Saint Agatha developed as a farming community in the mid-nineteenth century as settlers moved outwardly from the St. John River around Frenchville. Alexandre "Menon" Ouellette was one of the first, such that Long Lake has also been known as "Lac à Menon." In 1889, Bishop James A. Healy assigned a French priest to the predominantly Catholic community, and a parish was founded.

Without direct railway access, Saint Agatha remained a predominantly rural community. The town's population was mostly concentrated at the head of the lake, in proximity to the church and the convent, where this photograph was taken. Only several of the buildings in this image still stand. An earlier view of this stretch of Main Street, from a similar angle, appears in MMN item 9839.

The item is undated and no publisher or place of publication is given. "Kodak Paper" appears on the back.