“Rangeley’s Historic Legacy,” written by Gary Priest with the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society, is now available for sale. Submitted photo

“Rangeley’s Historic Legacy,” written by Gary Priest with the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society, is now available for sale.

Rangeley was settled in 1817 when Luther Hoar brought his family from Madrid to a log cabin he had built on the shore of Rangeley Lake. Several others families soon arrived, cleared land, and began farming. It was a small farming community only until the 1850s though. Lumber barons had arrived in the late 1840s, built dams, and started logging the vast timberlands. Soon after, fishermen from Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington arrived to fish the multitude of lakes, ponds, and streams. By 1900, Rangeley was a bustling town with several hotels and two railroad lines. The big hotel era ended after World War II, and secondary residences began to dominate the scene. Today, thousands of visitors come to Rangeley annually to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and crystal clear waters and participate in numerous outdoor activities.

Gary Priest has been recording the history of the Rangeley region for over 25 years. He has served on the board of directors of the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society since 1999 and is currently its treasurer. This is his fifth book on Rangeley’s history. His other works include “History of Rangeley Hotels & Camps,” “Mingo Springs Hotel: The Early Days,” “The Gilded Age of Rangeley Maine,” and “Rangeley through Time.”

As the nation’s leading publisher of books of local history and local interest, Arcadia Publishing’s mission is to connect people with their past, with their communities and with one another. Arcadia is the home of unique hyper-local histories of countless hometowns across all fifty states. For more information, visit arcadiapublishing.com.