The island takes its name from two brothers; namely, Clement and John Orr, who in 1748 bought the greater part of the island for two shillings an acre. The brothers originally came from the north of Ireland.
Here on Orr’s the treasure hunter will find at the north end of Long Cove a small cove that is known as “Smuggler’s Cove.” Orr’s Island is probably the best known island in Casco Bay. In the old days a rickety old wooden bridge was built by the settlers to connect the island with the mainland, and it was really living dangerously to go over this ancient structure. This old bridge has now been replaced by a modern causeway.
On the Island of Orr’s many Indian attacks were repulsed by the early inhabitants. If you are real careful when searching with your detector, you should find Indian relics or artifacts that were buried by the sea-going population of the 1700’s. Many a three- and six-masted schooner sailed in and out of the harbor at Orr’s Island. Who knows what pirate ship visited this area in the dark of night with maybe a contraband cargo?
In this area I think that I would check every little cove and inlet very carefully. Most anything might be found hidden along the shores and, also, near some of the old dwelling sites. A good check along the roadway to and from the island might reveal a hidden article. Especially check both sides of the roadway and work back a ways from the edge of the road about twenty or thirty feet. The old road did quite a bit of curving as it wound its way to the island. These curves have been eliminated to a great extent with the building of the new road. As I mentioned, if you grid the area well back from the road, you have an excellent chance of discovering some by-gone article. It could be a pewter mug, buckles from shoes, gold coins and who knows what else?
Take your metal detector and ply the ocean side of the island. This section seems most likely to have been populated by the seaman, smuggler, pirate or what have you. It may be, that during trading and making business deals with each other, the seaman could have lost some coins in the dirt to be buried over and lost for hundreds of years. Also many of the natives, no doubt, kept their savings in the private caches buried from sight at the rear of their cabins.
Another likely area to check out would be the area where the old ferry used to dock. The ferry ran from Orr’s Island to Bailey’s Island. If you wanted to take the trip you signaled the ferryman by lowering the flag that was flying high on the tall flagpole. The ferry would proceed across the narrow passage of water known as Will’s Gut. The fare was fifteen cents to Bailey’s Island, but to return to Orr’s Island, it would cost you twenty-five cents.
The sea trip from Portland to Orr’s Island by the island steamers of Casco Bay is a journey to remember. You, of course, can reach Orr’s Island by automobile via a road that swings down to Orr’s from Brunswick, Maine. When you reach Brunswick just follow the signs and soon you will be on the “Island of the Pearl.” Good hunting to you.
CHAPTER XXII
HARPSWELL NECK
This long neck of scenic beauty is a close neighbor of Orr’s Island. It lies to the north, northwest and can be reached by auto via the rotary traffic circle at Brunswick, Maine.
Many stories and tales have been written about Harpswell, some fact and others legend. Each has its own place in American literature. Located on the east side of the Harpswells is the site of the Skolfield Shipyard. This yard was the birthplace of many rugged sea-going vessels. Some were three masted and others six. These full-rigged ships sailed into practically every seaport along the Atlantic Coast. A visit to this site will be worth your time. The next stop on our tour of Harpswell might be the old meeting house where the early settlers held their town meetings and discussed the Indian problem. The area near the meeting house would be a good hunting ground for your detector, but please don’t forget to secure trespassing rights before you proceed with your search.