Our Story
Sue Gallagher
Born and raised about an hour north of New York City, the beach was an essential part of my childhood. Weekends and family vacations were built around the beach. When I started dating my husband in high school, I discovered that he also came from a beach family, even though he was not particularly a fan. We married after college (proud Villanova Wildcats) and started a family.
Rob’s career took us to Ohio and eventually to various parts of Maryland as he became an Air Force officer and a clinical psychologist for the Department of Defense. By this time, our family had grown to four beautiful and amazing children – Susie, Ryan, Amanda, and Elizabeth. We bought an RV and introduced the kids to all the wonders of the United States, visiting all 50 states over an eight-year period.
Our first trip was to New England, and I was completely smitten with Acadia National Park. A rocky beach with crashing waves - I felt like this was a place I was supposed to be. When the kids were all in school, I went back to work as a change management consultant, which was a travel-intensive position. We lived a hectic life that was filled with noise, activity, and adventure.
But alas, all good things must come to an end. Once we entered the empty-nest stage, we decided it was time to slow down; the question was, where? The obvious answer was to the beach! But I threw Rob a curveball; I wanted crashing waves and rocky shores. So, he put away his flip-flops and Madras shorts, and the search for a rocky coastline began.
We looked at several places in New England, but Milbridge won our hearts. There was a sense of community here that we didn’t find in other towns, and the coastline was perfect. We found our “where”! We packed up our two giant dogs in September of 2024, moved to Milbridge, and began to settle into our new home.
About six months later, a historic building was listed for sale. We had not intended to start a business, but we loved that building, and we wanted to become more involved in the Milbridge community. So, we jumped in, and now, almost a year later, we are excited to welcome you to The 1899 Cafe.
Rob Gallagher
I never particularly liked the beach. I have no issue with sand or water, but as a very pale Irish guy, a day at the beach typically meant thirty minutes of fun followed by two days of sunburn pain and three days of peeling. The problem is I fell in love with a beach girl.
Luckily for me, I spent most of my career in the Pentagon, and we raised our kids in suburban Maryland. So, other than an occasional vacation, I didn’t have to spend too much time begging for aloe to get me through the night.
Once we became empty nesters, it was finally my wife’s turn to decide where we lived, and I knew I was destined for the beach. I figured it would be someplace like Key West. It may not be my choice, but at least it would be warm.
The thing I never expected was that she would take me to a beach covered with huge rocks in one of the coldest places in the country. Next thing I know, we are closing on a house in Milbridge. Thing is, I didn’t plan on not only liking this place but actually caring about it.
Now that we have been here for almost two years, I feel like this community is now my home, and I hope I can give a little something back. I even look out at the beach and think, " This is where I am supposed to be.”