A childish act of violence

[sovay]

Today I learned about the depopulation of Malaga Island in 1912. The short course: after ordinarily existing for half a century on a small island off the coast of Maine, a mixed-race fishing community was demonized as physically and mentally degenerate, its families eventually evicted en masse by order of the state governor, dispersed into the mainland population or forcibly institutionalized. All traces of habitation were razed right down to emptying the island's cemetery. Innsmouth, no fish people needed. No one has built or lived on the island since. I am glad to read that some of the descendants are now reuniting. Otherwise it is simply more evidence that white supremacy is why we can't have nice things.

Comments

[sovay]

What an awful story. I'm glad it's being remembered though.

There appears to have been a spectacular memorial/exhibition at the University of Southern Maine in 2018. I wish I'd known.

I wonder what references you would pick up to it in Lovecraft, knowing it now. It must have been something he was aware of (and presumably thought was great!)

I kind of can't see how he would have missed it: per the Maine State Museum, "The stories of Malaga Island, and the actions of both the town of Phippsburg and State of Maine to evict the community, were reported throughout the New England region and in nationwide publications such as Harper's Magazine." And if he did know . . . yeah.