People came to Mount Desert mainly because of the scenary and for vacations from the cities they called home. Some colleges sent students to Mount Desert Island to paint the scenary. When the students returned to their schools and sold their paintings, the buyers felt compelled to visit this place, thus creating Mount Desert as a summer resort.
The Steamer J.T. Morse was used on the Mount Desert run from the 1904 until the 1930's when it was sold to another company. It carried people in the cabins and freight below the decks. Some people found the Morse to be very ugly; with a tall stack billowing fumes and a very straight bow. However there were others who considered the Morse to be the most beautiful steamer to come to the Island.
The Morse's history included three sinkings and couple of collisions.
The. S.S. Rangeley was a steamboat that ran for fifty-six years. From 1913 until 1925 when the boat was sold, the boat made stops at Hancock Point, Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Manset, and Southwest Harbor. In 1925, the Rangeley was sold to the Hudson River Day Line. Under that flag, she was a popular choice for charters and moonlit excursions. During World War II, the Rangeley was commandeered and renamed F.S. 89. In 1950 the Rangeley was sold to the Government of Bermuda to carry passengers from larger ships to the shore. The boat was retired from service in 1969. She was used for a number of years as a nightclub, and a group called the "Rangeley Foundation" wanted to restore her and bring her back to Mount Desert waters, however that project failed and the Rangeley was lost.
Many factors contributed to the end of steaming. The advent of the automobile played a huge role in the decline of the steamboat. With that came better roads, allowing faster, more convenient transportation. Another factor was the Depression occurring in the country at the time. This prevented people from having the money to come to Maine for the summers, and even some people with money felt that they would be better off saving it. Around the same time commercial flight was coming into vogue, and that, when added to the other factors spelled disaster for the steamers.
