Rockwood

ROCKWOOD AND MOUNT KINEO

A Little History

Rockwood and Mt. Kineo, located just across the narrows of Moosehead Lake from each other, are tied by history and perhaps at one time in preglacial days, were linked by geography as well. The earliest history of what is now the Moosehead region was recorded in this region as Indians came to Mt. Kineo for flint. Not only Mt. Kineo, but what later became Rockwood shared in this Indian history and lore. A portion of the area later known as Rockwood was originally Birch Point, a popular site for Indian camps and so-called because of the many beautiful birch trees. This area is located just off the main Greenville-Jackman Road, down a hill and nestled on the shore of Moosehead Lake, Maine. The Rockwood Post Office, The Rockwood Trading Post and many private dwellings as well as an impressive new state boat launching site are located where Indians once camped.

The Roundhouse and Steam Engines at Rockwood Landing 1900

In the very early 1900s, the railroad reached Rockwood, but it was another couple decades before a road was constructed between Greenville and Rockwood, Maine. Rockwood was believed to be settled before the Civil War, and among those first clearing land in the area were families from the Maritime Provinces, mainly from Nova Scotia. The first bridge across the Moose River was a floating span built in the late 1800's at the mouth of the river. Another bridge was constructed farther up-river around 1914. This was the same year the road to Pittston Farm was completed. The present bridge was built later, and is now the only bridge on the Moose River between Rockwood and a logging road near Long Pond, not far from Jackman.

Rockwood Landing Station Looking East 1900

The Somerset Railroad (precursor of the Maine Central Railroad) constructed a line to Kineo Station at Birch Point. The name Rockwood was believed to have come from Hiram Rockwood Page, who decided around 1909 that the railroad's Kineo Station needed a post office. Hence, he named the post office after himself. There were two stores and two churches as well as a number of houses in the early 1900s. The Rockwood Community Church, affectionately known as the Log Chapel, was built in the 1940s. Now maintained and operated on a seasonal basis by the Union Evangelical Church (United Church of Christ), the church has a colorful history, and was featured in a Christmas issue of The Saturday Evening Post in 1954. The Catholic Church constructed a mission near the present Moose River bridge in the early days of the century. At first, a priest from Jackman would walk to Rockwood -- about 30 miles through the untamed wilderness -- to conduct services at the mission once or twice a year. As transportation improved, and especially after the road to Greenville was completed, priests came to the mission from the Holy Family Catholic Church in Greenville -- a tradition that continues to this day.

The Railroad Horse Barn and Nearby Dwellings 1900

Farming was never a popular lifestyle in Rockwood, due in part to the generally poor soil and considerable ledge outcroppings. It was hardscrabble farming at best, so many of the men turned to working in the woods and others took to providing guide service for "sports" at Mt. Kineo and other sporting camps such as Maynard's-in-Maine.

The Snowplow Team at Rockwood Landing Looking Toward The Trading Post 1900

Located on a peninsula (not an island as many believe!), Mt. Kineo is about a mile across Moosehead Lake from Rockwood. Most visitors get their first view of Mt. Kineo from the Greenville-Jackman Road as it tops a gentle slope near the Rockwood School. It's an impressive sight with an almost sheer cliff which rises over 700 feet from the lake's surface and plunges another 250 feet to lake's bottom. To the Indians, Mt. Kineo resembled the back of a huge animal rising from the lake. There is an Indian legend which says the mountain is really the petrified remains of a monster moose sent to earth by the Great Spirit to punish them for their sins.

The Mail Boat Delivers Up The Lake Around 1900

The first building on the Kineo peninsula was a tavern constructed in 1844 by William and Henry Hildreth of Greenville. On July 4, 1846, the first steamboat, the Amphitrite, made its maiden voyage on Moosehead Lake, and stopped at Kineo. It wasn't long until the first Kineo House, a large hotel, was built. The hotel and 1,200 acres were sold in 1856 and became a hunting and fishing lodge. The original hotel burned and in 1870 another was constructed. So great was the demand for hotel rooms that in 1875 the Annex was added along with the so called "winter cottage." This hotel also burned, in 1882, and was reconstructed almost before the ashes cooled. A grand opening was held on July 29, 1884, with the Rev. Charles Davison, pastor of the Union Church in Greenville as the dedication speaker. With continued growth, the Mt. Kineo House by 1911 could accommodate over 500 guests and was considered one of the finest facilities in the country. But by the 1930s; America's love affair with the automobile was well under way and the end was in sight for the Mt. Kineo facility. The Maine Central Railroad eliminated its Kineo branch in 1933, and the hotel was sold in 1938. During the demolition, the huge wooden structure caught fire and burned to the ground. In 1940, the Samoset Corporation bought Mt. Kineo, and that began a series of sales and grand plans which never materialized. Today, the cottages, golf course, and many fine homes both new and old remain on the peninsula. Kineo remains one of the most beautiful unsspoiled destinations in North America.

Mt.Kineo in the Fall by Jim Fisk. Available up to 9 feet long. Others up to 16 feet long.

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