Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in

Aroostook County Aroostook County ( ; french: Comté d'Aroostook) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. Its county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fort Kent. ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

, United States. The population was 8,797 at the 2020 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College,

Husson University Husson University is a private university in Bangor, Maine. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and as of Fall 2020 had a total enrollment of 3,476 students, including 799 graduate students in master's and doctoral programs. Husson ...

Presque Isle, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, The Aroostook Centre Mall, and the

Presque Isle International Airport Presque Isle International Airport , formally Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle, is a mile northwest of Presque Isle, in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It serves the residents of Presque Isle and a vast area of northern M ...

. Presque Isle is the headquarters of the Aroostook Band of Micmac, a federally recognized tribe.

History

The first European settlers were British Loyalists who reached the area in 1819 hoping to obtain land for lumber. Border disputes between the United States and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

over the area, however, made it impossible for pioneers to gain title to the land. In response, the government of the neighboring British colony of

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

(now a Canadian province) gave out patents for pioneers to live on the land but not claim ownership or sell it. By 1825, surveyors traveling along the

Aroostook River The Aroostook River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 22, 2011 tributary of the Saint John River in the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Br ...

noted that twenty families lived along it and noted that while agriculture was present, all of the families employed most of their time towards wood production. The boundary dispute slowed development in the area, but the government of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, which governed the territory at the time, saw the territory as theirs and encouraged the development of settlements in northern Maine by offering land grants and mill privileges in the 1820s. The first American to settle in the area was

Dennis Fairbanks Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...

in 1828 who gained ownership over the land under the provisions set up by Massachusetts and later Maine, which gained statehood in 1820.

Name and incorporation

Originally known as Fairbanks for its founder Dennis Fairbanks, Presque Isle was settled in 1828 on land that was unknown to be part of British North America (Canada) or the United States. The Aroostook War broke out in 1838 because of boundary disputes between the two countries, which were resolved in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. The township was incorporated from Plantations F, G and H on April 4, 1859, as Presque Isle, derived from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

term for

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

(''presqu'île''), as the courses of the

and Presque Isle Stream form a peninsula. In 1864, Fairmount Cemetery was established in the south of Presque Isle to accommodate Union soldiers returning from the Civil War. In 1883, the town of Maysville was annexed. On January 1, 1940, Presque Isle was incorporated as a city.

Industry, agriculture and transportation

Lumbering and early industries

The first industry to form in Presque Isle was the lumber industry. By the 1880s, industry included two lumbermills, a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

, a

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

carding Carding is a mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing. This is achieved by passing the fibres between differentially moving surfaces covered with ...

mill, a

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks) ...

factory, a

carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping ...

factory and a tinware factory.

Agriculture

During the last 30 years of the 19th century, agriculture became important, and the entire county became noted for its production of

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Uni ...

es. On October 9, 1851, the first Northern Maine Fair exhibition opened. A starch factory was opened in 1874, providing a ready market for local potatoes. In 1914 the Aroostook Farm was purchased as a Maine Agricultural Experiment Station.

Railroad

In 1881 the

New Brunswick Railway The New Brunswick Railway Company Limited (NBR) is currently a Canadian non-operating railway and land holding company headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick that is part of "Irving Transportation Services", a division within the J.D. Irvin ...

created the first rail connection in Presque Isle. The

Bangor and Aroostook Railroad The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad was a United States railroad company that brought rail service to Aroostook County in northern Maine. Brightly-painted BAR boxcars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives o ...

arrived in 1895.

Airport

A small airport was established in 1931. It was expanded within the decade and later assumed major military importance. The Presque Isle Air Force Base, in operation between 1941 and 1961, was a major departure point for U.S. fighter planes during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

due to its relative proximity to Europe. When the base was sold, a piece of it became the Northern Maine Regional Airport. In June 2018, the Northern Maine Regional Airport was renamed

. Beginning on July 2, 2018,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

began service from the Presque Isle International Airport in Presque Isle, Maine to Newark Liberty International Airport in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

. These flights are federally subsidized through the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, and are operated by United Express carrier, GoJet Airlines.

Colleges and universities

In 1903, the Aroostook State

Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

began offering a two-year teacher preparation program. In 1968, it was renamed the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Northern Maine Technical College was established in 1961, now Northern Maine Community College. The first students entered the college in 1963. Today it serves about 2000 students.

Hospitals

The first Presque Isle Hospital was established on April 8, 1912. Four physicians were affiliated with the hospital, whose dual aims were to serve the community and to provide a training school for nurses. The building was a white-frame structure, enlarged from a home under construction. The need and demand for the hospital increased so rapidly that in 1921 a new three-story brick hospital was dedicated. This hospital was in operation for nearly four decades, when it, too, proved inadequate. A major fundraising campaign was launched in the late 1950s. After a large donation was given by Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wildes, the daughter of the late Senator Arthur Gould, the Arthur R. Gould Memorial Hospital was constructed and opened in 1960. The hospital has expanded and been modernized in recent years and in 1981 became a part of The Aroostook Medical Center.

The Double Eagle II

On August 11, 1978, the '' Double Eagle II'' was launched from a Presque Isle field carrying three passengers. It made the first successful transatlantic

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or lig ...

crossing. In honor of the ''Double Eagle II'', the city holds an annual celebration called The Crown of Maine Balloon Festival. The popular event includes balloon rides, plane tours, amateur photo contests and children's fair rides. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations, it is held in late August. The field from which the ''Double Eagle II'' lifted off now features a commemorative model balloon.''Double Eagle II'' – Maine Office of Tourism

All American City

Presque Isle was named an All American City in 1966.

Historic images

File:Potatoeing, Presque Isle, ME.jpg, Potato harvesting in 1909 File:Greenlaw Block, Presque Isle, ME.jpg, Greenlaw Block File:Perry Building, Presque Isle, ME.jpg, Old opera house File:Presque Isle Hospital. Maine mid 1910s.jpg, Presque Isle General Hospital mid 1910s File:House of Seven Gables Presque Isle Maine.jpg,

Geography and climate

Presque Isle is located at (46.679321, −68.002166). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Presque Isle is drained by the

and Presque Isle Stream (also called Prestile Stream). Presque Isle has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

( Köppen: Dfb) typified by long cold winters and short warm summers.

Government

The City of Presque Isle operates under the council-manager form of government. The current city manager is Martin Puckett.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 9,692 people, 4,201 households, and 2,413 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 4,608 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 4,201 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.6% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 9,511 people, 3,963 households, and 2,464 families residing in the city. The

was 125.6 people per square mile (48.5/km²). There were 4,405 housing units at an average density of 58.2 per square mile (22.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.13%

, 0.36%

, 2.26% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.17% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. There were 3,963 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,325, and the median income for a family was $37,090. Males had a median income of $27,510 versus $19,785 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,712. About 9.2% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Due to being

's largest city, Presque Isle is the retail center for a large number of both American and

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

towns. The Aroostook Centre Mall became a major

shopping center A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...

for residents during the 1990s. A Super

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

center also attracts a large number of shoppers.

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

remains a top industry of Presque Isle and the surrounding area, with potatoes being the top crop. During the winter months many local businesses rely on the snowmobiling industry as there is a highly regarded trail system connecting far away towns and cities with Presque Isle. Presque Isle is also home to a significant

industrial park An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...

near the

. The unemployment rate in Presque Isle is typically somewhat higher than the average across Maine.

Media

Television

Presque Isle is home to one of the smallest TV markets as defined by Nielsen market research. It consists of WAGM-TV channel 8 (a CBS/ Fox/ CW+ affiliate), sister station

WWPI-LD WWPI-LD (channel 16) is a Low-power broadcasting#Television, low-power television station licensed to Fort Kent, Maine, United States, serving the Presque Isle, Maine area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS/Fox B ...

channel 16 (a NBC affiliate which launched on January 7, 2020), and WMEM-TV channel 10 (affiliated with the

Maine Public Broadcasting Network The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (abbreviated MPBN and branded as Maine Public) is a state network of public television and radio stations located in the U.S. state of Maine. It is operated by the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, whi ...

("Maine Public") and PBS). While not part of the Presque Isle TV market, WVII-TV, the ABC affiliate out of Bangor, Maine, airs in Presque Isle, as does NBC affiliate WLBZ.

Radio

Several radio stations have studios located in Presque Isle, including WBPW, WOZI and WQHR, all owned by

Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

. The city is also home to WUPI, the University of Maine Presque Isle's student radio station which broadcasts on 92.1. WMEM 106.1 is Maine Public's radio outlet for the area, affiliated with

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

Newspaper

There are no daily newspapers in Aroostook County. ''The Presque Isle Star-Herald'' is published Wednesdays, one of several weekly newspapers published in Aroostook County. Others include Caribou's ''Aroostook Republican'', Madawaska's '' St. John Valley Times'', ''The Fort Fairfield Journal'' and Houlton's ''Pioneer Times''. The ''

Bangor Daily News The ''Bangor Daily News'' is an American newspaper covering a large portion of central and eastern Maine, published six days per week in Bangor, Maine. The ''Bangor Daily News'' was founded on June 18, 1889; it merged with the ''Bangor Whig an ...

'' has an Aroostook County edition.

Sites of interest

* Aroostook Farm * Aroostook State Park * Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library * Northern Maine Museum of Science * Presque Isle Air Museum * Presque Isle Historical Society & Museum * Nordic Heritage Center and Ski Trails * The Maine Solar System Model

In popular culture

Presque Isle is the focal location for operations in the 1953 film '' Island in the Sky''. The city is also where Handy McKay retires to open a diner in the Parker novel series by Richard Stark.

Notable people

* Lucy Hayward Barker, painter *

John Cariani John Edward Cariani (born July 23, 1969) is an American actor and playwright. Cariani is best known as the unwavering forensic expert Julian Beck in ''Law & Order''. On stage, he earned a Tony Award nomination for his role as Motel the Tailor in t ...

, actor * John Crowley, author * Jim Donnelly, state legislator *

James P. Dunleavy James P. Dunleavy (born 1939) was an American politician and jurist from Maine. Dunleavy, a Democrat, served one term in the Maine House of Representatives (1973-1974). He represented Presque Isle, Maine. After leaving the Legislature, Dunleavy ...

, state legislator and Aroostook County Probate Judge * Jeremy Fischer, state legislator *

Lynn Flewelling Lynn Flewelling (born Lynn Elizabeth Beaulieu on October 20, 1958) is an American fantasy fiction author. Biography Born at Presque Isle, Flewelling grew up in northern Maine, United States. She has worked as a teacher, a house painter, a necro ...

, author * Caroline D. Gentile, associate professor emeritus of education, University of Maine at Presque Isle *

Arthur R. Gould Arthur Robinson Gould (March 16, 1857July 24, 1946) was a United States senator from Maine. Biography Born in Corinth, Maine, he attended the common schools and East Corinth Academy. He moved first to Bangor, Maine, where he opened a candy fac ...

, businessman and U.S. Senator *

James Chico Hernandez James "Chico" Hernandez (born April 14, 1954) is an accomplished athlete in the sport of Sambo. He is the first Sambo champion to be featured on a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch and the first Sambo wrestler to appear in CNN/SI "Faces In the Crowd" ...

, wrestling champion *

John Lisnik John Lisnik (December 19, 1946 – April 24, 2020) was an American politician and administrator in the University of Maine System. In 1980, Lisnik was elected to the Maine House of Representatives as a Democrat, replacing retiring Republican ...

, state legislator * Jessica McClintock, designer * Gilda E. Nardone, women's employment advocate and nonprofit director * Ellis Paul, musician * Robert J. Saucier, veteran and state legislator * Jack Sepkoski, paleontologist *

Ron Tingley Ronald Irvin Tingley (born May 27, 1959) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 10th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft. Career 1979-1984 He ...

, catcher for several MLB teams *

Alexander Willette Alexander Reginald Willette (born April 2, 1989) is an American politician from Maine. In 2010, the Republican Willette was elected to represent District 7 in the Maine House of Representatives, covering much of central Aroostook County includi ...

, former state legislator * Michael Willette, state senator * Gerald Evan Williams, Colonel; World War II Air Force pilot

References

External links

City of Presque Isle, Maine

Turner Memorial Library

Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in Maine Populated places established in 1828 Cities in Aroostook County, Maine