Moosehead Lake Yacht Club - 1908-13 dated Maine Boating Stock Certificate

Stock printed by W. Reid Gould, NY. Rare! Moosehead Lake is a profound, coldwater body situated in Northwestern Maine. It ranks as the second-largest lake in New England and holds the title of the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Nestled within the largely undeveloped Longfellow Mountains, this lake serves as the origin of the Kennebec River. Several rural townships encircle the lake, with Greenville being the most significant settlement, featuring a modest downtown area that comprises banks, shops, and dining establishments. The lake is home to over 80 islands, the most prominent being Sugar Island, accompanied by the nearly equally sized Deer Island to the west.

Mount Kineo, characterized by its 700-foot (200 m) cliffs that rise abruptly from Moosehead Lake, has drawn visitors for centuries. This includes early American Indians, known as the Red Paint People, as well as later tribes that sought its rhyolite for crafting stone tools, such as the Penobscots and Norridgewocks, along with the Abenaki bands who engaged in conflicts with the Mohawks. The 19th-century "rusticators" arrived via railroad and steamboat, and today, hotel guests continue to visit. The cliffs and talus slopes are home to various species, including peregrine falcons and rare flora. The Moosehead region encompasses the headwaters of the Kennebec, the West Branch of the Penobscot, the Piscataquis, the Pleasant, and the Saint John rivers. Notable figures like Henry David Thoreau and other 19th-century visitors have praised the area's beauty. The region boasts a substantial moose population, with moose outnumbering humans by a ratio of 3:1. The name of the region is derived from the striking resemblance between the lake's map and the antlers of a moose. Thoreau famously described the lake as “...a gleaming silver platter at the end of the table.”