Investigation V
The Dixie Bull Legend
Could Dixie Bull realistically have used Cushing's western coves in 1632?
[L]Legend / Oral Tradition
Historical Background
Dixie Bull is often called New England's first pirate, active in Casco Bay in the early 1630s. Local tradition places him along Cushing's western shore.
Landscape Analysis
The western coves face the shipping channel and offer concealment from Portland approaches — plausible for a small vessel, but no more so than a dozen other islands.
Field Objectives
- ·Photograph and GPS the western coves.
- ·Restrict metal-detecting to 20–30 minutes.
Expected Evidence
- ·None expected. Investigation is about landscape reasoning, not recovery.
Counterarguments
- ·There is no primary source placing Bull on Cushing specifically.
- ·Outer islands offered better concealment.
Open Research Questions
- ·What would actual evidence look like — and why is its absence unsurprising?
Field Sites
Sources
- [1] Casco Bay folklore collections, Maine Historical Society.