[8] Martin Landau made his professional stage debut in a 1951 production of "Detective Story" at Greenwood Garden, where for several seasons he was a resident cast member.

[10] In a 1936 fire, the Union House Hotel burned down, as did a row of stores on the north side of Island Ave., including Augustus Carlson's Restaurant, Brackett's Grocery, Small's Bakery, John Cox's gift shop, and eight cottages.

[11] During World War II, the island was home to a large military defense installation, including the largest structure, Battery Steele, which housed two 16-inch (406-mm) guns.

[16] Shortly thereafter, a group of island residents organized a committee to investigate seceding from Portland and forming a separate town.

[22][23] In February 2007 the secession group obtained sponsorship for legislation in the Maine State Legislature to incorporate the Town of Peaks Island, subject to a successful referendum.

[33] The State and Local Government Committee rejected the bill on the ground that the secession leaders had not followed the legal process: they would need to start over with signature gathering and another referendum.