Since Bristish ships were unable to navigate the St. John's enourmous water falls, the Acadians were free to establish settlements on both sides of the river. Rich timberland lured many people further up the river to the area that is now Fort Kent. The area became Fort Kent when a blockhouse, constructed in 1840 at the junction of the Fish and St. John Rivers, was named in honor of Maine Governor Edward Kent. Troops were dispatched to the fort to guard the area's thriving lumber interests, but no battles were ever fought.
Legend has it that the only casualty was a cow shot by mistake.
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 established the current boundry and ended the hostilities. The restored blockhouse, now a National Historic Site, is maintained by the Boy Scouts of the area. Thousands of sightseers and campers visit the blockhouse each year. Not far away the old Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Depot on Market Street has become the Fort Kent Historical Society Center where artifacts and photographs give visitors a glimpse of the past.