| Madawaska Historical Society About the Society |
Current Officers
President: Vernon Doucette
Vice-President: Norman Cyr
Secretary: Linda Cyr
Treasurer: Celine Lausier
President: Vernon Doucette
Vice-President: Norman Cyr
Secretary: Linda Cyr
Treasurer: Celine Lausier
Current Directors
Vernon Doucette
Ronald Gervais
Bernard Michaud
Ken Theriault, Jr.
Dave Wylie
Vernon Doucette
Ronald Gervais
Bernard Michaud
Ken Theriault, Jr.
Dave Wylie
History of the Society
After decades of historical and cultural destitution, when members of the French-Acadian
community often felt a embarrassed by their Heritage, a small group of local historians,
politicians and lay people manifested a new sense of pride and determination in organizing
the Madawaska Historical Society in 1968.The declared function of the Society was to
discover, collect and disseminate material and information which relates and illustrates the
past and present of the local area. The Society was the first of its kind in the Valley in many
years, and soon many more towns followed suit. In the beginning, the Madawaska Society
operated as the parent of the others, helping with organization and purpose.
The first annual meeting of the Society was held on August 21, 1969 at the Madawaska
Public Library. A Society-funded log cabin was built in 1970 and set on purchased ground
next door to the St. David Church, just above the site of the original landing of the area's
Acadian forefathers. The idea of a museum proved immensely popular. Artifacts poured in
to the group, and the museum itself was visited by over 3,000 people in its first year of
operation. Over the next decade, the Society added several buildings to the museum
grounds, including a 1870 vintage homestead log house built by the Albert family, an
original local schoolhouse, and a tool shed to house the artifacts related to farming and
logging.
By 1973 the Society had succeeded in having three sites in the area placed in the National
Historic Register: the St. David Church, the Mount Carmel Church in Lille, Maine; and the
Acadian Landing Site in St. David.
The Society then planned and sponsored the first Acadian Day, June 28 1978, recognized by
the State of Maine Government. The next year, what had started as a one day observation
transformed into a week long celebration, the Acadian Festival. In 1980 local families with
French Acadian roots began organizing family reunions in conjunction with the
festival.These reunions proved to be incredibly popular and have consistently drawn in
1000-1500 people or more from around all of North America. The family holding the reunion
usually publishes a large genealogy and family history, copies of which are available at the
Madawaska Library.
Society members also spent a tremendous amount of effort in creating a series of oral
histories and a large historical photograph collection of people, places, and happenings of
the past. Both are available for public use at the Madawaska Library.
The Society plans in the future to work in conjunction with the Quebec-Labrador
Foundation, the Acadian Cultural Heritage Council, and other local historical societies and
cultural groups to promote the history of the area. Together, the groups have begun to lay
the groundwork for a historical cultural route that will take visitors on a detailed trip
around the area of settlement on both sides of the American-Canadian border. The
Madawaska Historical Society has recently established a committee to assess the state of
the museum, the museum grounds and its holdings with hopes of being able to better
present itself to the touring community interested in the past.
After decades of historical and cultural destitution, when members of the French-Acadian
community often felt a embarrassed by their Heritage, a small group of local historians,
politicians and lay people manifested a new sense of pride and determination in organizing
the Madawaska Historical Society in 1968.The declared function of the Society was to
discover, collect and disseminate material and information which relates and illustrates the
past and present of the local area. The Society was the first of its kind in the Valley in many
years, and soon many more towns followed suit. In the beginning, the Madawaska Society
operated as the parent of the others, helping with organization and purpose.
The first annual meeting of the Society was held on August 21, 1969 at the Madawaska
Public Library. A Society-funded log cabin was built in 1970 and set on purchased ground
next door to the St. David Church, just above the site of the original landing of the area's
Acadian forefathers. The idea of a museum proved immensely popular. Artifacts poured in
to the group, and the museum itself was visited by over 3,000 people in its first year of
operation. Over the next decade, the Society added several buildings to the museum
grounds, including a 1870 vintage homestead log house built by the Albert family, an
original local schoolhouse, and a tool shed to house the artifacts related to farming and
logging.
By 1973 the Society had succeeded in having three sites in the area placed in the National
Historic Register: the St. David Church, the Mount Carmel Church in Lille, Maine; and the
Acadian Landing Site in St. David.
The Society then planned and sponsored the first Acadian Day, June 28 1978, recognized by
the State of Maine Government. The next year, what had started as a one day observation
transformed into a week long celebration, the Acadian Festival. In 1980 local families with
French Acadian roots began organizing family reunions in conjunction with the
festival.These reunions proved to be incredibly popular and have consistently drawn in
1000-1500 people or more from around all of North America. The family holding the reunion
usually publishes a large genealogy and family history, copies of which are available at the
Madawaska Library.
Society members also spent a tremendous amount of effort in creating a series of oral
histories and a large historical photograph collection of people, places, and happenings of
the past. Both are available for public use at the Madawaska Library.
The Society plans in the future to work in conjunction with the Quebec-Labrador
Foundation, the Acadian Cultural Heritage Council, and other local historical societies and
cultural groups to promote the history of the area. Together, the groups have begun to lay
the groundwork for a historical cultural route that will take visitors on a detailed trip
around the area of settlement on both sides of the American-Canadian border. The
Madawaska Historical Society has recently established a committee to assess the state of
the museum, the museum grounds and its holdings with hopes of being able to better
present itself to the touring community interested in the past.
| Past Officers |
| President |
| Vice-President |
| Treasurer |
| Secretary |
| Family Reunion |
1970 Geraldine Chasse
1971 Geraldine Chasse
1973 A.J. Michaud
1974 Guy Dubay
1975 Gilman Hebert
1976 Gilman Hebert
1977 Gilman Hebert
1978 Austin Wylie
1979 Cecile Pozzuto
1980 Claude Cyr
1981 Claude Cyr
1982 Claude Cyr
1983 Guy Dubay
1984 Bert Cyr
1985 Bernette Albert
1986 Norman Cyr
1987 Norman Cyr
1988 Bernette Albert
1989 Bernette Albert
1990 Dan Berube
1991 Carol Waltman
1992 Claude Cyr
1993 Claude Cyr
1994 Jim Lavertu
1995 Jim Lavertu
1996 Jim Lavertu
1997 Verna Cyr-Fortin
1998 Verna Cyr Fortin
1999 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2000 Verna Cyr Fortin
2001 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2002 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2003 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2004 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2005 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2006 Rachelle Chasse-Defarges
2007 Norman Cyr
2008 Darlene Coltart
2009 Darlene Coltart
2010 Vernon Doucette
1971 Geraldine Chasse
1973 A.J. Michaud
1974 Guy Dubay
1975 Gilman Hebert
1976 Gilman Hebert
1977 Gilman Hebert
1978 Austin Wylie
1979 Cecile Pozzuto
1980 Claude Cyr
1981 Claude Cyr
1982 Claude Cyr
1983 Guy Dubay
1984 Bert Cyr
1985 Bernette Albert
1986 Norman Cyr
1987 Norman Cyr
1988 Bernette Albert
1989 Bernette Albert
1990 Dan Berube
1991 Carol Waltman
1992 Claude Cyr
1993 Claude Cyr
1994 Jim Lavertu
1995 Jim Lavertu
1996 Jim Lavertu
1997 Verna Cyr-Fortin
1998 Verna Cyr Fortin
1999 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2000 Verna Cyr Fortin
2001 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2002 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2003 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2004 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2005 Verna Cyr-Fortin
2006 Rachelle Chasse-Defarges
2007 Norman Cyr
2008 Darlene Coltart
2009 Darlene Coltart
2010 Vernon Doucette
| Rev. Albert Long Rev. Albert Long Geraldine Chasse Geraldine Chasse Mgsr. Albert Long Mgsr. Albert Long Mgsr. Albert Long Mgsr. Albert Long Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Mgsr. Gilman Chalout Don Cyr Don Cyr Joseph Tie Joseph Tie Joseph Tie Roger Thibodeau Norma Berube Darlene Coltart Norma Berube Warrena Morin Warrena Morin Warrena Morin N. Berube/W. Morin N. Berube/W. Morin Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Martha Guerrette Celine Lausier Celine Lausier Celine Lausier Celine Lausier |
| Marie Blanche Albert Blanche Savoy Rev. Albert Long Rev. Albert Long Agnes Beaulieu Agnes Beaulieu Agnes Beaulieu Agnes Beaulieu Aurele Dube Darlene Coltart Darlene Coltart Warrena Morin Geraldine Chasse Geraldine Chasse Linda Dube Linda Dube Linda Dube Gisele Tie Gisele Tie Gisele Tie Warrena Morin Roger Thibodeau Roger Thibodeau Joan Hebert Joan Hebert Joan Hebert Joan Hebert Joan Hebert Joan Hebert Bert Cyr Bert Cyr Cecile Pozzuto Cecile Pozzuto Laurie Sirois Laurie Sirois Darlene Coltart Darlene Coltart Linda Cyr Linda Cyr Linda Cyr |
| no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion no reunion Daigle Cyr Hebert Dufour Thibodeau remaining founding families* Pelletier Plourde Ouellette Paradis Bouchard Sirois Cote Theriault Roy Chasse Levesque Dube Nadeau Dumont Millville/Deschaines Picard Martin Michaud Gendreau/Jandreau Dionne Caron LaGasse Guerrette Marquis Gagnon |
| * In 1985 the remaining founding families were : Ayotte, DuPerre, Mercure, Fournier, Poirier,and Sanfacon. |
Co-ordinators:
Museum: Guy Dubay
Membership: Verna Cyr Fortin
Publications: Darlene Coltart
Website Administration: Ken Theriault, Jr.
Newsletter:
Acadian Mass: Joan Hebert & Simone Hebert
Representative to Maine Acadian Heritage Council: Norman Cyr
Museum: Guy Dubay
Membership: Verna Cyr Fortin
Publications: Darlene Coltart
Website Administration: Ken Theriault, Jr.
Newsletter:
Acadian Mass: Joan Hebert & Simone Hebert
Representative to Maine Acadian Heritage Council: Norman Cyr
| Sr. Vivian Bond Sr. Vivian Bond Agnes Beaulieu Francis Levasseur Blanche Savoie Paul Marin Melvin Labbe Cecile Pozzuto Claude Cyr Guy Dubay Guy Dubay Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Roger Thibodeau Guy Dubay Guy Dubay Guy Dubay Guy Dubay Linda Dube Linda Dube Linda Dube Linda Dube Dave Wylie Verna Cyr-Fortin Verna Cyr-Fortin Claude Cyr Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Bernette Albert Verna Cyr-Fortin Verna Cyr-Fortin Norman Cyr Norman Cyr Norman Cyr |
