1940 Map of Grand Isle

About this map

The St John River defines the international boundary between the United States and Canada in this northernmost reaches of Maine, where the Bangor and Aroostook railroad follows the curve of the water. Settlement is concentrated along the riverbanks, particularly in the towns of St David, Grand Isle, and Lille, reflecting a frontier economy tied closely to the waterway and rail transport. Inland, the terrain rises into the townships of Madawaska and Grand Isle, where a network of numbered rural schools, such as School No 1 and School No 9, served a dispersed farming population.