Hi there! I'm Tommy Carbone Maine author
and Regional Explorer, bringing you news, history, and fun facts – from the Maine Coast
to the Maine North Woods. In today's show we're talking about how Moosehead Lake actually got
that name, and if you've ever searched on the internet you might think you know, but you
could be surprised – come on let's go explore Moosehead Lake isn't Maine's deepest
lake but it is the state's largest. In fact Moosehead is the second largest lake
east of the Mississippi River within one state. Lake Okeechobee in Florida is larger, but with an
average depth of about nine feet - isn't that more of a mud hole really? And Lake Pontchartrain
is big, but that's also brackish water. And we have to clarify that Moosehead is the largest
lake within ONE state east of the Mississippi, because the Great Lakes are larger, but
they border multiple states or Canada. Moosehead is the largest freshwater
mountain lake east of the Mississippi. Like the name of the lake, how we measure the
lake also gets disputed on various internet sites. Moosehead is 40 miles long from Greenville to
Northeast Carry – by way of how a steamer would travel – if any were to go that way again today.
And it's 10 miles wide from Spencer Bay across to the east Outlet of the Kennebec River. Of course
the width varies as you go up and down the lake, but that's how the measurements come
about. The max depth is 246 feet – plus or minus – out behind the cliffs of Mount kineo.
But today we're not here to debate the size of the lake, we're here to discuss the history
of how the lake became named Moosehead Lake I'm sure, like me, you've read on the internet
and blogs and even seen other YouTube videos where people claim that the Moosehead Lake Region
is named because of the number of moose that roam the woods here. We do have a fair amount of
moose and you should come take a guided tour to check that out – but that's not why the lake,
or the region, is named Moosehead Lake. From my perspective when I usually try to go see moose, I
get this side and not the moose's head. Oh well! Another more common but also incorrect
explanation of the naming of Moosehead Lake is because the drawn shape of the lake
outline resembles the head of a bull moose. Commonly cited websites have this reason, and
this of course gets replicated over and over, but that is NOT how the lake came
to be known by its current name. As an aside the same website notes the
Moosehead Region includes the headwaters of these five listed Maine rivers. That
would be a very expansive definition of what encompasses the Moosehead region;
but that is a discussion for another time. The website for Britannica probably has
the most incorrect worded explanation; as of citing this in January 2023. You
cannot see the outline shape of the lake resembling the head of a moose, or a crouching
moose, when viewed from atop Mount Kineo. While Mount Kineo is a nice hike and you can
climb the fire tower at the top for a nice view, there isn't a person that could
observe the shape of the entire Lake from the vantage point to see the
head of a moose, or a crouching moose. The writer has mistakenly written
a combination of two pieces of the puzzle on how the lake took on this name,
and of course you can now find dozens of other websites citing that same incorrect
history, on how the lake received its name. You might ask – does it matter? Especially since the drawn outline of the lake today
resembles a bull Moose's antlered head? Well, yes, it does. It matters
for the history as I'll explain. To begin to unravel the puzzle of how the lake
was named, I'll start with an illustration of what would be the most accurate drawn map of the
lake from the 1880s by Dr Lucius Lee Hubbard. As you can see the lake does in fact
look like the head of a bull moose; however we can't claim that the lake was
named Moosehead for the shown outline because, although serendipitous, the lake
was being labeled Moosehead Lake on the maps many years before anyone knew what the lake
would appear as following an accurate survey We must ask then, were the early
map makers omniscient to know the shape the lake would turn out to
be would be an antlered Moose's head when they finally surveyed
the shoreline? Of course not! To find out how the lake received its
current name we must go back to when the first explorers arrived and they spoke
to the indigenous people who were there.
I believe it is important to understand the
origin of the name as it has to do with the history of the region and what the Explorers were
told from the Native Americans they encountered. My research for this topic includes a 1926
article in Sprague's Journal of Maine history written by Maine historian, ornithologist, writer, documentarian, and wicked cool
explorer herself Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. For her research Eckstorm analyzed Joseph
Chadwick's 1764 survey. The editor of the journal wrote of Mrs. Eckstorm: "The
journal has been exceedingly fortunate in securing the services of Mrs. Eckstorm, one
of Maine's talented writers herself, a lover of Maine's ancient history, and a historian
and research worker faithful and efficient." In her research Eckstorm highlighted Chadwick's
notation in his journal of a Moose Hills Lake, and that was in reference to a large lake on his map
that he labeled using the Abnaki name Lake Sebem. To the right, on the east shore of the lake, he
drew two mountains – those he labeled Moose Hills. So as you can see Lake Sebem on Chadwick's map
does not appear as a bull Moose's antlered head. But there are two important clues. One
his notation of the Moose Hills on the Eastern shores of the lake. And second, the
notation in his journal of Moose Hills Lake. Those two items are important clues into
how this lake received its English name. In her extensive and well-researched article,
Eckstorm concluded on the later map makers renaming the lake from the Native given name to
the English name, she wrote, "When the name of Moosehead Lake came in I do not know; nor why."
It wasn't that Eckstorm didn't know why that name was such, she just didn't have a definitive date
or person who declared it to be Moosehead Lake, or why they decided to use that name,
versus the original native name. While Chadwick's drawn outline does not represent
the correct shape, and the drawn connection to the Penobscot River is also incorrect, his
notation about Moose Lake and the Moose Hills are two of the earliest clues on how the English
given name for the lake would become adopted. The Moose Hills on the eastern shore of Chadwick's
representation of Lake Sebem, are possibly, or most likely, what are now known as the two
Spencer mountains. Mrs Eckstorm was well aware of the Native American Legend related to those
Hills – a legend we will review in this video In her essay Eckstorm made mention
of the 1755 map from John Mitchell, which was a very important map for the
forming of the boundary of the United States during the negotiations
at the Treaty of Paris in 1782. However, this map was discounted by Eckstorm
due to inaccuracies in what was the District of Maine. She wrote, "The Mitchell map
of 1755 is negligible for local details," and she added, "John Mitchell's map of North
America may be disregarded as no Authority." As it was used between Britain and
the United States, some took it as authority enough (laughter) but Eckstorm
meant in regards to the main North Woods. Certainly the Mitchell map is not without
inaccuracies when it comes to details in northern Maine and the location of Moosehead Lake.
Mitchell drew a waterbody he he labeled Chenbesec, which was the word for Chesuncook. It
is apparent the lake has carry paths, through smaller bodies of water that lead
to the Penobscot River. This might indicate this is in fact meant to be Chesuncook with
carries past the rapids to the Lower Lakes. Another theory was these carries represented
carries to the Pleasant River system. However, this body of water is most likely
representing Chesuncook, and a lake that would become known as Moosehead Lake is not
evident on this map. "Not so fast," you say! The waterbody Chenbesec also shows an outlet
to the south, flowing into the Kennebec River. This, of course, does not exist from Chesuncook.
This led some to believe that maybe Mitchell mislabeled his map and his Chenbesec is meant to
be Moosehead Lake. Not likely; but a theory. And thus, the claim of inaccuracies, but useful for
early map image comparisons, as we shall discover. One of the earliest maps including
an outline for what would be renamed as Moosehead Lake is Montresor's map of
1761. He labels the lake as Moose-deer Lac, or Lake Orignal, which is a French
word for moose or Canadian elk, but in this case intended to be the North America
moose. Although notice how his cartographer mixes two languages – instead of Moose-deer Lake or
Lac Orignal, he's labeled it – Moose-deer Lac. Here we see kineo is labeled as Mount Orignal
or Mount Moose; a key clue. It appears that what is now little Spencer Mountain is labeled
as Rocky Mounting, or Rocky Mountain. This is important for our story; as important
as Chadwick's Moose Hill's notation. Pownall's map from 1776 is a critical map as
he includes both water bodies of Moosehead and Chesuncook. However, notice Sebaim Lake as a small
oval in relation to the size of Chenosbec. Here, Chenosbec is correctly flowing to the West
Branch of the Penobscot. The larger depiction of Chesuncook is likely because that lake had a
higher prominence in water routes to the Penobscot people. But from a cartographer's interpretation
of the Penobscot word – Chenosbec – which means 'Greatest Lake,' he drew it larger
than Moosehead Lake. "Wait!" you say, "You told us Moosehead was the largest lake in
Maine! Surely the Native Americans knew that!" Of course they did. But Maine was non-existent.
There was no such place. They simply had this place and Chenosbec was their greatest
Lake in relation to the Penobscot River. Notice the large island in the center of Sebaim
Lake. This large island, shown in the middle, is meant to indicate the island that
includes Mount Kineo. The fact that Pownal has depicted the island as large as
it is, in relation to the size of the lake, is indicative of the legend responsible for
how Moosehead Lake, came to be named as such. On Osgood Carlton's 1795 map he labels
the lake not with its Native American name but with the name as two
distinct words of Moose Head, but certainly the shape has no
resemblance to a moose's head. So what do you think of that? Way back in 1795,
Osgood Carlton, drew one of the earliest maps, if not THE earliest map, in which
the name Moosehead Lake was applied. Why his map was not mentioned by Mrs.
Eckstorm in her analysis is unknown, but as to her stating that she 'did not know
when or why the name Moosehead Lake came in,' it wasn't that she didn't know why, or have a
reason, it's just that in her need for exactness she didn't know the exact date, or why the map
makers chose the name Moosehead, versus one of the other names related to Moose, as we'll see.
Notice also, as on Pownall's map, the large island while then described as an island, around mid-lake
on which Mount Kineo rises – very important! Matthew Carey's map from 1796 indicates Sebaim
Lake, which would become named Moosehead Lake with the outlet, one of them at least, flowing
correctly to the Kennebec River. But there is no label with the English name on his map.
This map also shows Chenosbec as a direct water route correctly flowing to the Penobscot
River. Ah, but the plot thickens! A second map, attributed to Matthew Carey, also from 1796
now labels the lake as Moose Head Lake; the spelling here is two words, as
was shown on the earlier Carlton map. Another map also attributed to Osgood Carlton,
undated but from between 1795 and 1805, shows Moosehead Lake; and now
he has labeled it as one word. Above Moosehead his note reads, "Here
has been a large lake discovered, but it has not been surveyed."
THAT is an interesting note! Moosehead Lake is shown as five fingers,
as if to represent maybe antlers. Again notice the large island in the center of
the lake, drawn much larger than to scale and likely based on the oral history of the legend
responsible for how the lake came to be known. There are several other widely known maps of this region from these years of
the late 1700s and early 1800s. I will not cover all of them, as most of minor
derivatives of the ones discussed already. Earlier I stated an accurately drawn survey map
of the lake was drawn in the 1880s by Dr Hubbard. However, the true shape of the lake appeared
as early as 1820 on Moses Greenleaf's, State of Maine map. Greenleaf labeled the lake as
Moosehead Lake and the shape was getting close to what would become an accurate outline drawing.
An interesting comment on a later edition of The Greenleaf map was made by Henry David Thoreau
when he took his trip to Katahdin in 1846. While staying at the hotel at the former site of
the Mattawamkeag Stagecoach line he made a sketch of the Greenleaf map that was hanging on the wall
there. On trying to use the map for his journey he wrote, "in good faith we traced what we afterwards
ascertained to be a Labyrinth of errors, carefully following the outlines of the imaginary
lakes which the map contains." (laughter) From the time of Greenleaf, maps of northern
Maine progressed at a rapid rate and became more detailed for water bodies and scale of distances.
This was in part to the exploration of timberlands and sporting tourism that expanded in these
years. Colton on his 1857 map labeled the lake as Moosehead Lake. The outline is still not an
accurate representation, and his depictions of the islands are only approximate; however on this map
we see the peninsula that is home to Mount Kineo; albeit connected by a much wider thoroughfare than
actually there. Please note, the access to Mount Kineo from the Eastern side of the lake is over
a private way and not accessible to the public. One of the best map makers was John Way, Jr. He
drew the most accurate depiction of Moosehead Lake to date on his map of 1874. John was a young
man who came to the North Woods with the intent of surveying to create the most accurate map of
the region. He almost didn't live to see his goal come true; but that's a story for another day.
Thomas S Steele a north woods explorer and writer, remarked, "John way was one of the
best map makers the region had known." For his part, Thomas Steele from his journey to
the north Maine woods, published Maps under his own name; and in 1881 further improved on Way's
surveys. But there was one more big development in terms of explorers historians and map
makers of that era to come – and that was from Lucius Lee Hubbard. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm
wrote, "Probably the person that did more for documenting the original native names of places
in the main north woods, was Dr Lucius Hubbard." Dr Hubbard was a geologist, an explorer, and
a writer. His time spent in the Maine north woods led not only to a well-regarded map for
lumberman and sportsmen, but two books. The first, "Woods and Lakes of Maine – A Trip from Moosehead
Lake to New Brunswick in a Birch-bark Canoe," is a travel memoir of sorts. His second "Hubbard's
Guide to Moosehead Lake and Northern Maine," is a guidebook with a wicked amount
of cool information about the Maine North Woods. Both books I've
updated with new information, photos, and annotations – you
can find them at tommycarbone.com Dr. Hubbard cataloged hundreds of place
names throughout northern Maine and he provided definitions and translations for the
original Indian place names. If in fact his research could provide such a translation.
But by the time Hubbard had drawn his most accurate map of northern Maine, including the
accurate shoreline depiction of Moosehead Lake, the lake was already being called Moosehead Lake,
and the reason why had begun to be forgotten. Hubbard in, "Woods and Lakes of Maine," wrote,
"Sebaim, Keseben, XSebem, or Sebam(ook), may safely be said to be identical. Analysis from
Hubbard goes on to provide that Sebem from K'sebem or Sebaim, is similar to the other Penobscot
native language words of Sebec and Sebago, which relate to the Abnaki word for ocean ,
Soobago, and imply a wide extent of water. Hubbard's accurate map was used by woodsmen and
foresters well into the 1900s. In his books he also documented the reason why the lake took on
the English name, which we are about to discover. However, in relation to why the lake is now named
Moosehead Lake, this review of the early maps show the name Moosehead Lake was being applied long
before an accurate survey outline was ever drawn. Thus, neither the name of the lake, or region, comes about because of some similarity between
the current drawn maps and an antlered moose. These three significant maps from 1820 to 1884
by Greenleaf, Way and Hubbard highlight the progression of the outline of Moosehead Lake from
their surveys. As expected the maps became more accurate for islands, bays, coves and the
shoreline over the decades of exploration. We can easily transpose a modern day satellite
image over the Hubbard map showing his accuracy. Before I explain why the lake was named
Moosehead, if not from the drawn outline survey, I will leave you one additional historical item
to ponder. John Josselyn was an English traveler. He came to New England on two occasions. The
first, in 1638, and again in the year 1663. Josselyn spent the majority of his
second visit, which lasted eight years, at his brother Henry's home, in what is now
Scarborough Maine, in the area of Black Point. From that base and his travels, he collected
and documented stories he was told. Josselyn has been criticized as documenting what he heard with
credulity; that might be so, or it could be he had difficulty in translating his native American
sources, or those he took information from. For example, from the notes of his second
voyage he wrote, "Twelve miles from Casco Bay, and passable for men and horses, there
is a lake called by the Indians Sebug, on the brink thereof at one end is the famous rock shaped like a Moose-deer or Helk,
diaphanous and called 'The Moose Rock' Here are found Stones like
Crystal and Lapis specularis or muscovia glass both white and purple." The fact that Josselyn incorrectly translates
the location of Mount Kineo and the Moose Hills, as being related to Sebago Lake in
Southern Maine, is a most obvious error. It seems he also mixes the wrong description
of the Kineo stone. However, he had documented a close to accurate native name for Sebago
Lake, and he is likely confused due to the similarity of the name to Lake Sebaim; as there
is no mountain related to any shape of a moose or moose Legend near Sebago. What
we conclude from Josselyn's notes, is that the story of Glusgehbeh, and the
legend of the Moose Hills from Lake Sebaim, was being told as soon as explorers arrived in the
region that would become the District of Maine. In his journal notes from 1853, Thoreau
pointed out Josselyn's error; however, he himself missed out in documenting the story
on how Moosehead Lake received its English name. On two occasions, Thoreau one of the most
respected and widely quoted writers on the Maine Woods, was given clues as to the naming
of Moosehead Lake, and the legend associated with that name. In 1853 when he first questioned
the Lake's name he was told 'that Moosehead Lake was called so by the whites, because Mount Kineo,
which commands it, is shaped like a Moose's head.' Four years later, Thoreau went on
his trip to the Allagash and the East Branch of the Penobscot River. At
that time he was guided by Penobscot, Joe Polis. About their conversation while
paddling across Moosehead Lake, Thoreau wrote, "While we were crossing this Bay
where Mount Kineo rose dark before us, within two or three miles, the Indian
repeated the tradition respecting this mountain's having anciently been a cow moose –
how a mighty Indian hunter, whose name I forget, succeeded in killing this queen of
the moose tribe with great difficulty; while her calf was killed somewhere
among the islands in Penobscot Bay, and to his eyes this mountain had still the
form of the moose in a reclining posture its precipitous side presenting
the outline of her head. He told this at some length, though it did
not amount to much." Henry David Thoreau Thoreau had the opportunity to document the
legend, and in 1857 explicitly state how Moosehead Lake became known as such, between the confusion
of the Native American name for the lake, the legend, and the subsequently adopted English
name. For his part, Thoreau, who journaled on most everything, writes he could not remember
the name of the legends warrior Glusgehbeh. His conclusion on Polis's sharing of the legend
as, "it did not amount to much," severely irked Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. We might at this time
come to a different conclusion than Thoreau. So what is this legend of Glusgehbeh? I took this picture from the summit of a
mountain on the West Shore of Moosehead Lake. On the left is Mount Kineo. To the
right is Kokadjo and Sabotawan mountains, known more widely as Little and Big Spencer
mountains. The original native names for the Spencer mountains were based on the Glusgehbeh
Legend. From these original Mountain names, we begin to understand the connection of a moose
to the naming of the lake by the English speakers. In the Mi'kmaq (Micmac) legend,
Glusgehbeh was said to have killed an immense cow moose. And so, the
first changes from the Indian name, to an English name for the lake, appear
to have this legend as the cause. A Maine State brochure, cited January 2023, notes, "Mount Kineo held great significance, both
mythic and practical, for Wabanaki Indians, such as the Penobscots, who have lived around
Moosehead over the past one thousand years. The name Kineo derives from a Wabanaki
warrior of legendary power, a brave named, Kinneho. Indians relied on flint-like felsite
and rhyolite from Mount Kineo to make stone tools (such as arrowheads and chisels) that
were used and traded throughout New England." The story of the brave name Kinneho can be read in this edition of Hubbard's Guide to
Moosehead Lake and Northern Maine. The legend continues that after killing the
cow moose, Glusgehbeh threw down his kettle; it landed upside down and that became Kokadjo
Mountain, which translates to Kettle Mountain. A little while later, he threw down his
pack, and that became Sabotowan Mountain. The illustration on the right is of Joe,
a guide of about 50 years old and from the Maliseet tribe in New Brunswick. Joe guided for
Lucius Hubbard, and a description of how a pack is made ready for the long journey was given by
Hubbard in his, "Woods and Lakes of Maine," book. Hubbard, as Eckstorm had noted earlier, was very
diligent on his research of Indian place names. He put in a footnote, "The writer has not been
able to find any modern Indian name for pack, like Sabotawan. Sabotawan is said to mean
more exactly, the end of the pack where the strap is pulled together." His exactitude and
research is one of the reasons he is one of the best historians of the Moosehead Lake Region and
northern Maine. He also makes mention that the origin of the name Moosehead Lake is probably
due to one of several old Indian legends. Mrs. Eckstorm, in her essay on Indian legends,
tells of Glusgehbeh and the Moose Hills. She wrote, "Kineo is her body. She lies as
seen from the south, with her rump to the east, and her withers are the elevation at
the beginning of the Western Slope; while her nose is the hump nearest
the water to the westward." Certainly many visitors and explorers
and map makers were told of this legend. What these explorers took from the
legend, depended upon the individual. On hearing the legend, Hubbard wrote,
"These traditions show that the Indians were endowed with great imaginative
powers and with no little poetic feeling. Mount Kineo, when seen from the southern side,
looks not at all unlike an immense moose." It should be noted that most versions of the
legend do not name the moose that turned to stone and became Mount Kineo. As we read in the
brochure, as well as documented by Hubbard, the mountain is thought to have been named separately,
through the legend of the Indian brave Kinneho. However, as these legends go, Hubbard also documented that the word Kineo is
said to be Abnaki for high bluff. What is most interesting with respect
to the lake naming, is that Kineo is not merely the shape of a moose's head,
but the whole head, and torso, and rump! The end result is the lake was given an
English name related to the word moose, and was called for example, Moose Lake or
Moose Hills Lake; and finally Moosehead Lake, long before anyone knew what the actual shape of the lake would be when drawn on a map. And most importantly it is apparent the
legend of Glusgehbeh and the Moose Hills being told from the Native Americans to the
whites as early as the 1600s was the origin of the English name being given for what was
Lake Sebaim and is now named Moosehead Lake. Additional legends were documented by Fannie
Hardy Eckstorm and they can be read in, "Katahdin, Pamola and Whiskey Jack –
Stories and Legends from the Maine Woods." From this summary of the early Maps you
now know, an inaccurate map as early as 1795 indicated the name of the lake in
Northwestern Maine as Moosehead Lake. On that map the outline wasn't closed
to a crouching moose or a moose's head. While it is a nice coincidence that the eventual
drawn outline of the lake from surveys may resemble the profile of an antlered bull moose's
head, the name Moosehead Lake was derived from the Moose Hills legend of Glusgehbeh. Thus, when
stating how Moosehead Lake received that name, the definition should read: "The name Moosehead Lake
is an English given name, first applied to the maps between the years of 1795 and 1820. The name
was given based on the Native American legend of the story of Glusgehbeh and the Moose Hills, told
from the Abnaki people who lived in the region. The original native language names for the lake
varied by regional native people and were for example, Xsebem, Seebamook, or Sebaim – all
with a meaning related to extending water. So there you have it. The result
that the outline of Moosehead Lake, once accurately surveyed and drawn
on a map, turned out to look like the shape of an antlered bull moose's
head, is serendipitously coincidental. Or is it? Thank you for watching and your
interest in Maine history. If you would be interested in any of the map images that I
showed, please ask for them at my website at tommycarbone.com While there, ask to be signed up
for my free newsletter so you get all the behind the scenes information and stories, and photos
about all things Maine. Before you go hit that YouTube subscribe button so you don't miss
the next episode of My Maine Matters. Well, I'll see you on the next show,
or maybe on the trail exploring. [Music] [Applause]
[Music]
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