Christmas memories are special for any family, but one Franco-American has
come up with an especially engaging way of passing traditions to future
generations.
Brunswick college teacher, Claude B. Bonang, has written a nostalgic book
of poems that details his family's stories and traditions. He applies his
talents as a ukulele musician and poet to ``Memories in Verse,'' an
extraordinary collection of original lyrics that subsequently describes
virtually all the traditions experiences by his proud F
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Franco-American genealogies are probably the easiest of any ethnic group to
trace because, up until very recently, the families were almost exclusively
Roman Catholic.
This fact subjected the families to quite precise parish census records.
Nevertheless, even with the amazing accuracy in their genealogy records, there
are still difficult problems that can trip up a well-intentioned researcher.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
It is time for Franco-Americans to look for their family tourtiere recipes.
Typically, readers will ask for copies of the collection I have accumulated,
including the L'Heureux family recipe.
One familiar anecdote comes from reader Jean Morin-Garvey, who describes
how her memere prepared the traditional pork pie during ``les fetes'' (the
holidays).
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Those of you who can plan beyond Christmas might want to take note of this
year's New Year's Eve festivities in downtown Portland. The schedule for the
13th annual New Year's/Portland is due out this weekend, and it features more
than ever.
Family and children's programs have been expanded, and new venues have been
added to make up for the loss of old ones - most notably the State Theatre,
which will not likely be open this year because its owners and operators are
feuding.
Memo: Ben Monaghan is a free-lance writer who lives in Portland.
There are, thankfully, some successful efforts by community groups who want
to promote the French language and culture in Maine through education.
One example is a French music and history program sponsored jointly by the
Oratorio Chorale in Brunswick, the Androscoggin Chorale of Lewiston/Auburn,
the Maine Chamber Ensemble musicians, and six Southern Maine area high
schools.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Thanksgiving traditions for Franco-Americans are a blend of two familiar
cultures - American and French-Canadian. Although the holiday is American, it
is special because the ideas of bringing families together is so important to
Franco-Americans. It is, perhaps, a formal reason to host a family reunion.
Franco-American families love Thanksgiving, but they celebrate with a few
different traditions. First of all, the principal meal is usually held around
noon or 1 p.m. This means, of course, that Fra
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
As America's first generation of Franco-American families became
amalgamated into the U.S. cultural mainstream, it is more important than ever
to remember their roots.
Families should be documenting their genealogies and writing stories about
their histories. These informal documents eventually become absolute treasures
to future generations who will undoubtedly ask about their own roots. It is an
easy task! It only takes someone with a pen and paper who is willing to write
a story in ordinary, eve
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
In light of the recent information about forestry practices in Maine, it is
interesting to recollect the way the state's industry used to be when many
French Canadian men were the hard-driving lumberjacks of the industry.
An informative biography written by one ordinary Franco-American named
Andrew J. Redmond recalls some of these old practices with vivid detail.
Redmond's narrative about river driving logs down the river at Skowhegan will
no doubt rekindle intense visual images for people who don'
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Readers are always asking how to improve their French language skills. Some
people explain how they grew up speaking French, but have either let their
skills lapse over the years or simply say they want to learn to speak ``good
French.'' It is rare to hear a Frencophone American claim that they are
confident about their French.
Paul Genova, a Portland physician, wrote several months ago asking about
where he could find a ``Parisian'' French immersion program where he could
improve his skills.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Two endearing character traits of Franco-Americans are an uncanny ability
to stretch a dollar, and an inclination for good business. Frugality, in
particular, has served large Franco-American families well over the years.
Without this trait, many families would have literally starved to death,
especially during the Great Depression years of the 1930s, when so many of
them were just settling into New England. Indeed, at a time in our country's
history when people had very little money, Franco-Americ
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Quebec City is only about 600 miles north for most Mainers, but culturally
it is worlds away. French, of course, is the dominant language in the Quebec
Province. Also, unlike many New Englanders of French descent, the Quebecers
take pride in their history, genealogy, and traditions. Readers who make the
trip are quick to say how impressed they are with their visit. Even though I
am not a Franco-American. . .visiting Quebec is delightful because it's so
nearby and yet so culturally different from Maine,''
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
The wedding of Laura Ruesing and Andrew Wilcox took place June 29 at the
Old Red Church. A reception followed at Charlie Biegg's at the Crossing,
Windham.
The bride is the daughter of Henry Ruesing and Margaret Cicalese, both of
New Milford, Conn. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Wilcox of
Gorham.
Acadians are finding positive ways to connect with their French-Canadian
roots.
In Louisiana, many Acadians are reviving their French language and culture
following more than 200 years of American assimilation. They are also building
bridges with Canadian counterparts living in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick,
the very places where their French ancestors were deported from nearly 250
years ago, in 1755, when the British exiled thousands of them by ship to
places around the world.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Although some French names have become anglicized over the years, there are
nevertheless interesting translations and stories that coincide with origins
of the most common names. A recent telephone call from Maine legislator John
Martin reminded me that ``Violet'' (as noted in a column about
Franco-Americans in politics) was wrongly reported. The name is actually
``Violette.'' Unfortunately, Martin's call reminded me how easy it is to
inadvertently anglicize French names.
Some names, like ``Barbier
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Although Franco-American food is a subject that generates lots of interest,
there is, sadly, no one source for finding the ethnic recipes. Claudette Dube
of South Portland asks where recipes of Franco-American food can be found?
Dube writes, ``I work at the South Portland Public Library. We get students
who come in searching for recipes of certain countries of heritages. We are
limited, however, in our authentic Canadian-Franco-American collection of
recipes. What do you recommend?''
Like the
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Prophecy is not an attribute of the Franco-American personality profile.
Nevertheless, a glimpse of this unusual gift has been revealed to at least one
Maine writer who credits his Franco-American heritage with giving him a rare
political ability to save the world in the upcoming millenium. He may know
something about the future that we can only speculate about.
``Only the Father Knows'' is the first novel by Franco-American writer
Robert Mann Beaudry of Scarborough. It is a complicated, albeit com
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Franco-Americans are dedicated voters. Despite the importance of the
Franco-American vote in Maine politics, it remains a curiosity that no
Franco-American has ever won a statewide office. There have been several
well-qualified candidates over the years, but none has ever won a major
election.
This issue was addressed several years ago in a paper written by Norman
Sepenuk and submitted to Harvard University's Government Department and, more
recently, by Christian Potholm in his new book, ``Insider'
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
What are the most frequently asked questions about Franco-Americans? A
morning television show recently used this idea. I thought it would be a good
way to answer at least three of the most commonly asked questions in a little
space.
By far, the most frequently asked question is about tourtiere, the
traditional pork pie served by Franco-Americans during les fetes (the
holidays). Over the past seven years, my husband and I have stuffed thousands
of self-addressed stamped envelopes with tourtierereci
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Political leanings of the Franco-Americans have been researched for decades
because, in close elections, their votes can be quite decisive. In fact, Maine
political pollster Christian Potholm believes the Franco-American voters are
the quintessential swing voters in any Maine election. They are independent
and unpredictable. A novelist, Foster Furcolo, wrote, ``With the French, it is
different, they are all leaders and no candidate can tell whether he is coming
or going with them.''
An article publ
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays.
Readers want to know more about a new anthology mentioned in a recent
column, ``Steeples and Smokestacks,'' a collection of essays on the
Franco-American experience in New England, edited by Claire Quintal of
Worcester, Mass.
Pierre Deslauriers, a reader from Montreal, Canada, writes, in French,
``Vous y faites reference un a livre publie a Worcester, Mass. . . Auriez-vous
l'adresse exacted ou je pourrais m'informer sur ce livre?'' (He asks, where
can he find this book?)
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
The Maine State Library is looking for specific copies of Le Messager, a
newspaper printed in French that was published between 1880 and 1966.
Collecting the back newspaper editions is part of the Maine Newspaper Project,
funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Maine Project is part
of a national effort that eventually will be conducted in every state.
Janet Roberts, project coordinator for the Maine State Library, is looking
for information specific to the years 1886-1916 of Le Me
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
In the midst of Maine's forestry issues comes ``un bon idee'' (a good idea)
about how to retain a small portion of forested land in Northern Maine
extending into Quebec.
Barry Rodrigue, a University of Maine historian, proposes that this piece
of land be preserved as a state park commemorating the Old Canada Road. He
calls it the ``Canada-Kennebec Road Park.'' Property owners along the old road
are enthusiastic about the idea and there may be support from forestry
officials as well.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
In French they say, ``Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.'' (Where there is a will,
there is a way).
Despite tight funding for special programs at the University of Maine and
some skepticism about the survival of Franco-American culture in Maine, a
recent Bar Harbor colloquium sponsored by the University of Maine at Orono's
Franco-American Center demonstrates an increasing interest in cultural
``survivance'' (survival). Organizers feel the cultural future looks bright.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Histories about Franco-Americans in Maine are usually stories born of
hardship or French colonial religious fervor. They chronicle the migrations of
Quebec farmers to the mills of New England during the Industrial Revolution,
or the tragic deportation of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755 by the
British. Although little is light hearted about Franco-American history, at
least one Maine historian has provided some reading entertainment that blends
fact with some unexpected humor.
``Maine: A Narr
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
One simple test to distinguish a person ``from away'' and a native Mainer
is to ask a question about fiddleheads. Perhaps the best fiddleheads in the
country are harvested each spring right here in Maine.
How many people know that this regional vegetable delicacy originated in
France? As a matter of fact, Franco-Americans are masters in the art of
fiddlehead cuisine.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Is French spoken in Maine's Franco-American homes?
An article by sociologist Madeleine Giguere summarizes the status of this
cultural topic in a recently published anthology about Franco-Americans
titled, ``Steeples and Smokestacks,'' edited by Claire Quintal, published by
Institut Francias, Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Genealogy is perhaps the one subject that continues to unite
Franco-Americans of all generations with their Canadian friends and ancestors.
Recently, a reader from Cumberland Foreside was kind enough to help when
another reader, Lillian Gagnon Colby of Wiscasset, wrote looking for
genealogical information about her ancestors who were reportedly buried in the
first chapel at the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec. The original
chapel at St. Anne was built in the 1600s, and preceded the cathedra
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Franco-Americans have even more than the usual reasons to celebrate
Independence Day. After all, it was 15th- and 16th-century French explorers
who blazed the way for others. Gen. George Washington thanked the
Franco-American alliance for making an American victory possible during the
War of Independence. Indeed, the French experience in North America is an
essential piece of our national history.
French settlers came to North America alongside some of history's most
important personalities, like S
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Video collectors and French history buffs will be happy to know that Samuel
Goldwyn's 1991 movie, ``Black Robe,'' is now available on video and at a
reasonable price. I accidentally discovered this video among a stack of new
releases displayed at a local food store. This is a curious find because the
acclaimed movie is a serious Canadian production, and not the type usually
found with popular light-headed entertainment.
``Black Robe'' is a picture of past events about the severe handicaps
endured b
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Les bebite d'ete (the bugs of summer) are harsh reminders of the
adversities experienced by 17th century pioneers from France. How they must
have suffered in the name of colonization of New France.
French settlers were likely devastated by the relentless ``maringouin''
(mosquito). No doubt, the ``maringouin piquer'' (mosquito bite) was tantamount
to the plague, probably of Biblical proportions, in their eyes. ``Le brulot''
(gnat or small mosquito) must have been nearly as dreaded as Indian raids.Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
People of French heritage can rightfully puff up with pride about two
important events happening later this month at the Portland Museum of Art. The
museum is opening a major exhibition of French cubism, and the French
ambassador to the United States is going to cut the ribbon to mark the grand
opening.
On June 28, the Portland Museum of Art will host Monsieur l'Ambassador
Francois Bujon de l'Estange in Portland when he opens ``Picasso, Braque, Leger
and the Cubism Spirit, 1919-1939.'' This is the
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Members of the Franco-American Genealogical Society hope to find the heirs
of an antique Bible this year at their La Kermesse booth. They believe the
descendants of Adolphe Simard and his wife, Marie Morin, will come forth to
claim the Bible because the family's genealogy is recorded within the book's
pages. The Society hosts a genealogy booth every year on the grounds of the
summer La Kermesse Franco-American festival at St. Louis field in Biddeford in
late June.
Camille Bolduc, a Board member of
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Readers frequently ask how to find rare history books about
Franco-Americans. The problem is that many printed sources of information
about Francos are out of print. Typically, they were printed with grant
monies, which eventually dried up. Nearly all of them are available somewhere,
but the question is where?
For example, ``Immigrants from the North: Franco-Americans Recall the
Settlement of Their Canadian Families in the Mill Towns of New England'' was
published in 1982 by the Hyde School of Bath
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
An entertaining soundtrack accompanied the recent Portland premiere of the
1929 film, ``Evangeline,'' even though much of the original score is missing.
``Evangeline'' is a film based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's story about
the horrible expulsion in 1755 of the Acadian French settlers from Nova Scotia
by the British. It was standing room only at the Portland premiere of the
preserved film starring Delores Del Rio. About 250 people attended the event
at Nickelodeon Cinemas.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Is the French language spoken in Canada known by another name?
A recent column responded to this question. Although French is always
French wherever in the world it is spoken, one reader may have a more precise
answer to this question.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
As Mother's Day approaches, it is important to recognize the
Franco-American women who worked hard to improve their lives and those of
their families during the Industrial Revolution in New England.
A superb anthology about Franco-American women is available from Institut
Francais (The French Institute) at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Chances are about 50-50 that Quebec will undergo still another secessionist
referendum, says Louis Balthazar, professor of political science at University
Laval in Quebec City.
Balthazar made his prediction in a recent interview before his recent
presentation at the University of Maine entitled, ``Quebec and the Ideal of
Federalism After the 1995 Referendum.''
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Although tracing a Franco-American genealogy is relatively easy compared
with trying to trace other ethnic family histories, there are nevertheless
inevitable stumbling blocks.
Researchers who find snags in their family lines will generally go to any
length to overcome the obstacles. This can mean tracing thin leads and looking
for almost any kind of relative documentation, regardless of how sensitive or
difficult it is to obtain.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Byline: By Ray Routhier Staff Writer
Bob Dylan's shows in Portland this weekend are, in one sense,
anticlimactic.
The legendary singer-songwriter and icon to generations will play three
shows at the State Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Dylan's live shows
are said to be as good as ever, and Aimee Mann (formerly of Til Tuesday) is
opening two shows. All three shows are sold out.
Differences between Quebec French and other dialects of the language
continue to be of interest to a variety of readers. Vladimir Radoulovitch of
Newcastle recently asked if there is a one-word name for the French spoken in
Quebec. ``Do you know this word?,'' he asks. ``If there is such a word, will
you please tell me what it is?.''
Sure. The word for the French spoken in Quebec is French.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
One of the hundreds of French heroes of the 17th century in North America
was Father Sebastian Rale (1652-1794). Rale was a Jesuit missionary well-known
by the Abenaki Indians of Maine as ``Black Robe.'' He lived side by side with
Maine's Norridgewock Indians along the Kennebec River for 30 years.
Tragically, he died with them as well, slaughtered in a British raid on August
23, 1794. Historians immortalize Father Rale because he wrote a remarkable
400-page dictionary of the Abenaki and French languages.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Swim, Gabrielle Geneva, born Feb. 16 to David and Stacey Swim, South
Portland. Grandparents: Chris Perry and Arlene Perry, both of Kennebunkport,
Ronald Swim and Sally Swim, both of Yarmouth, Elizabeth Joyal, South Portland.
Great-grandparents: Geneva Stevenson, South Portland, Richard and Karla Swim,
Westbrook.
One question frequently asked by amateur genealogists is how to locate
family records when an ancestral marriage may not have occurred in a church.
This was particularly likely when a French settler married an Indian.
What does a genealogist do when important records are not available?
Fortunately, French-Canadian genealogists have recourse. It is called the
French-Canadian Notarial System.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Several readers are asking for more information about the Old Canada Road
recently reported in this column. This passage from Quebec to New England was
blazed in the late 18th century by French-Canadians who braved treacherous
terrain in an effort to find better wages and opportunities. Initially, the
voyagers were temporarily fleeing their struggling family farms in Quebec.
They largely intended to return home with money earned working in New England.
Of course, thousands remained and never returned No
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
An upcoming forum on Women's History at the University of Maine at Orono
will explain some recent organizational advances that Franco-American women
have made in the ActFANE organization.
ActFANE is a political grassroots advocacy group for Franco-Americans in
New England and around the world. It was established in 1979 in Manchester,
New Hampshire, but recently moved to Lowell, Massachusetts.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
A recent column described the discovery of an 1827 document that could be
another important resource for historians who are studying the Canada Road.
This treacherous Northeast passage from Quebec into New England was traveled
by thousands of 19th century French-Canadians who left their farms and homes
in the early to middle 19th century to find prosperity in New England.
Maine historian, Barry Rodrigue, has diligently been studying the history
of the road for years. He is currently doing research
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
Byline: By Meredith Goad Staff Writer
Juliana Salamone, just 6 months old, will visit Dr. Martin A. Barron Jr.
Friday for a checkup. Like most other children, she'll probably cry when the
pediatrician comes into the examining room.
So will her mother.
Caption: PHOTO: 2 color
Staff photos by John Ewing\ Dr. Martin A. Barron Jr. listens
to 2-year-old Alanna Stokes' heart during a checkup in his office at
Greater Portland Pediatric Associates in Portland. Barron will
retire Friday after 32 years of treating children and advising
parents.
Dr. Martin A. Barron Jr. goes over paper work between patients. His
last week in his Portland office has been hectic, with mothers and
grandmothers reminiscing.
Researchers interested in French history in North America will be delighted
with the informative opening essay in ``Dawn Over the Kennebec,'' first
published in 1983, by Maine writer Mary R. Calvert. This book has been in
print for quite some time, but the opening essay deserves revisiting it. In
it, Calvert gives vital research clues and the locations for some very old
historical source documents.
Her primary subject is an archaeological history of Maine's Abenaki and
Norridgewocks Indians, as wel
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays.
An astute archivist in the Portland Public Library's Portland Room has
found documentation describing the route of the 19th century Canada Road. Some
historians have labeled this crude old passage as the Oregon Trail of the
Northeast. It was the route used by 19th century French-Canadians who ventured
south from Quebec to find a new life and employment in New England.
Thomas C. Bennett discovered a ``Report of the Agents on the Canada Road,''
published in 1827, in a bound collection of old document
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
For several centuries the French culture in North America has been tightly
focused on devout faith rooted in Roman Catholic beliefs and their commitment
to retaining French as their primary language.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
It's fun to seek out pieces of hidden information about Franco-Americans. A
recent trip to the North Country of New Hampshire, specifically the Dixville
Notch area, provided just such an opportunity.
There is a locally published book available in the North Country that gives
a lengthy history of the region. ``Aha,'' I mistakenly thought. ``This book
will tell me a lot about Franco-Americans.''
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
On cold wet winter days we could always find Memere's (grandmother) stove
working overtime boiling up family soups. En francais (in French), the word is
either potage or simply soupe. Soup is not only a staple of the
Franco-American menu, but serving it was particularly important during the
chilly fasting days that occurred during the liturgical season of Lent.memere always reserved the marrow of the soup bone
for her own enjoyment. For some reason, she alone enjoyed eating the soft
marrow that flowed ou
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
There is an intriguing idea about naming the new Portland to South Portland
bridge from a reader who writes from Rochester, N.Y.
Walter O. Hodsdon, 90, says he's impressed by the contributions that
Franco-Americans have made to the Maine economy. ``I suggest that to honor the
great numbers of French people whose labor over the years improved the
economic status of the State of Maine that you suggest that the new Portland
bridge be named Le Pont Neuf (The brand new bridge).
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays.
Catherine McAuley High School students are raising funds to help a fellow
student, Juliana Weston, who lost her home to a fire two weeks ago.
For $1 per day, students last week were allowed to attend school out of
uniform, and more fund-raising events are planned over the next few weeks. For
information or to make a contribution, call Kara M. Tierney at 797-3802.
``Revolution in Quebec: A Past Rejected A Future in Doubt,'' is not your
typical book about the French in North America written from one
Franco-American's point of view.
It is instead a cutting look at the strict morality that historically has
permeated the French-Canadian culture, particularly the Quebecois. It also
raises speculations about why this unique moral culture has politically
separated the French from other ethnic groups in North America. Finally, the
book examines the doubtful future o
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
A vacation to New Orleans garnered even more information about the French
who settled in that area following 1755, after le Grand Derangement (the
exportation), of Acadian settlers from Nova Scotia by the British. Bookstores
in New Orleans are really up on this history about the area, a tribute to the
pride that people in Louisiana take in their French heritage.
There are dozens of books to choose from particularly in the French
Quarter. This is exciting to Franco-American history buffs who thirst
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays.
A letter from Morton C. Patten raises again the issue of Canadian French
and how it differs from traditional or Parisian French.
``I took French when I was going to Hampden Academy (1937-1940). It was not
very interesting at the time, but recently I took conversational French in an
adult education course and it was 100 times more interesting than what I
learned in school,'' he writes.
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
A letter from Westbrook reader Jeannette Landry reminds us about the
influence of religion in Franco-American history and how this may be changing.
Landry discovered that her ancestor, Louis Guimont, is considered to be the
first person who benefited from a miracle attributed to St. Anne in the 1600s
at a shrine built in her honor near Isle d'Orleans in Quebec Provence.
The St. Anne de Beaupre shrine is an inspirational site where thousands of
miraculous healings have reportedly occurred. The shrin
Memo: Juliana L'Heureux's column about southern Maine's Franco-American
population appears Thursdays. She can be contacted by writing to: P.O.
Box 1023, Sanford, Maine 04073, telephone 324-7494.
