Lynn Fantom explores stories of conservation, history, and women
C O M I N G IN M A Y 2 0 2 7
A book about women—from the rich of Bar Harbor’s summer colony to hard-working locals—and how they saved an island they all loved.
Discover the untold stories of women (1855-1985) who shaped Acadia, the first national park created entirely from individual land gifts.
These trailblazers propelled conservation of land, natural resources, and Native American culture on Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine.
The book features inspiring profiles of 50 women along with archival photographs and paintings by Maine artist Judy Taylor.
Come and explore a place of great beauty preserved by great women, and perhaps you will ask, “What will I do next?”
The Trailblazers
Today Acadia is one of the ten most-visited national parks, with over 4 million visits annually. But do you know the roles women played in creating it?
Clara Barnes Martin
She published the first guidebook to Mount Desert Island, 1867
Eliza Homans
She made the first land donation which included the Beehive, 1908
Kate Macy Ladd
She made the keystone endowment for the Abbe Museum, c. 1926
Helen Dane Pratt
She donated the farm that became Acadia’s Wildwood Stables, 1948
Eleanor Morgan Satterlee
She donated 100 acres, including Sand Beach and Great Head, 1949
Pauline Palmer
She deeded land so the Park Loop Road could be completed, 1955
LaRue Spiker
She fought to preserve Bass Harbor Marsh beginning in the 1970s
Marianne Edwards
She founded the donor-volunteer network Friends of Acadia, 1986