I get asked a lot of questions from guests and I thought I would take a moment and answer a few simple ones. One question I get asked a lot, is the Alouette a bird and is there a song? And the other most popular question I get asked is how did Old Orchards Beach’s become one of the most popular beaches in New England and the Quebec, Canada area?
An Alouette is a bird, a lark actually.
They are birds that live in North America in a tundra environment. The picture included is an example of one.
There is a song named Alouette. The history behind the song is back in days of farming this song was probably sung while sitting around plucking the birds to prepare the feast to be eaten. It has the characteristics of a chant song which were songs that were sang during the harvest. Some schools taught this song because it is a great example of learning the French language. It’s still used today, mostly in Quebec and states bordering it. I have included the song with (one lyric) in both English and French.
I couldn’t just write about whether the Alouette was a bird and if there was a song so I decided to write just a little bit about the origin of Old Orchard Beach and how it became popular.
Can you ever imagine never seeing the ocean, ever in your life? Back in the 1850s it was normal not to in New England! It wasn’t until transportation i.e. railroad became available that people in the U.S. and Canada could travel and see sights unseen, especially the beach! In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railroad was built from Montreal, Quebec to two (2) miles outside of Old Orchard Beach. This opened up the doors for international travel to the beach, which happened to be Old Orchard Beach.
Old Orchard Beach was already founded in 1657. The name comes from the founder Thomas Rogers who planted many fruit bearing trees, namely apples. He had to abandon his homestead leaving behind acres of trees and a testament that the area was sight for sore eyes. It was deemed as “the Garden of the Sea” starting in the 17th century because of Roger’s extravagant gardens.
The orchard grew and grew over the next 150-200 years. The orchard became so prominent that sailors would sail by the orchard and would know they were close to Portland. You see, apple trees are unique, in that their branches are twisted and turning and grows up and out. And in the spring, they bloom white/pink flowers too!
Even during the mid-19th century letters were written about Old Orchard Beach and its marvel.
It was just absolutely thrilling to read these letters! I believe the word used over and over was “remarkable” to describe Old Orchard Beach.
By the turn of the 19th century Old Orchard Beach was very popular and officially “found” on the map mainly because of the railroad being built and sailors knowing of the orchard. Evidence shows choosing Old Orchard Beach was not just a dart thrown up against a map. There was great interest in the area long before 1853 hence why a railroad was built to Old Orchard in the first place.
I must mention Ocean Park, which is two miles from the center of town, that is part of Old Orchard Beach was founded in 1881. The Googins family was granted acres of land and was instituted with the Chautauqua tradition being the forefront of their establishment of the area. This tradition was a American movement and generally settled in a location with a short distance outside an established town with good railroad stops.
With the established town of Old Orchard Beach and coupled with the Chautauqua tradition in Ocean Park it brought arts, musicians, speakers and culture so that by the end of the 19th century a very long pier was built along with an amusement park, casino and of course resorts.
The next time you visit us at the Alouette Beach Resort, now you’ll know where the name Alouette comes from and know a brief history of the origins of Old Orchard Beach! We hope to be a part of your vacation dreams just as the first travelers in 1853 to Old Orchard Beach on the Grand Trunk Railroad was!
