“Summer tourists who enter Mount Desert by the way of South-west Harbor are liable to receive very unfavorable impressions of this beautiful island. While approaching the shore, the most charming views are obtained, but after the first salutation their majesties the mountains become shy, and when the steamer reaches the pier they are wholly lost to sight. On landing, an ancient, fish-like smell is found to pervade the air around the dock in the vicinity of the lobster-boiling establishment, while the general aspect of the place is hardly inviting. By crossing the harbor to the Ocean House, the view of the mountains may indeed be regained, yet the prospect from the east side is tame.” - Rambles in Mount Desert With Sketches of Travel on The New-England Coast by B.F. DeCosta, p. 45 - 1871
“Steamboat Wharf at Southwest Harbor,” Southwest Harbor Public Library, accessed November 21, 2024, https://demo.digitalarchive.us/items/show/9394.Item 13405
