Great Head, Acadia NP, Maine
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 44° 19.610 W 068° 10.500
19T E 565779 N 4908505
This stamp (one of a set of ten issued in 1934 commemorating America’s national parks) shows a view of the rocky Maine coast known as “Great Head” on Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park.
Waymark Code: WMP2XQ
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 06/19/2015
Views: 5
During the latter part of the nineteenth century, Mount Desert Island in Maine had become somewhat of a summer playground for the rich and famous. The Vanderbilts, Morgans, Astors and other wealthy families all had summer “cottages” built here. With the rise in commercialization, several prominent citizens set about to establish large areas of the island as public lands to preserve their natural beauty. Among these were former Harvard president (and US stamp subject) Charles W. Eliot and George B. Dorr who spent a good deal of his life (and just about all of his fortune) establishing what is now Acadia National Park.
Mount Desert Island received its name from Samuel de Champlain when he explored the area in 1604. It was so named because the tops of the mountains were barren of trees. Champlain established “New France” and the colony of Acadia which at that time encompassed the present day maritime provinces of Canada, eastern Quebec and most of Maine (including Mount Desert Island).
The mountains of Mount Desert Island are the highest along the eastern coast of the United States. The tallest of these is named Cadillac Mountain after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe who called himself “sieur de Cadillac." Antoine Laumet owned the entire island in 1688 and actually lived there for a brief period of time. This is the same Cadillac who is now famous for establishing the city of Detroit which became a leading center for automobile production in the United States. Today you can drive your Cadillac to the top of Cadillac Mountain and while enjoying the view, contemplate the fact that both the car and the mountain are named for the same person.
“Great Head” is the easternmost point on Mount Desert Island and forms the western side of the entrance to Frenchman Bay. There is a hiking trail that goes around the perimeter of the area which is called the "Great Head Trail." The view on the stamp can be seen by scrambling down over the rocks just south of the marker noting the 145 ft. elevation of Great Head.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 2-Oct-1934
Denomination: 7 cents
Color: black
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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