1616: Captain Vines winters at the Pool

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In 1616, Richard Vines is sent to the Mayne by Sir Ferdinand Gorges (namesake of the Gorges Bank) in an attempt by Gorges to quell fears that North Virginia could not be settled, and preserve his investment in the Plymouth Company.  

Vines was contracted to explore the country to look for a settlement, and to remain through the winter, with the hope of removing the prejudice excited by the Sagadehock colonists against the harshness of the climate.

The Vines expedition arrived during the height of a destructive disease among the local natives.  Most likely, it was various European diseases, namely cholera and small pox, that swept through the isolated locals who had up to that point been protected from the ravages of "civilization" in Europe.  

It was regarded by the Expedition to be a sign from God, as His way of removing the heathen natives and providing room for the Christian colonists.

Vines managed to establish contact with the Indians, who received him with kindness and hospitality.  Besides being ravaged by sickness, the locals were also thrown into confusion by the death of Bashaba, or great chief, by the Tarrantine Nation, who had attached the Penobscot from the east, and in a successful raid, killed him.  A civil war had sprung up among the various tribes that were led by the chief.

The Vines expedition chose the Mouth of the Saco River, in a sheltered basin they called Winter Harbor, now known as "The Pool".   

Vine's successful stay during the winter provided the encouragement needed by the Plymouth Company to entice others to make the attempt to settle the region that had caused such a dismal failure 10 years before.  While the temporary basecamp was abandoned, there is evidence that Vines returned to Winter Harbor several times during his exploration throughout the region in the following years, although it isn't known how often, or for how long he used the location.