Frenchville, Maine, USA (Chateaugay) (Ste-Emilie) (Ste-Luce)
1886 - Frenchville

Frenchville lies on the southern bank of the St. John River, in the north-eastern part of Aroostook County, 110 miles north-east of Hoititon. It is on the stage-line from Van Buren to Fort Kent. Forinerly it was the plantation of Dionne, named for Father Dionne, who built there the first Catholic church—St. Luce. It was incorporated Feb. 23, 1869, under the name of Dickeyville, in honor of Hon. William Dickey, of Fort Kent. The name was changed Jan. 26, 1871, to indicate the nationality of the inhabitants.

The town is very irregular in form, lying on a south-eastern bend of the St. John. On the south-eastern side it rests on the northern end of Long Lake, the north-eastern of the Fish River Lakes. The principal streams are Dufour, Gagnon, Rosignol, Bourgoin, and Cyr brooks, all emptying into the St. John, and each having falls suitable for mills. Gagnon Brook has two-saw-mills and two grist-mills, and Cyr Brook a small saw-mill. There are other small saw-mills, a clothdressing mill and a starch-factory in the town.

The soil is sandy on some streams, but there is much interval, and the fertility is general. The crops cultivated are chiefly buckwheat, oats, peas, wheat and potatoes. The most numerous forest trees are maple, cedar and fir.

The Catholics have the only church in the town. Frenchyille has twelve public schoolhouses; and the children of school age number 1,112. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $80,600. In 1880 it was $107,753. The rate of taxation in 1880 was 1¼ per cent. The number of polls in 1870 was 274. In 1880 the number was 875. The population in 1870 was given in the report massed with townships 16 and 17, Range 5, the aggregate being 1,851. In 1880, the same were given at 2,288.

A Gazetteer of the State of Maine By Geo. J. Varney Published by B. B. Russell, Boston 1886

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