Mégantic

Mégantic lies among the hills and forests at the headwaters of the Chaudière River. The lake and its surrounding streams formed part of a Wabanaki route between the Saint Lawrence and the Kennebec country to the south. Abenaki families hunted and fished in the region, and its waterways remained important as war between the French and English colonies brought people northward in search of refuge.

In 1775 Benedict Arnold led an American expedition along the Kennebec and over the height of land toward Québec. Following a route long known to Wabanaki travellers, his men struggled through rapids, swamps and cold with boats and supplies. By the time they reached Lake Mégantic at the end of October, hunger and exhaustion had reduced their ranks. They continued down the Chaudière toward the Saint Lawrence and the British-held city.