Easton> Local town history centennial projects written by students about their communities

This is the 33rd in a series of town history centennial projects written by students about their communities in the Bangor Daily News readership area. Students were asked to compile a time line of important events in the 20th century, to write an essay about what has set their community apart, and to choose a photograph that sums up something important about their community’s history during the century.

By the Easton Junior-Senior High School eighth grade with teacher Scott Young

In 1865, Freemont Plantation, east of Presque Isle on the Canadian border, became a town called Easton. By 1901, Easton had a population of more than 1,200.

Industries came to our town in 1928. One of our first was Fred Vahlsing Jr.’s french fry plant. In 1966, Vahlsing started an unsuccessful plant to process sugar beets, billed as an economically viable alternative to Aroostook County potatoes.

However, our town was mostly a farming community with a few local stores coming and going. Today, we still are considered a farming community, but we do not have nearly as many farmers as we once had. Our industries include McCain Foods Inc. and J.M. Huber Corp. Businesses include a restaurant, a local store, plumbers, electricians, civil engineers, building contractors, carpenters, auto shops and a law office.

Two of our more important industries are potato processing and lumber. McCain’s, which produces frozen french fries, and Huber, which produces lumber, have built large plants. They are both very important to our economy, creating many jobs.

McCain’s expanded in 1998. The company started in Easton when Vahlsing’s, the important plant of the time, failed. The town sold the land to McCain’s and it was then our most important industry. Huber came to town in 1987.

TIMELINE

1901 Easton has five churches, three halls, 11 schools, seven stores, two post offices, one gristmill, two sawmills, seven blacksmith and carriage shops, one paint shop, two lodges, one Grange hall, one physician’s office, and one hotel.

1904 The first high school in Easton is built.

1934 The community dam is built on the Prestile Stream.

1936 The Odd Fellows hall burns down and is rebuilt the same year.

1937 There are 159 farms in town.

1940 The Lions Club of Easton organizes.

1949 The current high school building is built.

1959-60 The fire station and town office are built.

1966 Vahlsing’s sugar refining plant is built.

1987-88 J.M. Huber Corp. comes to Easton.

1997 High school expansion project is completed.

1998 McCain’s plant expands.