Western Maine
50
The Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum A history of timber harvesting by Roger Gordon Centrally located between the headwaters of both the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers, Rangeley has long been one of Maine’s logging centers. Native Americans used the forest of spruce, balsam fir, beech, birch, and poplar for their homes, canoes, foods, and medicines. Timber rights attracted the first white settlers to the area in 1794, and 1833 saw the beginning of the first woods industry shingle mill. Several decades later, booms of logs and, later, pulp were towed across Rangeley’s lakes and driven down her rivers.
Rangeley’s forests were home to some of the last stands of virgin spruce. This rich heritage, combined with active logging operations, made Rangeley an ideal location for a museum dedicated to western Maine’s timber heritage. And that is exactly what occurred in the fall of 1990. After several years of dreams and hard work, the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum, known as the Maine Forestry Museum since last year, became a reality. Renovated four times since then, the three-story Maine Forestry Museum has a collection that consists of hun-
dreds of artifacts from regional logging operations, including two snubbing machines, sleds, an extensive assortment of crosscut and chain saws, the White Brothers’ forerunner of the skidder, and one of the last of the bateaux used on the Dead River drives. There are also exhibits on traditional art by western Maine lumbermen, including the fan towers and gumboots of William Richard, and the model drag drays and logging sleds of Carl Trafton. Nineteen oil paintings by Alden Grant, grandson of the founder of Grants’ Kennebago Camps that document life in the re-
Home • Auto • Commercial Life • Marine
138 years of trusted service.
N Own ew ersh
ip!
www.coleharrison.com Jim Wilson Valley Crossing Building Carrabassett Valley, Maine 04947
207-235-2642 83 Main St., Kennebunk, Maine 207-985-3361 — Open at 11am daily —
THE
Serving Breakfast and Lunch 7am-2pm • Tuesday-Sunday Dine In or Take Out
246-0018 • 9 Main Street, Stratton
Rangeley Lakes
legendary www.RangeleyMaine.com 207-864-5571
Eat In or Take Out 207-864-5616 │ sargessportspub.com 2454 Main Street • Rangeley, ME
24 Hour Emergency Service
George Poland
207-520-1957
LakesRegionPowerSystems@gmail.com
PO Box 1103 •Rangeley, ME 04970
www.lakesregionpower.net
