Niesa Ryder, executive director of Squirrel Island Historical Society, has a unique perspective on her island community. She has known it since her infancy, spending summers there in her family's home. Now, as an adult, she heads the organization dedicated to preserving its history.

On Monday, July 15, she will share her knowledge of the island's first 50 years along with maps and photos at a 7 p.m. event hosted by Friends of the Southport Historical Society at the Southport town hall.

"There are thousands of items," Ryder told the Register when asked if islanders were good about preserving their history. "Most (items) could be categorized as paperwork," and include "architectural plans, old posters and lots of photos," she said. The items also include tennis trophies and miscellaneous records from island organizations.

As she explained, Squirrel Island was originally a sheep farm owned by William Greenleaf, who died in the mid 1860s. His children sold the property in 1870 for $2,200 to Jacob Ham, who had visited the island with a group from Lewiston and Auburn.

Ryder said she looks at the colony's first 50 years in three phases, all in relation to Albert Davenport.

The first phase pre-dates Davenport's arrival and starts with the creation of Squirrel Island Association in 1871. This association still owns the land, so residents own their houses and lease land from the association. In 1871, 12 cottages were built, according to Ryder and, by the end of 1887, about 88 cottages had been built, most of them much smaller than today's and constructed in about three weeks.

The next phase starts in 1888 with Davenport’s arrival from Malden, Massachusetts. Ryder said Davenport “likely had a hand in building about 17 cottages." He helped in financing Squirrel Island Inn, a restaurant and the island's library. He died on the island in 1906.

For Ryder, the third phase includes the time from Davenport's death to 1921. Ryder said the maximum number of cottages on the island was about 123 in the 1920s. Only four have been built since 1921 and currently there are 106, she said.

Ryder plans to show maps and old photos during her talk which will show the island before and after Davenport.

Currently, Squirrel Island Historical Society has 93 members.

For more information about the talk, visit the Hendricks Hill Museum Facebook page.