LINK to a GazetteNet story about the year 2022 removal of the dam. In 2016 a part of the dam was taken out and the Lyman Mill Pond drained. The Manhan River in the portion is now returning to its natural state.
The Lyman Mill on the former dam is from 1854 and is a grist mill. The current dam that was just removed is from 1938. The first dam in this area was in the 1732 and powered a sawmill. The dam was about 8 feet high and 40 feet wide.
The mill is now in the Lockville Historic District.
Sobon and Gaudrault family history from 1860 to 1960
Andrzej Wincenty Soboń had five children that immigrated to the Holyoke – Chicopee area in the 1890s. They left behind their homeland due to political and religious repression and a poor economy. Andrzej and his children were born in the Galicia area of Poland that was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They were among the first of Polish ethnicity to come to the region and thus they started churches and schools to suit their needs. There were a limited number of other Polish families so two of the Sobon clan married two of the Mikolajczyk clan that settled in Granby and two others of the Sobon clan married two of the Frodyma clan that settled in Chicopee.
Jan Soboń the youngest of the family operated a grocery store on Lyman Street in Holyoke for many decades. His son Leo worked many industrial jobs within the city. He married Mary Adams a second-generation woman with Slovak parents. Her parents Mihály Ádám and Mária Bednár both came from the tiny village of Nižný Hrušov of the mountainous Michalovce region of Slovakia. They were the last of many generations from that town where mining was the biggest industry. Michael as he would be called in America shuttled back and forth from Slovakia to Lisbon Falls in Maine for many years. He eventually settled there and then moved onto Holyoke. At one point his parents Juraj Ádám and Anna Karkos visited him for a summer. They returned but his grandmother Terézia Zlatnicky did settle with the family in Lisbon Falls. Amazing that enclaves of ethnic groups form in such ways around this country.
The Gaudrault family had lived for about a century in L’Islet County of the upper Saint Lawrence River area. This is where the Appalachian Mountains finally end and as may be guessed is farm country. Lucien Gaudrault was born in Saint Aubert of this county but due to crop failures he moved with his family to Concord New Hampshire by 1911. All eight of his children were born in Saint Aubert but moved to Concord with him. They settled quickly into the American culture taking industrial jobs more than mill work. His son Joseph Arthur Gaudrault did as almost all first generation Quebec immigrants did and married another first generation Quebec immigrant. His new wife Bernadette Lamontagne was from Bellechasse County of Quebec and her family had settled into the mill city of Concord also. The Great Depression of the 1930s changed the lives of all Americans profoundly. It surely changed the lives of the Gaudrault couple. Like all families, they had to search around for jobs in a poor economy. By 1935, with their son Raymond Gaudrault in tow, they moved to Holyoke.
John Reynolds of County King Ireland and Johannah Donoghue of County Kerry Ireland had immigrated to America in 1912 and 1910 respectively. They would meet and married by 1916 in Holyoke. Their daughter Rose Reynolds would marry Raymond Gaudrault by the early 1940s. In turn their daughter Joan would marry into the Sobon family in the 1960s. Four distinct ethnic groups into one household – surely the American way.
The Snow family Mormon roots go back to the origin of that religion and to the settlers to Utah. Most Mormons come from either New England, New York, Ireland, or the British Isles. Most of Mormon history has been written about by many others. Thus specifics on this case are all that are needed.
The eight lines of his great grandparents are Snow – Forsyth – Turner – Sanford – Eagar – Lee – Webb – Berry. Erastus Snow was one of the leaders of the Mormon movement. He and his family came from Vermont to Utah in the 1840s. His son Edward Hunter Snow raised his family in the new town of Saint George of Washington County of Utah. He and his wife Sarah Hannah Nelson were active in forming new schools and civic groups. The entire state needed to be made from scratch and they proved worthy pioneers. Their son Edward Vernon Snow married Lucille Forsyth, granddaughter of Scottish and English Mormon settlers.
The Turner family came from England in 1842 to join the initial Mormon movement. They persecution that the Mormons suffered caused them to move from state to state. The Turners faithfully moved with it. Lorenzo Turner and Lydia Hall had the typical large Mormon family of 12 children. They lived in many ranch and farming communities. Their son Reuben Turner married Cordelia Sanford in 1909 and had 12 children like his parents. If the Snow line is the civic leader line, then the Turner family is the farming line.
Joel Eagar and his wives had 14 children. They lived in many ranching communities of Utah, Arizona, and Mexico. With his wife Emily Jane Lee, they had Walter Eagar, the grandfather of Mark Snow. Walter married Jesse Webb in Saint George Utah. The Mormons are strong on the family unit and love their history. It is easy to obtain pictures of Mormon ancestors.
Moses Jarres Badcock married Mary Webb in about 1840 in England. After having two children with him, Mary was so chagrined at his drinking and troubling behavior that she change back to her maiden name of Mary Webb and did the same name change for the children. She too needed a religious change and join the Mormon movement to the USA. Her son William Webb married Amelia Jarvis of England in Salt Lake City in 1869. Like all immigrant groups there was a strong tendency to marry in ones original ethnicity. But as per usual it only lasted a generation. William had a son Ephriam Jarvis Webb that married a woman that had grandparents from the backwoods of Kentucky and Tennessee.
There are many interesting Woodbury characters but most of them are pre-1860 so we will write about them at length another time. Levi Woodbury born in 1789 in Francestown New Hampshire served as Governor of the state and then served in the federal government for many years. He was a US Senator, served in a cabinet for the president, and was on the US Supreme Court. His father Peter Woodbury would have a son named Peter and that line would lead to my relatives.
Charles Perkins Woodbury was a farmer in the Bedford, New Hampshire area for many decades. He married Laura Riddle Gardner in Bedford. Their son Maclean Woodbury only lived to 25 years old but still had two sons. Sadly he died of tuberculosis in Bedford in 1904. Her son Charles Perkins Woodbury would marry into the Stickney family as shown below.
Walter Brooks Stickney was born in Townsend of Massachusetts. He moved with his family to Hollis New Hampshire by the late 1860s. His son Walter Atvan Stickney stayed in the area for his life and was a farmer. His son Earl Hammond Stickney was a farmer and storeowner in Hollis too. Earl had a daughter Elsie Rowena Stickney who had three wives. The first of them Charles Perkins Woodbury would give her her only child Charles the younger.
The Cortes family of Moca in Puerto Rico is mostly a mystery. Obviously, the records of Puerto Rico are not being placed onto the internet so only federal census records are being used. When more is learned about this family more will be reported.
The Caban family comes from the villages of Moca and Marias within Moca County of Puerto Rico. Moca is located within the northwestern corner of the island. They were principally agricultural workers. Tomas Caban was born in 1865 and had nine children with Agueda Acevedo y Mendez. Their son Anicacio Cabán y Acevedo was born in 1885. Children in Puerto Rico receive one last name from their father and one last name from their mother. Hence Cabán y Acevedo was applied to all their children. Anicacio married Mauricia Soto y Vargas and their 10 children had the last name Cabán y Soto. Their daughter Andrea Cabán y Soto married Domingo Cortés y Acevedo and had one child. In Puerto Rico, a woman’s last name changed at marriage to a combination of her maiden name and her husband’s name. She would keep the first of her last names and take the first of her husband’s with a “de” placed in the middle. Andrea thus became Andrea Cabán de Cortes.
The Damase Brault family from Quebec is a large one. As seen in the image, there are 6 boys and 6 girls born to Damase Brault and Olympe Gendreau that lived past 10 years old. When their mother Olympe died in 1900, the younger children of Damase Brault went to live in an orphanage and the older children continued to live with Damase Brault. This was traditional in Quebec society and is no reflection on Damase at all. He died in St Johnsbury Vermont in 1906 while living with a granddaughter of the Drolet family. Damase was an orphan at age eight himself and he lived with the nuns in Saint-Jacques-de-l’Achigan, Quebec. Four Brault brothers all left Quebec to live in Alberta along with one of their sisters. They started homesteads there and seemed to have succeeded.
Any information about Alphonse Brault is both from family stories and from written documents. Some may not end up to be true. The documents such as vital records, censuses, land records, and immigration records lead to this information being close to the truth. Records have been found for all relatives near him – parents, siblings, and children – to validate where he was and what he was doing.
Rodrique – was a kindly man who lived with his sister Emma Brault in Alberta most of his life on a homestead
Olympe Exilda – died young
Dorila – had 11 children with Thomas Drolet and all lived long lives – moved from Weedon Quebec to Saint Johnsbury Vermont USA to Worcester Massachusetts to Saint Petersburg Florida. Two group family photos are known to exist both of which have been posted to the group. Her children are Louis – Blanche – Noel – Thomas – Josephine – Juliette – Clara – Deneige – Dora – Beatrice – Germaine
Alphonsine – married Guillaume Vincent and had then a daughter named Alberta. Then widowed and married Fred Currier. She was a medical nurse in Lowell Massachusetts for many years and retired to Concord New Hampshire.
Clara – was Sister Superior called Sister Brault in Sorel Quebec. Worked perhaps at an orphanage.
Alphonse – He had 12 children with Eliza Hade but only 6 lived past age 10. Lived in Bromptonville Quebec Canada from 1900 to 1909 owning a hotel that ran illegal activities. Fled Bromptonville with his daughter Dorila in 1909 for unknown reasons. Lived in New Bedford from 1910 to 1917 living off gambling. Built a house in Clyde Alberta in October 1917 near his youngest sister Emma on homestead land that he developed. Buried in Clyde Alberta cemetery after slipping on steps that were iced over at his home in.
Aimé – unknown whereabouts and relations since she might have died young
Rosa – unknown whereabouts and relations since she might have died young
Joseph – died of a horse-related accident at a young age.
Josephine – was Sister Gendreau a nun working in an orphanage in Quebec Province.
Arthur – was a blacksmith by trade and lived 25 miles from the Brault farm in Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada. He was a kind-hearted man and who had 12 children. He also built a tennis court near our town and his children were quite well known for their skill in the sport. He and then his wife Béatrice Marie Migneault were postmasters for 20 years in the Indian village of Tawatinaw.
Edmond – was a barber and had a barber chair in the bus depot in Edmonton and was very well known. He was a barber for one year in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1910. Lived and worked in the same rooms at 41 Beetle Street as his brother Al. Coincidentally, 45 Beetle Street was the Comeau home and they might have met. Leocadia Girard was his wife and he had at least one daughter. Resided in Morinville Alberta.
Annonciade – Her sister Emma Brault had her twin daughter’s at the hospital across the street from where Annonciade lived in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1923. Annonciade married Joseph Orosillas Perry and had at least five children in New Hampshire.
Emma – was married to Sam LeBeau and had five daughters.
Eugene – lived in Morinville, Alberta near Edmonton on a homestead.
Dalia – died very young
Damase Brault and Olympe Gendreau family technical data (m 20 October 1863 in Valcourt)
1) Pierre Rodrique Brault – b. 5 October 1864 in Valcourt – d. 1946
2) Olympe Exilda Brault – b. 4 April 1866 in Valcourt – d. 24 August 1868 in Valcourt
3) Marie Emma Dorila Brault – b. 30 June 1868 in Valcourt – d. 3 January 1947 in Saint Petersburg, Florida
4) Marie Alice Alphonsine Brault – b. 11 August 1870 in Valcourt – d. 22 March 1951 in Manchester, New Hampshire
5) Marie Arezelia Clara Brault – b. 17 December 1873 in La Patrie – d. 1963
6) Alexandre Alphonse Brault – b. 2 June 1875 in La Patrie – d. 13 August 1933 in Westlock of Alberta Canada
7) Marie Emma Georgina Brault – b. 11 July 1877 in Weedon – d. (unknown but lived at least 5 years)
8) Marie Rosa Rosana Brault – b. 9 July 1879 in Weedon – d. (unknown but lived at least 3 years)
9) Marie Elmina Dalia Brault – b. 21 April 1881 in Weedon – d. (unknown)
10) Joseph Jean-Baptiste Brault – b. 24 November 1882 in Weedon – d. 1896
11) Marie Valerie Joséphine Brault – b. 27 June 1884 in Weedon – d. (unknown)
12) Joseph Damase Arthur Brault – b. 1 May 1886 in Weedon – d. 1973 in Tawatinaw of Alberta
13) Joseph Philippe Edmond Brault – b. 25 May 1888 in Weedon – d. October 1966
14) Marie Mathildé Annonciade Brault – b. 22 April 1890 in Weedon – d. 22 April 1956
15) Marie Emma Celanire Brault – b. 11 July 1892 in Weedon – d. 25 March 1986 in Calgary of Alberta
16) Joseph Eugene Adolphe Brault – b. 9 September 1894 in Weedon – d. February 1965 in Morinville of Alberta
17) (unknown names) Brault – unknown dates and unknown whereabouts
The Spoor detour to Farnham only lasted about 50 years. By the early 1890s, they were already coming back to the USA. Orange and his son Edwin had moved to Farnham in about the early 1840s. He had 11 children with Hedwige Adélaïde Gagnon in that city. Several of his children would moved to the New Bedford Massachusetts area in the 1890s.
Hedwige Spoor (1857 to 1922) would die in New Bedford but be brought back to Farnham for burial. Not much is known about her yet.
Marie Delima Spoor (1858 to 1864) would die in Farnham at a young age.
François Xavier Édouard Spoor (1860 to 1860) would die in Farnham less than a month old.
Marie Jeanne Spoor (1861 to 1872) would die in Farnham at a young age.
Marie Lucie Anne Spoor (1863 to ?) would marry Flavien Gamache and immigrate with him in 1892 to New Bedford. They had 3 daughters in Canada and 6 sons in Massachusetts. Most would stay in the area but still it is hard to find out much about them. Their daughters are Amanda, Anna, and Sylvia. Their sons are William, Joseph, Arthur, Archibald, Aline, and Armand. These are the first cousins of our Pepere Spoor and his siblings and thus their grandchildren are our third cousins.
Édouard Spoor (1865 to ?) would marry Scholastique Desautels and stay in Farnham.
Guillaume Spoor (1869 to 1930) would marry Marie Rosalié Gauthier and then they moved to New Bedford in February 1891. Their first daughter Marie Rose Delima Spoor (nicknamed Eva) was born in Farnham. Their next three children would all be born in Massachusetts but die within months of birth. Then Henry, Blanche, Archibald, and Florida were all born in New Bedford. Archie would lead to our many first cousins – Southworth, Antonsen, Casemiro, Grime, and Fernandes. Eva would marry Ernest Dupont and have 3 sons and 1 daughter. These would lead to our Dupont second cousins. Henry would marry Roséanne Leclair and have one son Wilfred Spoor. He in turn would marry Vivian Chenel and that would lead to our Spoor second cousins.
Leyail Spoor (1872 to ?) lived in Farnham.
Louise Spoor (1876 to ?) married Emilien Surprenant. They would reside in New Bedford by the early 1910s and have two children Rosario and Dorace.
Charles Spoor (1877 to 1949) married Alphonsine Cloutier in 1925 as a second marriage. He emigrated from Quebec in 1910 and lived with his sister for a whole in New Bedford. His two sons were Norman and Alphonse – first cousins to Archie Spoor Sr. Norman and his brother would have 12 children between them and they would all stay in the New Bedford area. They are second cousins to the Spoor sisters and Archie Spoor Jr.
Nellie Spoor (1880 to 1900) would die young in Farnham as her husband did also. But they would have a daughter Elisé L’Heureux who would go to live with her Aunt Louise Suprenant in New Bedford.
Thus it was not just William Spoor that came to New Bedford. Three of his sisters and one of his brothers would come also. His mother-in-law Rosalié Hebert would come as an elderly woman and be buried with her daughter. His wife Rosalié Gauthier would have her brother Francois move to Brattleboro Vermont. Rosalié’s nephew Oscar would visit New Bedford every summer with his family. Outings on Long Pond were frequent with the Spoor sisters and both Archies. Thus the Spoor family kept together as a unit for a long while.
Louis Touchette and Marguerite Regnier had two sons that set out to the USA. Jean Louis went to Thompson Connecticut in 1861 and Joseph went to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1855. Joseph would marry Charlotte Onésime Élise Viens and have 11 children. The extended family would live in the Fond du Lac region for a century. Their daughter Joséphine would marry Peter Sheff and their children in turn would be farmers. I have one group family photo and many portraits.
Jean Louis Touchette on his part would marry Onésime Morier in 1844 in Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. After most of their children were born they left for Thompson, Connecticut and the extended family set down firm roots in the area. Many of the Touchette clan are still in Windham County. The daughters in the family are shown in a group photo.
Children of Touchette and Morier:
Alfred (1845 to 1923) married Céline Marcoux and had many children that stayed in the region. One of my third cousins has given me pictures of this family.
Célina (1847 to ?) came to Connecticut with the family but returned permanently to Quebec later.
Joseph (1848 to 1928) married Léocadie Grenier and had 7 sons and 2 daughters.
Frédéric (1849 to 1909) married Octavie Goyette and had 5 children. The family would relocate to New Bedford and beyond.
Marie (1851 to ?) was a dressmaker.
Norbert (1853 to ?) is a mystery to me.
Delphine (1854 to 1922) married Israël Trudeau and had 12 children. I tried to trace the whereabouts of their relatives through the decades since they have a distinctive name. There are many Trudeau family members still in Windham County and many gravestones in the cemeteries there. However, Connecticut data records are not as good as those of Massachusetts. It has led to not being able to get a good grip on the family’s history.
Emma (1856 to 1928) married Honoré Comeau and they ended up going to New Bedford. This was the second marriage of a Comeau to a Touchette in Windham County. Our great grandparents were first.
Mathildé (1858 to 1934) married Joseph Treflé Comeau and as all know moved to New Bedford in 1897. Leads to Laurent, Dorothée, Juliette, and Joseph Romeo. From there clearly, it leads to our first cousins and second cousins.
Cordélia (1861 to ?) married Pierre Vandal but nothing more is known.
Rose Anne (1862 to 1910) married Jean-Baptiste Loiselle and they moved to New Bedford also.
Edmond (1865 to 1868) died young.
Eugene (1867 to 1923) married Mary Gervais and they moved to New Bedford.
If anyone can identify more of the people in the photo, please comment. At back second from right is Mathilde Touchette. Seated older woman is Onesime Morier. Perhaps at right in front is Emma.
Comeau and Spoor – 5th Generation Data 1 – Edwin Spoor – 1830 birth might never have been recorded since Vermont did not require it – might have to obtain baptism record from United Methodist Church in Saint Albans area – might have been born in Franklin, Georgia, Saint Albans Town, or Saint Albans City – parents are Orange Spoor and Mathilde Morris
2 – Jean-Baptiste Gauthier dit Marcoux – place for 3 March 1841 Quebec birth to Charles Gauthier and Lucie Potvin – his parents were married in Saint-Césaire, Rouville, Quebec in 1835
Comeau and Spoor – Births in 6th Generation 1 – Patrick Henley – 1786 birth in Perce Quebec to James Henley and Catherine Chicoine – probably never was recorded since baptism was years later due to lack of a priest in area
2 – Louis Mignier dit Lagacé – 1800 birth in St Hilaire Quebec to Jean Minier dit Lagace and Genevieve Menard
4 – Etienne Fournier – 1816 birth in Matane Quebec to Etienne Fournier and Victoire Langlois
Comeau and Spoor – Deaths in 6th generations
1 – Adélaïde L’Écuyer – death date and place
2 – Marie Pélagie Benoit dit Livernois – death date and place
3 – Julian Brault – death date and place
4 – Domitilde Julie Piquet – death date and place – before 1890 – wife of Julian Brault who she married in 1833 in Saint-Jacques-de-l’Achigan of Quebec – she last appears on a document in 1871 in Saint-Alexandre, Iberville of Quebec
5 – Mathilde Morris – death date and place – difficult situation
6 – Jean-Baptiste Gagnon – death date and place – perhaps in 1870s
Comeau and Spoor – Marriages in 6th generation
Orange Spoor and Mathilde Morris – marriage date and place are unknown – her parents are unknown but his parents are Abraham Spoor and Rebecca Betts
Comeau and Spoor – Births in 7th generation
1 – Joseph Comeau – birth date – in 1760 in Pointe-du-Lac to Joseph Comeau and Isabelle Laurt
2 – Marie Josette Servant – birth date and place – 1757 birth to Bernard Servant and Marie Fournier
3 – Thérèse Houde dit Desrochers – birth date and place – 1783 birth to Augustin Marie Houde dit Desrochers and Marie Beaudet
4 – Marie Marguerite Josephte Pothier – birth location and date – to Joseph Marie Pothier and Marie-Anne Destin – maybe 1785 birth
5 – Jean Maurice Minier dit Lagacé – birth date and place – to Joseph Marie Minier dit Lagacé and Marie Anne Aubert
6 – François Gauthier – birth date and place – to Michel Gauthier and Marie Louise Martin – about 1785
7 – James Henley – birth date and place – 1752 in Ireland
8 – Catherine Chicoine dit Cotton – birth date and place – year is 1755 to Jean Jacques Chicoine dit Cotton and Marie Louise Boudot
9 – Marie Charlotte Alix dit Dumini – birth date and place – 1761 to Toussaint Alix dit Dumini and Marie Thérèse Lariviere
10 – Jean Louis Renaud – birth date and place – to Jean Renaud and Véronique Buretier – maybe 1780 in St Martin
11 – Marie Victoire Langlois – birth date and place – birth year is 1776 to Jean-Baptiste-Marie Langlois and Marguerite Gosselin
12 – Jean-Baptiste Hébert – birth date – 1761 in Grand Pre of Acadia to Charles Hebert and Ursule Forest
13 – Nathalie Lanoue – birth date and place – 1764 in perhaps Acadia to Pierre Lanoue and Ursule Brun
14 – Antoine Gauthier dit Larouche – birth date and place – to Germain Gauthier dit Larouche and Marie Anne Bellemare
15 – Marie Louise Dubé – birth date and place – to Jean Alexandre Dubé and Marie Vailliancourt
16 – Jean Gagnon – birth date and place – to Alexis Barthélemi Gagnon and Marie-Catherine Ouellet – perhaps in 1777 in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Kamouraska
Archibald Romeo Spoor and Marie Rose Adrienne Brault were married June 29 1933. Reverend R W Decosse performed their wedding ceremony at the Saint Joseph’s Church in New Bedford Massachusetts. They are the couple in the middle.
Best man at right is Albert Oscar Marotte and maid-of-honor at left is Medore R Béatrice Cusson. Albert and Beatrice were also a married couple having gotten married a few years later. Beatrice Cusson is the youngest sister of Aurora Cusson who was Archibald Spoor’s first wife. She died in 1932 of pneumonia.
Aurora and Beatrice have parents of Édouard Cusson and Emma Johnson. Aurora was born 27 October 1901 in New Bedford and died 16 April 1932 also in New Bedford. She married Archie in 1923 and had three children with him – Lucille, Rita, and Jeannette.
Medore Béatrice Cusson was born 12 December 1906 in New Bedford and she died 22 January 1992 in Cherry Hill New Jersey. She married Albert Oscar Marotte who was born 5 May 1903 in New Bedford and died 25 March 1985 also in New Bedford. His parents are François M Marotte and Roseanna Benjamin.
Some other information about my grandparents might be useful. Archibald Spoor was born 21 May 1903 and died 11 December 1973 both in New Bedford. Adrienne Brault was born 16 May 1912 and died 20 October 1997 both also in New Bedford. They had four children together.
I am trying to determine when Medore Beatrice Cusson and Albert Marotte got married and what city. Who were their attendants at the wedding and what church and priest were used? Lastly, did they have any children and grandchildren together?
Comeau family is seen here. There are four rows with three in the top row, four in the second row down, five in the third row down, and four in the front row. Joseph Felix Comeau and Julie Legendre Comeau are the parents here and they are in the middle.
Topmost row: Joseph Treflé Comeau – Télesphore Ernest Comeau – Édouard Zépherin Joseph Comeau
Second row down: Honoré Comeau – Joseph Ferdinand Comeau – Joseph Frédéric Comeau – Louis Phillippe Comeau
Third row down: Désiré Comeau – Joseph Félix Comeau – Marie Julie Euphémie Legendre (Comeau) – Évangéline Comeau – Adéline Comeau
Frontmost row: François Xavier Comeau – Jean Alfred Comeau – Joseph Jacques Étienne Comeau – Marie Anne Comeau
Hopefully, we can keep improving on the identification of there people. This family photograph is perhaps from September of 1883. My grandfather Trefle Comeau, in back with the checkmark on his collar, was married that month. Notice Jean Alfred in front center has a black right eye. Can anyone help me further with this photograph?
