Whitney and Hogan Ponds in Oxford, Maine, Elicit Summer Memories

Raymond Pond in Maine – an Active Recreational Area for Lakefront Property Owners
February 12, 2010
Out and About for Greater Belgrade Lakes of Maine February 18-24
February 17, 2010

Whitney and Hogan Ponds in Oxford, Maine, Elicit Summer Memories


A relaxing spot overlooking Whitney Pond
Summer vacations at our rented lakefront property on Whitney Pond in Oxford, Maine were a treat when I was a kid. After a long ride in the back seat of the station wagon Dad would turn off Route 26 and find the way to the dirt road that led to the Milletts’ cottage.
Our first glimpse of the water would be through fluttering pines. I remember barely taking time to greet our friends, the Iveys, with whom we’d spend our vacation, before donning my swimsuit and jumping into the lake – only to jump right back out. BRRR, it was a delightful shock to the system. Harold and Muriel Millett, who owned the cottage, were also family friends. They stopped by daily to visit us.
My memories of this Maine cottage include pumping water from the well outside the kitchen door, playing board games by the huge windows that overlooked the pond and leaning from my spot on the top bunk over the partitioned wall into the next bedroom to talk with my brother and his friend.


Most of all, I remember the pond. It’s long and narrow, with a marshy area at the northern end. We’d row about looking for painted turtles and muskrats. My brother was forever fishing from the dock or the row boat.


Just beyond the Milletts’ cottage, the land jutted out. Jane, a teenage neighbor, would sometimes treat us to rides in her motorboat and we’d get to tour the entire pond. Cottages were dotted about, but mostly it was undeveloped land.
I was in awe of Jane–she lived on the lake year round, had a motorboat and waterskied. One day she asked Dad if he’d like to try waterskiing. He’d never skied before. We all watched in amazement as he got up on the skis on his first try and circled around the pond. That was his first and last experience at it.
We’d spend most of our time in or on the water, but also explored Norway, South Paris or Oxford. I remember stopping to watch the TV in the window at Western Auto on Main Street in Norway when Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon. We drove up to Perhams in West Paris and purchased gems. And in Andover we visited the Telstar site.
A bar of soap and container of shampoo sat on the dock and every morning we’d scrub ourselves – it was a treat then to take a bath in the pond, but something we’ve since learned is not a good idea. Thankfully, despite our summer baths in the mid-1960s, the water quality of Whitney Pond is rated average today. At a maximum depth of 24 feet, this 170-acre pond has extensive expanses of very shallow water habitat. Anglers catch largemouth bass, white perch and chain pickerel. Next door neighbor, Hogan Pond, cover 177 acres and has a maximum depth of 34 feet.
Whitney and Hogan Ponds lay parallel to each other and are interconnected at the northern end. This outlet leads to the Little Androscoggin River and on to the Welchville Dam. Definitely a must do if you enjoy canoeing or kayaking.
Summer memories are made on Whitney and Hogan Ponds. To check Maine lakefront property listings for sale, click on the green box above.
Here is a news articles from our archives you might enjoy reading:
Hogan Pond Eyed for Battle Against Milfoil

Stay Informed

Get the latest lake news delivered direct from Maine’s lake expert, Tom Ferent