My niece, the late Paula McAleer Seamon, sent me this copy of Uncle Billy's diary. It is in his own handwriting.
James William Vasseur was born in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, on February 20, 1879. He died in Grand Falls on February 16, 1953. In his old age he stayed with my inlaws. My mother in law agreed to keep him as long as he bathed and he would let her wash his clothes and bedding on a regular basis. He was the son of James William and Severine Bellefleur Levasseur. He had an older sister, Mathilde, born 1870, who married Joseph Crozier. He had an older brother, John, born 1877, who married Catherine (Kate) Mallen.
I have used his spelling and punctuation, such as it is. When I cannot read the writing, I put a ? My notes and questions are surrounded by [ ]. The diary begins on page 42, unfortunately. I inserted some of Uncle Billy's photographs, hopefully at appropriate places. The Grand Falls Genealogy Club has a website worth looking at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbgfgc/gfpast.htm#gfpastpres
I have used his spelling and punctuation, such as it is. When I cannot read the writing, I put a ? My notes and questions are surrounded by [ ]. The diary begins on page 42, unfortunately. I inserted some of Uncle Billy's photographs, hopefully at appropriate places. The Grand Falls Genealogy Club has a website worth looking at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbgfgc/gfpast.htm#gfpastpres
William, right
Diary of William J Vasseur (42)
Grand Falls, NB D 31 1892
1892
Dec 31 Henry McCluskey shot himself in a lumber camp
[No year]
Sept 4 I made my first communion
1894
Feb 20 the Grand Falls Hotel burntd
1894
Nov A A Dixon old shop burnt
June 5 A A Dixon build the new shop
Sept I worked in the woods for E McCullm
1895
Dec ? [difficult to read date] the big gale of wind
1896
April 20 railroad bridge broke down by ice
Apr15 I drove for Hazelton in Restigouche first spring
June 8 Marry [or Murry] Sirois got married
July 15 The merry-go-round was here
1897
Feb 4 Severen Vasseur died [not to be confused with his mother, Severine. Does anyone know who Severen/Severin was? Upon further investigation with the help and suggestion of Elliott Parker, I do find a Severine Levasseur who died in Drummond, New Brunswick, on this date. It is probable that she is his aunt, sister of his father James.]
March 17 J J Corbett & R. Fitzsimmons fought [heavy weight boxers]
Sept worked in the woods for McCullm
April 10 ? B Sirois Died
Aug 16 Levite Sirois got married
Aug 16 the Marry-go-round was here
Aug 17 Wm St. Amand & R Dagel went out west
1898
July 4 we had the big mission in church
1899
July 19 Mat Burgess got married
1900
June 26 the train broke through Bridge
July 22 Albertha Dixon got drowned at ?
July 26 she was found by Father and I.
July 27 she was burried very big funerel I was one of the pall bearers
Aug 10 David & William Tardy went out west
1901
Jun 1 A A Dixon shop Burnt
Aug ? Frank Estey went out west
Oct 29 John N Vasseur got married
1902
Jan 1 Geo D McCluskey Died
Jun 29 I was acpted as a Brother Forster in court Grand Falls No 32-81 [number difficult to read]
A A Dixon Chip Ranger
1901
Jan Queen Victoria Died
1902
June 8 Baptist Michaud Died
June 15 we begain with the Atlantic Standard time
July 25 J J Jeff & Fitz fought
Oct 1 I went hunting up Salmon river got one moose & cut my foot
Oct 6 Fred ? Dixon cut three fingers
Oct 28 William Grenier got married
1903
Feb 4 Roy day was shot by Butler
Feb 19 Mr Gabe Smith Died
Feb 28 Election day Tweedel & Burgess were elected [Hon Lemuel John Tweedie, Premier]
April 7 P G Fraser Died
May 22 Angus McLeod cut both feet
July 4 I came home from Dirving on ?
July 20 I begun working for O B Davis [mill]
Aug 23 I finished my canver cannoe [canvas?]
Oct 9 Dr. ? Wade was berried
Nov 22 Fred Pelletier got drounded
Dec 10 William Gronden Died
Nov 20 George Watson came home
Dec 28 Harry Watson cam home
1904
Jan 4 they began working on the warf
Jan 5 a big fire in Chicago 587 lives lost [perhaps the fire in the Iroquois Theater of December 31, 1903]
Feb 9 John Burgess got married
Aug 12 a big horse trot excursions every ?
Aug 13 Professor Morral walked the wire [Evangeliste Joseph Van Morrell - tightrope walk over Grand Falls]
Sept 27 George Smith got married
1905
Jun 17 Chas Mulherin got married
June13 the G F S S club was Organized proposed by G P Fraser W J Vasseur Berry Fraser & Grace West
April 15 we Organize the Maple Leafe Orchestra of five pieces
(44)
1906
Feb 13 Mother Died @ 12:30 oclock pm and Barried Thursday 15th @ 10:00 oclock Aged 57 Years
March 4 I begain watching Small Pox
April 4 they were all fumagated
June 20 Everett Mccluskey & Harry Taylor went out west
July 28 I went down Woodstock to the Barnum Balley
Sept 12 I went hunting up sissen branch with F Wade & H McLaughlan & sailed down tobique [ Sissan and Tobique Rivers]
Nov 3 went up sissen branch guiding with E Malery ?
Nov 8 two sports there names was P Albert Popyrenhusen
Western Union Bldg.
Chicago
C F Ublacker
c/o Ford Bacon Davis
24 Broad St
New York
[These names were written in very large font - must have been important to him. I can find P Albert Poppenhusen on Google, although nothing very interesting there, and I can find the name Ublacker, but not an athlete; can anyone help? The second initial of Ublacker is difficult to read; may not be F.]
1907
Feb 11 Joseph Corbin got married
Johnny Cyr got married
1903 [looks like that]
Jan 25 measurement of J J Jeffers calf 17 1/ " reach 77 1/2" forearm 13 1/2" chest 4 " waist 34" thigh 25" height 61 1/2" neck 17" weight 220 lbs
Wm Vasseur measurement
reach 69"' forearm 12" chest 36 waist 30 1/2" thigh 22 1/4" calf 14 1/2" height 5'6 1/2" neck 14 1/2" weight 158 Born Feb 20th 1879
[I often wondered who Jeff and Fitz were. I googled J J Jeffers and found James Jackson Jeffries, who defeated Bob Fitzsimmons in Brooklyn, New York, in June 1899, to become the heavyweight champion of the world. See also J J Corbett. Those must be the boxers who John and William referred to quite often.]
(45)
1907
March 9 A Party over to Mrs T Kellys
March 9 Wm Parris Barn burndt
March 12 I went to Toronto with Fred Wade on potato carr [Potatoes are a major export of Grand Falls]
March 25 we got back from Toronto
March 28 Mrs. John Mulherin Sr died
April 19 A big party over home
April 20 W F Kertson's house Burnd
April 23 Roy Kelly Herbert Kelly & Archile LeClair went out west
June 12 Sandy Wood got married big dance in hall
June 13 went down to Picnic down Ranger Settlement with the Band and took in a show at Limestone [Maine]
June 18 Leonard Parent got Married
June 23 Bishop Barry Blessed the Bell and laid the corner stone for the new church [This could be L'Eglise St. Georges but I am not sure]
June 24 Milltown was reunited to the parish of Grand Falls
June 25 William Poitras got Married
July 9 horserace on Park it rained all day
July 10 racing on park and Balloon assention at 6:30 Parashoot drop Happy droped back of graveyard in a burnt tree Teany droped on Billy Grenier's farm across the river in a big birch tree big dance in Hall that night
July 11 finished the Horse trot the race was made by the Gallagher Brothers dance in Hall that night too
July 19 Mrs C. B. Rouleau Died Age 33 years Bearried 22nd
Aug 20 a big picnic on flat for new Church
Aug 21 held picnic again the people was adressed by Sen John Costigan an a few of the well known spekers of Canada dance both nights [ John Costigan was a New Brunswick politician, represented Victoria County in Parliament, Liberal Party, Elected Senator in 1907 - Wikipedia]
(46)
Aug 22 Tom Mallen Tom Estebrooks Archele Soucie Joseph Bernier & John Harley went out west with Frank Estey [Tom Mallen was Kate Mallen Vasseur's brother]
To be continued . . . Each page takes a while because I like to google the events and people that he mentions.
[No year]
Sept 4 I made my first communion
1894
Feb 20 the Grand Falls Hotel burntd
[The Grand Falls Hotel circa 1880/90, from the collection
of the Grand Falls Museum]
1894
Nov A A Dixon old shop burnt
June 5 A A Dixon build the new shop
Sept I worked in the woods for E McCullm
1895
Dec ? [difficult to read date] the big gale of wind
1896
April 20 railroad bridge broke down by ice
[I am not sure that this is the railway bridge or not. It is a photo from William's album.]
Apr15 I drove for Hazelton in Restigouche first spring
June 8 Marry [or Murry] Sirois got married
July 15 The merry-go-round was here
1897
Feb 4 Severen Vasseur died [not to be confused with his mother, Severine. Does anyone know who Severen/Severin was? Upon further investigation with the help and suggestion of Elliott Parker, I do find a Severine Levasseur who died in Drummond, New Brunswick, on this date. It is probable that she is his aunt, sister of his father James.]
March 17 J J Corbett & R. Fitzsimmons fought [heavy weight boxers]
Sept worked in the woods for McCullm
April 10 ? B Sirois Died
Aug 16 Levite Sirois got married
Aug 16 the Marry-go-round was here
Aug 17 Wm St. Amand & R Dagel went out west
1898
July 4 we had the big mission in church
1899
July 19 Mat Burgess got married
1900
June 26 the train broke through Bridge
July 22 Albertha Dixon got drowned at ?
July 26 she was found by Father and I.
July 27 she was burried very big funerel I was one of the pall bearers
Aug 10 David & William Tardy went out west
1901
Jun 1 A A Dixon shop Burnt
Aug ? Frank Estey went out west
Oct 29 John N Vasseur got married
[Kate and John Vasseur, front]
1902
Jan 1 Geo D McCluskey Died
Jun 29 I was acpted as a Brother Forster in court Grand Falls No 32-81 [number difficult to read]
A A Dixon Chip Ranger
1901
Jan Queen Victoria Died
1902
June 8 Baptist Michaud Died
June 15 we begain with the Atlantic Standard time
July 25 J J Jeff & Fitz fought
Oct 1 I went hunting up Salmon river got one moose & cut my foot
Oct 6 Fred ? Dixon cut three fingers
Oct 28 William Grenier got married
1903
Feb 4 Roy day was shot by Butler
Feb 19 Mr Gabe Smith Died
Feb 28 Election day Tweedel & Burgess were elected [Hon Lemuel John Tweedie, Premier]
April 7 P G Fraser Died
May 22 Angus McLeod cut both feet
July 4 I came home from Dirving on ?
July 20 I begun working for O B Davis [mill]
Aug 23 I finished my canver cannoe [canvas?]
Oct 9 Dr. ? Wade was berried
Nov 22 Fred Pelletier got drounded
Dec 10 William Gronden Died
Nov 20 George Watson came home
Dec 28 Harry Watson cam home
1904
Jan 4 they began working on the warf
Jan 5 a big fire in Chicago 587 lives lost [perhaps the fire in the Iroquois Theater of December 31, 1903]
Feb 9 John Burgess got married
Aug 12 a big horse trot excursions every ?
Aug 13 Professor Morral walked the wire [Evangeliste Joseph Van Morrell - tightrope walk over Grand Falls]
Sept 27 George Smith got married
1905
Jun 17 Chas Mulherin got married
June13 the G F S S club was Organized proposed by G P Fraser W J Vasseur Berry Fraser & Grace West
April 15 we Organize the Maple Leafe Orchestra of five pieces
[William, with fiddle, second from left, back row. His brother John, in front, holding his flute.]
(44)
1906
Feb 13 Mother Died @ 12:30 oclock pm and Barried Thursday 15th @ 10:00 oclock Aged 57 Years
March 4 I begain watching Small Pox
April 4 they were all fumagated
June 20 Everett Mccluskey & Harry Taylor went out west
July 28 I went down Woodstock to the Barnum Balley
Sept 12 I went hunting up sissen branch with F Wade & H McLaughlan & sailed down tobique [ Sissan and Tobique Rivers]
Nov 3 went up sissen branch guiding with E Malery ?
Nov 8 two sports there names was P Albert Popyrenhusen
Western Union Bldg.
Chicago
C F Ublacker
c/o Ford Bacon Davis
24 Broad St
New York
[These names were written in very large font - must have been important to him. I can find P Albert Poppenhusen on Google, although nothing very interesting there, and I can find the name Ublacker, but not an athlete; can anyone help? The second initial of Ublacker is difficult to read; may not be F.]
1907
Feb 11 Joseph Corbin got married
Johnny Cyr got married
1903 [looks like that]
Jan 25 measurement of J J Jeffers calf 17 1/ " reach 77 1/2" forearm 13 1/2" chest 4 " waist 34" thigh 25" height 61 1/2" neck 17" weight 220 lbs
Wm Vasseur measurement
reach 69"' forearm 12" chest 36 waist 30 1/2" thigh 22 1/4" calf 14 1/2" height 5'6 1/2" neck 14 1/2" weight 158 Born Feb 20th 1879
William Vasseur, aka Uncle Billy
[I often wondered who Jeff and Fitz were. I googled J J Jeffers and found James Jackson Jeffries, who defeated Bob Fitzsimmons in Brooklyn, New York, in June 1899, to become the heavyweight champion of the world. See also J J Corbett. Those must be the boxers who John and William referred to quite often.]
(45)
1907
March 9 A Party over to Mrs T Kellys
March 9 Wm Parris Barn burndt
March 12 I went to Toronto with Fred Wade on potato carr [Potatoes are a major export of Grand Falls]
March 25 we got back from Toronto
March 28 Mrs. John Mulherin Sr died
April 19 A big party over home
April 20 W F Kertson's house Burnd
April 23 Roy Kelly Herbert Kelly & Archile LeClair went out west
June 12 Sandy Wood got married big dance in hall
June 13 went down to Picnic down Ranger Settlement with the Band and took in a show at Limestone [Maine]
June 18 Leonard Parent got Married
June 23 Bishop Barry Blessed the Bell and laid the corner stone for the new church [This could be L'Eglise St. Georges but I am not sure]
June 24 Milltown was reunited to the parish of Grand Falls
June 25 William Poitras got Married
July 9 horserace on Park it rained all day
July 10 racing on park and Balloon assention at 6:30 Parashoot drop Happy droped back of graveyard in a burnt tree Teany droped on Billy Grenier's farm across the river in a big birch tree big dance in Hall that night
July 11 finished the Horse trot the race was made by the Gallagher Brothers dance in Hall that night too
July 19 Mrs C. B. Rouleau Died Age 33 years Bearried 22nd
Aug 20 a big picnic on flat for new Church
Aug 21 held picnic again the people was adressed by Sen John Costigan an a few of the well known spekers of Canada dance both nights [ John Costigan was a New Brunswick politician, represented Victoria County in Parliament, Liberal Party, Elected Senator in 1907 - Wikipedia]
(46)
Aug 22 Tom Mallen Tom Estebrooks Archele Soucie Joseph Bernier & John Harley went out west with Frank Estey [Tom Mallen was Kate Mallen Vasseur's brother]
Tom Mallen, John Vasseur, William Vasseur
from William's photo album
Sept 12 the school teachers had an institute in Kertson's Hall music by Maple Leaf Orta
Sept 13 2 PM F I Wade H. W. McLaughlin Louis Mallen & Myself went hunting up sissen branch stayed all night to Carroll Camp Ryan Brook
Sept 14 went up to ? Leony's Camp Trafton Brook stayed there all night
Sept 15 went to John Giberson's depoe on Miggie Brook stayed there all night and caught a good mess of trout for supper
Sept 16 went up to Chester Giberson Camp with a load of grub cleand it all out and came back to the dipoe
Billy on left
Sept 17 went back to Chester Camp with another load and stayed there
Sept 18 watched the ponds saw no moose but shot 1 deer & seven Partridges
Sept 19 watched the ponds I saw a cow & calf and shot one Partridge
Sept 20 watched the ponds seen no moose but shot 1 Partridge
Sept 21 rainy watched ponds in afternoon saw nothing
Sept 22 rainy watched ponds in afternoon saw one cow and two calves and shot three Partridges
(47)
Sept 23 went back to the Dipoe and shot 4 Partridges and built 2 catamarans
Sep 24 rainy went out and had a little fish
Sep 25 saild down Sissen Branch and Herby fell in the Brook stayed all night to Carrolls Camp
Sept 26 saild down to the Lake went ? saw no moose & saild down to the Falls stayed there all night
Sept 27 went back to the Dipoe
Sept 28 Herby & and Louis [Mallen, perhaps?] went home Wade & I went up the right hand. Branch to the old Trafton Camp 10 miles above the forks with a load of grub. 2 miles from the old Camp we shot a nice Buck on the tote-road shot him in the eye and spoild the head we saw a young bull moose in old Camp yard broucing after we got to the old Camp seeing so many signs of moose that we made up our mind to not chop any wood for fear of making to mutch noise so we broke up enough old Barrolls for wood for all night. it was then 5:30 pm we got on top of the camp and we called for a moose 6 pm got answer 6:30 heard him coming down a little brook you could hear is grunts for miles echoing over the mountains we could hear him in the elders but it was to dark to see him. went back in the Camp kindled a fire (48) cooked supper and went to bed
Sept 29 up early eat our breakfast and extinguished the fire and called again without answer then we wandered up the right hand side of the Brook on an old halling road we came to an old meadow where the same moose had passed the night and heard the clang of his horns up against the trees across the brook so we wandered up the nex pond as quietly as posiable we heard a terriable crash and terifying roars that made our hair stand on end and eachoed for miles over the ridges we stole along as easy as possible with guns already cocked within 20 yards of it and found it to be a big cow & calf calling for a bull we waited for a long while in case a bull would come but all in vain continuing our Journey up the brook in serch of a little Lake we saw another cow. after finding the Lake we boild the kettle and had our dinner on our way back hurring to git to camp early enough to cut wood for night we starled another big bull witch made a tirriable noise with his horns got to camp at 5:30 pm
(49)
Sept 30 went up to the ponds in the morning it was rainy there was no fresh signs we called three calls but no answer. we went back to camp eate our dinner then we wandered over a big ridge going towards Nason Brook when we arived at the second branch of the Brook we saw so many fresh signs that we thought we would call we gave three calls without answer just as I was tyying up the horn to give the forth call we heard the most terriable crash and grunts that we ever heard before he came within 20 yards of us through the thick elders but he got wind of us before he came in sight he was a big fellow from the noise he made with is horns it was gitting quite late then so we went back to camp about 8 oclock we were sitting down cooking supper had a large fire burning we heard a heavy animall jump on top of the camp. ran the whole length of it it made an afull noise we thought the camp was coming down we jumped to our rifles upsat all our deer steak and went out just in time to see it disaper in the woods we never know (50) what it was but it was a heavy animall.
Oct 1 rainy we could not git out
Oct 2 went back to the Dipoe
Oct 3 went up the Miggic ponds saw nothing
Oct 4 went back home
Oct 11 John C McCluskey Died
Oct 29 Joseph Crozier's wife Died Aged 36 years
(47)
Sept 23 went back to the Dipoe and shot 4 Partridges and built 2 catamarans
Sep 24 rainy went out and had a little fish
Sep 25 saild down Sissen Branch and Herby fell in the Brook stayed all night to Carrolls Camp
Sept 26 saild down to the Lake went ? saw no moose & saild down to the Falls stayed there all night
Sept 27 went back to the Dipoe
Sept 28 Herby & and Louis [Mallen, perhaps?] went home Wade & I went up the right hand. Branch to the old Trafton Camp 10 miles above the forks with a load of grub. 2 miles from the old Camp we shot a nice Buck on the tote-road shot him in the eye and spoild the head we saw a young bull moose in old Camp yard broucing after we got to the old Camp seeing so many signs of moose that we made up our mind to not chop any wood for fear of making to mutch noise so we broke up enough old Barrolls for wood for all night. it was then 5:30 pm we got on top of the camp and we called for a moose 6 pm got answer 6:30 heard him coming down a little brook you could hear is grunts for miles echoing over the mountains we could hear him in the elders but it was to dark to see him. went back in the Camp kindled a fire (48) cooked supper and went to bed
Sept 29 up early eat our breakfast and extinguished the fire and called again without answer then we wandered up the right hand side of the Brook on an old halling road we came to an old meadow where the same moose had passed the night and heard the clang of his horns up against the trees across the brook so we wandered up the nex pond as quietly as posiable we heard a terriable crash and terifying roars that made our hair stand on end and eachoed for miles over the ridges we stole along as easy as possible with guns already cocked within 20 yards of it and found it to be a big cow & calf calling for a bull we waited for a long while in case a bull would come but all in vain continuing our Journey up the brook in serch of a little Lake we saw another cow. after finding the Lake we boild the kettle and had our dinner on our way back hurring to git to camp early enough to cut wood for night we starled another big bull witch made a tirriable noise with his horns got to camp at 5:30 pm
(49)
Sept 30 went up to the ponds in the morning it was rainy there was no fresh signs we called three calls but no answer. we went back to camp eate our dinner then we wandered over a big ridge going towards Nason Brook when we arived at the second branch of the Brook we saw so many fresh signs that we thought we would call we gave three calls without answer just as I was tyying up the horn to give the forth call we heard the most terriable crash and grunts that we ever heard before he came within 20 yards of us through the thick elders but he got wind of us before he came in sight he was a big fellow from the noise he made with is horns it was gitting quite late then so we went back to camp about 8 oclock we were sitting down cooking supper had a large fire burning we heard a heavy animall jump on top of the camp. ran the whole length of it it made an afull noise we thought the camp was coming down we jumped to our rifles upsat all our deer steak and went out just in time to see it disaper in the woods we never know (50) what it was but it was a heavy animall.
Oct 1 rainy we could not git out
Oct 2 went back to the Dipoe
Oct 3 went up the Miggic ponds saw nothing
Oct 4 went back home
Oct 11 John C McCluskey Died
Oct 29 Joseph Crozier's wife Died Aged 36 years
[Joseph Crozier's wife was William and John's sister, Matilda]
Nov 3 Dan Gillaspie's wif Died
Nov 10 young Crofford got drownded
Nov 18 Joe Barnier got killed out west by a falling tree
Oct 31 Chrlie Bradley Died aged 13 years
Nov 6 Emaline Mulerin got married
Dec 31 Agness Crozier Died age 17 years [His niece; see tombstone above, Oct 29]
1908
Feb 11 Fred LaClair got married
Feb 25 Charles Churchill died
Feb 26 Old man Kertson Died aged 90years
Feb 27 Old Charles McCluskey Died age 88 years
Feb 26 the Transcontinental Enginerr gave a big Ball in Edmundston we went and played for them a swell time
March 3 Election day for the Provence Burgess & Tweedel were Elected but the conservative Party went in [see Feb 28, 1903]
Mar 19 a concert in IOF Hall for the new Catholic church music by Maple Leaf Orchestra
(51)
March 20 we went to Limestone with the concert had a swell time
Mar 23 Old Albert Lynch Died
Mar 24 Mrs. Gabrial Poitras Died
May 26 the Grand Falls Rifle club had their oficial shoot There was 2 prize given J. L. White got one and I got the other
June 16 Edward St Amand got married
June 19 went to the celabration New Denmark in a Dubble hitch Ethel Kelly Ethel Price Mary Estabrook Herby McLaughlin & Myself had an Elegant time
July 4 found the body of young Craford by the Factory [see Nov 10, 1907]
Aug 20 Henry Kelly Died
Aug 23 Ethel Kelly an I went up to her Gramma had a good time
Oct 26 George Theirault got killed in grist mill
Nov 2 I shot a bull moose on Trafton Branch 44 inch spread
Nov 25 John McKinnon & Lilly Kelly were Married
(52)
1909
Jan 15 I was apointed Game Warden and got Don working for Davis
Jan 22 old Mrs Patrick Martin Died
Feb8 John Parent got Married in St Leonards we went and played for them had a good time
Feb 22 John Thibodeau got Killed he fell of the old wooden Rail Road Bridge
Mar 5 old Magloire Martin Died
Mar 20 Jack Howard Died
April 13 I seized a quarter of moose meat from Sinkevitz
April 16 Edward McCluskey gave a Grand Ball in Kertson's Hall had a good time
May 4 they hung two Italins down Andover for the murder of Peddeler Green
May 19 Dr Charles B Rouleau Died
June 1 Anny Oregan & Billy Goodine were married and gave a dance in the hall
July 5 Frank St Amand got married
July 7 I went down to Woodstock to horse race back 10th
July 12 Kenny Fraser Died
July 20 Edward McCluskey Gertie Mullherin got married
Sept 15 I went hunting up Sissen Br shot a white Deer
Oct 25 I was sworn in has Game Warden
Oct 25 Bill Burgess Died
Oct 25 A Grand Ball held in George Price's new skating Rink
Sept G Percy Fraser & Sadie Price got married
(53)
1909
Nov little Dominic Michaud Died
1910
Feb Mrs. George Sirois Died
May 6th King Edward VII Died Burried 20th
May 18 Mrs. J. R. Wade Died
May 16 Mrs. Arthur Lavoie Died
[That is the order in which he entered those diary posts for May]
June 7 Herbert Taite Louise LeClair & Doctor Gr Anna Pelletier got married [difficult to read]
June 14 Harry Carroll Edith Blanchette & Exzidor Boucher Loucie Cyr got married Big dance in marquise's hall
June 20 I went to Celabration in Denmark [New Denmark, New Brunswick]
July Old David Gagnon Died
Aug Old Elizabeth Petit Died
July they started to work on the Water works Powers & Brewer got the Job
July big fire in Campbellton [New Brunswick]
Sept 8&9 Nellie Gill stock Cony played in old Virginnia & A White Lie [from what I find by googling, the Nellie Gill Players was a Vermont based summer Stock Company - a touring theatre group]
Sept 19, 20 &21 Glyds Klark stock Co played Old Tennessee
the Boss of ? ranch &
My Dixie Girl
[http://www.circushistory.org/Pdf/ShowsOfBygoneDays.pdf] [should read Gladys Clark]
Oct 3 4 &5 the Yale stock Co played a Jelous Wife
the Princess of Patches
A Travling Man
Oct 10 The Robinson Co Gave a bum show
(54)
Oct 19 & 20 Willmot Young Co were here 2 nights and Played The Frozen Trail and My Girl
Old Mrs May Died
Barney McCarthy Died
Nov 4th Opening Ball in Rex MacLaren new Hall
Nov 25th The IOF had a Basket Social and dance in MacLaren new Hall
Music by Maple Leaf Orchestra
Dec Peter Tuck Jr got married to Effie
Dec Charles White Sr Died
Dec Mrs H Fraser Died
1911
Feb O Peter Lavoie Died [might be an O or it might be a scribble]
May 1st 5 men drownded at Edmoundston
May 3rd Ethel Appelby Shot herself
May 2 the Play called Black Beauty was here was very good
June 12 A Marton & Kate Sirois were Married Ethel Kelly and I stood up for them
June 13 Frank Pelletier & Nellie Crosier were married [Nellie was a sister to his sister Mathilde's husband Joseph Crozier]
May C.F. Merritte & Danial Gillispie were burnt out
June 22 King George V and Queen Mary were Crowned
June 2 Excurtion to Campbellton a good trip
July 4 Leo Neilsen got Drownded in Salmon River [Neilson difficult to read - may not be correct]
July 4 celabration at Fort Fairfield I got a free trip in Martin's auto [Fort Fairfield, Maine]
Nov 3 Dan Gillaspie's wif Died
Nov 10 young Crofford got drownded
Nov 18 Joe Barnier got killed out west by a falling tree
Oct 31 Chrlie Bradley Died aged 13 years
Nov 6 Emaline Mulerin got married
Dec 31 Agness Crozier Died age 17 years [His niece; see tombstone above, Oct 29]
1908
Feb 11 Fred LaClair got married
Feb 25 Charles Churchill died
Feb 26 Old man Kertson Died aged 90years
Feb 27 Old Charles McCluskey Died age 88 years
Feb 26 the Transcontinental Enginerr gave a big Ball in Edmundston we went and played for them a swell time
March 3 Election day for the Provence Burgess & Tweedel were Elected but the conservative Party went in [see Feb 28, 1903]
Mar 19 a concert in IOF Hall for the new Catholic church music by Maple Leaf Orchestra
(51)
March 20 we went to Limestone with the concert had a swell time
Mar 23 Old Albert Lynch Died
Mar 24 Mrs. Gabrial Poitras Died
May 26 the Grand Falls Rifle club had their oficial shoot There was 2 prize given J. L. White got one and I got the other
June 16 Edward St Amand got married
June 19 went to the celabration New Denmark in a Dubble hitch Ethel Kelly Ethel Price Mary Estabrook Herby McLaughlin & Myself had an Elegant time
July 4 found the body of young Craford by the Factory [see Nov 10, 1907]
Aug 20 Henry Kelly Died
Aug 23 Ethel Kelly an I went up to her Gramma had a good time
Oct 26 George Theirault got killed in grist mill
Nov 2 I shot a bull moose on Trafton Branch 44 inch spread
Nov 25 John McKinnon & Lilly Kelly were Married
(52)
1909
Jan 15 I was apointed Game Warden and got Don working for Davis
Jan 22 old Mrs Patrick Martin Died
Feb8 John Parent got Married in St Leonards we went and played for them had a good time
Feb 22 John Thibodeau got Killed he fell of the old wooden Rail Road Bridge
Mar 5 old Magloire Martin Died
Mar 20 Jack Howard Died
April 13 I seized a quarter of moose meat from Sinkevitz
April 16 Edward McCluskey gave a Grand Ball in Kertson's Hall had a good time
May 4 they hung two Italins down Andover for the murder of Peddeler Green
[I also remember at least two murders at that time. One was a jewellery peddler named Paddy Green, who was robbed and murdered by Italians, somewhere between Wapske and Longley. The two murderers were apprehended and hanged at Andover. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbtvglhg/railroad_victoria_county.htm]
[The Victoria County Courthouse
is a 1876 Second Empire style building which has served as a jail and as the site of public hangings. In 1909 Green the Peddler was murdered by two Italians, who later were proved guilty and hanged at the Court House. The building is still a functioning courthouse for Victoria County and is now a "Designated Historic Site". Photo - courtesy of Alton Morrell. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbvictor/]May 19 Dr Charles B Rouleau Died
June 1 Anny Oregan & Billy Goodine were married and gave a dance in the hall
July 5 Frank St Amand got married
July 7 I went down to Woodstock to horse race back 10th
July 12 Kenny Fraser Died
July 20 Edward McCluskey Gertie Mullherin got married
Sept 15 I went hunting up Sissen Br shot a white Deer
Oct 25 I was sworn in has Game Warden
Oct 25 Bill Burgess Died
Oct 25 A Grand Ball held in George Price's new skating Rink
Sept G Percy Fraser & Sadie Price got married
(53)
1909
Nov little Dominic Michaud Died
1910
Feb Mrs. George Sirois Died
May 6th King Edward VII Died Burried 20th
[Death
Edward usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day. Towards the end of his life he increasingly suffered from bronchitis.[10] In March 1910, the King was staying at Biarritz when he collapsed. He remained there to convalesce, while in London Asquith tried to get the Finance Bill passed. The King's continued ill-health was unreported and he attracted criticism for staying in France whilst political tensions were so high. On 27 April he returned to Buckingham Palace, still suffering from severe bronchitis. Alexandra returned from visiting her brother, King George I of Greece, in Corfu a week later on 5 May.
The following day, the King suffered several heart attacks, but refused to go to bed saying, "No, I shall not give in; I shall go on; I shall work to the end."[82]Between moments of faintness, the Prince of Wales (shortly to be King George V) told him that his horse, Witch of the Air, had won at Kempton Park that afternoon. The King replied, "I am very glad": his final words.[10] At half-past-eleven he lost consciousness for the last time and was put to bed. He died at 11:45 pm[82] Wikipedia]
| Edward VII | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coronation portrait | |
| Reign | 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910 |
| Coronation | 9 August 1902 |
| Predecessor | Victoria |
| Successor | George V |
| Prime Ministers | See list |
| Imperial Durbar | 1 January 1903 |
| Consort | Alexandra of Denmark |
| Issue | |
| Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence George V Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife Princess Victoria Maud, Queen of Norway Prince Alexander John of Wales | |
| Full name | |
| Albert Edward | |
| House | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Father | Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Mother | Queen Victoria |
| Born | 9 November 1841 Buckingham Palace, London |
| Died | 6 May 1910 (aged 68) Buckingham Palace, London |
| Burial | 20 May 1910 St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Signature |  |
May 18 Mrs. J. R. Wade Died
May 16 Mrs. Arthur Lavoie Died
[That is the order in which he entered those diary posts for May]
June 7 Herbert Taite Louise LeClair & Doctor Gr Anna Pelletier got married [difficult to read]
June 14 Harry Carroll Edith Blanchette & Exzidor Boucher Loucie Cyr got married Big dance in marquise's hall
June 20 I went to Celabration in Denmark [New Denmark, New Brunswick]
July Old David Gagnon Died
Aug Old Elizabeth Petit Died
July they started to work on the Water works Powers & Brewer got the Job
July big fire in Campbellton [New Brunswick]
[Mid-July of 1910 brought disaster to the north when Campbellton was leveled by fire.
The blaze started on the afternoon of July 11 at one of the thriving lumber town's mills, and gale force winds created an instant wildfire.
"Campbellton is wiped out," said a July 12 report from Dalhousie. "Every industry is gone, the great lumber mills, with all the piled lumber, are destroyed; every store and professional office, the Royal Bank of Canada, the Bank of N.B., and the I.C.R. depot and shops, all hotels and the grammar school, the convent and the large concrete hospital and every church."
The conflagration left 5,000 homeless, and aid trains were sent from other cities and towns. Tents were in short supply, and many remained without shelter.
"The thousands of homeless people here are having a hard time today with a heavy rain falling," said a July 13 dispatch. "It is estimated that almost 3,000 refugees spent the night in the woods about here, and there have been some pathetic scenes.
"Last night a baby was born to the mother of a homeless family who are in the woods."
Damage was estimated at more than $3 million, including the new Intercolonial Railway station, freight sheds, round house, machine shops and rolling stock.
Every patient in the new hospital had been rescued, but their benefactors risked their own lives to get them out. Among them was Campbellton Police Chief Robert Crawford, who "very narrowly escaped from meeting his death in the burning building, having gone so far as to have his hat and coat burned from him."
Within days, officials added to their worries the fear of outbreaks of smallpox, diptheria and typhoid.
Sept 8&9 Nellie Gill stock Cony played in old Virginnia & A White Lie [from what I find by googling, the Nellie Gill Players was a Vermont based summer Stock Company - a touring theatre group]
Sept 19, 20 &21 Glyds Klark stock Co played Old Tennessee
the Boss of ? ranch &
My Dixie Girl
[http://www.circushistory.org/Pdf/ShowsOfBygoneDays.pdf] [should read Gladys Clark]
Oct 3 4 &5 the Yale stock Co played a Jelous Wife
the Princess of Patches
A Travling Man
Oct 10 The Robinson Co Gave a bum show
(54)
Oct 19 & 20 Willmot Young Co were here 2 nights and Played The Frozen Trail and My Girl
Old Mrs May Died
Barney McCarthy Died
Nov 4th Opening Ball in Rex MacLaren new Hall
Nov 25th The IOF had a Basket Social and dance in MacLaren new Hall
Music by Maple Leaf Orchestra
Dec Peter Tuck Jr got married to Effie
Dec Charles White Sr Died
Dec Mrs H Fraser Died
1911
Feb O Peter Lavoie Died [might be an O or it might be a scribble]
May 1st 5 men drownded at Edmoundston
May 3rd Ethel Appelby Shot herself
May 2 the Play called Black Beauty was here was very good
June 12 A Marton & Kate Sirois were Married Ethel Kelly and I stood up for them
June 13 Frank Pelletier & Nellie Crosier were married [Nellie was a sister to his sister Mathilde's husband Joseph Crozier]
May C.F. Merritte & Danial Gillispie were burnt out
June 22 King George V and Queen Mary were Crowned
| George V | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coronation portrait by Sir Luke Fildes, 1911 | |
| Reign | 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936 |
| Coronation | 22 June 1911 |
| Predecessor | Edward VII |
| Successor | Edward VIII |
| Prime Ministers | See list |
| Imperial Durbar | 12 December 1911 |
| Consort | Mary of Teck |
| Issue | |
| Edward VIII George VI Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester Prince George, Duke of Kent Prince John | |
| Full name | |
| George Frederick Ernest Albert | |
| House | House of Windsor House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Father | Edward VII |
| Mother | Alexandra of Denmark |
| Born | 3 June 1865 Marlborough House, London |
| Died | 20 January 1936 (aged 70) Sandringham House, Norfolk |
| Burial | 29 January 1936 St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Signature |  |
| Religion | Church of E |
June 2 Excurtion to Campbellton a good trip
July 4 Leo Neilsen got Drownded in Salmon River [Neilson difficult to read - may not be correct]
July 4 celabration at Fort Fairfield I got a free trip in Martin's auto [Fort Fairfield, Maine]
To be continued . . . Each page takes a while because I like to google the events and people that he mentions.
Interesting stuff Peg. Thanks for posting! I found a record for a Severine Levasseur who died on February 4 1897 at the age of 47. She was buried in the cemetery of the Paroisse St Michel (in Drummond?). No other information though. William had an aunt named Severine Levasseur (his father's sister) who was born in 1847. Maybe it is the same person?
ReplyDeleteI just realized I don't have any original records to back up the 1847 birthdate--it is just what we have always had recorded. I would bet Severine was his aunt.
ReplyDeleteThis is great, Peg! I love the photos.
ReplyDeletePeg, In regards to William Vasseur's diary entry for Ford, Bacon & Davis in New York City; I googled them and found out they were an early twentieth century Industrial Engineering consulting firm. Perhaps William was inquiring about a project he was working on, just a guess.
ReplyDelete