West+Quoddy+Head,+Maine

West Quoddy Head, Maine

Section 2 – The Northeast CoastThe West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is still used today as a guide for ships at sea.
We are at West Quoddy Head in the eastern corner of Maine. The tribal name of the American Indians living here is Wabanoki, which means “living at the sunrise.” And they are. This is the most eastern point of land in the United States. The sun rises here before anywhere else in the country.

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse was built in 1808. Its light and foghorn continue to keep ships from crashing into Maine’s rocky shore. Some people find foghorns annoying, but my grandfather didn’t. He trapped lobsters near here. “On a foggy day,” he liked to say, “there is no prettier sound than a foghorn’s moan.”

The Northeast coastline is dotted with harbors, where boats and ships can anchor safely. These harbors weren’t always here, however. Long ago, this coastline was smooth. Then Earth entered a long cold period known as the ice age. Mile-thick sheets of ice called glaciers spread over much of the Northeast.

As the glaciers slowly moved across the land, they carved deep grooves into the coastline. Later, the ice melted. Then the sea flowed into these low places. That’s why you see so many harbors along the Northeast coast today.

At our next stop, you’ll see what glaciers did to the mountains of the Northeast.

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