What follows are some clippings from the May 7, 1896 edition of the RANGELEY LAKES newspaper.

Over the years, since the Rangeley Lakes truly became synonymous as a premiere fishing destination thanks to George Shepard Page sharing 8 big Rangeley Brook Trout with various New York newspaper editors, many a local has derived their livelihoods from caretaking and guiding. Below is the story of Frank Hewey who was an accomplished guide and served as caretaker at Lakepoint Cottage for 21 years. The place is now known as Indian Point located on the eastern shore of Oquossoc Cove across the water from the Marina. When Frank began his stint, the place was quite rock strewn and rustic, but as the story below shares, over the years those rocks were laboriously put to good use. As shared below, many of the attributes viewable from the water today, like the rock pier and shoreline rock work were put in place by Hewey himself, 140 years ago. The story also shares the timeworn tradition of a “Sport” not heeding the advice of his Maine Guide, which as a guide myself have endured more than a few times myself. Enjoy what follows and be sure to get outside and make some Outdoor History of your own!

(Editor’s note: Contemporary commentary in italics, otherwise copy is reprinted just as it was in 1896).

TWENTY – ONE YEARS AT LAKEPOINT

Frank C. Hewey Tells of the Changes During His Long Stay There.

Twenty-one years ago, Theodore L. Page hired me to go to Lake Point Cottage and work two days, digging rocks and levelling off the ground in front of the cottage. It was very warm weather and Mr. Page and his wife sat by the window and watched me every minute, which I did not enjoy very well, and I promised myself that it would be the last work I would ever do there. But when I got that done, he wanted some rustic settees and a chair made, and as I could go into the woods and make them in the shade, I decided to stay long enough for that, which took me three days. Then the green sprouts that had come up all over the point, must be mowed. This finished a week’s work and as he paid me well for it, I went home perfectly satisfied. A little later I went to Bemis to build some camps for George Shepard Page (Theodore’s Brother and 1st President of OAA), and while there Theodore L. Page came down and wanted to hire me to come and stay at Lake Point Cottage. I told him I would as soon as the work was finished that I was then doing. I stayed with Mr. Page from this time on until he left the cottage, acting as guide for him and often being sent out with his friends. I remember one man in particular, whose name I do not recall, for whom I used to guide, who would never bait his hook. I told him he would never be a fisherman until he did, but his reply was that he could not bear to touch a worm, so I did that part for him and when he left, I received five dollars, which he said, “twas for baiting his hook”. I used to go out with Mr. Bacon and one day we went to Sand Point down on the Big Lake (Mooselookmeguntic). Baiting our hooks, we began to fish, and before long I caught a seven-pounder. Mr. Bacon said, “I don’t see why I don’t catch a trout as well as you, Frank,” and I told him he would not catch a fish unless he kept his hook off from the bottom. As he did not understand fishing very well, he would not hear me so I let him alone, thinking he might fish to suit himself. I very soon caught a three-pounder and the old man looked down-hearted. The next I caught weighed six pounds, but Mr. Bacon still kept his hook on the bottom. In a few minutes he had a bite and told me he had a big trout. I hauled my line in so his fish would not run around and become tangled in it and got the landing net ready as he asked me to do. After playing the trout for about an hour he got him to the top of the water, and it proved to be a big sucker. I pulled it in by hand and it weighed two pounds. As it was then noon, we ate our lunch and began fishing again and during the afternoon I caught three, weighing three, four and five pounds each, while Mr. Bacon caught several suckers, but not a trout that day. I had as many as I could carry up to the cottage in a large landing net, and Mr. Bacon thought he had hard luck, but it was all owing to his letting his hook stay on the bottom of the lake. I used to often go fishing with Mr. Page who was a great fisherman and always caught a fine string of trout, although when asked by the others what “luck” he would invariably hold up two fingers, whether he had two or twenty. When not out guiding with Mr. Page or his friends I would work around the grounds digging out rocks and grading, and from rocks dug out of the garden I built a wall around it that was four feet wide and four feet high. I also got rocks enough to fill in a wharf forty feet long and wheeled them all in a wheelbarrow. Seventeen years ago (1879), Mr. Page sold the cottage to the Tuttle party, and recommended me to Mr. Tuttle who hired me to work for him and care for the cottage. Since then, there have been many improvements. A story has been added to the main building, and a guide’s house, stable, cow barn, woodshed, hen house and boat house have been built. The garden wall that I built for Mr. Page has been pulled down and put into a wall that goes round the entire point, and they are now filling in around the inside of this wall with gravel. A nice walk follows this wall and is a very pleasant place on a hot day as there is always a breeze off the lake. The work of grading and wall building has taken about four years, and when it is all completed Lake Point will be one of the finest places on the lake. The Tuttle party is the best that I ever worked for and this place seems more like home to me than any other. Not one of the party has ever spoken an unpleasant word during all the time I have been with them, and I shall stay as long as they want me, if I am able to do the work. They are all very nice people. No outs about any of them. – F r a n k C. H e w e y

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