Rangeley, Maine, was settled in 1817 when Luther Hoar brought his family from Madrid to a log cabin he had built on the shore of Rangeley Lake. Several others families soon arrived, cleared land, and began farming. It was a small farming community only until the 1850s though. Lumber barons had arrived in the late 1840s, built dams, and started logging the vast timberlands. Soon after, fishermen from Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington arrived to fish the multitude of lakes, ponds, and streams. By 1900, Rangeley was a bustling town with several hotels and two railroad lines. The big hotel era ended after World War II, and secondary residences began to dominate the scene. Today, thousands of visitors come to Rangeley annually to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and crystal clear waters and participate in numerous outdoor activities.

This book encompasses the region’s six major lakes — Aziscohos, Kennebago, Mooselookmeguntic, Rangeley, Richardson, and Parmachenee — as well as the mountains, ponds, and rivers that surround them. It is presented one lake at a time, interspersed with side trips to the sights and activities you find, or do, around a Rangeley region lake, mountain, or stream. It’s an eclectic journey, taking things as they come, expected or unexpected, which is the best way to explore the Rangeleys.

How second homeowners strategically leverage their privilege across multiple spaces In recent decades, Americans have purchased second homes at unprecedented rates. In Privileging Place, Meaghan Stiman examines the experiences of predominantly upper-middle-class suburbanites who bought second homes in the city or the country. Drawing on interviews with more than sixty owners of second homes and ethnographic data collected over the course of two years in Rangeley, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts, Stiman uncovers the motivations of these homeowners and analyzes the local consequences of their actions. By doing so, she traces the contours of privilege across communities in the twenty-first century. Stiman argues that, for the upper-middle-class residents of suburbia who bought urban or rural second homes, the purchase functioned as a way to balance a desire for access to material resources in suburban communities with a longing for a more meaningful connection to place in the city or the country. The tension between these two contradictory aims explains why homeowners bought second homes, how they engaged with the communities around them, and why they ultimately remained in their suburban hometowns. The second home is a place-identity project—a way to gain a sense of place identity they don’t find in their hometowns while still holding on to hometown resources. Stiman’s account offers a cautionary tale of the layers of privilege within and across geographies in the twenty-first century.

Pursuit of the fabled wild brook trout has for generations attracted anglers to the western mountains of Maine. This phenomenon has, over the course of two hundred years, transformed the town of Rangeley from a settlement of farmers and woodsmen to a popular outdoor sporting destination where the names of Carrie Stevens, Herb Welch, and Fly Rod Crosby still echo along the streams and lakes. Rangeley Lakes Region examines the region's rich heritage and provides an intimate glimpse of the past, people, and places that make Rangeley special.

American folklife is steeped in world cultures, or invented as new culture, always evolving, yet often practiced as it was created many years or even centuries ago. This fascinating encyclopedia explores the rich and varied cultural traditions of folklife in America - from barn raisings to the Internet, tattoos, and Zydeco - through expressions that include ritual, custom, crafts, architecture, food, clothing, and art. Featuring more than 350 A-Z entries, "Encyclopedia of American Folklife" is wide-ranging and inclusive. Entries cover major cities and urban centers; new and established immigrant groups as well as native Americans; American territories, such as Guam and Samoa; major issues, such as education and intellectual property; and expressions of material culture, such as homes, dress, food, and crafts. This encyclopedia covers notable folklife areas as well as general regional categories. It addresses religious groups (reflecting diversity within groups such as the Amish and the Jews), age groups (both old age and youth gangs), and contemporary folk groups (skateboarders and psychobillies) - placing all of them in the vivid tapestry of folklife in America. In addition, this resource offers useful insights on folklife concepts through entries such as "community and group" and "tradition and culture." The set also features complete indexes in each volume, as well as a bibliography for further research.

43 American fly-tying masters, including Mary Orvis Marbury, Thaddeus Norris, and Theodore Gordon.

A traveler’s must-have companion for over 30 years—a complete guide to the best of Maine Explorer’s Guide Maine is back for the 19th time, providing readers with everything they need to know for making their next trip to Maine the best one yet. This comprehensive, fully up- to- date edition guides travelers of all interests, whether they are looking to explore wildlife wonders or cultural hubs. Featuring hot spots from the southern coast (like Ogunquit and Wells), Casco Bay (Freeport), the Midcoast and the islands (Boothbay Harbor region), and Down East (Acadia area) to the western mountains and lakes region (Bethel area), the Kennebec Valley (Augusta and mid- Maine) and the Maine highlands (Aroostook County)— Explorer’s Guide Maine offers suggestions for dining, lodging, outdoor activities, art and music events, museums, and must-see sights. Whether readers are looking to soak up the sun at Old Orchard Beach, traverse the Appalachian Trail, or observe Porter Bridge over the Ossippee River, Explorer’s Guide Maine proves there is something for everyone at any time of year in the beautiful Pine Tree State.