Fly Rod Crosby Trail dedicated




Ben Godsoe receives a legislative sentiment from State Sen. Tom Saviello for his work to make the Fly Rod Crosby Trail, which will eventually go from Strong to Oquossoc, a reality. Saturday’s dedication marked the completion of the trail from Phillips to Saddleback. (BJ Bangs photo)

Ben Godsoe receives a legislative sentiment from State Sen. Tom Saviello for his work to make the Fly Rod Crosby Trail, which will eventually go from Strong to Oquossoc, a reality. Saturday’s dedication marked the completion of the trail from Phillips to Saddleback. (BJ Bangs photo)

PHILLIPS — The Fly Rod Crosby Trail’s official dedication marked the opening of the trail from Phillips to Saddleback.

Ben Godsoe demonstrates how to catch a fish, just as Fly Rod Crosby would have done at Saturday’s dedication of completion of the stretch of trail from Phillips to Saddleback. Pictured at left is Chris Beach, of the High Peaks Alliance. (BJ Bangs photo)

Ben Godsoe demonstrates how to catch a fish, just as Fly Rod Crosby would have done at Saturday’s dedication of completion of the stretch of trail from Phillips to Saddleback. Pictured at left is Chris Beach, of the High Peaks Alliance. (BJ Bangs photo)

While there’s still work to be done to extend the trail to its completion —Strong to Oquossoc— people had a chance to walk parts of the trail and celebrate its opening in an official dedication ceremony at the Phillips Community Center Saturday, Aug. 25.

Saturday marked the official dedication of the opening of the Fly Rod Crosby Trail. While there’s work still to be done, the stretch from Phillips to Saddleback is complete. Pictured here (left to right) State Rep. Russell Black, Ben Godsoe, an Americorps volunteer who spent endless hours making the project become a reality, State Sen. Thomas Saviello and Chris Beach, of the High Peaks Alliance. (BJ Bangs photo)

Saturday marked the official dedication of the opening of the Fly Rod Crosby Trail. While there’s work still to be done, the stretch from Phillips to Saddleback is complete. Pictured here (left to right) State Rep. Russell Black, Ben Godsoe, an Americorps volunteer who spent endless hours making the project become a reality, State Sen. Thomas Saviello and Chris Beach, of the High Peaks Alliance. (BJ Bangs photo)

Chris Beach of the High Peaks Alliance praised the hard work of Ben Godsoe, who started out as an Americorps volunteer and continued with the project as a volunteer to make it happen.

Sen. Thomas Saviello gave the keynote speech, saying, “This trail we dedicate today is one of those points on that path of discovery. It honors Cornelia Thurza Crosby or as known to us as Fly rod Crosby. Yet it makes us reflect on our own heritage.”

“Cornelia Thurza Crosby’s remarkable life (1854-1946) gave rise to a certain amount of legend: she was the first woman to legally shoot a caribou in Maine, held the first Maine Guide license issued, caught (but probably didn’t release…) 200 trout in one day, and was rumored to have shot against Annie Oakley in a sharp shooting competition,” he said.

She wrote a column, Fly Rod’s Notebook in the Phillips Phonograph which was syndicated throughout the United States. She also wrote regular columns for Field and Stream and Shooting and Fishing, detailing travels to new fishing areas. “She was the first person to call Maine, the nation’s playground,” a name that stuck,” he said.

The trail is aptly named for Fly Rod, born and raised in Phillips. Her writings created attention.

Saviello continued saying, “The Maine Central Railroad realizing a marketing opportunity employed her to travel to expositions and fairs, where in her outdoor dress of dark green doeskin with a scandalously short skirt, she stood in front of a small log camp decorated with the paraphernalia and trophies of the sporting life, spoke with passersby about the delights of Maine, and showed them her scrapbook of photographs—enticing them to travel the rails to the woods.”

Those trade shows enticed people to come to the Rangeley Lakes to experience its tremendous fishing potential.

The ceremony ended with Ben Godsoe humorously demonstrating how to catch a fish with a fly rod. Many present expressed their hopes that the new trail would catch some attention and bring people into the community that was a hub of activity in the early 1900s.

For more information about the trails, visit www.highpeaksalliance.org.


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