SHELTER ISLAND
"Shelter Island," as you pronounce the name, it sounds almost like
"Treasure Island" of Robert Louis Stevenson fame. It not only sounds
like it, but this island comes as close to "Treasure Island" as any
island in the entire bay. We don't seem to read or hear too much about
this small island in the very middle of Casco Bay. It is more or less
hidden from the open sea and was a perfect hiding place for the smuggler
and privateer who plied these waters while trying to escape and hide
from the revenue cutters.
What I have just mentioned in the preceding paragraph should make a
treasure hunter's ears stand up. This island was not a refuge for
smugglers and pirates only; it also was a refuge for the early settlers
of Mere Point on the mainland. The settlers would be driven from the
mainland by vicious attacks from the Indians, and they would flee to
their blockhouse on Shelter Island. This blockhouse was built for this
exact purpose, so you can imagine what you might find on this island in
the way of buried treasure; not only artifacts from the early settler
days, but also relics from the old days of smuggling and privateering.
The location of Shelter Island is as follows: Take the Harpswell road
from Brunswick on Route 1 and proceed about half way down the Harpswell
Neck, then go to the northern side of the shoreline. There you will see
Shelter Island just off shore. The Author has never been over to the
island, but has seen it from a distance. It looks very inviting as a
spot to do some real down-to-earth treasure hunting.
On my trip to Harpswell, I think that I would inquire as to the
ownership of this little island, and try to include it in my tour of
treasure hunting locations. Here is a nice area for the metal detector
and probe to do their work. I think, with any luck at all, you should
locate something of treasure value here.
Please check as to trespassing rights before you land here. It's better
to be safe than sorry. I most certainly would check the coves and
beaches very carefully, especially any good landing place for a
longboat.