In 1908, a Boston woman donated 140 acres in Maine to stop future development at what became Acadia

TIMES OF INDIA • August 21, 2026

Acadia National Park was the first national park created from private lands gifted to the public through the efforts of conservation-minded citizens. Many of the activities surrounding the civic groups that created the park excluded women and people of colour. However, there was one woman, longtime resident Eliza Homans, who donated 140 acres of land to the park, which is a popular hiking and viewing spot today.