Abraham Somes (March 14, 1732 – September 7, 1819) was an American soldier and pioneer who was the primary founder of settlements on the scenic

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; ) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the List of islands of the United States by area, 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in th ...

, which is now part of

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor, Maine, Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert ...

in present-day

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Personal life

In 1761, Somes, a cooper by trade, brought his wife (Hannah Herrick) and family from

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of North Shore (Massachusetts), Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census. ...

, to the island, along with James Richardson and Richardson's family. Somes obtained the land for development on grants from Francis Bernard, the governor of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

; who, in 1761, still maintained an interest in securing the property for

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

. Somes chose to establish a village at the north end of the

fjard A fjard (, ) is a large open space of water between groups of islands or mainland in archipelagos. Fjards can be found along sea coasts, in freshwater lakes or in rivers. Fjard and fjord were originally the same word, and they generally meant sa ...

which cuts through the center of the island. It would later be named after him as

Somes Sound Somes Sound is a fjard, a body of water running deep into Mount Desert Island, the main site of Acadia National Park in Maine, United States. Its deepest point is approximately , and it is over deep in several places. The sound almost splits the ...

, and it is the only natural

on the east coast of the United States. Abraham named his settlement Somesville and it would develop into an important trading location that largely allowed for the rest of the island to be permanently colonized in the years following the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, Abraham Somes served as a 1st Lieutenant in Ezra Young's 7 Co., 6 Lincoln Co., regiment of the

Massachusetts militia This is a list of militia units of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts. * Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (1638) * Cogswell's Regiment of Militia (April 19, 1775) * Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia (April ...

. He also served in Capt. Daniel Sullivan's Company of Volunteers in 1779. After fulfilling his duty in the military, Abraham returned to Somesville, where he lived out his days. He had 13 children.

Death

Somes died on September 7, 1819, aged 87. He is interred in Brookside Cemetery in Mount Desert, Maine,Abraham Somes
- Find A Grave as are both of his wives.

References

;Specific ;General

- Rootsweb

- Snip.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Somes, Abraham 1732 births 1819 deaths Massachusetts militiamen in the American Revolution People of Maine in the American Revolution People from Mount Desert Island American pioneers