The town of Perry is located on Passamaquoddy Bay, about 18 miles south of Calais. The 45th parallel of north latitude runs through the town, making it the halfway point between the equator and the north pole. An engraved stone, at a rest stop north of the intersection of U.S. 1 and Rte 190, marks the 45th parallel.

45th Parallel Marker by Pat McCabe

Over 30 miles of seacoast, rugged headlands, beaches, rocks, and many creeks give Perry an enviable variety of attractive recreation sites.

The first white settler was Captain John Frost, who settled at Pleasant Point, Perry, in 1763. Captain Frost came from Wells, Maine, to trade with the Indians. He later sold 180 acres of the land he pre-empted to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for an Indian Reservation.

Perry photo by Alana Preston

The first town meeting was held in 1812 when a handful of sturdy pioneers met to devise ways and means to defend their property from smugglers and others for whom there was no law. Perry was the principal place to the west of the frontier line, and offered a depot for storing smuggled goods from Grand Manan, affording an excellent opportunity for carrying on illicit trade across the British river.

The town was incorporated on February 12, 1818, and named for Commander Oliver Hazard Perry of Lake Erie fame.

In the 1800's Perry was a thriving industrial community. At Little River were stores kept by Leland & Bugbee, Charles S. Davis, and Ernest Kelly. A store at North Perry was run by George Hobbs. Willard and James Hartford were carriage builders and brick manufactures. 

About 1856, a mining company from Boston was drilling a shaft near Boyden's Lake hoping to strike coal. Finally, after going down about 500 feet, the drills caught and were left there.

In the 1800s, there were saw and lumber mills located on nearly every brook or stream. There were four shipyards and a grist mill. J.M. & A.W. Leighton had a carding and cloth dressing mill, and J. Gibson had a shingle and stave mill. 

Today, the community of Perry offers a pleasant place to live and visit.  Spend some time cooking at the Blueberry Point Chefs, and stop and relax at COBSCOOK BAY COTTAGES or the KENDALL FARM COTTAGES and soak up the area's natural beauty.  Talk to FINE ARTIST Housepainting and Restoration about keeping your home or cottage looking its best.  They also make furniture and cabinetry.