~~~Québec Chat News~~~

VOLUME 2, No. 9, June, 2002  

Submitted by: Host GFS Suzanne@aol.com

This is a reminder of our bi-weekly meeting on Tuesdays, 10:00PM EDT and Fridays, 9:00PM EDT. I hope to see all of you there.

Québec Chat, Québec Chat Room.

Your Host, Host GFS Suzanne

Directions: Keyword Roots --> Resources --> Regions of the World --> Canada --> Canadian Chats --> Québec Chat Room

From one of us:

Each month, I would like to publish a short article coming from one of YOU, in English or in French! It will be up to you to chose the subject, as long as it remains "genealogically correct".

Pretend you are standing along the shore of a wilderness river, far from the sounds of highway traffic and power boats. Picture a large canoe rounding the bend and rapidly approaching. It is paddled by about 10 men, rather short men, one stands at the rear of the canoe guiding it along with a longer paddle. They are singing some lively French ditty as their ores cut through the water in unison. Some of them are dressed rather flamboyantly; a few have plums in their hats. As they approach, you can see that they are carrying a large amount of cargo. They row towards shore, but before the canoe touches the shore, they spring from the canoe and guide it to shore. With the canoe safely on shore, they take out their pipes and light them up. It’s time for a pipe break before checking out the condition of the canoe which might need some pitch reinforcements.

The canoes which can carry a couple of ton of cargo plus 10 to 14 voyageurs are still rather delicate as the pitch which holds the birch bark seams together gets brittle. Because of this, the voyageurs do not move around in the canoe and are careful not to do damage to the underside--which is why they hop out in deeper water and guide it to shore. There is a rapids ahead through which they can navigate, but beyond that a few miles, is a very large rapids and there, they must portage (carry ) the canoe and cargo over land before they can continue their journey.

They, along with the fur traders and fur trading companies, are responsible for the initial growth and development of many of our communities along the networks of rivers. The fur trading posts eventually gave rise to growing towns: in Wisconsin were La Baie (Green Bay), Portage, Prairie du Chien, La Pointe to name a few. The same held true for Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, other states as well as in Canada.

Some people believe the coureur de bois and the voyageur are interchangeable terms. The former is an unlicensed fur trader and the latter is licensed, hired by a fur company. Voyageurs are also referred to an engages or employees.

Voyageurs fall into two general classes: the “mangeur de lard” or pork-eaters were the the novices (they did know their trade well, however) who rowed between Montreal and the trading posts on Lake Superior’s north shore to Grand Portage. They did not stay over the winter, but made a return trip to Montreal with furs. Hivernants or winterers were the seasoned veterans who continued their journey to the posts of the “interior” by way of the vast network of river systems. They then spent the winter in these remote posts which entitled them to wear the plum in their hats!

Although the voyageur was a little guy under five feet six inches in height, (he had to be able to paddle without his knees getting in the way) he was by no means a “90 pound weakling”!! He had to have the muscle power, stamina and endurance to paddle for 15 to 18 hours a day for many weeks. He had to be able to carry a 90 pound load (often two 90 pound loads at once) over the portages. Some were steep and rocky with narrow trails. They then returned for more cargo until all was again positioned back in the canoe on the other side of the dangerous rapids or water fall. Another reason for portaging was to transport the canoe and goods over land to another river .

The voyageur was contracted for usually a period of one year at a salary of about 40 livre per year. The hivernants received a larger salary as did the steersmen and the bows men.

Each canoe was manned by a bows man who guided the craft. The steersman stands at the stern and steers with a longer paddle. In the center seats which were 5 feet apart sat the middlemen. They took short rest breaks often called “pipe” breaks about every 8 miles.

The Indian birch bark canoe was the ideal craft. With it, they could easily shoot the rapids along the route and it was fairly easy to carry it over the portages. The “Montreal” was the largest being 40 feet long and was used on the Great Lakes, also on the large rivers and lakes. It could carry 14 crewmen and a cargo of 5000 pounds, The smaller “North” (25 feet long) had a crew of 8 to 10 and carry a 3000 pound cargo load. The North was used on smaller lakes and on the inland river systems. They were made of birch bark, roots, cedar boards and were held together by a pitch gum.

The cargo consisted of materials needed for repairs to the craft, goods with which to barter for the furs: knives, guns, shot, powder, hatchets, kettles,tobacco, mirrors, blankets, hats, beads, kegs of whiskey and rum. They also carried sails that might be needed as well as ropes with which to pull the canoe along the shores of dangerous waters saving time and energy of portaging everything.

As the demand for furs in Europe increased and the number of voyageurs increased, so the number of trading posts increased in wilderness areas along the Great Lakes and along the navigable rivers and lakes in WI, Il, IN, MI, MN, the Dakotas, MO, Idaho, WY, WA, OR and all through Western Canada.

The Voyageurs and fur traders were the first settlers in these areas. These were the people who did much of the exploring of the interior for it was imperative that they know the locations of the waterways, the portages and the location of the winter camp sites. They had to know the topographical features along the way.

When the fur trade died out, many of them remained, building their dwellings along the shores of rivers and farming the long narrow “arpents” of land behind their houses. The period of settlement began. The voyageurs and fur traders were responsible for naming many of the lakes, rivers and communities.

Perhaps, if you listen carefully , you may still be able to hear the echoes of their singing in the calm silence of the forest rivers. I can!

Sources:

Fur Trade in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Historical Collections volumes 20, and 9

The Voyageurs and Their Songs. Theodore C. Blegen

The Voyageur. Grace Lee Nute

CDs of the Songs of the Voyageurs is sold by the University of MN

A CD by Les Fils du Voyageur is another good example of the songs sung by the voyageur.

Web Site to visit:

The Fur Trade in New France: Voyageurs and Hired Men - http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/popul/coureurs/index2en.htm

National Historic site: The Fur Trade at Lachine - http://www.parcscanada.gc.ca/parks/quebec/fourrure/en/index.html

Conference to come:

Société de généalogie des cantons de l'est

Meeting - Between New France and New England - June 7 - 8 - 9, 2002

http://www.genealogie.org/club/sgce/congres.htm

The conference will be in French, in Sherbrooke QC.

A Few Québec Surnames:

ABRAHAM, ALBERT, ALLARD, ANDERSON, ARCHAMBAULT, ARMURY, ARSENAULT, ASSOUR, AUBERT, AUCLAIR dit LECLERC, AVARD

BADAILLAC dit LAPLANTE, BANLIAC, BARTLETT (BERTHELET), BASTIEN, BEAUCHAMP, BEAUPRÉ, BÉLANGER, BERGERON, BERNIER, BERTRAND, BÉRUBÉ, BISSOT, BLANCHARD, BOUCHER, BOUDROT, BOUSQUET, BOUTET, BRAZEAU, BRODEUR, BROUSSEAU, BRULÉ, BRUNEL (BRUNELLE), BRUNET

CARON, CARRIER, CASAVAN, CAYÉ, CERÉ, CHAGNON dit LAROSE, CHAPDELAINE, CHAPUT, CHAREST, CHARETTE, CHARON, CHARTIER, CHINIQUY, CHORET, CHOUINARD, CONSTANTINEAU, CONTANT, de CORDÉ, COUILLARD, COURCHESNE, COURTIN, COUSINEAU, CÔTÉ, CREVIER dit DUVERNAY, CROMP, CUSSON, CYR

DAIGLE, D'AILLEBOUST, DAMOURS, DANIS, D'ARGENTEUL, DAVENPORT, DEGUIRE, DEMERS, DENAULT, DENIS de la RONDE, DEROCHER, DESAUTELS, DESJARLAIS, DESJARDINS, DESLANDES dit CHAMPIGNY, DESPINS, DESROCHERS, DESROSIERS (Laniel dit Desrosiers), DEVOST, DION, DIONNE, DODIER, DOMINÉ dit ST-SAUVEUR, DOUCET, DRAPEAU, DROGUE, DUFRESNE, DUHAMEL, DUMAIS, DUMONT, DUPUIS, DUQUET, DUTILLY

FARIBAULT, FAUTEL, FONTAINE, FORTIN, FRÉGAULT

GAUDET, GAGNÉ, GAGNON, GAMELIN, GAUDRY, GAUTHIER, GAUVIN, GENDREAU, GIGUÈRE, GIRARD, GIROUX, GODIN, GOES de GREY, GOSSELIN, GRANDMAISON, GRONDIN, GUÉRET dit DUMONT, GUERTIN, GUIMOND or GUIMONT, GUYON or DION

HACHÉ dit GALLANT, HAMON, HATFIELD, HÉBERT, HERVIEUX, HÉTU, HOUDE, HOULE, HUDON dit BEAULIEU, HUNAULT, HUS

JACOB dit LANGLAIS, JARRET de VERCHÈRE, JARRET dit BEAUREGARD

KIPP, KNAPP

LABERGE, LABONNE, LACHANCE, de LACORNE, LADUE, LAGACÉ, LALANCETTE, LANGLAIS, LAMOTHE, LAMOUREUX, LANDRY, LAPLANTE, LAVALLÉE, LEBEL, LEBRUN, LECLERC dit LAFRENAYE, LEDUC, LEGARDEUR, LÉGER, LEMAÎTRE dit AUGER, LEMAY, LEMAIRE (LAMAIRE, LAMER), LEMIEUX, LEMOYNE de LONGUEUIL, LEPROHON, LEVASSEUR, LÉVESQUE, LOEDEL, LUSSIER

MAGUET dit MAILLÉ, de MANTHET, MARCEAU, MARIER, MARQUIS, MARTEL, MARGANE de LAVALTRIE, MARION, MARTIN, MARTIN-BEAULIEU, MELANÇON, MÉNARD, MERCIER, MESSIER, MICHAUD, MICHON, MIGNAULT dit LABRIE, MIGNIER dit LAGACÉ, MIVILLE dit DESCHÊNES, MONET, MONTREUIL, MOREAU

NADEAU, NADON, NAULT dit LABRIE

OUELLET

PARÉ, PARENT, PECAUDY, PELLETIER, PEPIN, PEPIN dit LACHANCE, PERRAULT, PETIT, PHILIPPEAU, PIUZE, POITRAS, PRÉVOST, PRIMOT

QUEVILLON

RACINE, RAMEZAY, ROBICHAUD, POIRIER, RAYMOND, RAYNAUD dit BLANCHARD, RIVARD, ROBERT, ROBIDOUX, ROCHON, ROLLAND, ROULEAU, ROY, ROY dit DESJARDINS et LAUZIER

SAUCIER, SAVOIE, SÉDILOT dit MONTREUIL, SÉNÉCAL, SÉNÉCHAL, SICARD, SOUCY, ST-GERMAIN, ST-LAURENT

TALBOT, TARIEU de LANAUDIÈRE, TÉTRAULT, THÉRIAULT, THIBAULT, TRUDEAU, TRUDEL

VAILLANCOURT, VALADE, VALIN, VANASSE dit BASTIEN, VEL dit SANSOUCY, VERONNEAU, VIGNEUX

This is YOUR newsletter! if you want to add surnames, if you find interesting web sites, if you want to publish an article, just send them to HOST GFS Suzanne@aol.com and I will publish them.

Don't forget to visit GenealogyForum on the web:

The Genealogy Forum - http://www.genealogyforum.rootsweb.com/

See you in the Chat Room

HOST GFS Suzanne :-))

© 2002 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of the Golden Gate Genealogy Forum, Inc. of Franklin, MA.
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