Chesuncook Lake
| Chesuncook Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Piscataquis County, Maine |
| Coordinates | 45°59′14″N 69°20′27″W / 45.98722°N 69.34083°W |
| Type | Mesotrophic |
| Catchment area | 1,420 square miles (3,700 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 22.5 miles (36.2 km) |
| Max. width | 1-4 miles |
| Surface area | 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) |
| Average depth | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Max. depth | 150 feet (46 m) |
| Water volume | 136,667 acre⋅ft (168,576,000 m3) |
| Residence time | 6 months |
| Surface elevation | 942 feet (287 m) |
| Islands | Gero Island |
| Settlements | Chesuncook Township, T2 R12 WELS, T3 R11 WELS, T3 R12 WELS |
Chesuncook Lake is a reservoir in Piscataquis County, Maine, formed by the damming of the West Branch of the Penobscot River in 1903 and 1916.[1] It is approximately 22 miles (35 km) long and 1–4 miles wide, with a surface area of 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) and a maximum depth of 150 feet (46 m). It is the third-largest body of fresh water in Maine.[1]
Henry David Thoreau visited Chesuncook (village) and lake in 1853 and wrote about its beginnings in his book "The Maine Woods" Chesuncook Part 4; 'Ansell Smith's the oldest and principal clearing about this lake,...'
In H.P. Lovecraft's horror short story The Thing on the Doorstep, the ill-fated Edward Derby found himself lost in the town of Chesuncook, "close to the wildest, deepest, and least explored forest belt in Maine."
Chesuncook Lake features in First Lensman by EE "Doc" Smith as a clandestine handover point for a shipment of illegal drugs.
References
Chesuncook Village of Piscataquis County, Maine is located on the northwestern shore of Chesuncook Lake with a year-round population of approximately 10 people on this otherwise uninhabited lake. It is in an unorganized township in the heart of the east coast's largest unsettled logging forest and is considered to be the last wilderness area on the eastern seaboard of the United States. It is aproximately 60 miles from the nearest towns of Greenville and Millinocket, Maine. It is completly off the grid with no infrastructure. Chesuncook "Village" was settled in 1849 by Ansel A. Smith as a logging outfit. The historic Chesuncook Lake House Inn, built in 1864 is the village's main feature and still in operation in this remote wilderness settlement. Sitting on Chesuncook lake and facing Mount Katahdin in the distance, the Lake House and its acreage are one of the few remaining North Woods "logging hotels" which were at one time built at intervals of every 30 miles through the logging regions in order to house and feed the logging industry as well as visiting sportsmen. 148 years later the Lake House is owned and operated as a private enterprise by the Surprenant family and also functions as the village's "honorary" town hall where anything from current village news/information, emergency contact, Webcam, snowmobile trail info, weather and more can be had. It also houses the village's historical archives, see [www.chesuncooklakehouse.com and www.chesuncookvillage.com, these websites are operated within the village so contact can be made year round]. The rest of the village which is actually a 1920's subdivision that never really took off, supports a scattering of privately owned seasonal camps and a few permanent year-round residents. The only public land within the village is maintained by the state as a pasture and public boat launch/beach area. There is a non denominational meeting house which is used as seasonal churches, meeting place and foul weather refuge for those traveling through the area. See [http;//www.chesuncookvillage.com], the Official Home Website for the village's historical organization and general information. The above material was supplied by the Chesuncook Village Historical Preservation Association (a non profit organization), to add or to make any changes to the above paragraphed material, please contact: www.chesuncookvillage.com.
See www.chesuncookvillage.org for more history and information. (NB: The original public property owners' association, founded by Bert McBurnie, Alice Cousins and others is the CVA whose website is www.chesuncookvillage.org .)
External links
- The New Official Home Website for Chesuncook Village, Maine, a non profit publication
- Official Site for Chesuncook Village's "The Suncooker" a news, photos and general info website, a non profit publication
- Chesuncook Lake House website
- Original Chesuncook Village Association website
- Trails.com entry
- Columbia Encyclopedia entry
- Chesuncook Village Historical Preservation Association website