The Romance Of The Old Canada Road Built upon old Native American trails

The Romance Of The Old Canada Road

Built upon old Native American trails

by Charles Francis T here are a few roads in Maine that are true gateways to the past. Somewhat ironically, each more or less follows an old Indian trail, as it was those first masters of the north woods who knew best how to travel. Each also leads out of the state. In addition, each was a route used by French Canadians to immigrate to Maine. Two of the routes lead to New Brunswick and one to Quebec. The routes leading to New Brunswick are the fabled Airline and the old Military Road. The route to Quebec is the Old Canada Road leading from the general area of Bingham, through Jackman, and on to Saint Georges, Quebec and Quebec City. Today it is Route 201.

The original Canada Road was nothing more than a trail used by the Indians to travel between the St. Lawrence and the Kennebec rivers. For approximately a quarter of its length, it followed the Kennebec before moving in a westerly direction towards Parlin Pond and on to the Chaudiere River in Quebec. Today the region, which in Maine is centered at Jackman and in Quebec at Saint Georges, is a mecca for snowmobilers who travel Maine Route 201 to reach it. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, before there was any provincial or state road leading from Quebec City to the mill towns of Maine, French Canadians used the Canada Road to emigrate to cities like Lewiston and Waterville. Today there is an ongoing joint project between the Province of Quebec and the State of Maine to celebrate the history as well as the natural beauty

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of the Old Canada Road. In part, the road is viewed as a potential link between the Appalachian Trail and the Trans-Canada Trail. In addition, the project has other goals, including those of economic development and increasing tourism. However, this is not the first time there has been a concentrated effort to accomplish these goals. In fact, well before French Canadians used the Old Canada Road to come to Maine, there was a project which had similar goals and objectives.

The first plan for a road through the region served by the Old Canada Road dates back to the days when the French controlled Canada and eastern Maine. As early as 1670 a possible route for a road connecting Quebec City and the Penobscot Bay region was blazed out. (cont. on page 70)

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Nothing, however, ever happened with this early French attempt at creating a road linking Acadia to the interior of French Canada. It would not be until Maine became a state that another concentrated effort would be made to create a Canada Road.

At the close of the Revolution, all of the original thirteen states had large blocks of public domain lands. With one exception, these lands quickly passed into the private sector. The one exception was Massachusetts. Actually these lands were in Maine, which was a part of Massachusetts until 1820, and even when Maine became a state, Massachusetts retained control of a portion of them.

Before and after Maine became a state, Massachusetts, at various times, employed a man named John Webber to act as their land agent. Webber was one of the most respected timber cruisers of the period and was considered by many the foremost authority on the upper reaches of the north woods. (cont. from page 69)

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It was Webber to whom a number of land speculators that were interested in the extreme north woods region turned around 1820 for advice, and who had as much to do with rejuvenating the idea of a road running from the Kennebec River to Quebec as anyone.

Around 1820 land speculators began to take an interest in the region between the upper reaches of the Kennebec and Moosehead Lake and the Canadian border. While timber was, of course, a consideration in this speculation, recreation was an even bigger factor. By 1830 surveyed land in the region was going for twenty-one cents an acre. In succeeding years, however, it hit sixty-one cents and even a dollar and sixty-six cents an acre.

This speculation was based specifically on the lure and novelty of the north woods. Many felt that the romantic scenery of the region would “make this [the region] a favorite tour for parties of pleasure and draw a large amount of travel…” Visionaries believed that “picturesque hamlets would soon be scattered... to the borders of Canada and that [the region] would be covered with cultivated farms.” One result of this was the beginnings of Maine’s Canada Road, the upper reaches of which were laid out by John Webber along old Indian trails.

The initial stretches of the Canada Road were local town road projects. One of the very first was the stretch between Solon and Bingham. Eventually, this was continued to Caratunk and then The Forks, where it left the Kennebec in the direction of Parlin Pond, Jackman, and Moose River. It was a project that took decades, however, and would not be completed in Maine until the Maine State Department of Transportation began its first major road construction program around 1920. Long before that, however, the Canada Road was being used by immigrants from Quebec eager for work in the mill towns of central Maine.

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BUSINESS PAGE A-1 Seamless Gutters............................................................23 ABC Pool & Spa Center.........................................................18 Above and Beyond, LLC.........................................................17 ADA Fence Company, Inc. ...................................................40 Advantage Insurance.............................................................47 Affordable Auto Repair...........................................................32 Affordable Well Drilling Inc. ....................................................20 All Points Transportation........................................................49 Allied Realty............................................................................57 American Forest Management...............................................45 Andrew Ames Logging.............................................................5 Androscoggin Title Company.................................................21 Archie's Inc. 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Complete Excavation Services..................34 Damboise Garage..................................................................42 Dan's Automotive Repair & Sales.........................................65 Danzig Painting & Home Improvements................................33 Debbie Bodwell - RMS..........................................................20 Deertrees Theatre..................................................................34 Den's Automotive Services, Inc. ..........................................12 Design Architectural Heating..................................................18 Dirigo Waste Oil......................................................................40 Dutch Treat.............................................................................46 Dyer Septic Service & Excavation..........................................35 Ecopelagicon......................................................................51 Ed Hodsdon Masonry, Inc. .....................................................7 Edmunds Market....................................................................66 Ed's Grove Discount Warehouse...........................................26 Engine 5 Bakehouse..............................................................62 Eric's Restaurant - Spirits - Banquets.....................................41 ESC Enterprises.....................................................................36 Evergreens Campground & Restaurant..................................68 Fairfield Antiques Mall.............................................................4 Farmington Farmers Union & Union Rental...........................64 Fast Eddies............................................................................23 Fine Line Paving & Grading....................................................55 Finley Funeral Home.............................................................61 Firefly Boutique......................................................................31 Floormaster North..................................................................58 Four Winds Too Lobster Co. & Redemption Center................61 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce..............................64 Franklin Savings Bank..............................................................3 Franklin Somerset Federal Credit Union.................................4 Freeport Antiques, Heirlooms Showcase...............................15 Fryeburg Glass.......................................................................12 Full Circle Artisan's Gallery....................................................28 G&G Cash Fuels....................................................................22 Garden Island Cleaners.........................................................70 Garage Girl Goodies...............................................................43 Gendron's Seafood................................................................17 George's Banana Stand.........................................................56 Giberson Funeral Home.........................................................55 Gingerbread Farm Perennials...............................................38 Glenn Snow Building and Remodeling..................................30 Good Times Unlimited RV Sales & Service............................45 Gray Family Vision Center.....................................................24 Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce........29 Greg's Auto Repair.................................................................69 Gridiron Restaurant ...............................................................19 Grimaldi Concrete Floors & Countertops...............................38 Hair by Tim.............................................................................65 Hall Implement Co. ..............................................................24 Hammond Lumber Company.................................................43 Hardys Motorsports................................................................70 Harris Drug Store...................................................................52 HealthReach Community Health Centers...............................37 Heart & Hand Inc. ..................................................................29 Hight Family of Dealerships.....................................................5

BUSINESS PAGE High Tide Low Tide Seafood.................................................53 Hodgdon Well Drilling, Inc. .....................................................5 Hog Heaven Bar & Grill..........................................................66 Home Auto Group..................................................................46 Hungry Hollow Country Store..................................................4 Image Auto Body....................................................................68 Jake White Logging................................................................27 Jay Salisbury Heating and Air Conditioning.........................42 Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce........61 JD's Package Store & Redemption........................................27 Jean Castonguay Excavating.................................................37 Jimmy's Shop 'N Save............................................................69 Johnny Castonguay Logging & Trucking................................36 Jordan Lumber Co. ...............................................................49 J.P. 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Excavation.................................................23 Lakepoint Real Estate............................................................42 Lakes Region Power Systems...............................................50 Laney's Pit Stop......................................................................57 Langlois' Auto Body & Auto Sales.........................................18 Larsen's Electric.....................................................................65 Lavallee's Garage..................................................................69 Law Office of Brian Condon, Jr. Esq. ......................................22 Legacy Realty.........................................................................18 Lenny's at Hawkes Plaza........................................................25 Lewiston House of Pizza.......................................................17 Liberte Auto Sales..................................................................21 Lincoln Street Radiator Shop....................................................7 Linda Bean's Maine Kitchen & Topside Tavern......................15 Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Vacation Rental.........................15 Linda Bean’s Maine Wyeth Gallery.........................................15 Linkletter & Sons, Inc. .............................................................3 Long Green Variety.................................................................62 Looney Moose Café...............................................................50 Luce's Meats & Maple...........................................................53 Madison Area Health Center..................................................37 Madison Business Alliance.....................................................54 Maine Crafts Festival..............................................................66 Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.....................6 & 51 Maine Family Federal Credit Union...........................................6 Maine Forest Service..............................................................52 Maine Historical Society............................................................5 Maine Lakes Brewfest............................................................29 Maine Pellet Sales LLC............................................................7 Maine Veterinary Medical Center.............................................16 Mainely Puppies Plus, LLC.....................................................59 Maine's Northwestern Mountains...........................................49 Maine's Paper & Heritage Museum.......................................37 Mama Bear's Den..................................................................53 Maurice Restaurant................................................................33 McAllister Accounting and Tax Services...............................62 McNaughton Construction......................................................40 MEDCo.................................................................................17 Mel's Raspberry Patch...........................................................26 Memorial Guard LLC..............................................................37 Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce........................................41 Mike Wainer Plumbing & Heating............................................58 Mills Market............................................................................66 Ming Lee Chinese Restaurant................................................39 Monmouth Federal Credit Union.............................................22 Montello Heights Retirement Community...............................19 Moose River Lodge & Motel...................................................53 Moosehead Motorsports.........................................................52 Morrell's Septic Tank Service Excavating.................................9 Mount Blue Motel....................................................................44 Mount Saint Joseph Residence & Rehab.............................40 Mountain Greenery Greenhouses..........................................35 Mt. 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BUSINESS PAGE Pitcher Perfect Tire Service....................................................43 Poor Bob's Storage................................................................63 Presidential Pest Control........................................................17 Prestige Pools........................................................................20 Prime Financial Inc. ..............................................................41 Profenno's Restaurant & Pub.................................................25 Quality Construction...............................................................63 Quinn Hardware.....................................................................56 R&B's Home Source..............................................................54 R.E. Lowell Lumber Inc. ........................................................36 R.F. Automotive Repair..........................................................70 R.W. Day Logging...................................................................12 Randy's Full Service Auto Repair, LLC...............................57 Range Pond Campground.......................................................8 Rangeley Electric...................................................................52 Rangeley Family Medicine.....................................................37 Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce..................50 Rangeley Vacation Rentals....................................................68 Ranger Pest Services.............................................................28 Record Building Supply, Inc. ................................................13 Redington-Fairview General Hospital....................................56 Residential Mortgage Service................................................20 Richard Wing & Son Logging Inc. .........................................26 Rick & Kevin Lewis Building & Remodeling.............................13 Ricker Hill Orchards...............................................................36 Rick's Garage.........................................................................53 River Valley Chamber of Commerce.......................................65 Robert W. Libby & Sons, Inc. ....................................................6 Rod's Cycle & RV....................................................................55 Ron's Market..........................................................................64 Ron's Transmissions................................................................8 Rottari Electric..........................................................................8 Route 26 Antiques..................................................................32 Roy Brothers Excavation........................................................21 Roy I Snow, Inc. .....................................................................21 Russell & Sons Towing & Recovery.........................................34 S.A. McLean, Inc. ...................................................................28 Sabattus House of Pizza........................................................20 Sackett & Brake Survey Inc. ................................................58 Sanders Auto Service.............................................................66 Sandy River Builders.............................................................45 Sarge’s Sports Pub & Grub....................................................50 Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce........................9 Sebago Spirits Festival.............................................................9 Select Auto Service...............................................................19 Seth McCoy's Excavating......................................................11 Sew it Seams..........................................................................68 Skowhegan & Waterville Tire Center.....................................70 Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce........................57 Smile Again Dentures, Inc. ..................................................19 Solon Corner Market..............................................................56 Spanky's Speed Shop............................................................12 Spectrum Property Management............................................42 Spencer Group Paving, LLC..................................................36 Stacy's Service Center..........................................................13 Sterling Electric......................................................................45 Stratton Plaza Hotel & Traitor Lounge...................................68 Strong Area Health Center.....................................................37 Strong Hardware & Building Supply.......................................67 Styling Dog Grooming Boutique..............................................6 T&L Enterprises Auto & Small Engine Repair........................68 Taste of Waterville..................................................................41 Taylor's Drug Store.................................................................55 The Garden Goddess............................................................34 The Good Life Market............................................................25 The Irregular...........................................................................48 The Kingfield Woodsman Restaurant.....................................48 The Meadows...........................................................................8 The Old Maps of the 1800s....................................................29 The Red Barn Market.............................................................69 The Sedgley Place................................................................23 The Sterling Inn Bed & Breakfast...........................................52 The Village Donut Shop & Bakery............................................9 Town & Lake Motel Lakeside Lodging....................................51 Town of Carthage...................................................................64 Town of Farmington................................................................43 Town of Mexico.......................................................................48 Trail's End Steakhouse & Tavern...........................................67 Trash Guyz.............................................................................24 Treehouse Glass Studio..........................................................25 Triple D Redemption & Tanning Spa......................................70 Tri-State Steel.........................................................................20 Trusted Souls Adult Daycare, LLC. .......................................23 Twin Town Homes, Inc. ..........................................................59 V&G Home Improvements.....................................................22 Valley ArborCare....................................................................63 Valley Gas & Oil Company.....................................................67 VintageMaineImages.com................................................5 W.L. Sturgeon, Inc. ...............................................................12 Wadsworth Woodlands...........................................................28 Weber Insurance Group - Farmington & Livermore Falls.....47 Welch's Hardware & Lumber.................................................11 West Bethel Motel..................................................................35 Western Maine Family Health Center.....................................37 Western Maine Pharmacy, Inc. .............................................48 Western Maine Screen Doors.................................................49 White's Land Management.....................................................46 Whittemore & Sons Outdoor Power Equipment......................58 Wilson Excavating, Inc. ........................................................60 Wilson Funeral Home..............................................................8 Winslow Supply, Inc. ............................................................63 Wolf Creek Farm Store LLC...................................................39 Woodland Valley Disc Golf.....................................................10 Woodlawn Rehab & Nursing Center......................................55 Wood-Mizer of Maine.............................................................61 Woodsome's Feeds & Needs.................................................10 Zippy Copy Center..................................................................11

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