Old Quebec History

Indiana Trading Post

2012-01-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

For two centuries, felt hats were a fashion statement in Europe. Felt was made from animal hair. . . the finest quality, waterproof felt made from Beaver.

The French traders ranged far and wide in pursuit of animal skins. The French didn’t actually trap and preserve the skins, the American Indians did. The Indians traded preserved skins for iron pots, metal hatchets, guns and gunpowder, blankets, knives, cloth, spirits and many other items they could not make.

This log cabin was built by Joseph Bailly, a Frenchman, in Southwest Indiana in the 1820’s. Pottawatomie Indians brought furs to Bailly’s store each spring to trade for merchandise. Bailly would pack the furs he bought into 60 lb. bundles and ship them (by boat) to Mackinac. At Mackinac, Bailly’s furs, along with furs from many other traders, were shipped (again by boat) to Montreal and on to Quebec. In Quebec, the furs were loaded onto large sailing ships and carried to Europe. In Europe, the hair was removed from the skin, processed into felt and fashioned into men’s and women’s hats.

By 1830 the fur trading business had ended. Over trapping had nearly driven the Beaver to extinction and the felt hat had become old fashioned.

The Habitant of New France

2011-12-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

During the seventeenth century, French military officers, wealthy aristocracy and Catholic orders would request, and be granted, large parcels of New France land. Soldiers, men who had served as contract labor and others might, in turn, ask for a small section of this land to farm. Usually, this section of land was shaped like a long, narrow ribbon with the front edge bordering on a river. As there were almost no roads in the early days of New France, freight and people were moved by boat during the warmer months. In the winter, horse drawn sleighs used the rivers as frozen highways. The habitants (farmers) would clear the land closest to the river. Here, they would build their home and farm buildings. Their fields of wheat and other grain crops were planted nearby. The back of the farm was forest that could be cut to build farm buildings, fences and boats. In addition, many cords of firewood were needed each year for cooking and heating their homes. The habitants would pay a few coins rent each year as well as a small share of their crops and a portion of their livestock to the owner of the land.The owner, in turn, was expected to pay for the construction of a wind mill. The wind mill was used to grind the habitants' wheat and rye into flour. A portion of the flour was paid to the miller for his services.This windmill dates back to the 1830s and is located on the island of Ile aux Coudres.

Modern 17th Century Quebec Home

2011-11-20T09:17:00.001-08:00

Behold the modern 17th century log cabin kitchen. You will not find a microwave, stove, toaster or any other electric appliance here. These inventions are over 200 years in the future! Refrigeration and a freezer are only available in winter. However, a spring house is used to keep butter, cheese and other food products cool in summer. There is no inside running water, hot or cold. Lighting (other than that from the small window) is provided by the fireplace, candles, or a whale oil lamp. If it is a warm day, you might prop open the door for more light. . . but that might let in the flies and bugs and even a few bigger, hungry critters. The fireplace serves as stove and a furnace too in the winter months. In the summer, mother might cook outside so her log cabin home isn't overheated. What you eat depends on the season. This cabin was built close to the St Lawrence river. Much of the year, you could fish for your dinner. At certain times of the year, eels were so abundant they were called "Quebec Manna". For half of the year, the river was frozen. There was an abundance of wild game in the forest. You could hunt moose, bear, deer, rabbit or turkey. You might also raise farm animals like pigs, cattle, chickens and geese for food. Many Maple trees were tapped and the liquid boiled down to make syrup and sugar each spring. There were also farm crops like wheat, peas, cabbage and a number of herbs and vegetables. Wheat was ground into flour and made into large 5 lb loaves of bread which were baked in large outside ovens. Green peas were strung on threads and hung from the rafters to air dry. The French Canadians ate so much pea soup that they were nicknamed "Pea Soupers".

Indiana Trading Post

2011-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

French fur traders ranged far and wide in pursuit of animal skins.

The French didn’t actually trap and prepare the skins. The American Indians did.

If a trading post was close by, the Native Americans might bring their preserved skins and trade for iron pots, metal hatchets, guns and gunpowder, cloth blankets, metal knives, and many other items they could not make themselves.

This log cabin was built by Joseph Bailly, a French trader who lived in Northwest Indiana in the 1820’s. Potawatomi Indians brought furs to Bailly’s store each spring to trade for merchandise.

Bailly would pack the furs he bought into 60 lb. bundles and ship them (by boat) to Mackinac. At Mackinac, Bailly’s furs, along with furs from many other traders, were shipped (again by boat) to Montreal and on to Quebec. In Quebec, the furs were loaded onto large sailing ships bound for France. In Europe, the hair was removed from the skin, processed into felt and fashioned into waterproof men’s and women’s hats.

By 1830 the fur trading business in Indiana had ended as over trapping had nearly depleted the Beaver and the felt hat had become passe.

2011-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

In upper Michigan, on the Straits of Mackinaw, stood Fort Michillimackinac. This French-built, fortified trading post dates back to the late 1600s. At that time, this European settlement was on the edge of the known world. If this large log cabin (a reconstruction) is a true replica of the original, it disproves the notion that all was rough built and raw.

This cabin,the trading post, is built in the French style. Unlike the typical horizontal log wall construction used by the Americans, these logs are set upright and pegged top and bottom to a footer(bottom) and a header (top). The logs do not butt together. Instead, they are set apart. The space between the logs are filled with rocks and mud. The steep roof required many cedar shingles split with a mallet and a froe. The windows required multiple pieces of glass, shipped by canoe from Montreal or Quebec. . . In other buildings, the window openings might be filled with empty wine bottles or oiled paper. Within the cabin are twin chimneys. Each chimney could have had back-to-back hearths on each floor. Hence, this cabin might have eight heated rooms. The internal chimneys also warmed the stones they were built from, radiating heat. In all likelihood, this well-built structure was warm and comfortable in the cruel winter months.

French Style Log Cabin

2011-05-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

At the top of Lake Michigan, on the shore of the Straits of Mackinac, is a reconstructed, fortified trading post from the New France era. In the 16th and 17th century, many Native Americans hunted and trapped the animals Europeans prized for their fur. When they had gathered enough furs, the Native Americans might travel to a French settlement. Here, they traded their furs for items they valued. A beaver fur might be traded for a quantity of glass beads, blankets, cloth, mirrors, ax heads, knives or an iron kettle. Most years, the French traders tightly packed the furs into bundles and transported them, by canoe, to Quebec. Ocean-going sailing ships carried the furs from Quebec to France. The furs might be used as a fur collar or a coat. . . but most beaver furs were processed into felt and transformed into fashionable, expensive hats. This French-Canadian log cabin differs from the American style built by Davy Crockett or Daniel Boone. Instead of a wall of horizontal logs, the French set the logs vertically, pegging the bottom end to a footer and the top end to a header. The gaps between the logs were filled with stones and mud. Using this method, the French could build a small, one-room log cabin or a much larger structure using a standard log length. Often, French cabins had very steep roofs. I'm told, this was to prevent a thick blanket of snow from accumulating and then slipping off the roof and blocking the door. Roof dormers were added to light the space used for storage and/or sleeping.

Early New France HIstory

2011-05-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Before the first explorers searched Canada with the hope of finding a water route to China. . . fishermen came for the Cod. The Grand Banks had an abundance of fish that was caught, cleaned, salted, sun dried or smoked and sold in France, Portugal, Spain and other European countries. This was the first major export of New France.

On his first voyages, Champlain, like past explorers, searched for a water passage to China. Later, Champlain brought men to the islands around the mouth of the St Lawrence and later still to Quebec to experiment in settlement. He respected the Native Americans and befriend many tribes over time. Champlain was responsible for building a network of French outposts and developed a trading monopoly in which French manufactured goods were traded for furs. At one time, French forts dotted the Great Lakes at Detroit, Duluth, Niagara and Mackinaw while the English and Dutch where bottled up by the Appalachian mountains. French men traveled as far west as the Rockies, through the Great Lakes, exploring the St Lawrence, Ottawa, Mississippi and other river systems. These were the Frenchmen's highways. Brigades of hardy voyageurs paddled large birch-bark canoes, sometimes seventy miles or more per day, delivering trade goods to outposts and returning with tons of wild animal furs to Montreal and on to France. The gross national product of New France depended on these fur shipments. In France, the furs were processed into felt and made into stylish, expensive hats for ladies and gentlemen.

Pioneer Foods

2011-03-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

The first Europeans to settle North America were naive. Most believed the abundance of gold, silver and precious jewels found in Mexico and Peru also existed in northern territories.

Finding these treasures was priority one! Gentlemen adventurers clamored aboard wooden sailing ships encumbered by their European beliefs, weapons and values. They were sure they would immediately discover fabulous riches in the New World! Instead, most became victims of starvation, disease and violence.

The Europeans carried a limited supply of food. They were promised they would be regularly resupplied by ship. This rarely happened. You would think the settlers would have quickly realized that clearing land and growing enough food to sustain their settlement was the first job. Another priority should have been learning how to hunt and gather the abundant foods in this new land.

Instead, the first English, French and Spanish colonists exploited the local natives. When supplies ran low, the Europeans traded tools and trinkets with Native Americans for the small amounts of surplus food they grew. Soon this food was consumed and the Europeans started demanding and ultimately confiscating (by force) all the food of their Native American neighbors.

As the colonists were armed with firearms and metal weapons, they usually won the day but lost the friendship and cooperation of the knowledgeable indigenous people.

Many American Indian peoples practiced slash and burn farming. They cleared a piece of land and burned the brush and trees. Burning released nutrients that fertilized the soil. Next, they planted corn, squash and bean seeds together in many small hillocks. As the plants grew, the corn stalk supported the bean vine while the squash vine covered the ground and discouraged weeds. Many Native Americans also exploited salt and fresh water resources as well as woodlands and plains.

In the early years of European colonization, lobster was so abundant in shallow waters that a ships’ boy could catch 40 or 50 lbs. in an hour or two. A little later in history, New England farmers used lobsters to fertilize their fields. In fact, lobster was so cheap and plentiful that indentured servants often had a clause inserted in their contract so that they would not be forced to lobster more than three times a week! Oysters and clams, scallops, crabs, cod and many other varieties of fresh and salt water fish, whales and eels filled the coastal waters, bays, lakes and rivers of North America. Even the Maple tree produced sap which was boiled into sweet syrup or sugar!

The St Lawrence river was filled with such an abundance of eels each year that migrated up the river to spawn. In time, this tide of eels was nicknamed he "Manna of New France".

Wild grapes and various berries grew in the northern climes. Hundreds of varieties of potatoes were domesticated in Peru. The tomato was also first cultivated in the Americas. Introduced to Europe, the Italians believed the fruit of the tomato plant was poisonous. Instead, they grew the plant for its’ ornamental beauty.

Among the wild game a hunter could harvest were bear, deer, caribou, woodland bison, buffalo, elk, moose, turkey, assorted water fowl and many other critters that roamed the continent’s various ecosystems.

In Quebec (New France), the variety and abundance of meat, fish and edible plants available in the colony had a physical impact on the people. Several European visitors noted in their journals that native born French-Canadians were noticeably taller and larger than their immigrant parents.

Over time, the colonists tamed the wilderness, cleared and planted the land, harvested the rivers, lakes and seas. Some New World plants and animals (like corn, potatoes and turkey) were introduced to Europe and other Old World areas.

In return, the Spanish introduced orange trees in St Augustine Florida and imported horses and beef cattle and pigs. Some of these animals escaped and populated the South, Southwest and the Great Plains. Feral pigs are a big nuisance today in many U.S. states as their estimated numbers have grown to around 4 million animals!

And the invasion of new exotic species continues to this day with the Zebra Mussel. It traveled across the Atlantic on freighters, through the St Lawrence Seaway, and found a new home in the Great Lakes .

Ile d'Orleans

2011-02-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

Soon after Champlain founded Quebec, some habitants began clearing land on the island named Ile d’Orleans. Here, the fertile soil originally nourished an abundance of wild grapes. Today, the island is noted for its’ strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and other crops.The earliest settlers built their log cabin homes here, believing they were safe from Iroquois attack. They were wrong! Despite Indian raids, the number of habitant families grew, multiplied and prospered. From the North end of the island, you can see Quebec. It is just a few miles across the St .Lawrence river. On a good day, the habitant could harvest some ripe vegetables or berries, sail across this watery expanse and sell his produce in the city. He could also buy some coffee beans, pipe tobacco or perhaps some sewing needles, lace or some small luxury and sail home. In time, five parish churches served the islands’ religious and some of its’ administrative needs.

This photo is of the parish church of St Jean. The current church was erected about 1747, a dozen years prior to the British Conquest. Here, my earliest known New France ancestor was buried in 1759. Today, Ile d'Orleans is connected to the north shore of the St Lawrence river via a bridge near Montmorency Falls. Native Americans no longer raid the small farms. They have been replaced, in warmer weather, by tourists shopping for fresh produce and enjoying the tranquil scenery.

French-Canadian Home

2010-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

At the top of Lake Michigan, on the shore of the Straits of Mackinac, is a reconstructed, fortified trading post from the New France era. In the 1600s and early 1700s, many Native Americans hunted and trapped animals the Europeans prized for their fur. When they had gathered enough furs, the Native Americans might travel to a French settlement. Here, they traded their furs for items they valued. A beaver fur might be traded for a number of glass beads, blankets, cloth, mirrors, ax heads, knives or an iron kettle. Most years, the French traders tightly packed the furs into bundles and transported them, by canoe, to Quebec. Ocean-going sailing ships carried the furs from Quebec to France. Some furs were used as a fur collar or a coat. . . but most beaver furs were processed into felt and transformed into fashionable, expensive hats. This French-Canadian log cabin differs from the American style built by Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Instead of building walls of horizontal logs, the French set the logs vertically, pegging the bottom end to a footer and the top end to a header. The gaps between the logs were filled with stones and mud. Using this method, the French could build a one-room log cabin or a much larger structure using a standard log length. Often, French cabins had very steep roofs. I'm told, this was to prevent a thick blanket of snow from accumulating and then slipping off the roof and blocking the door. Roof dormers were added to light to a space used for storage and/or sleeping.

Old Quebec Wind Mill

2010-11-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

During the seventeenth century, military officers, wealthy gentlemen and Catholic orders would request a large parcel of New France land. Soldiers, men who had served as contract labor and others might, in turn, ask for a small piece of this land to farm. Usually, this section of land was shaped like a long narrow ribbon of land with the front edge bordering on a river. As there were virtually no roads in the early days of New France, freight and people were moved by boat during the warmer months. In the winter, horse drawn sleighs used the rivers as frozen highways. The habitants (farmers) would clear the land closest to the river and grow wheat and other grain crops. The back of the farm was usually forest that could be cut to build homes and boats. In addition, many cords of firewood wer needed each year for cooking and heating their homes. The habitants would pay a few coins rent each year as well as a share of their crops and a portion of their livestock to the owner of the land.The owner, in turn, was expected to pay for the construction of a wind mill. The wind mill was used to grind the habitants' wheat and rye into flour. A portion of the flour was paid to the miller for his services.This windmill dates back to the 1830s and is located on the island of Ile aux Coudres

Fort de la Caroline

2010-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

St Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously inhabited European city in North America. It was founded by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his Spanish forces in August of 1565. But Spain was not the first European nation to colonize North America. A French expedition of a few ships led by Admiral Gaspard de Coligny and his navigator, Jean Ribault, landed on the Florida coast in February 1562. They sailed up the St. Johns River, landed, planted a marker and claimed the land for their king, Charles IX. Then they sailed on to present-day Parris Island, South Carolina. Here, Ribault erected a second monument establishing a northern border of a land they called New France. Ribault’s men built a fort called Charlesfort. Twenty-eight Frenchmen where left to defend the fort when Ribault and the remainder of his men sailed back to Europe for supplies and settlers for the new colony. However, Ribault was arrested and imprisoned in England due to complications arising from the French Wars of Religion. Here, he languished for a year. As the months went by, the French manning Charlesfort became desperate. Their supplies were running out, forcing the French to rely on trade with the native populations to obtain food. The Native Americans did not grow large food surpluses and were becoming hostile when the French demanded the very food from their mouth. When a year had passed with no relief ships, the men of Charlesfort decided it was time to go. They built an open boat and shoved off. During their voyage, starvation and thirst reduced them to cannibalism. Eventually, the survivors were rescued in English waters. Meanwhile, René Goulaine de Laudonnière, Ribault's second-in-command on the 1562 expedition, guided a fleet of ships carrying 200 new settlers back to Florida. They founded Fort de la Caroline atop St. Johns Bluff on June 22, 1564. For a year, the men and women of this new colony suffered from hunger, Indian attack, and mutiny. The colonist did not clear land, plant crops or tend livestock. They were promised that France would provide all the settlers, craftsmen, tools, food, livestock, arms and munitions the colony needed. The colonists only task was to search for sources of gold, silver and other precious minerals. These valuable minerals must exist in Florida as they did in the Spanish colonies of Peru and Mexico! Well, they did not! And while the French settlers searched for Florida gold, the Spanish court was told of Fort de la Caroline, a foreign colony lying close to the route of the annual Spanish treasure fleet. This threat must be eliminated. . . and it was by Don Pedro and his Spanish troops . . . who also founded the city of St. Augustine.

An Ocean Voyage in the 17th Century

2010-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Three centuries ago, wind power was the only way Europeans could travel to the Americas. The French as well as several other nations had colonies in the New World. In the early days, these colonies needed to be constantly replenished with settlers, tradesmen, carpenters, soldiers and mechanics, food supplies, seeds, lifestock and many manufactured products. Ships returning home carried valuable New World products back to Europe. This was how the high cost of establishing a colony was financed. Spain received a fleet of ships most years that were filled with Inca and Peruvian gold and silver. England received hogsheads of valuable tobacco. France received shiploads of very valuable furs. Nearly every European nation welcomed boat-loads of Cod fish caught on the Grand Banks.

Sailing to the New World was not a simple matter of raising an anchor and hoisting a sail or two. Crossing 1200 leagues of icy North Atlantic waters could be a deadly endurance test for both men and ships.

Usually, prior to embarking on a New World voyage, everything was emptied from the ship and it was towed into shallow water. Using ropes and pulleys, the ship was tipped (careened) on its’ side. One side of the ship's bottom was scraped, rotten wood replaced and joints filled with oakum and tar. When one side was done, the boat was rolled onto its’ other side and the laborious work repeated. When refloated, the ballast, which consisted of many wooden barrels filled with stones, were carefully replaced in the hull of the ship. It was important where the ballast was placed, as this heavy weight counterbalanced the wind-filled sails, preventing the ship from tipping over.Next the ship was towed to a berth where its’ masts, spas, cables, rigging and sails where inspected, repaired or replaced where necessary, tarred, painted, etc. Lastly, the ship’s crew loaded provisions, water, cargo and any passengers aboard. All these preparations could take a couple of months. Once the sailors had hoisted the anchor and set the sails, a French merchant ship might anchor in Quebec City in about 70 days. The trip home was usually much faster (33 days on average) because of the strong westerly winds. Of course some French ships never reached home as storms, icebergs, pirates, kitchen fires and enemy gun ships took their toll.

Midwest Rendezvous

2010-10-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

Rendezvous are a popular tourist destination in the Midwest. Each Spring, a large rendezvous is held at Fort Des Chartres, in southwest Illinois near the banks of the Mississippi river. In early Fall, a rendezvous is held on the Des Plaines river just outside of Chicago. In West Lafayette, Indiana, home of Perdue University, a huge rendezvous has been held annually for 44 years. Called "The Feast of the Hunter's Moon" this event attracts hundreds of enactors who dress in 18th century clothing, camp, cook, and entertain roughly 50,000 spectators. There are Buffalo burgers, roasted corn, home made root beer, corn bread and other munchies. A variety of hand-made items appropriate to 18th century trade goods fill tents along with racks of clothing the stylish French voyageur, colonial lass, British soldier, colonial militia and Native American might wear. Blacksmiths hammer iron into useful tools. The air is filled with ancient songs once sung by Voyageurs, the haunting sounds of hammer dulcimers and the military music of Drum and Fife Corps.

Old Quebec Kitchen

2010-10-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

Behold a 17th century log cabin kitchen. A microwave, gas stove, toaster or any other electric appliance is over 200 years in the future. Refrigeration and a freezer are only available in winter. A spring house can keep butter, cheese and other food products cool in summer. There is no inside running water, hot or cold. Lighting (other than that from the small window) is provided by the fireplace, a candle, or a whale oil lamp. If it is a warm day, you might prop open the door for more light. . . but that might let in the flies and bugs and wild critters. The fireplace serves as a stove and a furnace too in the winter months. In the summer, mother might cook outside so her log cabin home isn't overheated. Your diet depends very much on the season. This cabin was built close to the St Lawrence river. In warmer months, you might fish for your dinner. At certain times of the year, eels were so abundant they were called "Quebec Manna". At other times, the river was frozen. There was an abundance of wild game in the forest. You could hunt moose, bear, deer, rabbit or water fowl. You might also raise farm animals like pigs, cattle, chickens and geese for food. Many Maple trees were tapped for syrup and sugar each spring. There were also farm crops like wheat, peas, cabbage and a number of herbs and vegetables. Wheat was ground into flour and made into large 5 lb loaves of bread which were baked in large outside ovens. Fresh green peas were strung on strings and hung from the rafters to air dry. The French Canadians consumed so much pea soup that other nations nicknamed them "Pea Soupers".

Pioneer Root Cellar

2010-09-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

This is the root cellar at the Thomas Lincoln Log Cabin site in Illinois. Thomas Lincoln ws the father of Abraham Lincoln, 18th U.S. president. Dug into a hillside, this cellar has some carrots, cabbages and dried spices. It doesn't look very appetizing. . . does it? In pioneer days, preserving foods was an important job. In the not too distant past, there were no refrigerators or freezers (except the weather), tin cans, freeze-dried foods or neighborhood supermarkets. People ate what they could grow, hunt or gather. Some surplus foods needed to be protected from both weather too hot or too cold. Fresh peas were strung on threads and hung inside your log cabin home until they dried. . . rock-hard! These dried peas were a Quebecois as well as an American staple, used in pea soup as well as stews. Cabbage was preserved by cutting it into slaw and pickling it in vinegar. Some cuts of meat and fish were salted, pickled, sun dried, cured, or smoked. Some fruits and vegetables (like apples, potatoes, onions, carrots and turnips) could be stored in cold cellars. Fruits could be made into preserves. Wheat and other grains would be ground into flour at the local mill. Surplus milk could be made into cheese and butter. Preserving foods was a big job in times past. . . but critical to survival!

Habitant Log Cabin

2010-09-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Behold the modern 17th century log cabin kitchen. You wont find a microwave, stove, toaster or any other electric appliance here. These inventions are over 200 years in the future! Refrigeration and a freezer are only available in winter. However, a spring house is used to keep butter, cheese and other food products cool in summer. There is no inside running water, hot or cold. Lighting (other than that from the small window) is provided by the fireplace, candles, or a whale oil lamp. If it is a warm day, you might prop open the door for more light. . . but that might let in the flies and bugs and bigger hungry critters. The fireplace serves as stove and a furnace too in the winter months. In the summer, mother might cook outside so her log cabin home isn't overheated. What you eat depends on the season. This cabin was built close to the St Lawrence river. Much of the year, you could fish for your dinner. At certain times of the year, eels were so abundant they were called "Quebec Manna". For half of the year, the river was frozen. There was an abundance of wild game in the forest. You could hunt moose, bear, deer, rabbit or turkey. You might also raise farm animals like pigs, cattle, chickens and geese for food. Many Maple trees were tapped and the liquid boiled down to make syrup and sugar each spring. There were also farm crops like wheat, peas, cabbage and a number of herbs and vegetables. Wheat was ground into flour and made into large 5 lb loaves of bread which were baked in large outside ovens. Green peas were strung on threads and hung from the rafters to air dry. The French Canadians ate so much pea soup that they were nicknamed "Pea Soupers".

The Voyageurs

2010-08-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

Voyageur is a French word meaning “traveler”. During the fur trade era, crews of men, called voyageurs, paddled 35-40 foot birch-bark canoes, filled with manufactured goods, from Montreal to “rendezvous” in the back country. During these rendezvous, the manufactured goods were traded for furs which were brought from deeper in the wilderness. The furs were transported, by canoe, back to Montreal and on to Quebec where they were shipped to France.

The majority of voyageurs were either French, French Canadian or Native American. The strength and endurance of these men is legendary. They could work a 14 hour day, paddling 55 strokes per minute and carry their merchandise and canoes when they crossed (portaged) the dry land that separated the lakes and rivers they traveled.

Few voyagers could swim. Many drowned in rapids or washed overboard in sudden storms while crossing the Great lakes. A bundle of furs weighed about 80 lbs. A bundle of trade goods weighed the same. A typical portage meant the voyageurs must unload, carry the canoe and up to a ton and a half of merchandise and furs packed in 80 lb. bundles across rugged, sometimes muddy trails. Every ½ mile or so the voyageurs dropped their bundles and ran back for 2 more.

There were two types of voyageurs: the pork eaters (mangeurs de lard)) and the winterers (hivernants). The men who paddled from Montreal to the rendezvous at Grand Portage lived on a diet of salt pork. . . so were called pork eaters. The "Hivernants" transported trade goods deep into the wilderness, might winter at a log cabin outpost and lived “off the land”. Winterers traded merchandise for prime furs trapped and prepared by Native Americans. In the spring the hivernants transported the furs from their forest outposts to a rendezvous site.

Daughters of the King

2010-08-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

In the early days of New France, the vast majority of immigrants were men. Population growth was very slow in Quebec as most men returned to France after they had fulfilled their employment contract. The French people knew a lot about their wilderness colony as the Jesuits published a "best seller"each year called, "Jesuit Relations" which was based on written reports from their missionary priests. To be sure, some passages in the books were genuine "hair raisers"! Nevertheless, a trickle of Frenchmen migrated to New France because of the lucrative fur trade and the vast lands waiting to be claimed and cleared. The French king, Louis IVX, wanted to increase the flow of his Roman Catholic subjects to New France rather than just dumping convicts and undesirables on the Quebec waterfront. The obvious solution to population growth was to encourage French women to start a new life in Quebec. King Louis came up with a proposition. All young, single, unmarried women who were willing to immigrate to New France would be given a dowry of money, sewing and household items and other goods a new wife needed to start a home . . . and of course a one way ocean passage. These young ladies were soon referred to as the "Daughters of the King". Early on, the streets of Paris and other towns were swept clean of homeless women, female criminals, prostitutes, etc. and all were encouraged to make the trip. Soon, the King realized that it would be better to recruit women who grew-up on farms as they would already be accustomed to the rigors of a pioneer wife. When the ships carrying "Daughters of the King" docked at Quebec each year, a gaggle of bachelor Frenchmen would be waiting. The men would rush aboard to meet the women, hoping to find a "keeper". Choosing was not the exclusive right of the men. The young women could reject a suitor as well. Those who agreed to wed were immediately married by Jesuit priests waiting on the dock. As you might imagine, the most desirable ladies were big and muscular and able to work side-by-side with their husband clearing land, building a log cabin home, tending livestock as well as keeping house and birthing babies. However, these pioneer ladies of New France liked to "doll-up" too. If they could, they'd buy the latest Paris fashions and show off at church to such an extent that the priests were constantly complaining.

Green Home

2010-07-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

At Plymouth Plantation, MA and also Jamestown, VA you can tour English homes from around 1608 and 1620. In the same living museums, you can also tour homes built by Native Americans at about the time. I don't think we give the Native peoples enough credit! They developed a high-tech boat, the birch-bark canoe, that was light, fast, strong, rather easy to build and capable of carrying men and supplies for considerable distances on a network of lakes and wild rivers. When the going got tough or the paddlers wanted to go in a different direction, they carried the light-weight canoe on their shoulders. The Native Americans also built a variety of warm, comfortable homes that protected one to several families. Some homes were made from a frame of branches with reed mats or tree bark lashed in place with roots. Others were more substantial structures made of packed earth, animal hides, even logs and stone. Europeans never really adopted the Native style. Instead they spent much time and labor building the style of house they had occupied in England, France or Germany. . Tiny homes with huge walk-in hearths, stick and mud chimneys, massive timber-frames with waddle (woven sticks) and daub (mud) walls. Homes that were hot in the summer, drafty in the winter and easily set on fire. The log cabin home was introduced later in history. This Native American home is made of mats tied to a framework of saplings. A hole or two in the ceiling allowed smoke to escape. People slept on a thick mattress of furs piled on benches. All the materials were natural, recyclable, easy to collect and biodegradable.

Virginia Family Kidnaped by French

2010-07-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, a woman phoned from West Virginia to order a cabin kit. She said the Franklin miniature log cabin looked much like an old cabin on her farm. She said her log cabin dated back to the French and Indian War. Her pioneer ancestors had built their log cabin home in a hollow, deep in the Appalachian mountains.
While her family was clearing their farm from the wilderness, France and England, Holland and Spain were at war in Europe. The war soon spilled over into North America.
British and Colonial troops started attacking French Canadian forts in the Ohio Valley. The French retaliated by sending war parties into New England and the South.
On one of these raids, the woman told me, a war party came to her ancestors' cabin. The father was away on business. The Indians quickly killed the hired hand and ransacked the cabin. The mother and her children (those old enough to travel) were taken captive and led off to Canada. The father, returning home a few hours later and learned what had happened.
Swiftly, he recruited a few neighbors and they began tracking the war party north.
When the mother and children arrived in Canada, a French family paid for their release and welcomed them into their home. The father, arriving in Canada, learned that his family was safe and sound. He gathered them up and led them back to their mountain home in West Virginia.
Here, the family has continued to reside for over 250 years.

Creole House

2010-07-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, located about 40 miles south of St. Louis, is an ancient French village built on the Mississippi River. Here, French merchants lived in the early 1700s. One style of log home they built is the Creole house. It is built of vertical log walls, held in place by a horizontal header and footer . The gaps between the logs are filled with rocks and clay. The hip roof is covered with reeds and a wide veranda surrounds the house. The veranda provides plenty of shade and helps keep the inside rooms cool in summer. A stone kitchen was built in the rear of this house. Many homes in the south had a "summer kitchen" that was separate from the main house. Obviously, a separate kitchen helped keep the living quarters cooler and also reduced the risk of a house fire. Just imagine the disastrous consequences of a house fire in the days before fire departments!

New France Highways

2010-06-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

Traveling was difficult in New France. “By land” meant walking, riding a horse, mule or ox or riding in a cart or wagon pulled by one of these animals. This photo is an example of an oxen-drawn wagon which might be used to transport merchandise, produce, household goods or people. Most of the roads people traveled were raw, dirt trails. At times, they were choked with mud, clogged by fallen trees, rock slides or drifting snow. Rivers and streams had to be crossed. Rarely was a bridge available. In some places, a raft might be available to float your animals, wagon and family across a river. If you really had to get to the other side, you could always swim. Often, animals and people drowned during these swims. In fact, in early New France, drowning was a leading cause of death! Very few people knew how to swim. East of Quebec city, road-building was especially difficult. The landscape was mountainous with thick stands of trees and sometimes six feet of winter snow. Instead of roads, the pioneers of New France relied on the St Lawrence river. Almost every farm was a thin, long ribbon of land touching the river. The farmers built their log cabin homes close to the river and near their neighbors. This proximity provided them with a few more helping hands in case of fire or attack. They all had a few boats or canoes that they used to fish or take their produce to market. In the winter, the Habitants used horse-drawn sleighs to travel on the frozen St Lawrence river. Some habitants cut many trees in the winter which were dragged to the frozen rivers. In the springtime, the logs were transformed into huge rafts. When the St Lawrence river thawed each spring, the habitants floated their log rafts to Quebec city. The wood was purchased and used to build ships, barges, buildings, furniture and possibly a small wagon like this.

Pea Soupers

2010-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall (Ontario), 1869, by Frances Anne Hopkins.

Frenchmen in the Old Northwest (lands around the Great Lakes) had little opportunity to prepare a hot meal during the day. Yet, men paddling and portaging birch-bark canoes, hauling bales of furs and supplies from dawn to dusk needed nutritious food. Here is one early recipe for a hot, satisfying stew that was enjoyed by the voyageurs. "The tin kettle in which we cooked our food, a trader wrote, would hold eight to ten gallons. At the end of a long day paddling our canoes, the cook hung our kettle over the fire, nearly full of water. Nine quarts of dried peas- one quart per man, the daily allowance - were added to the heating water. When the peas had all burst, two or three pounds of salt pork, cut into strips, where added for seasoning, and the kettle was allowed to simmer all night. At daybreak, the cook added four biscuits, broken up, to the mess, and invited all hands to breakfast.The swelling of the peas and biscuits filled the kettle to the brim and was so thick that a stick would stand upright in the stew. The hungry Voyageurs squatted in a circle around the kettle. Each man used his wooden spoon to ladle the hot meal from the kettle to his mouth, with lightning speed, and soon all had filled their belly.Pea Souper, a nickname for French-Canadians, originated because of this daily breakfast repast.

2010-06-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was early in the Spring of 1673. Father Marquette, Louis Jolliet and five French voyageurs pushed their Birch bark canoes away from the misty shore of what is now the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and dipped their paddles into the frigid water. Their goal was to find and explore the mighty river the Native Americans had been describing. The French paddled down the western shore of Lake Michigan, into Green Bay and took the Wisconsin River to the Mississippi River. This small group of voyageurs explored the Mississippi River as far south as Arkansas, stopping at Native American villages along the way to exchange gifts, gather information and speak of trade.On their return trip, the Frenchmen were told of a shorter route home up the Illinois River, the Des Plaines River and Portage Creek thru Mud Lake to the Chicago River, which emptied into Lake Michigan. Taking this route, the Frenchmen swiftly returned home. Incredibly, the entire round trip had taken just five months. For eons, countless Native Americans had traveled this route. For 150 years after Marquette and Jolliet, the Chicago Portage was used by thousands of French explorers, British traders and American pioneers traveling to other parts of the country. When the water was high, it was possible to paddle the entire way. If the water was low, Mud Lake became a mosquito-infested swamp and the travelers had to drag their canoes and goods through waist-deep muck. If the weather was very dry, the travelers might be required to carry their canoes and baggage on the Long Portage Trail for up to 95 miles!Incredibly, a section of this important portage (pictured) remains in its' natural state.