A major concern for the entire historical community of Quebec has been, and remains, our vast and varied religious heritage. Regardless of language or denomination, our cities, towns and countryside are populated by empty, or seasonal, or much diminished churches, many of which have old cemeteries attached to them.
Tracing your family roots can be challenging, many times disappointing, more often that not frustrating yet rewarding. As I have been “chasing down” my family, I have been fortunate to have made contacts with other individuals who not only share the passion for genealogy, but our families are sometimes related to each other. Our paths crossed by way of Argenteuil and Terrebonne counties in Quebec and sometimes in Montreal.
The earliest nineteenth century settlements of the Laurentians were intended to be agricultural, in spite of the unpromising terrain and the very short growing season.
Where the North River divides the first mountain ranges of the Laurentians from the St. Lawrence plains, the settlement of what later became Shawbridge was established in the early nineteenth century. The first inhabitants came from Ireland and many descendants of these families still live in our area.
Ste. Agathe and the surrounding lakes have been the favoured destination of generations of North Americans. Ours is a Quebec town that has absorbed and reflects all of the various cultural influences that make up Canada.The indigenous peoples, the Weskarinis-Algonkians, wintered in our area for centuries before their fateful defeat at the hands of the Iroquois in 1651. Even so, its name may well come from the Algonkian word Mittawang, meaning sandy shores.In 1849 the first hardy settlers arrived, a handful of families with descendants in the community to this day.
Doctor, researcher, teacher, writer, and curator: “It’s doubtful if any one person did more in her generation, to make McGill known throughout the medical world” than did Maude Abbott, who was born and raised in St. Andrews East.In 1890, Maude Abbott applied to the McGill Faculty of Medicine, which was not yet ready to allow a woman to enter.
Naming the Laurentians: A History of Place Names "Up North," isthe title of a new book written by Joseph Graham,and published by Les Éditions Main Street Inc. An anthology of stories about Laurentian places and how they got their names, it covers centuries and involves peoples and nations from far and wide.
Sometimes called "the Barracks", as it was commandeered by the British army and used to house soldiers during the Rebellion of 1837, this building was originally erected by General C. J. Forbes as a warehouse to protect equipment serving the old Carillon Canal. Later, it became the Sovereign Hotel, and in 1934, with the help of Dr. Maude Abbott and Dr.
Grenville had a military presence because of the canal. The original canal was designed and constructed by the Royal Engineers between 1819 and 1833. It was part of the St. Lawrence, Ottawa, and Rideau system which was built at a time when the United States' threat was real. Next to the canal is the lock-keeper's house.
The many stone buildings in Cushing attest to its importance as a commercial centre in the 19th century. Lemuel Cushing, said to have been the most successful businessman in the county, built this imposing store in the 1830s. With a wharf situated on the [nearby] Ottawa River, Cushing was also involved in the fur trade as well as inland commerce.