Historic St Croix: St Stephen-Calais

Richard Wilbur is author of The Rise of French New Brunswick and H.H.
Stevens, 1878–1973, and co-author of Silver Harvest: The Fundy
Weirmen’s Story. His latest book is Horse-Drawn Carriages and Sleighs:
Elegant Vehicles from New England and New Bruns

Rees is the author of several books in this series but this is by far
his best, reflecting his skills as a researcher, his background as a
professional geographer, and his ability to convey often-complicated
explanations in a clear and lively style. The seven-page introduction
outlines the varied histories of these two international communities
that share the same river and the once-rich forest resources. The
subsequent nine chapters contain wonderful photographs depicting the
various economic and social stages of the two towns (logging and
lumbering, shipbuilding, joint festivals and parades, bridges, and the
street railway).

Rees was not content merely to compose a few descriptive lines to
accompany the excellent photographs. In most cases, he went into the
local archives and libraries to find fascinating details concerning
19th-century lumbering operations; how ships were built, outfitted, and
repaired; and, above all, how terrible fires destroyed so much of both
towns (fortunately with little loss of human lives). The last two
chapters, “Business Streets” and “Grand Houses, Hotels, and Public
Buildings,” link the past and the present.

Today’s visitors to Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick,
would benefit from having this book in hand so they can see how many
fine structures have been preserved, albeit not always in their original
form. Local residents will be tempted, as I was, to see if the author
struck a fair balance when he chose his pictures depicting the history
of these entwined but still friendly rivals. He did—no mean feat. A
great read.