Northern Maine General
a history
by Reynold Raymond, CEO
Northern Maine General (NMG), a not-forprofit corporation located at Eagle Lake, has a long and
rich history of providing health care services to people of
Aroostook County and the State of Maine dating back
to 1906. It served as the first general hospital north of
Bangor until the opening of Madigan Memorial Hospital
at Houlton. Although NMG no longer operates as an
acute hospital, it is still in the business of providing health
care services. As peoples’ medical needs have changed so
has NMG evolved. Today, NMG meets a broad range
of critical medical service needs for children and adults
by providing physical and occupational rehabilitation
services, mental health and case management services,
residential treatment for people with mental health
issues, community and home support services for people
with cognitive and physical disabilities, assisted living,
residential training for persons with acquired brain
injury, and nursing home services. While NMG’s services
may have changed over the years to meet the needs of its
consumers, its mission, to provide the highest standard of
care and help the people it serves enjoy life to the fullest
potential, has remained constant. That was the vision of
its founder, Rev. Joseph Marcoux. Rev. Marcoux was
described as a human dynamo who, in a relatively short
span of years, was to build four churches, two rectories,
two schools, and a hospital.
In a letter dated August 22, 1904, Rev. Marcoux
asked Bishop O’Connell for authorization to build a
hospital. It was an exciting time in the township. The
railroad line had been extended from Ashland to Fort
Kent and the Fish River Lumber Company had built
a mill complex, which occupied roughly 150 acres of
land on the lake’s southwest corner. The mill consisted
of a rotary sawmill, five planers, clapboard and lath
machines as well as a shingle and lath mill. To support its
operations, the company developed an infrastructure that
included a blacksmith shop and machine shop, twentyfive tenement houses, a boarding house to accommodate
up to 125 people, and a company store. It was also able
to supply its own power and lighting through the use of
three engines and 500-watt dynamo.
With the development of the mills, a growing
population, and the violence of a rugged environment,
the need of a medical facility had become apparent. Rev.
Marcoux would become its prime engine. Knowing
38 Northern Maine General WINTER 2012