A memorial to the Malaga Island community was dedicated Friday in remembrance of the residents who were evicted from their island in the early 20th century and, when they died, interred at what was then the Maine School for the Feeble Minded, later named Pineland.

In 1912, members of the mixed-race community of fishermen and laborers on the island at the mouth of the New Meadows River in Phippsburg were forcibly removed from their homes, declared unfit for society because of their race and moved to the school. State officials apologized decades later for the removal and institutionalization, which broke up families and wiped out the community.

The monument, funded by the governor’s office and private donations, has been installed at the Pineland cemetery to commemorate the dark chapter in Maine history. A scholarship fund has been established for descendants of the Malaga Island community, and some of the scholarship recipients attended Friday’s dedication.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.