Flat Mountain Horse & Cattle Ranch The Old Homestead On The Fourth Row
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Unique Maine Farms is also looking forward to sharing information about some of the fascinating agricultural history specific to the Flat Mountain region of Saint Agatha where the Babin’s farm is located. When John and Ann Babin purchased the farm in 2001, they moved into the old farmhouse that was situated on Bouchard Road, but was formerly called the “Fourth Row” in the area commonly known as the “Concessions.” Roger Morneault kindly spent quite a bit of time explaining that farming in the Flat Mountain area used to be a major occupation for many people. Roger is a fifth-generation resident of the Flat Mountain region and very interested in its history. According to Roger, there were four roads in the area around 1900, that were numerically named First Row, Second Row, Third Row, and Fourth Row. There were so many children in the Flat Mountain area in the early 1900’s, according to Morneault, that there were actually six one-room schoolhouses built in the area. By law, education had to be provided. Since the roads in the winter at that time were so difficult for travel it was determined that no child should have to walk more than a mile to school. During the early days, most of the farms were potato and subsistence farms. With the introduction of mechanization, many of these small farms declined and many residents moved away. Electricity was not even introduced into the Flat Mountain area until 1948! The six small one-room schoolhouses were actually dismantled in 1948, and physically transported to downtown Saint Agatha and combined to form the Montfort School which educated students from kindergarten through sixth grade. It served students until 1978, when it was closed. The building was demolished in the early 1980’s. The old farmhouse, which the Babins purchased in 2001, offers such a striking contrast to the large, modern, solar-powered residence that they constructed and now occupy high on the ridge. The old farm house serves as a great reminder of the farms that used to operate in the area. Families may have moved away, but their fondness and allegiance to the area and the land has, in many cases, remained very strong. When a Flat Mountain Reunion was held in 2010, in conjunction with the Long Lake Summerfest, over five hundred people showed up to enjoy the reminiscing and festivities. How fitting that John and Ann Babin provided horse-drawn wagon rides during the Flat Mountain Reunion as they have established themselves as contributing members of the Flat Mountain area farming community.