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Books & Pamphlets Archives and Special Collections

2020

Forever French: Rediscovering the French-Canadian Community Forever French: Rediscovering the French-Canadian Community

of Salem of Salem

Amanda R. Eddy

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.salemstate.edu/books_pamphlets

ForeverFrench:

RediscoveringtheFrench-CanadianCommunityofSalem

Beginninginthemid-nineteenthcentury,morethan900,000emigrantsfromQuébec,

CanadalefttheirfailingfarmlandsforNewEnglandinsearchofemploymentandabetterlife.

DuetoSalem’sabundanceoffactories,manychosetocallthiscityhome.Thesenewlyarrived

immigrantsfoundworkinthelocalmills,builtneighborhoods,openedsmallbusinesses,created

ethnicinstitutionsandbegantoshapethecommerciallifeintheirnewcity.“LaPointe”or“The

Point”neighborhoodandCastleHillweretheprimaryFrench-Canadianneighborhoodsfromthe

late1800suntilthemid-1900s.AlthoughSalem’sFrench-Canadiancommunityisnolongeras

vibrantasitoncewas,thelegacycontinuestoliveonthroughremnantsofthepast:businesses,

structures,andremindersofwhatoncewasaflourishing,admiredcommunity.TheSalemState

UniversityArchivesandSpecialCollectionshousescollectionsofphotographs,oralhistories,and

documentscapturingthislegacy.

EXHIBITBY

SALEMSTATEUNIVERSITYARCHIVESANDSPECIALCOLLECTIONS

AMANDAR.EDDY

MARCH2020

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page2of11

ThePointThisphotographisofThePointneighborhoodaftertheSalemFireof1914madeitswaythroughtheneighborhood.Thedestructionleftnothingbutrubbleandunstablechimneys.Theneighborhoodquicklyrebuiltafterthisdisaster,butnotuntilaftersomefamiliesdecidedtomovetoothersurroundingtownssuchasBeverlyandPeabody.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page3of11

LincolnHotel,circa1935TheLincolnHotelwasaFrench-CanadianbusinessthatwaslocatedonLafayetteStreetinThePointneighborhood.Thebuildingstillremains,withsmallbusinessesonthefirstfloor.Thehotelroomshavebeenconvertedintoapartments.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page4of11

NewDerbyStreet,1968Delande’sSupplyCo.Inc.wasoneofmanyFranco-AmericanbusinessesinSalem.Itwasinbusinessforover100years,alwaysownedbysomeoneofFrench-Canadiandescent.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page5of11

Ste.ChretienneAcademySte.Chretienne’sAcademywasanall-girlsschoollocatedoffofLoringAvenue.ThestudentbodywaspredominantlyFrench-CanadianduetotheproximitytotheCastleHillneighborhood,althoughtheclasseswerenotconductedinFrench.TheAcademyclosedin1971andwassubsequentlypurchasedbySalemState;thebuildingsremainonSSU’sSouthCampus.UniversityArchives

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page6of11

St.Joseph’sChurchTheoriginalSt.Joseph’sChurchbeganconstructionin1913andwascompletedin1914.Onlymonthslater,itwasdestroyedbytheGreatSalemFire.Thischurchwasrebuiltoverthenext35years,butthebasementoftheoriginalwasquicklyrestoredtoholdmasses.By1950,thenewSt.Joseph’sChurchwasreadytoopen.Followingadeclineinparishioners,itwastorndownin2013.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page7of11

PequotMills,circa1933ThePequotMills,operatedbytheNaumkeagSteamCottonCo.,wasthelargestemployerforFrench-CanadiansinSalem.Theyemployedover2,000French-Canadians.Themillsopenedin1847andclosedtheirdoorsin1953.ThePointwaslessthanaquarterofamileupthestreet,makingitaconvenientworkplace.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page8of11

NaumkeagSteamCottonMillsStrike,1933UnionizationatthePequotMillplayedacrucialroleinFrench-CanadianinfluenceinSalem.ThelocalbranchoftheUnitedTextileWorkersofAmericacalledforthestrikeinareactiontoaproposaltomakeeachworkerhandle24loomsinsteadof20.Thestrikeended:thenumberofloomsremainedat20perperson,andapayraiseof20centswasgiven.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page9of11

JeffersonAvenue,circa1900JeffersonAvenueisthemainroadthatrunsthroughtheFrench-CanadianCastleHilldistrictinSalem.Somehousesinthisphotographstillstandtoday.NelsonDionneCollection

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page10of11

1918SpanishInfluenzaEpidemic&Ste.Chretienne’sAcademyIn1918,theSpanishinfluenza,or“lagrippe”,wasspreadingthroughouttheworld.ThesistersfromtheLoringVillaatSte.ChretienneofferedtheirbuildingandservicestothoseinSalemthatneededtreatment.Immediately,thebuildingopeneditsdoorsto50+patientsforoveramonth.UniversityArchives

ForeverFrenchExhibit|SalemStateUniversityArchivesandSpecialCollections|Page11of11

ThePoint,circa1950ThisaerialphotographofThePointcapturesthetight-knitneighborhoodonalargerscale.Theneighborhooddoesextendanotherfiveorsoblockstotheright,butthisphotographputsintoperspectivethewaythecommunitywassetuptobenefitthoselivinginthearea,withSt.Joseph’sChurchinthecenter,andtheNaumkeagMillsinthe.NelsonDionneCollection