Native American History of Hulls Cove

Native American History of Hulls Cove

Long before European settlement, the land around Hulls Cove and Breakneck Stream was used for thousands of years by First Nation shell-fishers, part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. These Indigenous peoples traveled from Waukeag (now Sullivan and Sorrento) across Frenchman Bay, then followed what is now Breakneck Road, which served as a cross-island trail, to reach key seasonal sites.

This trail branched in two directions — one leading to Fernald Point in what is now Southwest Harbor, and the other to Manchester Point in present-day Northeast Harbor. These were major locations for shellfish gathering and village life. Traveling overland using this trail was often easier than canoeing through the bay’s strong southeasterly winds.

Prior to the intertribal fur trading wars of the early 1600s, this region, including Mount Desert Island and Waukeag, was part of the eastern lands of the Abenaki Confederacy of Mawooshen, which extended as far west as Cape Neddick.

The area near the current sculpture garden, especially Breakneck Stream, was a vital source of freshwater. It likely served as a seasonal camp and gathering place due to its strategic location and access to the sea.