Calais

Calais, city, Washington county, eastern Maine, U.S., on the St. Croix River (there spanned by an international bridge to St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada), 98 miles (158 km) east-northeast of Bangor. The river is noted for its tidal surges, which can vary by 28 feet (9 metres). Settlers were attracted to the area in 1779 by the abundance of natural resources. The community developed as a lumbering centre; after 1801 shipbuilding was the most important industry. It was incorporated as a town in 1809 and named for Calais, France, in appreciation for aid given during the American Revolution. The manufacture of wood products remains the economic mainstay; blueberries are harvested locally. Nearby are Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and St. Croix Island International Historic Site; the latter marks the location where the French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Pierre du Guast, sieur (lord) de Monts, attempted to establish a settlement in 1604. Inc. city, 1850. Pop. (2000) 3,447; (2010) 3,123.