It was included in the 1750 grant made by the
Massachusetts General Court to Captain Moses Pearson, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and their respective companies of soldiers for services during the
French and Indian Wars. Pearsontown Plantation was first settled in the 1750s, then incorporated as the town of
Standish on November 30, 1785. Frye Island, named for Captain
Joseph Frye, seceded to become a separate town on July 1, 1998. A popular legend on Frye Island tells of Captain Frye and his escape from a tribe of
Native Americans in
Portland. While being chased, Captain Frye came upon a large rock, now known as Frye's Leap, and had no way of going around it. Captain Frye made the decision to jump and swim across the channel to Frye Island. Long afterwards, Frye's Leap became a popular spot for people to recreate the famous jump. At one point, the sharp and dangerous cliffs became so popular for jumping that numerous, often serious injuries were being reported each summer. And in 2012, a man even died while attempting to dive off the rockface. This in turn caused local law enforcement and the leap's landowners to take action, and multiple No Trespassing signs were placed along the cliff edge. On hot summer days, the area is often patrolled by the
Maine Warden Service, in order to ward off potential jumpers. Frye Island is composed of approximately 1,000 mostly wooded acres interlaced with of dirt roads. The speed limit is and the most popular way of transportation on the island is by golf cart rather than car. Many of the homes are built on waterfront property overlooking
Sebago Lake. Real estate prices on Frye Island have skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and many of the waterfront homes assess at extremely high values. On the island, there are two marinas, various athletic and recreational facilities, several public beaches, a convenience store, an ice cream stand, a restaurant with a bar, and a golf club with a lounge that is open to the public. From 2018 to 2020, Frye Island attempted to secede from
Maine School Administrative District 6, but the
Maine Supreme Judicial Court overruled that effort. ==Traditions==