Baxter State Park: preserving a vision from the 1930s

WRITTEN BY ANNE GABBIANELLI

Maine’s grandest mountain anchored in the center of the northern part of the state was given its name thousands of years ago by Native Americans who called it “Kette Adene,” meaning greatest mountain.

The mountain’s bedrock is over 300 million years old based on geological study. As written in “Katahdin: An Historic Journey” by John W. Neff, Native Americans avoided exploration out of spiritual reverence for the mountain. Katahdin is also known for its ferocious nature-driven temper that Native Americans attributed to Pamola, the Great Storm Bird who lived on the mountain.

Today Mount Katahdin and the surrounding wilderness comprise Baxter State Park, which remains a revered area courtesy of Percival Baxter, Maine’s one-time governor (1921-1925) and advocate for preserving what he called one of the most unique areas in the country.

Baxter appreciated the iconic mountain following a fishing trip with his father. On one excursion, he crawled across a dangerously jagged area (now known as Knife’s Edge). As written in “Governor Baxter’s Magnificent Obsession” by Howard R. Whitcomb, Baxter said of his experience, “I wouldn’t do it again for a million; I wouldn’t have missed it for a million.”

While in the Maine Legislature and as governor, the environmental visionary attempted to establish a state park and forest preserve in the Katahdin area. He doggedly advocated for what he called the state’s crowning glory.

Acting as a private citizen in 1931, Baxter bought nearly 6,000 acres from Great Northern Paper Company, which was then deeded to the state with the condition that it be kept forever wild. Over the next 30 years he purchased additional lands and pieced his park together.

Today, at over 209,000 acres with Mount Katahdin as its centerpiece, the park is a premier year-round destination for more than 60,000 outdoor enthusiasts.

Park Director Kevin Adam said his job is all encompassing. “First and foremost, preserving the park’s natural resources and wilderness values, and second, affording recreational opportunities to the people of Maine.”

The Maine Warden Service veteran noted his tasks in overseeing Baxter State Park are outlined in the Deeds of Trust.

“It’s the legal instrument Percival Baxter used to gift the park to the State of Maine. The Deeds of Trust guide management decisions for the park,” Adam said.

“The Park is a unique state entity, meaning we follow many state procedures and guidelines, but we are self funded,” Adam explained. “We are also a charitable trust and statutory entity, but we are separate from the Maine State Park System.”

“It is always about what is in the Deeds of Trust, but sometimes interpretation is needed as we adjust to changing users, climate impacts, and so on,” said Patty Cormier, chair of the Baxter State Park Authority and an outdoor enthusiast. “The weather patterns in the park can shift so quickly, and with the increased storm events, this makes predicting and maintaining the roads and trails in the park a real challenge.”

Adam said threats to the park require constant monitoring and awareness.

“The challenge facing Baxter State Park is a perpetual one — how to protect the park’s wilderness values and natural resources while also allowing the public access to experience the fauna, flora, and wilderness and recreate within the park,” Adam said. “Expanding cell phone coverage threatens the quiet, solitude, and wilderness experience.”

As for the future of Baxter State Park, the quest remains to adhere to Gov. Baxter’s wishes while adjusting to the influences of today. Recognizing how things change, Gov. Baxter wrote one thing that will never change: “Katahdin stands above the surrounding plain unique in grandeur and glory. The works of man are short-lived. Monuments decay, buildings crumble, and wealth vanishes, but Katahdin in its massive grandeur will forever remain the mountain of the people of Maine. Throughout the ages it will stand as an inspiration to the men and women of this state.”