Located on the St. John River between Fort Kent and Madawaska, Frenchville was settled by people of Acadian and French-Canadian descent in the early 1800s. Through the nineteenth century, the area was known variously as Chatauqua (or Chautauqua), Dionne Plantation, and Dickeyville. Residents helped organize a Catholic parish in the 1840s; the settlement was incorporated as a town in 1869. The railroad reached Frenchville in 1910, but the area's vocation remained primarily agricultural.

According to "A History of Frenchville," published by the local historical society in 1994, the Frenchville Hotel operated from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1940s, when it became a private residence. It was destroyed by fire in 1956. The building was located on Route 162 near its intersection with Route 1. Photos of the hotel in the local history book show a structure that differs substantially from this one. Those photos appear to be earlier in date. The hotel may have undergone improvements by the time this postcard was issued.

The image is undated, but this postcard bears a 1911 postmark. At that time, Israel Ouellette was proprietor.