Jewell Island is a small island in

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, United States. Approximately long from southwest to northeast, it is located off the coast of

Cliff Island Cliff Island is an island in Casco Bay, Maine, United States. It is part of the city of Portland. As of the 2000 census, the island had a year-round population of approximately 60 people. In the summer, the island's population grows to about ...

, approximately eight miles from downtown

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

. It is a state-owned island with a small but protected harbor as well as camping and walking paths. Jewell Island was part of the

Harbor Defenses of Portland The Harbor Defenses of Portland was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of Portland, Maine, the mouth of the Kennebec River, and surrounding areas from 1895 to 1950, beginni ...

fort network. The island is part of the city of Portland. Jewell Island can be reached by private or charter boats. There is no ferry service to the island. The island is rich in legend — tales are told of

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

cruising its coast and hiding treasure. The

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

bunkers are said to be haunted by soldiers, and the beaches by bootleggers. Several accounts of ghostly encounters can be heard in local towns. Coastal artillery gun at Fort Columbia State Park

Coastal artillery gun at Fort Columbia State Park

During World War II, the island included the Jewell Island Military Reservation. Three

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...

gun

batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

were constructed on the island. The largest, although never completed, was Battery Construction Number (BCN) 202. It was designed for two 6-inch guns in shielded mounts that would be on the large concrete circles at each end of the battery. Positions for two Anti- Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) batteries with 90 mm guns were also constructed on Jewell Island. Each battery was authorized four 90 mm guns, two on fixed mounts and two on towed mounts. The guns were dual-purpose, able to fire against air or surface targets. The batteries were designated AMTB 967 and AMTB 968. The World War II construction was part of a modernization of the

, centered on

Battery Steele Battery Steele (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Battery Construction #102) is a United States military fortification on Peaks Island, Portland, Maine in Casco Bay. Completed in 1942 as part of World War II, it is located on on the oceanside area of ...

Peaks Island Peaks Island is the most populous island in Casco Bay, Maine, Casco Bay, Maine. It is part of the city of Portland, Maine, Portland and is approximately from downtown. The island is served by Casco Bay Lines and is home to its own elementary s ...

, which the fire control towers and SCR-296 radar on Jewell Island supported.List of all US coastal forts and batteries at the CDSG website
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References

External links

* Islands of Portland, Maine {{Maine-geo-stub

See also

References

External links