Hesper and Luther Little - The "Ghost Ships" of Wiscasset, Maine

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They’ve been called the ghost ships of Wiscasset. It’s been said that they were once the most photographed ships in the world. Whatever you want to call them, out of the over 500 built, the Hesper and Luther Little were the very last of the four masted wooden ships that once sailed the coastal waters of North America.

This is the story of two sister ships that were created in the same yard, and launched only a few months apart. They sailed completely separate careers under the same company, ultimately being reunited in their long, drawn out fates on the shores of Maine.

The true history of these ships is becoming mythology and lore. In researching, I’ve found heated newspaper articles arguing over which ship was which. I’ve found conflicting accounts as to what shipyards built them. I’ve found debates over their namesakes or even why they were abandoned. I’ve gone back to original materials from the time, found interviews with people involved, and researched the backgrounds of it to remove confusion and return to the original facts.

A special thank you to Gordon Bok and Lois Lyman for their song about the Wiscasset Schooners. Gordon's work can be found at http://www.timberheadmusic.com/
Thank you as well to Smithsonian Folkways for the recording

Lastly, a thank you to the Wiscasset Public Library for sharing their archive with me: https://wiscasset.lib.me.us/