History
Before the first Europeans arrived, Wabanakis camped on the mountain on trips to the coast. In the early 1800's, the Cotton family raised grapes on terraces still visible on the mountain. To hold stray cattle, sheep, and pigs, the early settlers built the cattle pound that still stands on Rt. 9 near the Northern Loop Trail. Near the ball field visitors can still see where feldspar was mined in the 1920's to make crockery and china.
Acquired from the Federal Government in 1939, Bradbury Mountain became one of the five original state parks. In the 1940's, it offered downhill skiing with a rope tow. In the 1990's, the park added 250 acres, thanks to the generosity of the Spiegel family, funding from the Lands for Maine's Future Fund, and the efforts of many people. These groups continue to work on expanding the park to eventually link to the Pineland Public Land parcel in New Gloucester.
