1898-1900
Picnicking in Camden
Enjoying the fresh air in a picturesque Maine village
Sept. 1900
Grace G. and Grace Parker row on Lake Megunticook.
Image: Camden Public Library
These snapshots are from the personal collection of Theresa Babb, the wife of the treasurer of the Knox Mill in Camden, Maine.
One of the most picturesque coastal villages in midcoast Maine, Camden emerged as a bustling town in the mid-1800s, with mills fed by the current of the Megunticook River and shipyards along the harbor producing up to a dozen ships annually.
Toward the end of the 19th century, Camden became a summer leisure destination for wealthy families from as far away as Washington, D.C., and Chicago. These “summer people” built sprawling vacation homes around the town, which they called cottages.
These photos, now in the collection of the Camden Public Library, capture Babb’s family and friends enjoying numerous rustic pursuits around Camden, hiking to the summit of Mt. Battie, boating on Lake Megunticook and picnicking on the rugged, rocky shore.
1900
A picnic at Sherman's Point, Camden.
Image: Camden Public Library
1900
A picnic at Sherman's Point in Camden. Theresa Babb is seated in front.
Image: Camden Public Library
c. 1900
"Camping crowd at Ogier Point."
Image: Camden Public Library
October 1899
A group on Maiden's Cliff.
Image: Camden Public Library
Aug. 17, 1898
Friends and family of Theresa Babb perched on a ladder by the Summit House swing above Camden.
Image: Camden Public Library
July 1900
A group of family and friends of Theresa Babb having a picnic on Ogier Point.
Image: Camden Public Library
August 1898
Four friends of Theresa Babb sit on the porch of the Summit House on Mt. Battie.
Image: Camden Public Library
July 1900
Family and friends of Theresa Babb having a picnic on Ogier Point.
Image: Camden Public Library
September 1900
Grace G. and Grace Parker at Lake City on Megunticook Lake.
Image: Camden Public Library
1898
Children at Lake City on Megunticook Lake.
Image: Camden Public Library
August 1899
Children play at Lake City on Megunticook Lake.
Image: Camden Public Library
1900
Emmie Fountain sits on the ledges at Ogier Point.
Image: Camden Public Library
c. 1900
Friends and family of Theresa P. Babb at the shore in midcoast Maine.
Image: Camden Public Library
Aug. 17, 1898
A woman and child at the Summit House on Mt. Battie.
Image: Camden Public Library
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