The Harkness Family in Bar Harbor: A Chronicle of a Gilded Age Presence, 1891-1925
- Don Schueler
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
A Standard Oil Fortune Summers in Maine
As principals in the formidable Standard Oil trust, the Harkness family occupied a rarified position within America’s Gilded Age aristocracy. For this new class of industrial magnates, wealth was not merely accumulated; it was performed on a national stage. Elite summer resorts like Bar Harbor, Maine, served as crucial venues for this performance—places where families of immense fortune could solidify their social standing, network with peers, and enjoy a carefully curated version of leisure, far from the urban centers of their commercial power.
An examination of local society pages reveals the arc of the Harkness family's presence in Bar Harbor, a narrative defined by two key elements: a deep familial connection to the J. L. Ketterlinus family and their prominent shore path cottage, "Bide-a-While"; and the magnificent steam yachts that served as both their floating embassies of wealth and their unmistakable symbols of mobility. From their first recorded appearances in the 1890s to the transition to a new generation in the mid-1920s, the Harkness family's activities provide a definitive microcosm of Gilded Age life at one of its most celebrated summer enclaves.
The Gilded Age Arrives: Early Visits and Yachting (1890s)
In the late 19th century, arriving at a resort like Bar Harbor by private steam yacht was a statement of profound social and economic significance. It was an entrance that bypassed the public timetables of trains and ferries, signaling a level of autonomy and wealth accessible only to a select few. These arrivals were newsworthy events, meticulously chronicled in the local press, which served to announce a family’s presence and cement their status within the exclusive summer colony.
The earliest documented appearance of the Harkness family in Bar Harbor occurred in July 1891. The Bar Harbor Record noted the arrival of the "handsome steam yacht" Peerless from New York. A party from the yacht, including Mr. Charles W. Harkness, Mrs. Harkness(possibly CW's mother Anna, Miss Harkness(presumably CW's sister Florence), and Mr. E. S. Harkness, was reported to have spent a Sunday at the fashionable Louisburg hotel, marking their formal entry into the resort's social life.
Three years later, in August 1894, the Peerless returned, this time arriving from Newport with its owner, C. W. Harkness, aboard. The guest list for this cruise was a clear indication of the family's social circle and included:
Miss Mary Worder [sic] Warden
Miss Edith Worder [sic] Warden - Elizabeth Warden Ketterlinus's sister
Mr. and Mrs. Bushnell
S. C. Hopkins
The inclusion of Miss Mary Warden on this voyage was particularly significant. She would marry Charles W. Harkness in 1896, and her presence on the Peerless in 1894 thus serves as an early indicator of the strengthening social and familial bonds that would anchor the Harkness family's connection to Bar Harbor for decades to come. These initial visits, with C.W. Harkness’s ownership of the Peerless signaling his stature, established the pattern of prestige that would characterize their presence in the following years.
An Established Summer Presence: The Ketterlinus Connection and the Yacht Agawa (1901-1915)
The Harkness family’s transition from transient yachtsmen to integral members of the summer colony was cemented by a direct familial anchor: Mary Warden Harkness was the sister of Mrs. J. L. Ketterlinus (Elizabeth). This connection to a prominent household with its own cottage, "Bide-a-While," was crucial in the Gilded Age resort ecosystem. It represented a strategic shift from the performative status of yachting visitors to the embedded, influential status of "cottagers-by-proxy," conferring a deeper level of social legitimacy and a reliable base of operations for their annual visits.
Throughout the early 20th century, local newspapers documented the family's regular and deepening integration into the fabric of Bar Harbor's elite society, often centered around their familial hosts and their impressive new yacht, the Agawa, also owned by Charles W. Harkness.
July 1901: The family connection is first noted when Mr. Edward S. Harkness of New York visited his host, Mr. J. L. Kitterlinus [sic], at the "Bide-a-While" cottage.
Summer 1912: This year marked a high point in their social integration. The Ketterlinuses hosted a "large reception and afternoon tea" in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Harkness, an event celebrated as the "first garden party of the summer" and one which formally opened the high social season. Further demonstrating his participation in the masculine pursuits of the summer colony, C. W. Harkness competed in the bogey competition at the prestigious Kebo Valley Golf Club.
August 1912: Having already spent "some weeks" as guests at Bide-a-While, Mr. and Mrs. Harkness hosted Mr. and Mrs. Ketterlinus for a cruise aboard the Agawa, reinforcing the reciprocal nature of their social and familial relationship.
July 1914 & August 1915: The arrivals of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Harkness on the Agawa became a predictable and reported feature of the summer season. The press consistently highlighted that Mrs. Harkness was visiting her sister, Mrs. J. L. Ketterlinus, and that the couple was being entertained by them.
The Harkness family's presence was not limited to one branch. In July 1915, the harbor also welcomed the "big yacht – Wakiva," owned by Lamon V. Harkness, Charles's half-brother. This visit underscored Bar Harbor's status as a favored destination for the wider Harkness clan. This established era of regular summer gatherings, however, would soon face a profound and unexpected disruption.
A Period of Transition and Loss (1916)
The year 1916 proved to be a pivotal and tragic turning point for the Harkness family's long-standing connection to Bar Harbor. The successive deaths of Charles and Mary Harkness, the central figures of the family's presence for over two decades, marked the end of an era. The family's navigation of this loss, as documented in the local press, reveals both personal grief and the practical shifts required within the social context of the resort.
The Death of Charles W. Harkness
The period of transition began with the death of Charles W. Harkness in May 1916 from an apoplectic stroke. His obituary identified him as the "third largest holder of Standard Oil stock" and underscored his deep ties to the area, noting he was a "frequent visitor" to Bar Harbor as the guest of his brother-in-law, J. L. Ketterlinus.
A Summer of Mourning
The impact of his death was immediately felt in the 1916 summer season. It was reported that Mr. and Mrs. Ketterlinus planned to "spend a very quiet summer" at Bide-a-While, a somber departure from their usual role as prominent hosts. This social dynamic necessitated a new arrangement for the widowed Mrs. Mary Harkness. She took up an independent residence, "passing the season at Grey Rock, Harbourside" in Bar Harbor, though her obituary later notes her connection to nearby Northeast Harbor that summer. This move from family guest to independent cottager signaled a new chapter in her relationship with the resort.
The Death of Mary Warden Harkness
Tragically, this new chapter was cut short. Mary Warden Harkness died in a New York hospital in December 1916. Her obituary reiterated her identity as the widow of Charles W. and the sister of Mrs. Ketterlinus, recalling her as a familiar figure who came to Bar Harbor "annually for many seasons" aboard the palatial yacht Agawa. Poignantly, the notice also mentioned that she had already "engaged one of the Kimball house cottages for next season." Her death that December was thus not merely a personal tragedy but a social disruption, extinguishing a presence that had been a fixture for a generation and cutting short a nascent chapter of independent matriarchal status within the resort.
The financial magnitude of these events was a stark reminder of the immense wealth that underpinned their Gilded Age lifestyle. Following her husband's death, Mary Harkness inherited a residuary estate valued at $12,151,629. Upon her own death just months later, her share of the Harkness estate was subject to an estimated tax of approximately $500,000. With the passing of this central couple, the question arose of how, or if, the next generation would carry on the family's legacy in Bar Harbor.
The Next Generation: A Continued Presence (1920s)
A hallmark of America's elite Gilded Age families was the continuity of tradition across generations. Summering at long-established family resorts was a key ritual, reinforcing social networks and perpetuating a shared sense of identity. The Harkness family proved no exception to this pattern, ensuring their connection to Bar Harbor extended beyond the lives of Charles and Mary.
Evidence of this continuity appeared in August 1925, when the society pages reported the arrival of the yacht Cythera in the harbor. On board were Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Harkness of New York.
The significance of this visit lies in its deep connection to the family's history at the resort. Charles's full brother, Edward S. Harkness, was a member of the original party that arrived on the yacht Peerless during the family's first documented visit in 1891. His return nearly 35 years later demonstrated a remarkable, multi-decade family tradition, ensuring that the Harkness name remained a part of the Bar Harbor summer colony well into the Roaring Twenties.
Conclusion: Legacy of a Gilded Age Family
The chronicle of the Harkness family in Bar Harbor, spanning from 1891 to 1925, serves as a definitive microcosm of Gilded Age elite social strategy. It demonstrates how immense industrial capital was converted into social currency through mobility, kinship, and ritual participation in exclusive leisure. Their engagement with the resort began with the grand spectacle of arrival by private steam yachts like the Peerless and Agawa, which functioned as private domains and statements of status. This presence matured into a deeply rooted annual tradition, anchored by their strong familial ties with the J. L. Ketterlinus family at the "Bide-a-While" cottage. As integral members of the summer colony, they participated fully in its leisured rituals, from hosting garden parties that opened the social season to competing at the Kebo Valley Golf Club. Even in the face of profound personal loss, the family's connection to the island endured, transitioning to the next generation and continuing into the 1920s. Ultimately, the Harkness family’s story showcases precisely how America's industrial aristocracy established and maintained their social prominence at one of the nation's most celebrated summer enclaves.
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