Belgrade> Local town history centennial projects written by students about their communities

Editor’s Note: This is the 36th in a a series of town history centennial projects written by students about their communities in the Bangor Daily News readership area. Students were asked to compile a timeline of important events in the 20th century, to write an essay about what has set their community apart, and to choose a photograph that sums up something important about their community’s history during the century.

By Sue Bradshaw’s sixth-grade class at the Belgrade Central School

For much of the 19th century, Belgrade was a farming and industrial community. Trees were floated in the lakes and streams to be cut into boards, and farms were located throughout town.

The water flowing between Great Pond and Long Pond was the source of power for Locke Mills, then Chandler Mills, which manufactured spools. As these businesses changed hands, so did the name of the area. In 1829, Chandler Mills became Belgrade Mills, and in the 1900s it became known as Belgrade Lakes.

The name changes were an indicator that metamorphosis was taking place. The lakes were becoming more than a means to transport timber and to power the mills. They were becoming an attraction for wealthy city dwellers who could take a train to Belgrade Depot, where the Belgrade Central School is located today, and then travel the remaining trip, first via stage, then by “touring car,” to Belgrade Lakes.

There are seven lakes in the Belgrade chain: Great Pond, Long Pond, Messalonskee Lake (Snow Pond), McGrath Pond, Salmon Lake, East Pond and North Pond.

In the early 1900s, visitors came prepared to spend the summer in the quiet, rustic setting of the Belgrades. Catering to these summer guests was good business, and the lawns of The Belgrade, a resort hotel, once boasted a golf course and tennis courts. Several other hotels were built for tourists including The Lakeshore Hotel, Red Oaks Lodge and Locust House (both named for the large trees that adorned the area). These places were popular for their lakeside locations, fine food, and accommodations.

Much has changed since 1900. The three parts of the town (Belgrade Lakes, Belgrade Depot and North Belgrade), which were once distinct villages, have long ago blended together into one place simply called Belgrade. The train now carries cargo instead of people. Visitors come from all over the world and stay for days or weeks instead of months. The mills, old hotels, and most of the farms are gone.

Hammond Lumber, Gagne & Sons Concrete Block Inc., and Tukey Lumber are now important industries. The village, the lakes, and the charm of the town remain, thanks to the diligence of the townspeople, who still conduct business at town meetings, and the many volunteers who keep the spirit of the town alive and growing.

1900 The mail boat, a 35-foot steamer, begins delivering on Great Pond. A mail boat continues to make its rounds each summer.

1910 The Old South Church, built in 1828, adds a new steeple.

1916 At the annual town meeting, it is voted to raise $100 to add electric street lights to Belgrade Depot.

1943 The Central School, which was built in 1923 at Belgrade Depot, burns and is rebuilt the next year. Before the Central School, there were 18 schools in Belgrade. The Central School housed students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Today it includes kindergarten through sixth grade.

1945 Two family-run businesses begin: Gagne and Sons Concrete Block Inc. and Tukey Lumber. Gagne opens in a garage in Augusta and then moves to Belgrade. Tukey Lumber is rebuilt twice after fires.

1953 Hammond Lumber begins as a small diesel-powered sawmill operation. It now operates six building supply stores in central Maine.

1955 The ice-harvesting businesses, which had been a big business in Belgrade since 1900, close.

1956 Opened in 1899, The Belgrade, a summer resort, burns. The passenger trains stop coming to Belgrade Depot the next year.

1965 Belgrade joins with Oakland and Sidney to form SAD 47.

1973 The public library is torn down. It was open summers from about 1910 to approximately 1960.

1988 Belgrade gets its only bank. A building is constructed and opened by KeyBank. It later changes hands, becoming the Skowhegan Savings Bank.

1992 The Veterans War Memorial is rebuilt and dedicated to soldiers.

1995 The Belgrade Lakes bridge is rebuilt between September 1995 and Memorial Day of 1996. It links Belgrade with Rome.

1996 Belgrade celebrates its bicentennial.

1998 The front nine holes of the Belgrade Lakes Golf Club open July 4 on Smith Hill. The new golf course is designed by Clive Clark, a noted European golf course creator, his first in the United States. The back nine holes open in September.