The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Keith Ludden

  • Through the middle of the 20th century there were as many as 75 canneries up and down the coast of Maine, providing employment and an abundant food source for Maine and the nation. That included feeding American troops through World War I and World War II. At the sound of the factory whistle, cannery workers came and packed fish, staying on the job until an entire boatload of fish was processed. By the 1970's the canneries we declining, and the last sardine cannery in the U.S., at Prospect Harbor, ME closed in April of 2010. Between 2011 and 2013, Keith Ludden interviewed over a dozen cannery workers who worked in the industry. These interviews can also be found on Oral History & Folklife Research's website - oralhistoryandfolklife.org.

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

Page 1 of 1

Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Cary Lewis The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Cary Lewis captained a sardine carrier, delivering sardines to the canneries on the Maine coast.

 Keith Ludden Southwest Harbor, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Jeanne and Robert Peacock The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Robert Peacock's family operated canneries in Eastport, Lubec and Portland, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Eastport, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Charlie Stinson The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Charles Stinson was the owner of the Stinson Cannery in Prospect Harbor, which was established by his grandfather.

 Keith Ludden Prospect Harbor, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Clarence Suddy The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Clarence "Buck" Suddy helped operate Raye's Mustard Mill in Eastport for many years.  The mill provided the mustard many of the canneries used to can sardines. 

 Keith Ludden Eastport, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Alton West The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Al West was a supervisor at the Stinson Cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Steuben, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Wayne Wilcox The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Wayne Wilcox worked in the shipping room of the B.H. Wilson Sardine Factory in Eastport, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Eastport, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Diana Young The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Diana Young worked as the bookkeeper at the Stinson Cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Prospect Harbor, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Lela Anderson The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Lela Anderson, born on June 6, 1931, in Sullivan, Hancock County, worked at the Stinson Cannery from 1956 for 54 years. She grew up in Corea, Maine, and her mother had also worked at the cannery in the 1940s. Lela's family had a history of involvement with the cannery, as her mother, aunt, and older sister also worked there. 

 Keith Ludden Corea, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Peter Colson The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Willard Colson and his son Peter both worked for the Stinson Sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Southwest Harbor, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Willard Colson The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine

Willard Colson and his son Peter both worked for the Stinson Sardine cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine.

 Keith Ludden Southwest Harbor, ME Oral History & Folklife Research, Inc.
Subscribe to The Last Sardine Cannery - Prospect Harbor, Maine