Lubec, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lubec, Maine
Town
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and Quoddy Narrows, with Grand Manan Island, Canada, in background
Flag
Lubec, Maine Location in Maine Show map of Maine Lubec, Maine Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Washington
Incorporated	1811
Area
• Total	78.38 sq mi (203.00 km2)
• Land	33.25 sq mi (86.12 km2)
• Water	45.13 sq mi (116.89 km2)
Elevation	62 ft (19 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,237
• Density	37.20/sq mi (14.36/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	04652
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-41610
GNIS feature ID	0582570

Lubec (pronounced loo-BEK) is a small town in Washington County, Maine, United States. It is special because it is the easternmost town in the mainland U.S. This means it's the closest part of the continental United States to Africa!

In 2020, about 1,237 people lived in Lubec. The town is also home to Quoddy Head State Park, a beautiful natural area.

History of Lubec

Lubec is located on a piece of land that sticks out into the water, like a finger. This land overlooks a harbor that never freezes, which was great for ships. People first settled here around 1775.

Becoming a Town

Lubec was originally part of a nearby town called Eastport. But on June 21, 1811, it became its own separate town. It was named after Lübeck, a city in Germany.

After the War of 1812, people in Lubec did a lot of smuggling. They secretly traded goods like gypsum. However, the main jobs in town were still agriculture (farming) and fisheries (fishing).

By 1859, Lubec had a place to make leather (a tannery). It also had three gristmills, which grind grain, and nine sawmills, which cut wood. By 1886, the town also had places to build ships and boats. There were even people who made sails for boats.

The Gold from Seawater Scam

From 1897 to 1898, something unusual happened in Lubec. A man named Reverend Prescott Jernegan and his partner, Charles Fisher, started a company. They claimed they could get gold from seawater using special machines. This was a big trick, or "swindle."

Many people invested their money, hoping to get rich quickly. Jernegan even bought an old mill to make it look like a real factory. But in the summer of 1898, the work stopped. Jernegan and Fisher disappeared, and newspapers across New England reported the fraud.

Population Changes Over Time

Lubec had the most people living there in the 1910s and 1920s. At that time, over 3,300 people called Lubec home. Since then, the number of people living in Lubec has slowly gone down. By 2020, the population was 1,237.

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  General view around 1910

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  War monument in 1908

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  Bank Square around 1908

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  Lubec in 1973

Geography of Lubec

Lubec is located in the northeastern part of Maine. It sits on a peninsula that reaches into Passamaquoddy Bay.

Easternmost Point in the U.S.

One of the most interesting facts about Lubec is that it's the easternmost town in the mainland United States. The very tip of this eastern point is called West Quoddy Head.

At West Quoddy Head, you can see the Quoddy Narrows. This is a narrow waterway between Canada and the United States. It's one of the ways ships can enter Passamaquoddy Bay.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

To help guide ships through these waters, the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse was built. There has been a lighthouse here since 1808. The lighthouse you see today, with its famous red-and-white stripes, was built in 1858.

Connecting to Canada

Lubec is connected to Campobello Island, which is in New Brunswick, Canada. They are linked by the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge. This bridge makes it easy to visit Canada from Lubec.

Other Interesting Places

• Lubec Channel Light

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  West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

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  Center of Lubec as seen from Campobello Island

Bay of Fundy International Marathon

The Bay of Fundy International Marathon is a special running race. It takes place between Lubec, Maine, and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada. There is also a shorter 10K race that stays entirely within Lubec.

The Race Route

The marathon starts at the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. This is the easternmost point in the United States. Runners then cross the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge into Canada. They run until they reach another lighthouse, the Head Harbour Lighthouse. Then, they turn around and run back to Lubec.

History of the Race

The first Bay of Fundy International Marathon was held in 2013. More than 500 runners took part in it. This race brought a lot of visitors and money to the area. In 2014, fewer runners participated. This was partly because many runners chose to compete in other big marathons that year.

Climate in Lubec

Lubec has a climate with mild summers and cold winters. It's generally a bit colder than you might expect for a coastal town at its latitude. However, the nearby Atlantic Ocean helps keep the winters a little milder than in some other inland towns. The weather in Lubec is similar to that of nearby Eastport.

Population of Lubec

In 2010, there were 1,359 people living in Lubec. About 14% of the residents were under 18 years old. The average age in town was 54 years old.

Education in Lubec

Students in Lubec attend the Lubec Consolidated School. This school is part of Maine School Administrative District #19.

Notable People from Lubec

Many interesting people have come from Lubec, including:

• Myron Avery, a lawyer and explorer
• James Henry Carleton, a major general in the U.S. Army
• Hazel Marion Eaton, a daring performer who was a shallow diver and long-distance swimmer
• Albert Brewer Guptill, an author and photographer
• Sumner Pike, who worked for important government groups like the Atomic Energy Commission
• Doris Pike White, an investment banker and leader of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Hopley Yeaton, a ship captain known as the "Father of the US Coast Guard"

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Lubec (Maine) para niños