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'Moosehead Lake' is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. Situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, the lake is the source of the Kennebec River.

Contents

Geography

History

External links

Geography

Set at an elevation of 1,023 feet (312 m), Moosehead Lake is approx. 40 by 10 miles (64 by 16 km), with an area of 120 mile² (311 km²), and over 400 miles (640 km) of shoreline. Its major inlet is the Moose River, which, east of Jackman, flows through Long Pond to Brassua Lake. To the east of Moosehead Lake, the Roach River is its second largest tributary. Flowing out of Moosehead Lake to the southwest are its east and west outlets -- the Kennebec River.
Nestled among forested mountains, Moosehead Lake stretches as far as the eye can see until its blue is swallowed by the dark green of the trees. There are over 80 islands in the lake, the largest being Sugar Island. Towns that border the lake include Greenville, Maine to the south and Rockwood to the northwest.
Mount Kineo, with 700 foot (200 m) cliffs rising straight up from Moosehead Lake, has attracted visitors for centuries, from early American Indians, to 19th century "rusticators," to today's hotel guests. Various species dwell among its cliffs and talus slopes, including peregrine falcons and rare plants.

The Moosehead Lake Region encompasses 4,400 square miles (11,000 km²) of West Central Maine, and includes 127 townships in addition to Moosehead Lake. The region is drained by 330 miles (530 km) of main stem rivers, into which flow 3,850 miles (6,200 km) of smaller tributaries. During the last glacial era, more than 1,200 natural lakes and ponds were carved into its landscape, varying in size from one acre (4,000 m²) ponds to Moosehead, at 74,890 acres (303 km²) one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the United States. The total area of all standing surface waters in the region is more than 238,000 acres (963 km²) -- 24% of the total area of lakes and ponds in Maine.
Because it lies at the headwaters of the Kennebec, the West Branch of the Penobscot, the Piscataquis, the Pleasant, and the St. John rivers, the Moosehead Region has experienced fewer biological and physical changes than other areas in Maine. Anglers find the same pristeen beauty described by Thoreau and other 19th century visitors.

History

Indians were here long before European explorers. In fact, the lake's link with the Kennebec River, and close proximity to the West Branch of the Penobscot River, made the area vital to the inhabitants of the Archaic Period, about 10,000 years ago. They didn't keep written records, and consequently little is known about them. However, artifacts from the period of about 3,000 to 6,000 years ago indicate these people traveled by water and hunted big game. Today, they are known as the "Red Paint People," because of red ochre found in their graves. Burial sites of the "Red Paint People" were discovered long ago near the Mount Kineo Hotel on the Kineo Peninsula, but they were virtually destroyed when tennis courts were constructed. Artifacts from the graves were displayed at the hotel for years, with others taken to Boston and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University.
The "Red Paint People" abandoned the area or died out, and it was not until about 1,000 years ago that various other tribes came to the region. It is generally believed that most of the Indians in Maine were Algonquins who migrated from Canada. Indian tribes are often defined in the state by geographical areas. Those which frequented the Moosehead Lake region include the Cannebis (or Kennebecs), the Piscataquis, Penobscot, Saint Francis, and perhaps less frequently, the Micmac and Maliseet.

Indians lived at various locations around Moosehead Lake, including Seboomook, Northeast Carry, Indian Hill in Greenville, Birch Point in Rockwood, and at Kineo. In fact, Indians were the first tourists to come to the region, traveling to Mount Kineo for siliceous "hornstone," also known as flint. Much of Mount Kineo is rhyolite, and Indians would travel great distances to secure the stone for crafting arrowheads, spearheads, tomahawks and other weapons and implements. It is so distinct that scientists have been able to track Mount Kineo flint across much of the eastern USA and Canada. Indian tribes which visited the area for the rock include the St. Francis, Norridgewock, Abenaki, Delawar, Mohawk and Iroquois.
For the most part, Indian life was difficult but peaceful. Perhaps the most significant problems occurred when the Mohawk came to the region for flint. They were enemies of the Abenaki, and it is believed that many battles were fought in the woods surrounding Moosehead Lake.
In April 2005, the largest private US landowner, Seattle-based Plum Creek Real Estate Investment Corporation, submitted a massive development proposal for the Moosehead region. The 570-page proposal for the largest development ever proposed in Maine. An initial version of the proposal called for 975 house lots, two resorts, a golf course, a marina, three RV parks, and more than 100 rental cabins. The proposal was turned down.

External links

★ Moosehead Historical Society

★ National Resources Council of Maine