The Naming of Dawn Marie Beach

April 11, 2011

Have you ever been curious about local place names, and how they came to be?  This year Downeast Lakes Land Trust learned the story behind the naming of Dawn Marie Beach.  It’s a beautiful, quiet sandy beach on Wabassus Lake, protected as part of the Farm Cove Community Forest and accessible by boat or by the new Dawn Marie Beach Path created by DLLT volunteers.

Virginia Graceffa recently sent us a copy of a poem written by Guy Franklin MacArthur, that tells the story of the infant Dawn Marie and her first visit to the beach.  It was written in 1963, long before concerns about development pressures and the potential loss of public access led to the land trust’s founding in 2001.

We don’t know if Frank Macarthur’s final wish has been granted, so that Dawn Marie could again visit the beach – but thanks to the supporters of DLLT, the beach will always be open for her to visit, and for others to come make their own memories.

DAWN MARIE BEACH

We had friends pay us a visit

We sure hope they come again.

They drove all the way from Acton Mass.,

To the good old State of Maine.

We all went to lots of places

That we found within our reach.

But, the nicest spot that we could find

Was Dawn Marie Beach.

She was good, just like an angel,

Looked just like a village queen.

When she fussed and called for mama,

She was gently rocked by Dean.

Dawn Marie is a female,

Not the kind that men call bold.

For the day we took her camping,

She was only six weeks old.

Now vacation time is over

We have lost our little peach,

But we can’t forget a cook-out

Down on Dawn Marie Beach.

When I’m gone and long forgotten,

May the good Lord grant this peach

Time and money for a visit

Back to Dawn Marie Beach.

By:  Guy Franklin MacArthur, Grand Lake Stream, Maine        September 25, 1963

Courtesy of Virginia Graceffa.