Last Sardine Cannery to Close

On April 18, America's last sardine cannery, located in Prospect Harbor, will close.

Maine was once a frenetic hub of the sardine business, starting in the 1870s. The industry reached its peak in the early 1950s, when it employed thousands of workers at more than 50 canneries.

Ben Fuller, curator of the Penobscot Marine Museum, was working with a film crew on Monday, gathering material for a historical record intended for the Library of Congress.

“You’re bringing to a close 135 years of sardine packaging on the coast,” he said over the whoosh of water that cleansed the frozen herring before machines sliced off their heads and tails. “This really built up a lot of the towns here.” [Link]

Update: Here's a time-lapse video of the cannery in action.