Moosehead Lake / Greenville

Tucked up in the northern woods of Maine, out of reach of any fast food restaurants or chain stores, is the largest mountain lake in the Eastern United States. Described by Henry David Thoreau as, “...a gleaming silver platter at the end of the table” [1], The Moosehead Lake Region pleasantly surprises all who make the trek up to bask in this area of the world's pristine state. Visitors travel miles to experience the hiking trails, freshwater fishing, class-five whitewater rafting, or moose watching through canoes and ATVs. In the colder seasons, hunting, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and skiing draw enthusiasts during the colder seasons as well. Across the seasons, the night sky casts glimpses of universes and solar systems far away with glittering stars and meteor showers.

Known for the annual International seaplane fly-in which Jimmy Buffet has made appearances at across the years, and also the tip of the Appalachian Trail, the area is loud with nature in a population-quiet part of the country.

Moosehead Lake Region and Greenville on a map

The 2020 census has about fifteen hundred full-time residents, with people saying the population spikes to around six thousand in the summer. It's said to be inhabited by more moose than people.

This densely-wooded region was first explored by Algonquin tribes of Native Americans, explorers from Quebec, and other parts of Canada. In 1812, the Legislature of Massachusetts created a public land grant, which was sold off parts to various families that towns and roads have been named after in the region. By 1846, the roads were developed enough for logging trucks to transport trees and lumber from saw mills to southern states. In the late 19th century and early 20th, the railroad expanded transport of both freight and tourism with passengers to the region. There's a fascinating museum that tells the history of the town and region much better than I could in this article.

The Katahdin Steamship docked at downtown Greenville

Wilson Pond

About a ten minute drive through dirt roads and trails, is where our camp is located. The island appears to be one large rock that was covered with dirt and moss. The entire area is plutonic rock, which is crystalized magma cooling underneath Earth's surface. The large intrusion of silicate minerals, magmas, and igneous rock has been said to be a significant geologic feature to the region that when studied in 1960 by Visher, which the Geologist called it the "Moxie Pluton" [2].

The pluton underlies part of Moosehead Lake and the two Wilson Ponds, its presence being indicated by outcrops on islands, glacial boulders, and by aeromagnetic anomalies.

The wildlife in the area includes Beavers, Otters, Snapping Turtles, Deer, Bear, Moose, Canada Geese, Foxes, Loons, Bald Eagles, Ravens, Hummingbirds, Ducks, as well as vegetation including wild blueberries and raspberries.

The ancient indigenous name of the Pond is Etas iiti, “where they had a great fight” or “destruction ground”. The story tells of an Abenaki village destroyed by Iroquois, their arch enemies. Nowadays, it's a very close-knit community where mostly everybody knows everyone and their camps, sometimes spanning generations.

The Island

Engraved above the boathouse reads "Huk-Queem-O" meaning, call of the loon, which is the original name of the island. The island was first owned by a seafaring captain out of Massachusetts, who purchased the island for $100 back in 1912. He sold half of the island to a family who has owned that land for 100+ years now. Originally a boy's summer camp for children of family friends, boys aging from 12 to 20 came up for the summer and would go hiking, fishing, and camping.

Diving board and dock at the summer camp. Image courtesy of The Ketchum Family

The camp was run by the Pattison family, Harold Pattison was a preacher and would give sermons on the lake, where the neighbors would join in the sermons.

The Camp

My grandfather purchased the southern half of the island in 1958 from a retired Hudson riverboat captain named Burroughs. My father recalls the first time he saw the place when he was four; "Approaching, barn swallows or bats flew out of the boat house and the place was pretty beat down." The buildings on our half consisted of a boathouse, bungalow, main cabin, toolshed, main cabin, and outhouse. The toolshed and cabin burnt down, with the toolshed becoming Harold's Cabin and the main cabin is what we built in the summer of 2024.

Left: My grandmother and my dad and his sister Dee. Right: My grandfather and Dee

The original structure was a simple room structure with a wood stove for cooking and heating built in around 1900 or so. Throughout the years, my grandfather added a living room, kitchen, and second floor with an additional bedroom with the help of my uncle Larry. My first true experience with a power drill came with rebuilding the back deck after snow collapsed the foundation after a brutal winter in 2020. The left was the kitchen and the right side was the living room and upper bedroom area.

My father and his friend fooling around in the kitchen

They used red paint for the house as it was the cheapest color at the time in the 70s or so. It was a barn red that honestly I was a fan of. Early entries in the guest book detailed fishing trips with measurements of their catches and recounting where they caught the fish. All of the old handwriting was elegantly scribed in cursive. Other artifacts that were lost in the fire were trophies from my great grandmother's race car career and sharpshooting victories in St. Louis.

There's plenty more of Lower Wilson Pond history, some of which my uncle Pat and grandfather wrote about extensively in book format. You can check those out below:

https://www.amazon.com

Memories and Musings of Lower Wilson Pond, One of Maine's Little Gems

Memories and Musings of Lower Wilson Pond, One of Maine's Little Gems, captures the memories of Robert B Dishman who introduced the Pond to his friends, family, and his family's families. The book includes historical anecdotes as well as personal observations.

https://www.amazon.com

Otter Chaos: A do-it-yourself guide to building a North Woods camp

Otter Chaos chronicles the author's adventures building a small cottage in the North Woods of Maine. The camp, nestled on an island in Greenville's Lower Wilson Pond, is constructed mostly from materials harvested from the site or salvaged from other structures. Armed with a generator and a small...

Thoreau's recount of Maine: https://www.thoreau-online.org/the-maine-woods.html

Original version of my grandfather's book