Category Archives: The Vermont Project

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: Q for Quebec

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While researching French Canadians in US Census, I noticed a lot of newcomers in Vergennes and Ferrisburgh just before 1840. It struck me how many people—whole families—from Marieville, Saint-Mathias (Pointe-Olivier), and Yamaska, among others, had to leave their village to go to work in Vermont. While some only spent the winter season, others never returned. Available lands being far from enough for the ever-increasing demand, same clearly led families to take the road. With 900,000 people emigrating between 1830 and 1920 to the United States, some say that the Quebec population would be much larger today.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: P for Parish

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You may assume that I am referring to the Vermont parish repertoires here. I am rather thinking about Peter Parish, who lived in Ferrisburgh in the mid 1850s until the early 1880s. He was one of my famous brick walls. When I found this French Canadian, son of John and Mary—insert a big sigh—, I couldn’t figure out what his surname was in Québec. And I remember conceding that I would never know who his parents were. Well, I am very proud of the hard work I have done on this one—you may read the whole story here.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 110 Words: O for Ostiguy

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Have you ever heard of Philomène Ostiguy dit Domingue? Born in 1843, in Saint-Mathias, Québec, she was better known as “Captain Phil”—being the first American woman to be licensed as a pilot and master for steamboat navigation in 1877. Her first husband, Louis Daniels, operated the daily ferry The Water Lilly between Vergennes and Westport, NY, while she ran excursion trips on her steamboat The Victor on Lake Champlain, and Otter Creek. She even transported wealthy passengers from Vergennes to New York City for a night at the opera! After her husband’s death, she carried on with the family business, The Daniels Boat Line. She died in 1929.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: N for Naturalization

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Did you know that petitions for naturalization filed in Vergennes Court are available on Family Search (1848-1906)? Although the information provided is rather scarce for the earlier years, it gives an indication of how long your ancestor was in Vermont—or in the United States, as the immigrant had to be a resident for five years—one in the state where he petitioned. Once becoming a US citizen, that individual was granted the right to vote, to hold public office, and to buy land from the government—when a man, citizenship was extended to his wife and children too.

Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: M for Military

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If you are looking for a French Canadian ancestor in Vermont, there is one website not to be overlooked especially if he lived during the Civil War era. Tom Ledoux’s Vermont in the Civil War is a real gem. You must check if your ancestor’s name is listed in this database—even if you are convinced it is useless. If you do find him, besides information on his age, military service and pension, you will learn if his name is associated with various Vermont towns (birth, enlistment, death, or burial). Additional information might include a gravestone picture. Definitely a must!

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: L for Lebonte

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When looking for French Canadians in Vermont, all sources have to be considered. I am thinking here of town history books from the 19th century—mug books as they’re called. You might think that only Americans would be featured in these. Well, such is not the case. Without the history of Addison County, how would I know that:

“Jo. Lebonte, a noted character in Vergennes, lived opposite the present schoolhouse, southeasterly, had been a servant for Colonel Wells, and was famous for his witticisms and oddities. He had a large family. Mrs. January is the only one remaining in Vergennes.”

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: K for King

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Although I am working on French Canadians mainly living in Northern Addison County, I must keep in mind that boundaries between counties were easily crossed by our ancestors. Just north of the town of Ferrisburgh was the village of East Charlotte, in Chittenden County, where there was a Catholic Church—Our Lady of Mount Carmel—as early as 1858. However, that would not stop Oliver King (Roy), wife Eleonora Dufresne, and their children—nor any fellow French Canadians who lived in North Ferrisburgh—to attend this church as they were closer to East Charlotte than to Vergennes St. Peters Church.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: J for January

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Mitchell January—Janvier in Québec—was living in Vergennes at least since 1833 when he married Louise Labonté, daughter of Joseph Labonté and Élizabeth Rock. They will have 13 children. He died between 1870 and 1880. But unfortunately for us, unless you were an important figure in town, obituaries were uncommon at that time. Was Madelin January, deceased in Vergennes in 1870, at age 95, his mother? In that case he could be Michel Deschenaux dit Janvier, born in Trois-Rivières in 1808, son of Michel Deschenaux dit Janvier and Madeleine Bodin dit Benoît. Definitely an interesting path to follow.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: I for Imbleau

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Jean-Baptiste Imbleau—or John Amblo, as he was known in Vermont—was born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, in 1813. He is one of the earlier French Canadian settlers of Vergennes, where he also married Susan Oak in 1836. She died in 1842 and was buried in the Vergennes Burying Ground. She is one of the few people whose tombstone still stands today. Did John come to Vergennes with his widowed father? At least, we are sure he came with some of his siblings since many of them were sponsors at his children’s baptisms. John died in 1901 in Vergennes.

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.

My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: H for History

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Passion for genealogy often rhymes with history. What I like most about working on my Vermont Project is definitely what I can learn while researching. You may know about American and Quebec history timelines, but the story is quite different when it comes to remote localities. You need to dip into the regional, political, and cultural history. For instance, I was baffled when I read about the Ku Klux Klan targeting French Canadians in New England—including Vermont—in the 1920s because they were Catholics. And who would have thought that so many French Canadians fought in the Civil War?

To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.