Acadia National Park

Sieur de Monts

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Pioneers of preservation


Acadia National Park


Initially designated as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916, Acadia was the first National Park established east of the Mississippi. This serene wilderness was created via private lands gifted to the public through the efforts of conservation-minded citizens. It stands as a testament to our collective ability to preserve beautifully wild places for future generations to come.

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A Brief History of Acadia

Early History


Acadia's story can't be told in a few sentences.  The striking scenery and diverse resources of Mount Desert Island have attracted people for thousands of years and many people have called this place home.


The first known inhabitants were Native Americans over 5,000 years ago, utilizing the abundant resources of the forests and coastal waters for hunting and gathering.


Some of the nations call Mount Desert Island 'Pemetic', which has remained at the center of the Wabanaki traditional ancestral homeland and territory of traditional stewardship responsibility to the present day.

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A Brief History of Acadia

European Exploration

By 1604, the French had their first recorded contact with the people of Pemetic. The island became known to the world in the late 1800s, when artists depicted its beauty in paintings. The rush to experience Mount Desert Island, and the desire to protect its lands, had begun.


"Sieur de Monts" was the title given to Pierre Dugua, a French Explorer and nobleman who came to Mount Desert Island.

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A Brief History of Acadia

Pioneers of Preservation

Though the wealthy sought this area in search of homestead and vacationing for others, a big reason for why we have the park today can be thanks to them. While Charles Eliot is credited with the idea of the park, George B. Dorr was the tireless spokesman a conservation who spent a majority of his life advocating for preservation of Acadia.


By 1901, Dorr and others established the Hancock Country Trustees of Public Reservations, whose sole purpose was to acquire and preserve land in the area for the use of the public. Dorr decided to offer the land to the federal government and continued to do so until the creation of full national park status in 1919.

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A Brief History of Acadia

The Snowball Effect


Dorr's life mission became centered around preserving this area. He decided to name the nearby spring after Pierre Dugua, the French settler. Hence, how we arrived at initially designating this beautiful wilderness as "Sieur de Monts" National Monument.


Support for preserving this area snowballed. From John D. Rockefeller Jr. who personally acquired 11,000 acres and financed the 57 mile carriage roads and stone bridges .  


With these devoted preservationists putting the land first, we now can enjoy Acadia for the centuries to come thanks to those that paved the path (literally).

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