Located near the mouth of the Saint Croix River at the Canada-United States border, Saint Croix Island is a 6.5-acre uninhabited island noted for its historic significance related to early European colonization of North America. Though the island does not allow visitors due to the preservation of its historical remains, the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, operated in nearby Calais, Maine, and Bayside, New Brunswick offers a visitor center with exhibits and several interpretive historical trails.
History
Saint Croix Island has been referred to by a number of names over its known history of human occupation, including Muttoneguis, the name given to it by the Passamaquoddy indigenous people, who used the island to protect food stores from animals on the mainland. The 6.5-acre island, which is located approximately four miles from the mouth of the Saint Croix River on Passamaquoddy Bay, was also referred to as Muttoneguamus, Metanegwis, and Metnegwis by the Passamaquoddy Nation at various points. The island is best known as the site of an early attempt at colonization by French noble Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, who established an outpost on the island in 1604. Many of the island’s settlers died of scurvy during its first winter of occupation, causing the settlement’s move to a location along the southern shores of the Bay of Fundy, which became the Port-Royal settlement, the first permanent French settlement in North America. In 1613, all settlement buildings on the island were burned by Samuel Argall as part of his raid on Port-Royal.
Saint Croix Island was commonly referred to as Bone Island in the 18th century following the exposure of settler graves as a result of erosion. Following boundary disputes in 1797 between Britain and the United States, the island was determined to be under United States sovereignty. During the War of 1812, the island served as neutral territory, leading to its nicknaming as Neutral Island. In 1949, the island was designated as Saint Croix Island National Monument, leading to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The site was recognized by Canada’s Historic Sites and Monuments Board in 1958, though the creation of a historic site was complicated due to the island falling outside of Canada’s national jurisdiction. In 1968, a proposition was offered by the HSMB to cooperate with the United States National park Service to develop a joint historic park. In 1984, the island was designated as an International Historic Site, the only one of its kind within both the United States and Canadian national parks systems.
Attractions
Today, Saint Croix Island International Historic Site is jointly managed by the National Park Service and Parks Canada, with offices for the site located at nearby Acadia National Park. Visitors are prohibited from accessing Saint Croix Island due to the delicate nature of its historical remains, but two visitor sites are maintained on the United States and Canadian sides of the mainland in Calais, Maine, and Bayside, New Brunswick. Commemorative visitor activities are frequently offered at the site as joint endeavors by both parks systems, including a 2004 celebration commemorating the 400th anniversary of French settlement in North America.
National Park Service activities on the Calais, Maine side of the Historic Site include the Saint Croix Island Visitor Center, which offers area information and exhibits on the history of French settlement in North America at the Saint Croix Island and Port-Royal sites. An Eastern National bookstore is operated at the center, selling a variety of bilingual books, maps, and multimedia items. The center serves as the trailhead for a self-guided interpretive trail, which features bronze figures of important French and Passamaquoddy figures from the era of early European colonization, along with displays outlining historical events and interactions between European and indigenous cultures. Outdoor activities are also offered, including bird watching opportunities and ranger-led interpretive programming. The center is open Thursdays through Mondays throughout the year, with hours varying seasonally, though the park itself is open year-round during the daylight hours. Park rangers are present at the center most days from May through October, with bilingual visitor services offered during the summer months.
On the Bayside, New Brunswick side, a visitor center is also offered, featuring showings of a short documentary film about the region and its significance in the French settlement of North America. A self-guided interpretive trail is also offered, along with a viewing deck offering views of the island and its surrounding waters. Picnic areas are offered at the site, along with geocaching, photography, and wildlife watching opportunities.
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