Circa 1880 stereoview of Rangeley Dam.

(We hope you enjoy these short excerpts found in the pages of the August 17, 1883, edition of the PHILLIPS PHONOGRAPH newspaper. Photos courtesy of the late Arthur Guerin.)

(Contemporary comments in Italics).

Big Fish Items

We learn that the Mountain View and Mooselookmeguntic Houses are filled with summer visitors. And still the big catches of trout continue. Monday, August 6th, Mrs. P. H. Pendergast, of Boston, caught a trout (S. Fontinalis), on the Big Lake, the: trout weighing nine pounds and one- half. This is the largest trout ever caught by a lady in the Rangeley Lakes, and the largest fish of the season by anyone. The party of which the lady is a member, have caught the big trout as follows: August. 6th- two of 8 lbs. and one 9 lbs., August 10th one 6 and August 11th one 4 and a half. None taken were taken of less than four pounds weight. The above five trout aggregate 36 and a half lbs. Other parties on this lake have caught recently three trout of 7 lbs. each and two of 4 lbs. each. All the above large trout were taken within sight of the Mooselookmeguntic House where the parties are stopping.

(So much for the old axiom “The dog days of summer” when trout fishing is considered marginal at best. No mention is made of who the guides were, as was often the norm in such reports. The guides rowed their Rangeley boats all day while their clients trolled baits and plugs down deep. The area mentioned is where Cupsuptic Lake flowed into Mooselookmeguntic. It was known among the guides as the ‘Middle Grounds.’ At the time, there was a steady current in the narrows between the two lakes prior to the heightening of Upper Dam in 1883 which in effect caused the two lakes to become one waterbody).

(In 1883 there was no newspaper based in Rangeley. A regular feature of the Phillips Phonograph shared the reports of all the big goings-on from each of the small towns and villages of Franklin County. It was simpler time and personally, and I truly enjoy what qualified as ‘news’ back then. Below is the Rangeley report for the week prior to August 17.)

A packed Rangeley Lake steamer, appropriately named Rangeley.

Rangeley

There was a party on Ram Island last Friday. Some from Greenvale (Cove), but mostly from the Mountain View House. Captain Hewey said there were 51 on his boat for the party. They had a fine time. (Later on, Ram Island would be known as ‘Doctor’s Island.’ Today it is known by the original native American name; Maneskootuk. Capt. Hewey’s boat was the steamer ‘Rangeley’ and she must have been packed to the gunnels with FIFTY-ONE passengers aboard. See accompanying photo of a similar jam-packed excursion, which would surely give today’s coast guard a regulatory conniption.)

Bert is getting along nicely with H. Dill’s cottage. It is set on solid rock. The wind may howl, the lake may rise, but it will stick to its foundation.

(I am to assume the “Bert” mentioned was Bert Quimby who was a well-known local builder, but one can’t be certain. It’s charming that the editor just assumed that all his readers would know exactly who ‘Bert’ was. “H.” was Harry Dill who would later to go on to found the Phonograph’s competition; ‘The Rangeley Lakes,’ which was Rangeley’s first newspaper. The home Dill built took the name of the “rock” it was built on; Moxie Ledge, which is located on South Shore Drive halfway between the Long Pond Stream inlet and Samoset. The lovely spot is still owned by Dill’s descendants).

They have hoisted the gates at the Rangeley outlet and the water is falling very fast.

(It must have been a wet summer in 1883 for the gates at Rangely Dam to be wide open).

Ran Harden is camping with a large party in sight of the Mountain View (House).

Mr. Baxter caught two seven-pound trout on the seventh, with Clark Hill as guide.

(‘Mr. Baxter’ is probably none other than the father of future Maine Governor, Percival Baxter. A political force at the time, Baxter was once mayor of Portland, a state senator and regularly fished in the Rangeley Lakes as a guest of the Oquossoc Angling Association located across from Indian Rock. At the time, the club was simply known as ‘The Rock’ and the superintendent was the legendary Cornelius T. Richardson who was among Rangeley’s foremost guides).
There is but one boarder at the Rock; Mr. Richardson has had 4 or 5. Kimball has about fifty boarders at the Mountain View. We are having warm weather at the Lakes.)

(At the time, the members of the Oquossoc Angling Association opened their lodge, Camp Kennebago, to the public from mid-July until September 1st to help pay expenses during the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ when they considered the fishing to be “poor”. The fishing, just as it is today, must have been truly spectacular in Spring and Fall!)

(Have a tremendous week as you venture forth to create some memorable Rangeley History of your own.)