Other Useful Info

The people of the Greater Fort Kent Area are known for their friendly out-going good nature. They are a passionate hardworking people which has been the key to keeping these communities together during the rough times and making the good times so much better. No matter where you go, you’ll be made to feel welcomed.
There is always something to do, no matter what the season. From guest lecturers at the University, to musical entertainment of various genres, to braving the elements outdoors on some sporting activity- a little something for everyone.
This page has information on:
- ATM Locations,
- Contacts In Case of Emergency,
- Zip Codes,
- Genealogy Resources, and
- Other Information that may come in handy.
If you require any other resource information or guidance, you are more than welcomed to give the chamber office a call during regular business hours.
– ATM Locations –
Although most businesses in the Upper St. John Valley accept credit/debit cards, a small handful of local small businesses are cash-only, and sometimes, for whatever reason, you just need cash. Here is a list of ATM locations by town.
Allagash:
(closest location: St. Francis)
Cross Lake Township:
(closest location: Sinclair/Fort Kent)
Eagle Lake:
• Katahdin Trust Company
(3440 Aroostook Road)
• NorState Federal Credit Union
(3333 Aroostook Road)
Fort Kent:
• Acadia Federal Credit Union
(9 East Main Street)
• Katahdin Trust Company
(79 West Main Street)
• Key Bank
(101 West Main Street)
• NorState Federal Credit Union
(164 Market Street)
• Northern Maine Medical Center
(194 East Main Street)
• TD Bank
(62 West Main Street)
• UMFK – Cyr Hall
(23 University Drive)
Frenchville:
• Jim’s Corner Grocery
(269 US Route 1)
New Canada:
(closest location: Fort Kent)
Portage Lake:
• Coffin’s General Store
(19 Aroostook Road)
St. Agatha:
• Acadia Federal Credit Union
(315 Main Street)
St. Francis:
• Acadia Federal Credit Union
(907 Main Street)
St. John Plantation:
(closest location: Fort Kent/St. Francis)
Sinclair:
• Long Lake Sporting Club
(48 Sinclair Road)
• Martin’s General Store
(247 Sinclair Road)
Wallagrass:
(closest location: Fort Kent/Eagle Lake)
Winterville Plantation:
(closest location: Eagle Lake)
– In Case of Emergency –
As much as we all hope that your stay in the Greater Fort Kent area is a pleasant one, sometimes, unforeseen circumstances arise that require local emergency services.
If you are unfamiliar with the services offered in the St. John Valley, the following contact information may be of some assistance. If you do not find the contact information you are looking for, please check the helpful links section. Some may be listed there as well.
- For all Emergency Police, Fire & Ambulance and Game Warden services, dial 911.
- Northern Maine Medical Center – provides local medical inpatient, intensive care and Emergency Room services. The main switchboard number is: (207) 834-3155
- For all other Medical Services (outpatient, optometry, dentistry, chiropractic, pharmaceutical, veterinary), view our listings in the Member Directory – Medical/Healthcare Services & Animal Care
- Maine’s Crisis Helpline – connects you to mobile crisis intervention services 24 hours a day/365 days a year. 1-888-568-1112
- To connect with resources for your health and human service needs or that of a loved one (other than those mentioned above), you can also dial 211 if you are in Maine or go to the online 211 Maine Resource Directory.
- Auto Service & Repair – view our listing in the Member Directory
– Zip Codes –
- Allagash: 04774
- Cross Lake Township: 04779
- Eagle Lake: 04739
- Fort Kent: 04743
- Fort Kent Mills: 04744
- Frenchville: 04745
- New Canada: 04743
- Portage Lake: 04768
- St. Agatha: 04772
- St. Francis: 04774
- St. John Plantation: 04743
- Sinclair: 04779
- Wallagrass: 04781
- Winterville: 04739
For all other zip codes, go to the USPS Zip Code Lookup.
– Genealogy Resources –
- For information regarding cemetery plots (and occasionally baptismal/marriage records) please contact the churches and parish offices directly – their information can be found on the “Places of Worship“ page. There are also municipal cemeteries in some of our communities. You will need to contact the local municipal offices for more information regarding these.
- The local Aroostook Registry of Deeds is located in Fort Kent on the corner of Hall & Elm Streets.
- The UMFK Acadian Archives has wealth of information on area families through their collection of family reunion and genealogy books and resources that they have collected over the years.
- Information regarding births, deaths, marriages and divorces can be found at Maine’s Office of Data, Research & Vital Statistics.
– Good To Know –
Here is a very short list of some local terms someone ‘from away’ may want to know about:
- “Wayons-ware” (‘Come-on,now’ or ‘As if’)
- “Ayoye” (Ow/Ouch)
- “The Valley” (St. John River Valley on Northern Maine’s border to Canada)
- “The County” (Aroostook County – largest, land-wise, in the state – also known as “The Crown of Maine”)
- “Ployes” (buckwheat pancake used for many culinary purposes in the Valley)
- “Creton” (meat spread, usually made of pork or turkey and spices – goes great with ployes)
- “Fiddleheads” (a fern-like plant that grows on the local river banks and picked in the spring before the plant reaches maturity – served as a vegetable)
- “Pissenlit” (dandelions – greens are harvested prior to flowers blooming and served as a vegetable)
- “Mic-Doe” (McDonalds)
- “Timmy’s” (Tim Hortons)
- If you’ve been to Louisiana, and had “boudin” sausage, it is entirely different than what you would be served in the Valley. As there are rice and meat in the Louisiana version, in northern Maine, translated in English, it would be referred to as ‘blood sausage’ or ‘black pudding’. The same is true for “beignets”. In Louisiana, they are a fried pastry, like a doughnut. In the St. John Valley, the dough is not fried, but boiled in maple syrup.
- The following are not “official” town names anymore (most often due to incorporations) but are still used by locals:
- ‘Soldier Pond’ (community/village within Wallagrass along the Fish River)
- “Quimby” (village within Winterville)
- ‘Guerrette’ & ‘Daigle’ refer to the Cross Lake Township & New Canada area
- ‘Upper Frenchville’ or ‘St. Luce’ refers to the west end of Frenchville.
- Sainte Agathe & St. Agatha are used interchangeably
- Sinclair is sometimes still referred to as “la p’tite descharge”
- There is a St. Francis on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border, parallel to one another (roughly). Generally, the Maine town is referred to in English “St. Francis” and the New Brunswick, Canada one is referred to in French “Saint-François”
For Your Information:
- There are two electrical vehicle charging stations located in Fort Kent.
- One at the Northern Maine Medical Center parking lot (9 East Main Street) by the Emergency Room Entrance.
- The second at the Fort Kent Municipal Building Parking Lot (416 West Main Street – across the street from the US Customs & Border Patrol Port of Entry/International Bridge).
- Click here to search for local Notary Public’s
- FedEx Drop-off site: GEI-PC Store – 62 West Main Street, Suite 103, Fort Kent
- UPS Drop-off sites: GEI-PC Store – 62 West Main Street, Suite 103, Fort Kent & there is a drop-box located in parking lot at 204 West Main Street, Fort Kent (on the corner of Main & Hall Streets).
- The Blue/White/Red flag with a yellow star is the Acadian Flag, and the yellow painted stars on houses throughout the ‘Valley’ is a sign of welcome.
- East Main Street in Fort Kent turns to West Main Street in Downtown Fort Kent at the Bridge crossing the Fish River.
- Route 11 in Fort Kent is Pleasant Street until it eventually changes to “Aroostook Road” as you head south out of town. It remains Aroostook Road from Fort Kent through Ashland.
- Route 161 is Market Street in Fort Kent until it turns to “Caribou Road” approx. 2 miles south at the railroad crossing at Fort Kent Mills. The name remains Caribou Road through to New Sweden. Route 161 also continues west through Allagash from West Main Street after passing the US Border Port of Entry/International Bridge, at the official end of US Route 1 (it remains “West Main Street” until it turns into “St. John Road” at the intersection of West Main and Violette Settlement Road. St. John Road ends at the St. Francis town line where it turns into “Main Street”, then “Allagash Road” at St. Francis’ western boundary with Allagash).
- If you plan on crossing into Canada during your stay, please make sure you have a passcard or passport with you for when you cross back into the U.S. For more information, view Know Before You Go.
- Speaking of Canada, the province directly across the river from us is New Brunswick. They, and provinces east of New Brunswick are in Atlantic Standard Time, which is one hour ahead of our time. Please make note of this if you are listening to a Canadian radio station. The province of Quebec, which borders Maine on the far west (in the North Maine Woods) is on Eastern Standard Time, like Maine.
- Also, mobile phones will occasionally roam and bounce off a Canadian tower which will change the time automatically on your phone to one hour ahead (Atlantic Time). If you are concerned about being charged for international roaming charges, please contact your mobile phone carrier, preferably prior to your trip.
- If you are looking for local transportation options, you can rent a vehicle for local use from Pelletier Motors, or utilize the Aroostook Regional Transporation System (ARTS bus – local bus service). The closest national car rental agency is at the Presque Isle Airport.
- U-Hauls can be rented from Twin’s Service Station on Market Street in Fort Kent.
- The Greater Fort Kent Area encompasses the entire Fish River Chain of Lakes, which includes Portage, St. Froid, Eagle, Long, Mud, Cross & Square Lakes.
- The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a 740-mile paddling route that starts at Old Forge, New York in the Adirondacks and ends at Riverside Park in Fort Kent, ME, passing through Vermont, the Province of Quebec and New Hampshire. The last legs of the trail pass through the Allagash Wilderness Waterway before heading into the St. John River.
- The America’s First Mile monument is the official start of US Route 1, which starts in Fort Kent at the US Customs & Border Patrol Port of Entry/International Bridge, following the Maine-Canadian border and the Atlantic Coast to Key West, Florida 2,446 miles away. US Route 1 is the easternmost route of the main north-to-south US Highway System.