Hancock County (pop. 54,418) is one of 10 Hancock counties – all named for John Hancock (1737-1793), the early American patriot who is best known today for his signature on the Declaration of Independence.
Hancock County has the longest coastline of any county in Maine. Its economy depends mostly on fishing and tourism – much of the tourism being at Acadia National Park, the first national park located east of the Mississippi River (1919).
Most of Acadia is on Mount Desert Island. Mount Desert is the second-largest island on the east coast of the U.S. (after LongĀ Island).
Cadillac Mountain (elev. 1,528), on Mount Desert Island, is the highest point in the U.S. within 25 miles of the Atlantic coast.
Many wealthy and influential Americans such as John D. Rockefeller, Jr., J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the Astor family have had homes in Bar Harbor (pop. 5,235), on the east side of Mount Desert Island.
The county seat of Hancock County is the city of Ellsworth (pop. 7,741), located a few miles inland from Mount Desert Island.
The Great Fire of 1933 destroyed most of Ellsworth’s downtown and many homes.
The Grand is a former movie theater in downtown Ellsworth that opened in 1938. It’s now a performing arts center for the community.
In the town of Hancock (pop. 2,394) is a large fiberglass lobster, available for photo opportunities.
Author E.B. White (1899-1985) lived for many years in the town of Brooklin (pop. 824).
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