A Brief History

The most important fact about our historical house is that it is an actual site home; that is, it was not moved there from some other location. Based on oral testimony from some of the oldest citizens of the town, the society started its research into the actual building and property which makes up the site of our historical house.

From Mr. Donat Michaud (age 89), Joseph Morin (age 86), and Joe Chasse (age 83), we learned that they had always remembered the house wing being where it is now located. They also kept referring to it as "la vielle place a Andre Pelletier." At the Registry of Deeds in Fort Kent we found a deed for the said property and house from Andre Pelletier, to his son, Leandre. The deed was dated December 11, 1888. Even more interesting was a descriptive phrase in the deed describing the property as, "...being my homestead on which I have lived for the last thirty-four years past." (The structure being thus described is the left portion of the actual historical house. The right side "la grande maison" was actually built much later.)

In 1876, the residents on Long Lake were all foreclosed by the Hinckley family for being squatters on their property. The case went to court, and finally in the late 1880's the court ruled in favor of the squatters and the State of Maine then gave warranty deeds to the inhabitants. At this time Leandre Pelletier was the owner of the property. The State of Maine deed was granted to a Leon Pelletier. (Another example of a French name being Anglicized.) Two years later, 1892, Leandre Pelletier died unexpectedly and willed his property to his surviving brothers and sisters. One of these sisters, in 1911 sold the house and adjoining property to Nere Picard. He held on to the property until 1916. It is within this time span that Nere Picard built on the extension to the house, known to us as "la grande maison".

Later the property was sold to the Rev. Raoul Bourbeau, who in turn sold it to an Xavier Deschaine Jr. The Rev. Bourbeau also kept part of the adjoining property which he sold to the diocese of Portland to make a new parish cememtary. When Mr. Dechaine was unable to pay off the balance due on the house, the Rev. Bourbeau foreclosed and then resold the property to Jules Marquis in 1927. Jules Marquis' widow, Lucie deeded the property to her son Ligorie, who held it with his wife Annie until 1966. At the time of Mr. Jules Marquis' death, he had willed the property to his wife, Annie and her son Clarence Marquis as cotenants. In 1978, being the sole surviving tenant, Clarence Marquis sold the property for $4,500.00 to the newly established Ste. Agathe Historcial Society.