Isaac M. How

Isaac M. How

Isaac M. How (?–1903) was the patriarch of the How family, regular visitors to Bar Harbor from 1870 through the 1920s. During the early years at Cleftstone, Mr. How stayed here with his family, although his sons Charles and John typically took rooms at the Belmont Hotel. How also had another son, Harold, and three daughters, Beatrice, Lucy, and Ann.

Isaac How and his son John were especially well known as victims of the Green Mountain Robbery. On August 2, 1882, while descending from the summit of Green (now Cadillac) Mountain in their buckboard wagon, they were set upon by an armed bandit. They were robbed of their watches and some $600, a rather tidy sum in those days. Newspaper accounts indicated that they were accompanied by two ladies who were not named. The How gentlemen and several other wealthy summer visitors offered a reward of $5,000 for the capture of the bandit, but he was never found.

Following the robbery, handgun sales in Bar Harbor rose significantly, and the robbery was widely reported in the New York and Boston newspapers. Although members of his family continued to vacation here, Isaac did not return after the 1882 season.

The Isaac How room is the original master bedroom of the home prior to the 1903 addition. It is the only bedroom that remains unchanged from the original floor plan. This, along with an exceptional antique bedroom set, provides the guest with an accurate feel for 1880s cottage life.