Rather Than Photographs and Archives, Wind and Sails

The Connecticut River Museum in Essex,CT is home port to the schooner Mary E.

She was launched in 1906 and is one of the last remaining 'Maine-built' schooners operating on the New England coast.

"One of our goals is to bring the waterfront to life. We're not just a museum with glass cases and artifacts" says Connecticut River Museum Executive Director Jerry Roberts. " We were able to enter into a wonderful partnership with the schooner Mary E. She does two public trips a day.She also does a sunset cruise and then she does quite a bit of  'on the water' education with us."

Over the course of her life the Mary E has hauled the US Mail, did sword fishing,carried light cargo,corn, produce and during prohibition,like so many others,she did some rum running.

"Its a working class boat that's done virtually everything" says Roberts. "The Mary E's very important mission right now,as part of our mission is to really keep our maritime tradition alive through active education."