In the latter half of the 19th century, the Moosehead Lake region was a very popular tourist spot, becoming a premiere vacation resort destination by around 1875. People came from near and far to enjoy the area's natural bounties, relying on the amenities offered in Moosehead's thriving communities.

At first, visitors could only ride the train as far as Bangor or Skowhegan, and then traveled by stagecoach to Moosehead. However, in the 1880s, Greenville became a junction for the Bangor & Piscataquis and Canadian Pacific Railroads, and the trip from New York or Boston to Moosehead Lake became easier than ever.

Back then, visitors planned trips of weeks, or even months, and stayed at any one of the region's dozens of resorts, inns, sporting camps and lodges. The most renowned hotel of all was the 500-room Mt. Kineo House, which featured a golf course, yacht club, guide services, grand dining room and nightly events.

There were more modest accommodations around Moosehead as well, and there were recreational offerings to suit just about everyone. In its tourism heyday, the Moosehead Lake region offered a combined total of at least 1,800 rooms to its visitors.

The grand era of resorts and tourism declined abruptly during the Great Depression and World War II, and never really rebounded. By the 1950s, many Americans preferred driving to their vacations spots, and stayed for only a few days or a week. Therefore, coastal destinations such as southern Maine and Cape Cod won out over more distant locales.

Today, however, the Moosehead region has an opportunity to revive these traditions. As many Americans are heading toward retirement, and many more are renewing their interest in outdoor pursuits, Moosehead communities can enjoy a new era of nature-based tourism and recreation-based business.

All it takes is planning, investment and respect for the natural resources on which these traditions depend. That's where Plum Creek's plan comes in.

Plum Creek's plan envisions a new Nordic and nature-based resort at Moose Mountain, and will create new hiking and snowmobile trails to expand recreational options. Most importantly, it will offer lodging to visitors, homes for new residents (seasonal and year round,) and a foundation for life-long residents to build upon.