Maine History Online

Jean-Baptiste Couture (1866-1943) was a leader in journalism, politics and theater in the Franco-American community of Lewiston-Auburn for more than half a century.

One of 18 children of a Québec school teacher, he left school at age 13 to become a typesetter for a Québec City newspaper.

Four years later, he immigrated to Lewiston where he found ready employment at Le Messager, Lewiston's French language newspaper.