Story by Meg Friel

In 1965, Maurice Roux, then president of Biddeford Savings Bank, attended a meeting about delinquent loans and foreclosures. One discussion centered on a 50- by 100-foot plot of land in the middle of Wood Island, and Maurice was wooed by the prospect of being emperor of his own eighth of an acre. By purchasing this wind-tossed scrap of land, he became a joint owner of Wood Island with Maine Audubon, the Coast Guard, and, most importantly, the plethora of ocean seabirds who call it home. What was the attraction?

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