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Our Rangeley, ME real estate website provides a wealth of information for home buyers and home sellers. Below, you will find information on the history and culture of Rangeley as well as links to more detailed information such as demographics and schools. You may view a virtual tour, search homes for sale, and access information on different types of properties such as condos, farms, foreclosures, and vacation homes. This website will give you everything you need to buy or sell a home in Rangeley, ME.
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Rangeley ME Community Profile & History
Rangeley, Maine is a scenic town in Franklin County. Rangeley is the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region, a major tourist destination and resort area. The town includes the villages of Oquossoc, Haines Landing and South Rangeley. It is named after an Englishman, Squire James Rangeley, Jr., who inherited a 31,000-acre tract bought from Massachusetts in 1796 by his father. He arrived in 1825 to establish an estate based on the English system of landlord and tenants, also giving extensive land to settlers. He built a sawmill, a gristmill, a 2-story mansion, and a ten mile road to connect his property with the rest of the world. Rangeley resided here for 15 years, then sold the property and moved to Portland.
Farms produced hay, wheat, oats, barley and potatoes, with cattle grazing the hills. Logging became a principal industry, with booms of logs towed by steamboat across the Rangeley Lakes, then guided down rivers in log drives. On March 29, 1855, the town of Rangeley was set off and incorporated from a portion of Rangeley Plantation. By 1870, the population was 313. In 1886, it had 20 dwellings, 2 hotels, 2 stores and a post office. Industries included a carriage shop, 2 blacksmith shops, a boat builder's shop, a sawmill and a shoe shop.
The Phillips and Rangeley Railroad, a narrow gauge common carrier, opened in 1891, becoming part of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad in 1908. Timber and other goods were shipped to markets, and tourists arrived from Boston, Hartford, New York and Philadelphia. Consequently, the region developed in the 1900s into a seasonal resort area with camps, cabins, summer homes, inns and hotels. The cool mountain climate and abundance of sport fishing made this a highly desirable and ultimately exclusive resort destination. Some inhabitants became fishing guides, and among the anglers was President Herbert Hoover. While the big hotels would decline after World War II, inns, bed and breakfasts and vacation cottages have taken their place, and Rangeley remains a popular resort. Residents and visitors alike enjoy fishing, swimming, and boating at Rangeley, Mooselookmeguntic and Cupsuptic Lakes; hiking and nature-watching on Bald Mountain, Spotted Mountain, West Kinnebago Mountain, the Cascade Stream Gorge Trail and in the Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary; golf at two public courses; and skiing at Saddleback Ski Area.
Rangeley Maine Community Information
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Different financing alternatives are available depending on whether you are purchasing a single family, condo, multi-family, or investment property. Understanding the pros and cons of each may help you decide which option is the best for you. Speak to our buyer agent professionals and mortgage partners to understand and evaluate your options.