Colonization of the region of Lac-Megantic, Québec, Canada

Colonization of the region of Lac-Mégantic

When the Treaty of Paris in1763,the entire eastern part of the current Quebec was a vast forest where Native American still living in freedom. According to historical records, in our region and in the Lac-Mégantic, there would have been a village ofAbenakis.

Treaty of Paris 1763

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham in the September 13, 1759 became one of the founding myths of Canada. Yet it was not resolved. Indeed, the war continued around the world. It lasted seven years, hence its name, and found its culmination in Paris on February 10, 1763.

The treaty that day between France,Britain, Spain and Portugal not only seals the fate of New France, but lays the foundation for a profound political change that will affect the entire planet, starting with North America.

Let's recap. Louis XV renounceCanada.

What is less known is that the boundaries of what Canada extend to the Mississippi, with the exception of New Orleans. The day the Americans will want to use freely the giant river, they require the possession of the city and will provide, without asking the west of the Mississippi Basin. This transaction which originates in Article 7 of the Treaty of Paris is known as the "Louisiana Purchase"territorial transaction hugest probably in the history of mankind. The United States then double their territory and begin to take for all America. For the French, the United States become America while Americans, unable themselves to name their country, like to say America.

At first Furre "The Thirteen Colonies" and "The . United Colonies of North America "and at the time of independence," The United States of America

"invain, Americans sought an identity: Columbia, Fredonia, Appalachia, Alleghania, Usona (United States of North America).

In America, we make Americans; with America we should amériquains. Of course, with the United States, we do Americans.

The very movement of independence is rooted in the Treaty of1763.

Freed of the French presence, Americans no longer need the protection of England. For almost 150 years they are victims of harassment by French-Canadian neighbors and their Indian allies. For them, moreover, the Seven Years' War has a specific name: the "French and Indian War"appear..

When England decided to pay huge costs caused by the conflict, taxes  They cause the famous Boston Tea Party. Go! Initially, less than a third of Americans are thinking about independence. Twenty years later, it's done. This year, Americans emphasize the links between the two treaties of Paris, that of 1763 and that of 1783.

The historian Colin Calloway summarized them asfollows:"So in the 1763 Peace of Paris Can Be found the roots of the American Revolution and the American Empire That Followed "A prestigious committee presided over the organization of multiple activities under the title" 1763 Peace of Paris. 250th Anniversary (Completing the Commemoration of the French and Indian War).

"TheFrench, for their part, are rediscovering the Treaty of 1763 and also had the idea of linking 1763 and 1783. A major three-day conference scheduled for November 2013 will bring together the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Culture and Defence. There will certainly be a historian to recall that at the time of the signing of the Treaty, the responsible Minister, the Duke of Choiseul, foresaw the future. "We have them!", Would he whispered considering a possible break between England and its American colonies. It was his consolation prize!

Although he had known book for France access to two important assets: fish and sugar, or access to French shores of Newfoundland and possession of "sugar islands" of which Saint-Domingue provide about 40% of world sugar production and more than half that of coffee. Not to mention ebony! In short, despite the Treaty of Paris, France agrees, in strict economic terms, in the most productive period ofentire thecolonial period of the oldregime.

England, meanwhile, began his period world domination that will survive the Anglo-Saxon schism caused by the independence of the United States.

Lac-Mégantic

surveyed in 1802 and erected in cantons (townships) in1803,our region is doomed to become a haven for immigrants from England and Loyalists from the United States.

Three cantons aredefined:Ditton, reminiscent of a famous writer died in London in 1715; Chesham, reminiscent of a common Birminghamshire; that would be a corruption of Pemberton, famous man from Great Britain. And on the same line as the Newport Township, we find the canton of Ditton, Chesham bounded by the east, Hampden north andEmberton south.

Because of the lack of means of transport, these cantons remain untouched for sixty years. From 1861 to 1864 the government had drawn through the woods, a path between Scotstown the Arnold River, south of Lac-Meganticname.; This road known as Hampden path brought to the region by early explorers. Most were from Cookshire, the last major urban area to the west of this area.

The John Henry Pope MP estrongly ncourageait settlement in the newly opened cantons. Mr. Pope had acquired significant ownership share in these regions, mainly in the township of Emberton, where we had found gold nuggets in 1863. They found nothing valuable since.

John Henry Pope was born in the Township ofEaton,Quebec, December 19, 1819. He grew up and was educated. Ambitious, he initially devoted to the farm of his father one of the best in the county. But following the Rebellion of 1837-1838, his involvement in the militia Eaton will cause it to take an interest in local politics. Thus, in the 1840s, it became representative  theof ofTownshipEaton in the riding of Sherbrooke council. Anti-American convinced he actively opposed the annexation movement which manifested itself in the townships from 1849.

Candidate defeated in Sherbrooke in 1851 and1853,as well as in the new Compton County in 1854, he is finally elected unopposed 1858. Constantly re-elected thereafter, he was elected Conservative MP in the House of Commons in 1867. Agriculture Minister in the government of Macdonald from 1871 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1885 he was also the Minister of Railways and Channel from 1884 to 1889.

His political involvement does not stop him from taking a close look at the business world, because in a developing region like the Eastern Townships investment opportunities were numerous starting with the logging. Associated with Cyrus S. Clarke of Portland, Maine, he became owner of the Brompton Mills LumberCompany,a large sawmill in Bromptonville.

He was also a leading proponent of international railway St. Francis and Mégantic which enabled railway development Compton County and was sold to the Canadian Pacific in 1887. In addition to his active involvement in the development and colonization of the Megantic region, Pope was co-founder of the Eastern Townships Bank, the Paton manufacture Sherbrooke and Director of the Water Power Company and Sherbrooke Gas and Water. He was also interested in mining. Died in Ottawa on April 1, 1889 at the age of 69, he was buried in the Anglican cemetery Cookshiresawmill.;

As early as 1864, Luther Weston built ait is the only colon area resident. At the same time, Mr. Horace Sawer, George Horace Pennoyer and French were clear in the "WestDitton";and there builded a squared wooden house, where the first woman came to live in the colony. Here born the first child. ElizabethMoodey and her husbandlive in this house in 1864 and May 26, 1865, was born John Henry DawsonDitton.

On January 1, 1864, Luther Weston returns Cookshire with two other FrenchCanadians,Joseph Roy and CyrilGaulin forbuild their house on lot 36 Rank V. It was the second building, this time in sawn timber, since Weston had built a sawmill on Ditton River in range VIII. Meanwhile, Joseph Roy stood on Lot 19, Range IV with Zéphirine Fontaine, his wife, the French first Canadian to live in the colony.

Until 1867, Luther Weston colon is the only resident of the area. The Federal Act of 1867, leaving each province exclusive control of the land, favored the development of ideas to increase the pace of colonization. Starting this year, more settlers arrived. For some time, going back and forth continually makes the worrying situation for the future of the cantonlaw.

To make the work a certain stability, the Legislature adopted April 5, 1869 a permissive Act of Settlement Companies. These companies were intended to open new land to attract recruits the old parishes and also inhabitants emigrated beyond the border. In August 1868, 16 families Norwegians had arrived in the United States. In 1869 the first company is based, the Compton County, consisting of English and Protestant elements. In spring, it built 13 houses; one of these houses gets Adam Wright, senior resident of future village of LaPatrie.

Father Jean-Baptiste Chartier, Coaticook priest
1868-1877    Father JBChartier, Coaticook priest (1868-1877), was appointed Officer settlement for Eastern Townships. He organized an expedition to explore the area. On 16 June 1870 the new colony is dedicated with great emotion to religion and to the country, during a solemn Mass celebrated in the range I, Lot 17 in Emberton canton.

Abbé Jean Baptiste Cartier

NB- All the facts reported in this work on the origins of "Homeland"; are taken from the book "St. Peter Parish of La Patrie" (History 1875 to 1990) and the book Centennial which have been designed and written by Father Gilles Baril.

On the eve of Corpus Christi by the stream Tétreau on lot 19 of Range 1 had noticed a beautiful tree, two and a half feet in diameter. Following Mr. Chartier give the example, each gave his ax. The squared trunk on one side, the table became an altar. The crucifix, candlesticks, the storefront were made ​​with branches or bark. Using a shovel taken from the same timber, they dug a pit to plant a cross, made ​​of two long branches. After installation, we fell asleep to the loud noises all night owls who protested against this invasion of their domain, hitherto inviolate.

The next day, the day of Corpus Christi, under the canopy of the forest, in the presence the entire delegation, Abbe Chartier celebrates the holy mysteries and blessed the cross, symbol of taking possession. In a vigorous speech, grandiose missionary predicted results of the first seizure. After the ceremony, Mr. Chicoine wrote on the back of the bark for mail from St-Hyacinthe, an account of the expedition. Our correspondent ended with these words; never as it seems to me more confident prayer went up to God and never apostolic lyrics also spent vibrant in well prepared hearts to receive it.

The ceremony took both of which marked the possession of the Canada Cartier, on the tip of the Gaspé in 1534 and the first Mass celebrated in Ville-Marie, by Father Vimont, in 1642. It was installed in a truly new world, the Church and the State Canada.

The future would justify the hopes of beginning. The delegates drafted the following report:townships, Ditton  Chesham, and Emberton are actually advantageous for colonization and specific form good population centers; colonization companies St-Hyacinthe Bagot and find the part of the townships reserved for them, what it takes to achieve the ends they wish to obtain. After examination of the soil, we declare the rich and fertile land. Explorers are of opinion that the settlers should be directed to the land as soon as possible.

To populate the region is especially appealed to the 400,000 Canadians French exiles on USterritory.Jérôme-Adolphe Chicoine was officially charged with this repatriation campaign by the Agriculture Minister, the Honourable John HenryPope.Mr. Chicoine later became responsible for the new colony and will receive the title of the Government Agentcolonization.Gendreau Reverend, pastor of Cookshireand missionaryDitton,offered his pastoral services by celebrating a Mass in the township once a month.

The first was celebrated on September 30, 1871. It took place at the hotel's floor post -office at West Ditton where some families lived.

Soon the community wanted to find a decent place to hold services. The choice of the site of the future church was much discussed. The choice of the religious authorities came across a site located three mile further east (lot 27 Rank 4) and septembre1873, a Catholic chapel was builtthere,bordering the walls of the unfinished Protestant church (built in 1871. The land of manufactures were 56 acres and had cost a hundred dollars   

on 8 October of that year, the missionary was already celebrating in the still unfinished chapel. The faithful are now invited to pray the sound of a bell 50 pounds given by the parish Stukely. As the parish does not have a bell, it was temporarily installed on a huge strain cherry where it will remain until the first procession of Corpus Christi in 1875.

Father Gendreau leaves cure Cookshire Ditton and mission in the fall of 1874, for missionary work in the United States. He ended his days in St-Hyacinthe. Fr. Edward Blanchard succeeded him.

The village of La Patrie in 1881.   

At the territory now reserved for French Canadians, it was patriotic names. The old and new settlers gathered at the exit of the Mass, May 3, 1875, and the name of La Patrie was unanimously chosen to replace the English designation Ditton.

April 16, 1875, to the end of October 1876 repatriation work (chaired by Jérôme-Adolphe Chicoine) increased our population of 262 inhabitants came from Quebec and 424 repatriated a total population of 969 inhabitants.

The previous year had erected a papal decree Sherbrooke diocese including La Patrie will report. No one could be more welcome that the new holder, Bishop Antoine Racine.

It is indeed 4 June 1875 that the prince of the Church trampled for the first time, the soil of our region, for a pastoral visit. He erected the village canonical parish under the patronage of St-Pierre La Patrie.

This pattern was chosen us to perpetuate the memory of the Honourable Pierre Garneau, Minister of Agriculture in Quebec and also to pay tribute to the cure Cookshire Pierre Edmond Gendreau, first missionary of our colony.

The diocese of St-Hyacinthe provides us with the priest we needed. December 5, 1875, Mr. Victor Chartier, then vicar at St-Simon de Bagot was charged in addition Chesham missions and Emberton, pursuant to an agreement between Bishop Étienne Racine and the Ministry of Agriculture stating that the priest is the official assistant JA Chicoine in its function of colonization agent for a treatment of $ 250 peryear.

Mgr Antoine Racine,
first Archbishop of Sherbrooke

http://www.stjosephdesmonts.com/LAPATRIE/histoire. htm

http://www.meganticoises.qc.ca/