Silver Lake in Katahdin Iron Works Township
The Iron Works township contains the remaining structures of a once thriving industrial site. That site is now recognized as a historic treasure by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Directional Sign at the North Maine Woods Hedgehog Checkpoint (2010)
Katahdin Iron Works once included a small village and roads in this remote location. During the height of the Iron Works operation, the village had grown to support the homes of 200 workers.
The furnaces operated here for about 25 years between 1843 and 1890. Although isolated, it was tied closely to outside markets and technological advances in the iron industry, such as growing demand for iron farm tools, machinery and railroad car wheels. However, the iron works failed when huge mills in Pennsylvania brought the nation’s new age of steel.
Townspeople moved away when the iron works and a later spool mill closed. The village hotel burned in 1913.
The balance of the township is noted for its natural features including Silver Lake and the nearby mountains.
