Legends generally begin with a semblance of fact.
In fact, summer was a time when Franco-Americans typically took time off from work in the New England mills to visit family and friends who lived in Quebec. Due to the close proximity of Quebec with Maine, visits North were rather easy annual reunification pilgrimages. Family reunions were common, especially when turn of the 20 th century train travel became cheap enough for even the poorest Francos to travel North to visit relatives. The falls are quite high and were named by Samuel de Champlain in 1613 after Henri II, duc de Montmorency who served as viceroy of New France from 1620 to 1625. In the French-Canadian legend, a beautiful Quebec maiden was very much in love with a proud and handsome French soldier.