Barbara Dyer: The humble beginnings of the Lobster Festival
It was advertised as "all the lobsters you can eat for a dollar." But that was in the good old days and not at the Rockland Lobster Festival of today. There was also a parade, a ballgame, door prizes and a dance in the Post Office Square in Camden.
It has been going on for a number of years, but Camden held the first one in 1947. It seems that someone had heard that one was held in Pictou, New Brunswick, Canada. So, E. Hamilton Hall and Henry Bickford left for a trip there to learn more about the event. It sounded so good that they met with lawyer, Charles Dwinal, to form a social corporation. Officers elected were: Earl Fuller, President; Clinton Lunt, vicepresident; E. Hamilton Hall, secretary; Henry S. Bickford, treasurer. The directors were Earl Fuller, Clinton Lunt, E. Hamilton Hall and Henry S. Bickford.
Its purpose was "to conduct an annual festival for the citizens of Camden and Rockport, Maine; to assist in publicizing the products of coastal Maine, and devote any incidental profits which might be realized from its activities to such public uses or organized charities as the board of directors shall direct."
They swore to it and their bylaws contained nine articles. With that, the first Lobster Festival was launched. Then the Camden Herald confirmed the rumors heard around town. The first one was held Aug. 16, 1947 in the Bean Yard and the Steamboat wharf areas.
Some thought the slogan should be "Claws across the Border" because Pictou had given it up and Camden was raring to go.
Canada called its the "Lobster Carnival" but because Camden had a winter carnival, the town preferred to call it a "Lobster Festival”.
The Committee wanted to let the people enjoy all the lobsters they wanted for $1, but there had to be a slight stipulation. You could take two lobsters home or anywhere for that price, but if you planned to spend the day eating lobsters, it had to be at one sitting. They served a total of 11,960 pounds of lobster in a matter of hours, until the supply ran out.
Prof. Robert P. T. Coffin ate 10 large lobsters, one after another.
Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith, had contacted Fleet Admiral C. W. Nimitz to see if one or more naval vessels could be in Camden Harbor for the occasion. Admiral Blandy, Atlantic Fleet Commander, ordered a submarine chaser control ship to Camden for the festival.
No, they did not prefer to have a "Queen", because Camden and Rockport had so many "beauties."
So they chose four Camden girls and four Rockport girls to be "hostesses", (with one extra just in case). Camden had Prudy Weaver, Eleanor Brown, Myrna Curry, Sylvia Gundersen and Joan Connelly. Rockport girls selected were Joan Thurston, Marie Bowden, Arlene Daucette and Esther Hall.
Well, 10,000 people showed up, and we had a parade with the Camden High School Band in their grey pants and red-fitted jackets with gold braid on the shoulders, a contingency of sailors from the USSS PC 582, the pretty hostesses in white dresses with red lobsters on them, Camden Hills Theater group in their Hamlet costumes and Perry Greene with his Chinook dog teams. Of course there were jeeps and fire engines, too.
Camden-Rockport gave it up after the first year, but Rockland carries on, with one of the largest summer events. Now you know the humble beginning.
Barbara F. Dyer has lived in Camden all her life, so far.
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