One of the most prolific of all American holidays likely had its genesis on the shores of Maine, more than 169 years before the United States became a country and nearly 213 years before Maine won her statehood.
On July 31, 1607, more than a dozen years before pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, two ships arrived at the mouth of the Kennebec River, filled with colonists from England who sought to settle in the New World.
The Phippsburg site of the Popham Colony. Courtesy of NBC
Two ships, The Gift of God and The Mary and John made landfall at what is now known as Popham Beach in Phippsburg. Over 120 men and boys stepped onto the rocky coast of the North American continent and began carving out a homestead on the seaside of Maine’s wilderness.
They elected George Popham as their colony leader and set up fortifications of tall fences and built cabins within the protective walls of the fort.
These colonists harvested lumber to build a new vessel to transport resources, furs and other commodities back to England. The ship was to return from its delivery run with necessary goods and additional settlers to grow the colony.
Local harvests of berries, roots, and game as well as seafood — caught right at the shore — augmented the salt, flours and grains brought from England for the baking of breads and fermenting of mead.
Mussels, clams, crab, lobster and fish from the surrounding waters provided ample supplies of fresh seafood while gardens, foraging and hunting rounded out the dietary needs of these immigrants. These pioneers also had made friends with local natives as colonists continued to build their new settlement.
Native neighbors Nahandiia and his wife Skidwares both welcomed these English settlers, and their teaching allowed these colonists to better use the land and render better harvests from the sea.
By November, 1607, the colonists’ settlement had progressed well and was nearly ready to weather its first Maine winter. The ships The Gift of God and The Mary and John were about to return to England, and nearly half of the colonists — who came only to build the settlement — were ready to return to England.
The colonists had much to be thankful for and organized a feast to celebrate to welcome their new friends and say goodbye to old friends who were returning to Europe. These colonists invited Nahandiia and Skidwares, and Nahandiia’s brother Casshabaes, and his friend Amenquin, as nearly 130 people gathered there on the Kennebec for this feast of Thanksgiving.
The special harvest of lobster, fish, berries, wild game, breads and vegetables adorned the handmade tables, set with the foods and drink of the feast. Many prayers and speeches were delivered and special thanks were offered to all, with particular praise given to God.
The next day, both The Gift of God and The Mary and John lifted anchor, set sail and slowly slipped from sight, as their journey back across the Atlantic was hastened before the start of winter weather.
The rest of the story is one of hard work, courage and the struggle to survive a brutal New England winter. Sacrifice, sickness and death was an endured hardship for these English colonists. Yet, despite the harshness of winter, these settlers worked daily to cut firewood, to hunt and fish for fresh food, and to build a new ship — a pinnace they called the Virginia.
The Bath-built replica of Maine’s First Ship, The Virginia, under sail. Courtesy of Maine’s First Ship
By spring 1608, after their leader George Popham had died, these settlers had had enough. When The Mary and John returned from England with fresh supplies for the colony, the decision had already been made. The colonists would sail back to England on The Mary and John and on their own ship, the first Maine-made ship, The Virginia.
Although their time at Popham was brief, their story lives on today as a legendary first in New England history and as a first in early American history.
In 1918, The New York Times issued an article where they declared that the first Thanksgiving did not take place with the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620, as most had generally believed, but was instead held at the Popham Colony in 1607.
In 1985, President Ronald Regan delivered a declaration, a Proclamation of Thanksgiving, where he mentioned that this first Thanksgiving celebration was held on the shores of the Kennebec, at the Popham Colony, in Phippsburg, Maine.
Today, a replica of America’s first ship built by these settlers, Maine’s own Virginia, is on display in the City of Ships, Bath.
And thus, right here on the rocky coast of Maine was born a true American tale, a legendary “first ship of Maine” and one of the most original of our Stories from Maine.
Lori-Suzanne Dell is a Brunswick author and historian. She has published four books and runs the “Stories from Maine” Facebook page.