popular resort. For them, the island was a familiar place long frequented by their ancestors for fishing, hunting, and gathering and the rusticators who vacationed there provided a new opportunity to earn a living while remaining true to their heritage.

Wabanaki guides with canoes, Bar Harbor, 1881

Wabanaki guides with canoes, Bar Harbor, 1881
Item 80729   info
Abbe Museum

This image shows Wabanaki guides with birch bark canoes and guns ready to guide sport hunters and sightseers at the Bar Harbor shore, 1881.

Many Wabanaki men at the Bar Harbor encampments made themselves available as guides to take summer people in canoes for sightseeing, fishing, or hunting. This was one of the many ways that the Wabenaki earned their annual income to support their families.

Wabanaki family inside tent, Bar Harbor, ca. 1885

Wabanaki family inside tent, Bar Harbor, ca. 1885
Item 80721   info
Maine Historic Preservation Commission

This half of an albumin stereograph depicts a Wabanaki family inside their tent at an Indian encampment in Bar Harbor around the turn of the century.

When resorts started opening near areas where the Wabenaki had formerly set up summer encampments, they continued to set up near their usual sites but took to engaging with the tourists by offering guided tours, and selling a variety of items to tourists as a means of income for the tribe. Upon careful inspection one can see some the of items for sale, including a seal skin, deer antlers and a selection of baskets.

Sylvia Stanislaus, Lincoln, 1936

Sylvia Stanislaus, Lincoln, 1936
Item 33718   info
Lincoln Historical Society

Sylvia Stanislaus, who was known as the Native American First Lady of Lincoln, is shown on her 100th birthday.

Born in 1836, she was married to Stephen Stanislaus at age 18. He was governor of the Penobscot tribe for eight years and was known as one of the best river-drivers on the Penobscot River.

Sylvia lived all her married years in Lincoln. For 43 summers she spent the season at Rye Beach, New Hampshire, selling her handmade baskets. A large celebration was held in honor of her 100th birthday, with many well known friends traveling a great distance to attend. Sylvia died in on March 20, 1938.

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