Petit Ellis

Petit Ellis

Grand Trunk Depot

Lincoln Street, Lewiston

Spring 2013

Originally constructed in 1874 at the end of a 5-mile spur, the Grand Trunk Depot had fallen into decay after four decades of abandonment. It was known to locals as Little Ellis Island for the huge number of French-Canadian immigrants that came to the promise of America through its doors. Between 1840 and 1930 almost 1 million Quebecois nationals migrated to the United States in search of work. The Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada played a huge role in shifting the populace south and eventually west. Over 80% of the French-Canadians who settled in the twin cities came through the Grand Trunk. It is seldom that a cultural identity can be traced back to a single building. A single humble brick building that ties together the identities of an entire urban area. 

 

Portland                      Montreal

 Boston                          Toronto 

 New York                      Buffalo

 Philadelphia                   Detroit

 Quebec                         Chicago

 And Points                         Ohio