The Name commemorates the large and fertile island within the town and in the middle of the St. John River just south of the village of Lille. Lille is home to an extraordinary Catholic church, a nationally recognized historic place. See photos. U.S. Route 1 and the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad both hug the Maine side of the St. John River.
in Aroostook County, incorporated in 1869 under the name Dickeyville. The name was change to Frenchville in 1871 in recognition of the French-Acadian population of the town. Its northern border is with Canada along a great bend in the St. John River. A potato farming community, it has lost population over the past three decades. The Frenchville Historical Society’s “Caboose” is part of a railroad station full scale exhibit.
A fort, named for Governor Edward Kent, was constructed between 1838 and 1840 to assert Maine’s authority and protect settlers during the bloodless Aroostook War. Populated largely by descendents of Acadians fleeing British persecution, French is frequently the language of choice.