Current:Home > NewsWhy a young family decided to move to a tiny Maine island on a whim-LoTradeCoin
Why a young family decided to move to a tiny Maine island on a whim
View Date:2024-12-24 00:00:06
Isle au Haut, Maine — If you take a ferry to Isle au Haut, an island community way off the coast of Maine, you can visit a gift shop and general store. And that's it, because there are no other businesses on the island.
"People who live out here are resilient, they're creative," Bob Olney, president of the Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation, told CBS News. But there aren't enough of them, Olney said.
The island's population fluctuates between 45 and 50 people. "It's essential that we continue to attract families," Olney said.
Last year, this community put a post on social media and on the island's official website hoping to woo a new family. They were careful not to oversell the place.
"Though it's not everyone's cup of tea, who knows, it may very well be yours," the post read.
And they got a taker: a young family from central Massachusetts.
Dakota and Hannah Waters, and their children Flynn and Amelia, moved here a few months ago.
"Our whole family thought we were psychotic," Hannah said. "They're like, 'A remote island in the middle of the ocean?'"
And yet here they live, the newest members of a dying breed. At one point, there were about 300 communities out here on Maine's most isolated islands. Now there are just over a dozen. And keeping the communities alive will require attracting people who seek a different lifestyle, people who value solitude over Starbucks, and really don't mind a little adversity.
"People have traded the good life for a convenient one," Hannah said. "And convenience isn't always the best."
To that point, the Waters raise some of their own food and work multiple jobs. Dakota does plumbing, lawn maintenance and even works on a lobster boat. As for the children, Flynn was one of just two students attending school on the island's K-8 schoolhouse.
The place is just that small. But Dakota says the tininess is more blessing than curse.
"We have so much more bonding time with the kids," Dakota said. "It's indescribably wholesome."
Hannah plans for the family to stay.
"I'm not moving my stuff off this rock again," Hannah said. "It was too hard to get it here."
- In:
- Maine
Steve Hartman is a CBS News correspondent. He brings viewers moving stories from the unique people he meets in his weekly award-winning feature segment "On the Road."
TwitterveryGood! (993)
Related
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Navy vet has Trump’s nod ahead of Virginia’s US Senate primary, targets Tim Kaine in uphill battle
- Will Biden’s new border measures be enough to change voters’ minds?
- The Best Pride Merch of 2024 to Celebrate and Support the LGBTQIA+ Community
- Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fits for two-time Cy Young winner
- Bison gores 83-year-old woman in Yellowstone National Park
- Lionel Messi debuts new drink Mas+: How to get Messi's new drink online and in stores
- Erich Anderson, 'Friday the 13th' and 'Felicity' actor, dies after cancer battle
- Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
- Biden’s Chinese Tariffs Could Hamper E-Bike Sales in the U.S.
Ranking
- Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
- Carrie Underwood Shares Glimpse at Best Day With 5-Year-Old Son Jacob
- 10 Cent Beer Night: 50 years ago, Cleveland's ill-fated MLB promotion ended in a riot
- Animal control officers in Michigan struggle to capture elusive peacock
- Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Alleges Ex Kody Made False Claims About Family’s Finances
- Metal in pepperoni? Wegmans issues recall over potentially contaminated meat
- Dallas Stars' Joe Pavelski, top US-born playoff goal scorer, won't play in NHL next season
- How ‘Eruption,’ the new Michael Crichton novel completed with James Patterson’s help, was created
Recommendation
-
Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations
-
Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, other family members expected to take the stand in his federal gun trial
-
Family of Minnesota man killed by police criticize local officials and seek federal intervention
-
Man sentenced to 40 years to life for killing mother after argument over video game volume
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Use
-
Tech news site Gizmodo sold for third time in 8 years as European publisher Keleops looks to expand
-
No sets? Few props? No problem, says Bebe Neuwirth on ‘deconstructed’ ‘Cabaret’ revival
-
Why Grey's Anatomy Actress Jessica Capshaw Didn't Initially Like Costar Camilla Luddington