Island Falls Facts

Teddy Roosevelt first visited Maine as a teenager in 1872, traveling by train to Dexter, then by stagecoach to Greenville to explore the Moosehead Lake region. He first visited Island Falls in 1878, staying with guide William (Bill) Sewall and Wilmot Dow. These early trips were formative, and Roosevelt later wrote that he “owed a personal debt to Maine” for the friends he made there. Throughout his adult life, Roosevelt returned to Maine’s wilderness for rest, recreation, and inspiration.

The Maine Legislature and the Civil War Centennial Commission renamed the mountain to honor Private George Foster Robinson (August 13, 1832 – August 16, 1907), a local Civil War hero from the 8th Maine Volunteer Infantry who saved Secretary of State William H. Seward from an assassination attempt in 1865. Because that act was not directly against an enemy in battle, Congress honored Robinson with the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

In 1909, Grozier sent gold-headed ebony canes to 700 towns in New England, with the request that they be presented to the oldest male citizen of the town. The cane was to be used by the recipient for as long as they lived, and upon their death, it would be passed to the next oldest citizen. Nowadays, the Boston Post Cane Award is a cherished tradition that continues to honor the oldest residents of New England Towns, regardless of gender. Island Falls recipients: Alice Leavitt • Herbert Mathers, Sr. • Wilson Foss Palmer • Mildred Cameron Kennard • Frank Dudguay • Nancy Sewall Cunningham • Gertrude White Spearin • Helen Mitchell Sherman • Talmadge Strait • Mary Erskine Palmer • Clara Cambell Hathaway • John Webb. The 2026 recipient is Merylene Ryan at the age of 92.

George Hartwell Donham’s family moved to Patten and then to Island Falls in the mid 1850s. George was deeply involved in town affairs. He held the office of town clerk for 35 consecutive years, was elected postmaster, and served as a trial justice and deputy sheriff. George was responsible for our unique stone jail house. This 1911 building was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 2019.

Ted Hunt was a well-known character in Island Falls. He played baseball at Island Falls High School during the 1930s and was famously known as the baseball player from that era. After attending the Bangor, Maine, School of Commerce (later known as Husson College) Ted enlisted in the US Army to join the fighting in World War II. He was part of the 13th Airborne Division. By the time of his discharge in 1945, the 26-year-old had been awarded four Bronze Service Stars for his contributions.

The Opera House was originally called Pettengill Hall, after the owner Columbus L. Pettengill. The clothing store and barber shop were on the first floor, while the second floor hosted everything from town meetings, church services, and religious revivals to vaudeville shows, high school plays, and graduations. Around 1907, a huge rear extension was added for residential quarters and extra business space, and it was quickly expanded into a four-story wing by 1909. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Opera House transitioned heavily into entertainment. It became a premier local cinema, screening silent films before transitioning to modern “talking pictures” as jobs boomed at the local tanneries and starch factories. Closed in 1960s, the Opera House sat vacant for decades, although it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Local resident Chris Hartin purchased the Opera House in 2020 and operates the building as a pub and eatery, as well as an AirBnB.

The entire celestial event lasted for 2 hours and 19 minutes, and the spectacular peak moment of complete darkness unfolded on a precise afternoon timeline.

2:21 PM EDT: The partial eclipse began as the moon first touched the edge of the sun.
3:31 PM EDT: Totality officially began, plunging the town into sudden, eerie darkness.
3:33 PM EDT: The eclipse reached its absolute maximum depth.
Duration of Totality: Island Falls experienced a lengthy 3 minutes and 18 seconds of total darkness—making it one of the best viewing spots in the entire state.
3:35 PM EDT: Totality concluded, and the sky began to brighten back up.

The event was a multi-day festival with viewing parties, educational programs, and live entertainment. The peak viewing location in the northeast was Island Falls, so hundreds of people arrived in our small town to experience the eclipse. They were not disappointed, because the weather was perfect, and the sky was completely clear.

Located at 1027 Crystal Road, the William Sewall House is a Greek Revival-style home that was built in 1865. It is celebrated historically for its deep connection to a young Theodore Roosevelt. Long before his presidency, Roosevelt regularly stayed at the house as a guest of his lifelong friend and wilderness guide, William Wingate Sewall. Today, the home is in the hands of Sewall’s descendant Donna Sewall Davidge, who has operated it as the Sewall House Yoga Retreat since 1997. The retreat has won numerous awards and consistently is listed by media outlets as a top 10 yoga retreat in the United States. The William Sewall House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.