Millinocket

Town in Penobscot County, central Maine; population (2000) 5,200. Millinocket is located on the West Branch of the Penobscot River, 88 km/55 mi north of Bangor.

Millinocket was the creation of the Great Northern Paper Company, which in 1899-1900 built a newsprint plant, established a hotel, provided homes for workers, constructed roads, opened schools, and founded a local administration here. The settlement around the mill - one of the largest of its kind in the country - expanded rapidly. Millinocket is situated near the Black Cat skiing area and 32 km/20 mi southeast of Mount Katahdin. The town's economy is still based on pulp milling, but revenues also come from visiting hunters, anglers, and campers bound for Baxter State Park and nearby lake regions.