BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A Portrait of Chebeague

Chebeague was settled in the 1730s and is now a part of the Town of Cumberland. When North Yarmouth was divided into smaller towns in 1820, Chebeague Islanders had the choice of affiliating themselves with either of the two new towns of Yarmouth or Cumberland. They chose Cumberland because, at that time, the closest landfall was Cumberland Foreside, a much easier sail than to Yarmouth Village, up the often icy Royal River.

Chebeague is one of fourteen remaining year-round island communities in the State of Maine. It has its own school (kindergarten and pre-school through grade 6), while sending junior and senior high school students to attend classes in the Town of Cumberland. It boasts its own volunteer fire and rescue squads, public safety building, town garage, solid waste transfer station and recycling center, health care center, church, cemetery, post office, 14,000 volume library, boatyard, Grange Hall, community hall, hotel, recreational facilities, stores, community organizations, and everything else one would expect to find in a small community.

Approximately 300 people live on Chebeague year-round, while the summer population swells to about 1,850. Fishing is the single major industry on Chebeague. Non-fishing families support themselves by providing the goods and services needed by both the year-round and the summer communities. Between 25 and 50 people (depending on the season) commute to various mainland occupations. Chebeague is also home for many retired people, some of whom are in ill health.

Historical boundaries and routes of access are usually just that: Historical, firmly rooted in time and tradition. What makes Chebeague Island perhaps unique in regards to public access is that a relatively recent event has re-defined how people get to and from Chebeague Island. That event is the building of the Cousins Island Bridge in 1955.

Chebeague Island Census Data

The United States Census of 1900 indicated approximately 500 people living on Chebeague. However, due to an oversight in counting the West End of the Island, the figure is probably closer to 600 year-round residents. With the decline of the stone sloop and resort hotel industries, the population also declined to approximately 300, a level which has remained relatively constant since World War II. In terms of year-round population, it is safe to say that the bridge to Cousins Island (1955) has had little impact upon the number of people on Chebeague.

Over the past twenty years, the year-round population has fluctuated between 294 and 340, with the height occurring in 1980 when household size was also at its highest.

Summer population, which is not measured by the United States Census, has been estimated to be approximately 1,850 people (Source: Donna Damon).

For more information, call CTC at 207-846-3700 or send e-mail to: ctc@nlis.net.

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