Editing Criehaven, Maine

{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Criehaven, Maine
|settlement_type          = [[Unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|Unorganized territory]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =
|other_name               = Ragged Island
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<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map              = Maine
|pushpin_label_position   = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Maine
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|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Maine]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Maine|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Knox County, Maine|Knox]]
|government_footnotes     = 
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|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 341.3
|area_land_km2            = 1.9
|area_water_km2           = 339.5
|area_total_sq_mi         = 131.8
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.7
|area_water_sq_mi         = 131.1
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_total         = 4<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2301315125|title=Census - Geography Profile: Criehaven UT, Knox County, Maine|access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>
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|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
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|coordinates              = {{coord|43|50|02|N|68|53|21|W|region:US-ME|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-15125
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2378260
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Criehaven'''  is an alternative name for '''Ragged Island''', an unorganized territory in [[Knox County, Maine|Knox County]], [[Maine]], United States. Criehaven was formerly a [[Plantation (Maine)|plantation]] including Ragged Island just south of [[Matinicus Isle, Maine|Matinicus Isle]] in outer [[Penobscot Bay]], plus [[Matinicus Rock Light|Matinicus Rock]] to its southeast, and Seal Island, the location of [[Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge]], to its northeast.<ref>[http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/general_ref/cousub_outline/cen2k_pgsz/me_cosub.pdf Detailed Maine maps] by the [[United States Census Bureau]], accessed 2008-06-23.</ref> Criehaven surrendered its organization and reverted to an unorganized territory in 1925, but the name persists.<ref name ="McLane"/>

== History ==
Criehaven is pronounced "cree-haven", after Robert Crie (1826–1901), an early landowner. He and his wife, Harriet Hall (1829–1919), moved in 1849 to Ragged Island, where Robert became successful in farming and lumbering. Island chronicler Charles McLane wrote that in 1879, Robert owned the whole island, and in 1896, all of their five children with their wives and husbands and children lived there, too. He incorporated Ragged Island as the plantation of Criehaven in that year, and for the next few decades it was a thriving small community. In addition to fishing, sheep raising, and farming, Mr. Crie for many years kept a general store at Criehaven. McLane asserts that after Crie's death, the "vigor of the community was gradually drained by natural disasters and changing times."<ref name = "McLane">{{Cite book| last =McLane  | first =Charles | title =Islands of the Mid-Maine Coast   | publisher = Island Institute  | volume =I   | edition = (revised) | year =1997   | pages = 48–49   | isbn =0-88448-185-9  }}</ref>

With its population dwindling, Criehaven plantation dissolved in 1925 to revert to a 'wild land' obviating the need for town meetings and further taxation. The school continued to operate until 1941.  After the school's closing, the accelerating departure of year-round families cost the island its general store and post office as well. A "lively summer community of fishermen and vacationers" continues to occupy Ragged Island according to McLane, but there has "rarely been year round habitation in recent years."<ref name= "McLane"/>

Ragged Island on early charts in 1754, 1776, and 1819 is shown as "Ragged Arse Island".<ref name = "McLane"/> McLane asserts the name "Ragged Arse Island" might have been an attempt to render "Racketash", Abnaki for "island rocks". Charts in the mid-19th century began calling it Ragged Island but, McLane asserts, the Matinicus lobstermen continue calling the island Ragged Arse "out of perversity".<ref name ="McLane"/> Ragged Island dubs itself the "Island of Lobsters", and boasts of being the farthest offshore inhabited island on the East Coast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.criehaven.org/|title=Criehaven|website=www.criehaven.org|accessdate=June 25, 2023}}</ref>

The island is the former home of writer [[Elisabeth Ogilvie]] and the inspiration for her "Tide Trilogy."{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Writer Dorothy Simpson lived on Criehaven for many years.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}  A fictionalized version of Criehaven is the setting for the web series "[[Ragged Isle]]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2011/03/21/living/maine-island-of-mysteries-featured-in-web-episodes-of-the-new-‘ragged-isle’/|title=Maine island of mysteries featured in Web episodes of the new ‘Ragged Isle’|first=Emily|last=Burnham|date=March 21, 2011|website=Bangor Daily News|accessdate=June 25, 2023}}</ref>

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the location has a total area of 131.8&nbsp;square miles (341.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 0.7&nbsp;square mile (1.9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)  is land and 131.1&nbsp;square miles (339.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)  (99.46%) is water.

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
|1900= 47
|1910= 46
|1920= 63
|2010= 1
|2020= 4
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}
As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there was one person living in the location. There are people who have houses on Ragged Island and some stay all summer and some people stay just part of every week. Seasonally there are ten lobster-fishing families and ten non-fishing families.

==See also==
*[[List of islands of Maine]]

==References==
<references />

{{Knox County, Maine}}
{{Maine Islands}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Unorganized territories in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated places in Knox County, Maine]]
[[Category:Islands of Knox County, Maine]]
[[Category:Islands of Maine]]
[[Category:Coastal islands of Maine]]