Lake View Plantation is a small community nestled on the shore of Schoodic Lake. It was originally settled because the Merrick Thread Company (later the American Thread Company) built a spool mill there. It is a quiet place to live, and has a beautiful view of Mt. Katahdin.
Historical Sketch of Lake View, Maine, 1911
Dated: September 27, 1911 (author unknown)
The location of the Lake View Mills and settlement was determined largely by the stand of timber which Merrick Thread Company was, at that time, seeking for the manufacture of spools. The exact location was finally determined by Mr. F.W. Hamlin, Agent for the Merrick Thread Company, and the work of clearing the land was begun in September 1888, twenty-three years ago this month. During the year 1889 the Mill, Boarding House and some of the tenement houses were constructed.
At that time the Atlantic Division of the Canadian Pacific Railroad was not completed so that many of the supplies for Lake View were delivered by team to a point on the shore of the lake about two miles above Lake View, known at that time as “Gerrish Landing” and thence transferred by boat to Lake View. Later the private highway landing from Lake View to the County Road at the Highland slate Quarry was laid out and built.
On 1890 the need for a public school was recognized and the Merrick Thread Compnay agreed to bear the expense of constructing a school building providing public schools were maintained by subscription. The owners of the timber land and the residents of Lake View agreed to this plan and the first school building was constructed in 1891. During the succeeding twelve months three terms of school were taught by Jane Jones of Milo and the expense was met by subscription. The land owners, however, failed to share this expense. At the end of the first school year the subscription plan declared a failure and a citizen’s meeting was held at which it was voted to apply to the County Commissioners for permission to organize a School Plantation. Hon. S.G. Dinsmore was at that time Chairman of the County Commissioners and in the due course permission was granted for organizing a School Plantation and on the 16th day of June, 1892, the first meeting was held. Judge M.L. Durgin of Milo was present at the meeting to see that preceedings were legal and otherwise in order. The Following officers were chosen:
Assesors……………………… J.E. Farnham, F.D. Ellis, C.F. Bumps
Plantation Clerk………………. P.M. Hamlin
Treasurer…………………….. F.W. Sargent
Tax Collector/Constable………… C.M. Butler
Superintending School Committee… J.E. Farnham, C.M. Butler, B.F. Clark
In the course of the next two years the limited quarters in the small school building had been outgrown and the Plantation authorities voted to purchase the building from the Merrick Thread Company. After the deal was consumated the building was enlarged by adding twenty feet to its length and served as a public school building until the present double-room building was completed in 1909.
The first church services were held in the little school house at Lake View in 1891 by Rev. and Mrs A.W. Young. Mr. Young was at that time Pastor of the Milo Baptist Church. At the same time the Sunday School was organized with J.E. Farnam as Superintendent. Church and Sunday School services have been held more or less regularly since that time. The school building in which the first church services were held, and where the first Sunday School was organized, has recently been remodeled and refurnished as a Chapel, and is to be dedicated today.
