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    Fort Kent
    Fort Kent
    Fort Kent
    Ebook153 pages49 minutes

    Fort Kent

    By Laurel J. Daigle

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    About this ebook

    Fort Kent is located in northern Maine where the Fish River joins the St. John River. Joseph Nadeau, the first settler in Fort Kent, arrived in 1829. Acadian refugees from eastern Canada developed a farming community along the fertile river valleys, and within a short time other settlers from Canada and lower Maine came to make a new life. Fort Kent, remote from other populated areas, gradually developed into a thriving farming and lumbering community. An early pioneer, Maj. William Dickey was a strong advocate for the region and helped to establish the Madawaska Training School, a public school system, and improve roads. In 1902, the railroad connected to Fort Kent and provided needed freight and passenger services. As a border town, Fort Kent has enjoyed a colorful past, especially during the years of Prohibition, and a rich history that continues today.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 15, 2009
    ISBN9781439621882
    Fort Kent
    Author

    Laurel J. Daigle

    Laurel J. Daigle has lived, worked, and raised a family in Fort Kent and is the author of other local history volumes. Many of the historic photographs in Fort Kent were provided by the Acadian Archives of the University of Maine in Fort Kent and the Fort Kent Historical Society.

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      Book preview

      Fort Kent - Laurel J. Daigle

      invaluable.

      INTRODUCTION

      An early-20th-century account of Fort Kent describes it as a picturesque village located in the upper St. John River Valley, where the waters of the Fish River unite with those of the St. John. It was predicted that the town’s scenic attraction and favorable climate would make it a resort of the future. Early settlers that came here around 1829 were predominantly French-speaking Acadians. The Acadians were refugees driven to this northern wilderness to escape the oppression of the English. By oral tradition, José Nadeau has commonly been known as the first settler of Fort Kent. At the time of settlement, a census report found Nadeau in Ste. Hilaire, New Brunswick, and not in Fort Kent. We know with certainty, however, that Nadeau and his family were among the early settlers, and the family places prominently in early political, economic and religious life of the community.

      The area quickly became known for its vast lumber resources, and individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit were quick to develop business interests in the region. A dispute arose as both the United States and the British government made claim to the land. As a result, armies took a defensive posture to protect their claimed interest. The dispute never developed into a full military conflict, and the border issue was settled in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. Settlement of this issue meant that the people could more fully concentrate on agriculture and lumbering pursuits. Mills that produced finished wood product were established, and the rivers were used to bring the lumber to markets elsewhere. As the town became more organized, common schools were established to educate the population although teachers were in short supply. To remedy the situation, Maj. William Dickey, who represented the area in the Maine legislature, was successful in acquiring funds to establish a teaching training school in Fort Kent. The institution, known as the Madawaska Training School, was the precursor of what is now the University of Maine at Fort Kent.

      An economic boom occurred when the railroad came to town in 1902. It provided passenger services and a means of transporting goods and services to the outside markets. Subsequently the area became less remote and more easily accessible.

      The Catholic religion, faith of the Acadians, also recognized the needs of the people. In the early 1900s, Fr. Arthur Decary, a Catholic priest, was successful in acquiring the services of the Little Franciscan Sisters of Mary to staff St. Louis School, a church initiated school in Fort Kent. At the urging of another priest, the sisters later established and operated a hospital that is currently the Northern Maine Medical Center. The sisters made a significant contribution to the life of the community until they withdrew from Fort Kent in 1999.

      The town has had a history of perpetual spring flooding that usually occurs with the melting of a heavy snowfall that coincides with spring rains. Fort Kent received some relief in the 1970s when the federal government funded a dike project that has since protected the West Main Street area from floods.

      Over the years, Fort Kent has developed into a thriving cosmopolitan service community for the upper St. John River valley. Of service to the area are a modern medical center and a University of Maine campus. Tourists are offered an opportunity to experience life without the heavy traffic and bustle of a fast-paced urban life. Outdoor recreational opportunities thrive during all four seasons of the year. Families with roots in the area often return here to retire.

      One

      FORT KENT’S PAST

      This photograph from 1900 was taken where the Fish River empties into the St. John River. Because the town was situated at the river juncture, it was earlier known as La Grande Décharge. In earlier times, the town was also referred to as the Fish River settlement. At one point, Fort Kent was part of a larger area in the upper St. John Valley known as Hancock Plantation. The area was regarded as a remote point on the northern frontier, where the pioneering families chose to settle. Early on, the rivers provided settlers with their only means of transportation. (Courtesy of Bill Pinkham.)

      The early French settlers were generally impoverished and had little formal education. As a group, they were industrious and hard workers. Some even became great improvisers and skilled craftsmen. They capitalized on the area’s natural resources and engaged in agricultural and lumbering pursuits. They were people that did not seek a lavish lifestyle but yearned for a simple life close to the earth surrounded by one’s children. The Great Depression was a time of extraordinary hardships.

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