Articles

Richmond's Railway Bridge
Sir Casimir Gzowski, great-grandfather of Canadian broadcaster Peter Gzowski, and engineer for the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railway, forerunner to the Grand Trunk, built this trestle over the St. Francis River at the north end of Richmond in 1852. (Photo courtesy of the Richmond County Historical Society Archives)
John LeBoutillier: Merchant, Ship Owner, Politician, Statesman (Gaspé, Quebec)
John LeBoutillier, originally from the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel, became a very successful Gaspé merchant and political figure. He was originally employed by the Robin Company, important fish merchants, where he learned the skills of the cod fish trade.
Honourable Mention, QAHN 2012 Heritage Essay Conest: "Fort Chambly"
As I entered the Fort Chambly, old ghosts of people seemed to appear. I see some putting cannonballs in cannons and then light the wick. The sound is awfully loud! A tour guide then tells me about the history of the Fort Chambly… Fort Chambly was fist built in 1665. There were 4 forts. The first one was in wood. It was unfortunately too old so, they needed to replace it. They replaced it by another one in wood. It then accidentally burnt. Because the wood fort couldn’t protect itself from cannonballs and other explosives, they replaced the wood fort by a stone fort.
Honourable Mention, QAHN 2012 Heritage Essay Contest: "William Thomas"
I would like to write about my ancestor William Thomas. William was born in England in 1784 and joined the army. He was in the 81st Regiment of Foot. The regiment was called “the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers”. He was sent to Canada to fight the war in 1812 called the Napoleon wars. He was sent to Quebec City and took a boat all the way to Hull to protect Lower Canada against the Americans.
3rd Prize Winner, 2012 QAHN Heritage Essay Contest: "The Orchards of Frelighsburg"
In the month of May, the apples blossom. In fall, the apples are ripe and ready to be picked. Apple growing has been a main industry for Frelighsburg since 1930, but apples have been grown in the area for a long time. Frelighsburg is a good place to grow apples because of the gentile hills, the soils, and the pattern of the winds will blow in the area. Farmers began to change their farms to apple orchards. Adelard Godbout, who was once the premier of Quebec, had an orchard in the Frelighsburg area.
2nd Prize Winner, 2012 QAHN Heritage Essay Contest: "George Knight Nesbitt"
George was born in Napierville, in the province of Quebec, on September 29, 1836. His father was of Irish descent, and he was a farmer and a mill owner. The early days of George’s life was spent on the family farm and in his father’s mill.
1st Prize Winner, 2012 QAHN Heritage Essay Contest: "The Eastern Townships Railroads"
In the 1800s railways were needed in the Eastern Townships to get to raw materials, for fast travel, the growth of businesses, and to fill in the desire to build more railway lines. In the past most people didn’t have cars to travel with or trucks to carry materials. Railways met this need.
Thomas Kains and the War of 1812
As we unravel local history and piece together the contributions of our forebears, we are often amazed at what we uncover.
Mémoires de Saint Venant de Paquetteville
Edouard Maheu maire de Paquetteville et son épouse Emilia Labbé. Tous deux natifs de Saint-Joseph de Beauce, ils arrivent à Paquetteville en 1950. Ce petit village des Cantons de l’est, situé près de la frontière Américaine, allait devenir un endroit de prédilection pour élever une famille de 16 enfants.
The O’Hara Cemetery, Gaspé
Located in the very heart of the city of Gaspé lies an ancient burial ground -- the O`Hara Cemetery. No one knows for certain how many souls were interred in this place. What is certain is that for many years the site was neglected, left to grow up in brush and weeds.
St. Francis College
The St. Francis College (1854-1898) played a prominent role on the education scene in Quebec.
Great Excitement about Fenians: Excerpt #6 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is our sixth excerpt from the "Private Journal" of Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. Funding for transcription and research into this unique historical document has been provided in part by the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation of Bishop's University, Townshippers' Foundation, and through the Heritage Online Multimedia Enrichment Initiative of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). ____________________________________________________________________
Grave Duties to Perform: Excerpt #5 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is our fifth excerpt from the "Private Journal" of Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. Funding for transcription and research into this unique historical document has been provided in part by the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation of Bishop's University, Townshippers' Foundation, and through the Heritage Online Multimedia Enrichment Initiative of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). ____________________________________________________________________
The Civil War Starts: Excerpt #4 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is our fourth excerpt from the "Private Journal" of Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. Funding for transcription and research into this unique historical document has been provided in part by the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation of Bishop's University, Townshippers' Foundation, and through the Heritage Online Multimedia Enrichment Initiative of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). ____________________________________________________________________
Fire at the Terrill Mansion: Excerpt #3 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is our third excerpt from the "Private Journal" of Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. Funding for transcription and research into this unique historical document has been provided in part by the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation of Bishop's University, Townshippers' Foundation, and through the Heritage Online Multimedia Enrichment Initiative of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). ____________________________________________________________________
Fixing Up the Farm: Excerpt #2 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is our second excerpt from the "Private Journal" of Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. Funding for transcription and research into this unique historical document has been provided in part by the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation of Bishop's University, Townshippers' Foundation, and through the Heritage Online Multimedia Enrichment Initiative of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). ____________________________________________________________________
Temperance Tempest in the Townships: Excerpt #1 from the "Private Journal of Henry Joseph Martin"
The following is an excerpt from a "Private Journal" kept by Henry Joseph Martin, a resident of Stanstead, Quebec. It is the first excerpt in a series of six to be published in Townships Heritage WebMagazine. Martin's diary, a large, leather-bound volume that has remained in private hands since it was written a century and a half ago, spans the period from 1859 to 1868.
♪ ♫ ♪ That Gaspé Sound: Exploring the Old-Time Fiddle Traditions of the Gaspé Coast, Part 1
♪ ♫ ♪ From 2005 until 2010, I was one of two hosts at a weekly bluegrass and old-time music jam session at Grumpy's Bar in Montreal. As a fiddle player, I had spent the previous six years learning the old-time fiddle music of the southern United States.
♪ ♫ ♪ That Gaspé Sound: Exploring the Old-Time Fiddle Traditions of the Gaspé Coast, Part 2
(*Continued from That Gaspé Sound: Exploring the Old-Time Fiddle Traditions of the Gaspé Coast, Part 1)