Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Far North
For years folks in the state have
talked about there being two
Maines. They refer to the economic dis-
parity between the comparatively pros-
perous southern part of the state, with
its more urban lifestyles and manufac-
turing and office jobs, and the distinctly
rural parts of the state where folks still
wrest a hard living from the land or the
sea. In that respect, the two Maines are
not so much actual locations, but rather
distinct sets of circumstances.
When it comes to geography and cul-
ture, however, there are really
three
Maines. There is the coastal area, the
central highlands (also referred to as
the Great North Woods) and then there
is the Far North, primarily Aroostook County.
Known as “The County,” Aroostook opens up to visitors as they pass the
towns of Medway and Patten on the way north on Interstate 95. A solid
wall of trees gives way to rolling countryside planted with potatoes as far
as the eye can see. More than 1½ million pounds of potatoes are produced
annually in Aroostook County and there are plans to bring another
15,000 acres “on-line” at the turn of the century. In recent years, broccoli
has become an important crop as well. Covering more than 4.2 million
acres, Aroostook is the largest county in Maine and nearly double the size
of the next two largest combined.
In this pastoral landscape, the culture and inhabitants feel strong ties to
French-speaking Québec. In many cases, particularly at the tip of the
state in places like Fort Kent, Madawaska and Van Buren, French is the
primary language.
The area maintains a multi-cultural flair. Double Eagle Park on the
Spragueville Road in Presque Isle marks the spot where the first
ballonists to cross the Atlantic took off in 1978. The crew took less than a
week to get to - you guessed it - France.
Even in the best of years you could not say times were good in Aroostook
County. The closing of Loring Air Force Base in Limestone several years
ago contributed to a population drop of more than 10,000. Still, despite
economic disadvantage, the people of the country remain hard-working,
