Agamenticus
Encyclopedia
The Mount Agamenticus region covers nearly 30,000 acres (121 km²) in the southern Maine
towns of Eliot
, Ogunquit, South Berwick, Wells
and York
. It is now a park reservation which provides habitat for wildlife and a venue for recreation.
Mount Agamenticus is also affectionately known as "Big A," the former ski
slope's nickname. Not high as mountains go at 692 feet (211 m) above sea level
, but from its peak on a clear day one can see the skyscrapers of Boston
to the south, Cape Elizabeth and the entrance to Casco Bay
to the north and the Presidential Range
, including Mount Washington
, to the west. Looking out to sea, the Isles of Shoals
- about 10 miles (16 km) off York and Boon Island
- about 6 miles (10 km) from the coast are also clearly visible.
In 1614, Captain John Smith
explored and charted the Gulf of Maine
. Upon returning to London, he presented his record of the New World
, complete with aboriginal
place names, to Prince Charles
, "...humbly entreating his Highnesse hee would please to change their barbarous names for such English, as posteritie might say Prince Charles was their God-father..." He complied, and his choices were featured on the map published in 1616 that accompanied Smith's A Description of New England. On paper, the mountain's Indian
name, "Sassanows," became "Snadoun Hill." But many royal recommendations didn't stick. Instead, the mountain would assume the general name of the York settlement of 1630, the "Plantation of Agamenticus," which itself took the Abenaki
name for the York River
.
According to legend, Saint Aspinquid (sometimes Aspenquid), an Indian
chief, was buried atop Mount Agamenticus in May of 1682. He was born in May of 1588, and after converting to Christianity
, spread the gospel
to tribes across the continent. His funeral, at which 6,712 animals were sacrificed, was attended by hundreds, even thousands, of Native Americans
. A cairn
on the summit stands as memorial to the sachem
, and whoever pays tribute to his soul by adding a rock is assured of luck. But whether Saint Aspinquid was fiction, fact or somewhere in between -- perhaps a fanciful version of real Chief Passaconaway
-- is debated. In the 1881 essay A Winter Drive, Sarah Orne Jewett
remarks that "...I could never trace this legend beyond a story in one of the county newspapers, and I have never heard any tradition among the people that bears the least likeness to it." But the pile of stones, with its promise of good fortune, grows nevertheless.
Nowadays there is a large array of radio masts, a fire tower at the top, and one of the best places for viewing hawk
s in New England
.
Mount Agamenticus can be seen on a clear day from the lookout and the fire control tower at Halibut State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
towns of Eliot
Eliot, Maine
Eliot is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,204 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
, Ogunquit, South Berwick, Wells
Wells, Maine
Wells is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 9,400 at the 2000 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination.-History:...
and York
York, Maine
York is a town in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state. The population in the 2000 census was 12,854. Situated beside the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Maine, York is a well-known summer resort. It is home to three 18-hole golf clubs, three sandy beaches, and...
. It is now a park reservation which provides habitat for wildlife and a venue for recreation.
Mount Agamenticus is also affectionately known as "Big A," the former ski
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
slope's nickname. Not high as mountains go at 692 feet (211 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, but from its peak on a clear day one can see the skyscrapers of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to the south, Cape Elizabeth and the entrance to Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
to the north and the Presidential Range
Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.Mt...
, including Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, to the west. Looking out to sea, the Isles of Shoals
Isles of Shoals
The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately off the east coast of the United States, straddling the border of the states of New Hampshire and Maine.- History :...
- about 10 miles (16 km) off York and Boon Island
Boon Island
Boon Island is a barren piece of land located in the Gulf of Maine 6 miles off the town of York on the Maine coast. The island is approximately 300 by 700 feet in size, and is the site of Boon Island Light, the tallest lighthouse in New England.It was discovered when a coastal trading...
- about 6 miles (10 km) from the coast are also clearly visible.
John Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
explored and charted the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
. Upon returning to London, he presented his record of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, complete with aboriginal
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
place names, to Prince Charles
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, "...humbly entreating his Highnesse hee would please to change their barbarous names for such English, as posteritie might say Prince Charles was their God-father..." He complied, and his choices were featured on the map published in 1616 that accompanied Smith's A Description of New England. On paper, the mountain's Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name, "Sassanows," became "Snadoun Hill." But many royal recommendations didn't stick. Instead, the mountain would assume the general name of the York settlement of 1630, the "Plantation of Agamenticus," which itself took the Abenaki
Abenaki language
The Abenaki language is a dialect continuum within the Eastern Algonquian languages, originally spoken in what is now Vermont, New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts and Maine...
name for the York River
York River (Maine)
The York River is a stream in sout hiwest Maine, United States. It is tidal for over half of its length. It rises at York Pond in Eliot, and conjoined by brooks and creeks, feeds the tidal section...
.
According to legend, Saint Aspinquid (sometimes Aspenquid), an Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
chief, was buried atop Mount Agamenticus in May of 1682. He was born in May of 1588, and after converting to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, spread the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
to tribes across the continent. His funeral, at which 6,712 animals were sacrificed, was attended by hundreds, even thousands, of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. A cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
on the summit stands as memorial to the sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
, and whoever pays tribute to his soul by adding a rock is assured of luck. But whether Saint Aspinquid was fiction, fact or somewhere in between -- perhaps a fanciful version of real Chief Passaconaway
Passaconaway
Passaconaway, a name which translates to "Child of the Bear", was a chieftain in the Pennacook tribe.-Life:One of the key native figures in the colonial history of New Hampshire, Passaconaway was believed to have been born between 1550 and 1570, and is said to have died in 1679...
-- is debated. In the 1881 essay A Winter Drive, Sarah Orne Jewett
Sarah Orne Jewett
Sarah Orne Jewett was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for her local color works set in or near South Berwick, Maine, on the border of New Hampshire, which in her day was a declining New England seaport.-Biography:Jewett's family had been residents of New England for many...
remarks that "...I could never trace this legend beyond a story in one of the county newspapers, and I have never heard any tradition among the people that bears the least likeness to it." But the pile of stones, with its promise of good fortune, grows nevertheless.
Nowadays there is a large array of radio masts, a fire tower at the top, and one of the best places for viewing hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Mount Agamenticus can be seen on a clear day from the lookout and the fire control tower at Halibut State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts
Rockport, Massachusetts
Rockport is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,952 at the 2010 census. Rockport is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula...