Lake Annabessacook and the surrounding lake area was developed as a vacation destination by the Maine Central Railroad (MCRR). By building significant railroad track and a resort MCRR hoped to draw vacationers from Portland, Bangor and the intervening towns.

The Lake Maranacook resort was first but attractions at Island Park, Lake Cobbosseeconte and Lake Annabessacook quickly followed.

The area continued to grow until the 1930s when the public taste shifted from resort vacations to more private vacations. By the 1960s the area was mostly privately owned.

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938 as part of their Maine series. These, and other postcards, by the Tichnor Brothers Company are officially known as the Tichnor Gloss Series because the photographs were notoriously retouched on such a level that does not allow the postcards to be classified as photographs or paintings. The caption reads, "Hotel Maranacook, Lake Maranacook, Maine."