Courtesy of cousin Roseanne Bensette, Ontario

The Belair dit Robidou Family

The Belair family that moved to Windsor, Ontario around 1908 are descended from
Andre Robidou dit l'Espagnol who came to New France around 1666 from Spain as a sailor and about 26 years of age. He was the son of Emmanuel Robidou and Catherine Alve of Santa Marie Galicia, Spain. Andre is listed in the 1666 Census as a sailor in the service of Eustache Lambert one of the earliest settlers in New France. Andre married Jeanne Denot on June 7, 1667 in Quebec City, Quebec. Jeanne was a Fille du Roi who came to Canada in 1666 the daughter of Antoine Denot and Catherine Leduc from the Parish of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris, France. It seems that both Andre and Jeanne were illeriate as neither signed their contract of marriage. They settled in Laprairie, Quebec and had six children; Marie Joseph, Marie Romaine, Marguerite, Jeanne Marie, and sons Guillaume and Joseph. Andre died after eleven years of marriage on April 1, 1678 leaving young children at home, the youngest being Joseph, less than three months old. Four months after Andres's death in 1678, Jeanne married Jacques Surprenant and the couple had eight more children in Laprairie, Quebec. Jeanne died some time after 1692.


My line follows Guillaume Robidou son of Andre and Jeanne. He was born on November 28, 1675 in Laprairie and was only 3 years old when his father died. Guillaume was raised by his step father Jacques Surprenant in Laprairie. Guillaume married Marie Francoise Guerin on June 11, 1697 in Montreal, Quebec. She was the daughter of a Master Shoemaker, Sylvain Guerin and Marie Brazeau and was 16 years old at the time of her marriage. It has been suggested that Marie Brazeau, Guillaume's mother in law, had questionable morals in the wilderness of New France. Marie Francoise was her oldest daughter born in New France while her father was still in France until 1685. Marie Brazeau had three other children after her husband returned to France alone. Guillaume and Marie Francoise had 13 children between 1699 and 1722; Etienne, Joseph, Marguerite-Catherine, Antoinette-Josephe, Marie Francoise, Francois, Antoine, Marie Angelique, Laurent Francois, Paul, Marie Charlotte, Charles, and Marguerite Madeleine. Guillaume died on July 1, 1754 and is buried at Montreal. Marie Francoise died August 26, 1757 and is also buried at Montreal. Although it would be 6 generations before my line of Robidou's would reach Essex County, Ontario through Guillaume and Francoise son Etienne, their son Joseph would have a grandson who moved to Essex County. Just one of the Robidou men to have his name carried on in the Windsor/Detroit area today.


Guillaume and Francoise oldest child Etienne is the next in my line. He was born on June 9, 1699, in Laprairie, Quebec. On November 24, 1721 in Longueuil, Quebec Etienne married Marie Anne LaRoche. They had a daughter Marie Josephe born in 1722 and were expecting a second child in early 1724 when Etienne died on October 22, 1723 in Longueuil, Quebec. Marie Anne gave birth to a son whom she named Etienne after his deceased father on January 30, 1724 and one month later on February 26, 1724 married Jacques Philippe Vetu dit Belair in Montreal. Marie Anne had 13 more children with Jacques. As a result of being raised with his step father Etienne used the last name Belair dit Robidou. He combined the names of his father and stepfather and created his own "dit" name. This legacy continued for a couple of generation until in the early 1800's you start to see just the name Belair being written in the Parish Record books for the events of this family. Today the surviving last name is Belair in my family line.
The source of the information for the last name came from Cindy Gordon whose research can be found on RootsWeb World Connect.


Etienne Belair dit Robidou married Marie Catherine Chambly on February 4, 1743 in Montreal, Quebec. She is the daughter of Clement Chambly and Marie-Anne Messaguier. They lived in Montreal for a couple of years then moved to Pierrefonds and by 1751 were living in Oka, Deux Montagnes and at some later point to Vaudreuil where their children's marriages can be found. They had 15 children; Marie Josephe, Etienne Pascal, Marie Francoise, Marie Ursule, Pierre Amable, Etienne, Jean Baptiste, Marie Genevieve, Hyacinthe Amable, Elisabeth, Augustin, Philibert, Marie Ursule, Marie Josephe, and Marie Agatha. At least 8 of these children would reach adulthood but only 3 of the boys would marry. On September 7, 1787 Catherine died in Vaudreuil and Etienne died September 14, 1801 at the age of 77.


Augustin Belair dit Robidou was born on January 3, 1763, in Oka, Quebec.On January 6, 1786 he married Elisabeth Servant, the daughter of Pierre Servant and Madeline Vincent. This couple resided in Rigaud where 12 children were born. Six sons; Augustin, Etienne, Joseph, Jean Baptist, Hyacinthe and Pierre, also there were 6 daughters; Catherine, Marie Elisabeth, Genevieve, Marie Suzanne, Marie Victoire and Alexis. Augustin was a voyager and was away at the time of his sons birth Pierre in 1804. Elisabeth died in July 1805 and Augustin must have still been away as her son Augustin and her brother Alexis are the ones present at her burial. By 1809 Augustin was living in the Oka mission where his daughter Catherine married Joseph Louis dit Pompee, an Indian. (**he was not Indian, he was black.  He was actually a slave owned by Michel Eustache Gaspard Alain Chartier de Lotbiniere, the Seigneur de Vaudreuil. According to an inventory of goods taken for Michel, Louis was a house slave, but there was no value listed for him. They did have a son, Joseph Louis, b. April 22, 1810.  However, we lose him in the records, possibly because he died**) In 1810 Augustin buried his son Hyacinth in Ste Madeleine de Rigaud after he drowned with another boy in Long Sault Rapids. Augustin also had a daughter by an Indian woman while living in the Oka Mission after Elisabeth's death. The entry for his daughters marriage reads "Marie Skonweairon, minor daughter of the late Augustin Robidoux.....and Thomas Watiorhary, an Iroquois of this mission, her guardian since childhood. The mother is unknown." There is no burial date for Augustin in either Oka or Ste Madeliene de Rigaud where he raised his family. We get a possible clue about his death with his son Augustin who died before the birth of his third child, Emilie, in Aug. 1814. If we look at the time of conception for Emilie that gives us a date of November 1813. It is interesting to note that the battle of Chrysler Farm in the War of 1812 took place on November 11, 1813. Chrysler Farm was down the river at the other end of Long Sault where the Robidous lived. Many French men along with their British neighbours and the Iroquois took part in that battle. It is my assumption that both Augustin Robidou dit Belair and his son Augustin fought and died in the battle of Chrysler Farm. The Battle of Chrysler Farm
On April 4, 1826 at Ste-Madeleine-de-Rigaud Jean Baptist Belair dit Robidou married Louise Quesnel on April 4, 1826 at Ste Madeleine de Rigaud. Louise was the daughter of Amable Quesnel and Rose Moreau and was the youngest of eleven children and was sometimes called Lisette. Jean Baptiste & Louise had 9 children between the years 1827 and 1849 in Rigaud. Only three of these children would reach adulthood and marry, Suzanne, Jean Baptiste and Joseph. They were a farming family in and around the Rigaud area. Louise died giving birth to her daughter Emilien in December 1849 and later at the age of 8 months Emilien was buried at St. Madeleine, Rigaud, Quebec. Jean Baptiste raised his four surviving children, Jean Baptiste, Joseph, Suzanne, Marcelline, on his own. In 1863 he remarried to Emilie Grondin in St Marthe, Quebec. She was 25 years younger than Jean Baptiste. By 1867 at the time of his son Joseph's wedding Jean Baptiste was deceased. I have not yet found his burial. Marcelline, Jean Baptiste & Louise youngest surviving child, died in 1870 at the age of 25 never having married or leaving any children.

Joseph Belair, the son of Jean Baptist and Louise Quesnel was born May 5, 1840 in Rigaud, Quebec and married Salomee Theoret of Glen Robertson on September 2, 1867 in Ste-Marthe, Vaudreuil, Quebec. Salomee was the daughter of Antoine Theoret & Eulalie Poudrette dit Lavigne. Joseph and Salomee had nine children. Joseph's brother Jean Baptiste raised his family in and around LaChute, Quebec. Joseph and Jean Baptiste would be the generation to drop Robidou from their last name. By 1876 Joseph and Salomee moved their family to Glen Robertson, Ontario near Ottawa. The 1881 Canadian Census has them living in Lochiel Towship, Glengarry County, Ontario. Here they would live out their lives and their children would also raise families in the Glengarry County area. Joseph's died in 1907. In the 1901 Census he was listed as living with his eldest son Joseph and his family along with Salomee. After Joseph's death in 1907 Salomee married George Sabourin, her brother-in-law through marriage to her sister Marie Louise Theoret who died in 1908. Salomee and George married in 1910. Salomee died April 6, 1943 in Glen Robertson.
 
Salomee Theoret
Joseph married Salomee Theoret on September 2, 1867 in Ste-Marthe-sur-la-Lac, Quebec. Their children are found in the R.C. Churches of Glen Robertson, Glen Nevis and Lochiel, Ontario.
 

Adolphus, their son, was married on May 2, 1899 to Virginie (Eugenie) Courville in Ste-Justine-de-Newton, Quebec. The daughter of Jean Baptiste Courville & Emilie Tessier dit Lavigne. Adolphus and Virginie had at least 5 children, 4 of whom survived to adulthood. In the 1901 Canadian Census they were living in the Villiage of Grenville, Argentuil County, Quebec and Adophus is listed as a tinsmith. By December of 1901 their first child Adolph was born followed by Fleur-Ange in 1902. Laurentia was born in 1905 but died in January 1907 and that summer in June Laurence was born. Yvette was born in 1908. Around the year 1914 Adolphus and Virginie moved their family to Windsor, Ontario. Adolphus was a "ferblantier" or "tinman" and worked in the sheet metal business. He owned his own shop in Windsor where my father remembers going to visit and his grandather, Adolphus, would make him a pail and shovel to play with.

Adolphus Belair c. 1940

Virginie Courville Belair c. 1930

Virginie died July 7, 1935 in Windsor, Ont. and is buried in Heavenly Rest Cememtery, Windsor. After her death Adolphus moved back to Glen Robertson and married his first cousin Rosina Sabourin on May 26, 1943 in Ste. Anne de Prescott Parish, Ontario. Adolphus's mother, Salomee, and Rosina's mother, Marie-Louise, were sisters. Salomee and Marie-Louise also shared a husband from the generation before. The marriage must have been for companionship as Adolphus was in his 60's and Rosina was widowed from Ovila Roy with whom she had a grown family. Adolphus died in 1951 in Glen Robertson.

The children of Adolphus and Virginie were; Adolph who never married and never had children, he died at the young age of 48 years old; Fleur-Ange whose name became Florence in the english translation married Ernest Cadotte of Detroit, they resided in Detroit but never had children; Laurentia who was born in Quebec in March 1905 and was buried January 27, 1907 in Ste Justine de Newton; Yvette who married Harry Usher of Detroit and had 4 children and Lawrence Sylvio born on June 5, 1907 and baptized Jean Baptist Laurent Sylvio in Grenville, Quebec on
June 6, 1907.
 
The Belair Family
Left to Right
Adolphus Belair, Fleur-Ange, Virginie, (back row) Adolph, Yvette, Laurent Sylvio
c. 1925
Laurent or Lawrence as he was called, married Florence Larsh of Windsor, Ontario on July 10, 1930 at Sacred Heart Parish Church. They had a family of 8 children who along with their offspring live in both the United States and Canada today. There are now 28 great grandchildren from this marriage some of whom are nearing the age of adulthood or have reached the summer season of life.

 

Louis Robidoux, California Pioneer

by William J. Rubidoux (10d2a1g8b4b)

  Each  year throngs of worshippers climb the slopes of  Mt. Rubidoux, in Riverside, to attend sunrise Easter services. Approaching the summit they look down upon a vast expanse of land owned by Louis Robidoux, a pioneer fur trader and early California settler.   The roots of the Robidoux family in North America are very deep for Andre Robidoux arrived at Quebec from France in about 1650. More than a century later one of his descendants, Joseph, left Canada which had been ceded to the English by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Like many of his French friends, Joseph Robidoux disdained to live under British rule.

     His emigration to St. Louis in 1770 marked another step westward in the history of a family whose activities brought them constantly beyond the frontier. Joseph died in the following year. He was survived by his son and namesake, Joseph, who became a successful merchant in St. Louis and  to whom was born eight sons, six of whom played prominent roles in the annals of the west.   Of these six sons, my great, great, grandfather, Louis Robidoux, is best known to readers of California history. Born in St. Louis on July 7, 1796, he lived under four flags. At the time of his birth his native city stood upon territory governed by Spain, but which was ceded to France in 1800. As part of the Louisiana Purchase, St. Louis was sold to the United States three years later. Louis lived under the Mexican flag in New Mexico and California and died a citizen of the United States at Riverside.

     Louis Robidoux was fortunate enough to receive a good education from tutors engaged by his father. He became an expert linguist and is said to have mastered four languages. In addition, he absorbed much lore of the frontier, information which was indispensable for survival where danger was commonplace.   His father died when he was thirteen years old and thereafter he lived close to his brothers. Trade on the Santa Fe Trail commenced in 1822 and two years later he and his brother Joseph made a trip to the southwest. A contemporary dairy contains the entry, “Sept. 20, 1824. Robidoux party  started for St. Afee [Santa Fe] today.”     Upon his arrival at the key city of the southwest, Louis started a store and constructed a gristmill. He was part of an important business venture that involved him and several of his brothers.

     Joseph Robidoux, founder of St. Joseph, Missouri, which he named after his patron saint, established a trading post in the Blacksnake Hills. Isadore and Francois Robidoux traded in Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. The former took over the Robidoux agency at Santa Fe when Louis moved his operations to Taos, New Mexico.  Ultimately another of the brothers, Antoine, shipped most of his furs through the Taos post. Antoine, who has been credited with being “the first American trapper out of Taos” has been called the “Kingpin of the Fur Trade of the Southwest.” In 1829 he and Louis  became naturalized citizens of Mexico and in the following year the former was elected president of the town council of Santa Fe. Antoine erected the first trading post west of the Rockies on the Gunnison River in what is now southwestern Colorado. Michal (frequently called Miguel) Robidoux is remembered as the leader of the Pattie fur hunting party on the Gila river which resulted in the massacre of most of the trappers by hostile Indians.

     With his naturalization as a Mexican citizen, Louis was able to avoid troublesome custom taxes. His business prospered and he married Guadalupe Garcia,  the beautiful daughter of one of New Mexico’s leading families.   During his residence in New Mexico, Louis Robidoux became acquainted with many men who later emigrated to California. Of these probably the best known today was Benjamin D. Wilson who purchased a portion of the Jurupa grant in Riverside County from Don Juan Bandini, married Ramona, daughter of Don Bernardo Yorba, and settled himself down as a ranchero. Later he disposed of his holdings to Louis Robidoux and went into politics, becoming the first county clerk of Los Angeles County and the second mayor of the city of  Los Angeles. Mt. Wilson perpetuates his memory. One of his most distinguished descendants was the late General George Patton.    Robidoux was a friend of William Workman and John Rowland who became grantees of the great Rancho La Puente in Los Angeles county. He also knew George Yount, a mountain man who came to California, trapped sea otter and established himself on the Ranchos Caymus and La Jota in Napa county. He also knew  George Nidever, who spent his last years in Santa Barbara.

     Without doubt he was well acquainted with Thomas I. “Pegleg” Smith, who trapped for several years with Antonie Robidoux. Smith, called by Albert Pike the “Bald Hornet” claimed to have amputated his own leg after it had been shattered in an Indian fight. He fashioned his own wooden leg out of the limb of an oak tree. Peg leg bore a dubious reputation for raiding California horse herds. He died in the San Francisco County  hospital in 1866.     Other friends of Robidoux who moved to California were William Wolfskill, Isaac Slover and Nathaniel Pryor.

  Ultimately the fur trade became unprofitable. Pelts decreased and changes in styles reduced the popularity of beaver hats. Moreover, burdensome taxes were impressed on all foreigners whether they had been naturalized or not. An anti-American sentiment sprang up “Yankees” were accused of a typhoid epidemic and a smallpox scourge. Louis Robidoux looked to the west. Louis Robidoux arrived in southern California in 1843 with the intention of becoming a cattle rancher. He possessed the three qualifications requisite under Mexican Law to acquire land: he was a naturalized Mexican citizen, a Roman Catholic and of “good proven character.” After viewing with favor a tract of land in what is now Riverside County he returned to New Mexico and brought his family to California. On his way west his son, Mariano, died and was buried at the side of the desert trail.

     Robidoux acquired a portion of the Jurupa Rancho on the Santa Ana River from Benjamin D. Wilson and Santiago Johnson who had purchased the land from Juan Bandini, the original grantee of the rancho. In addition he bought the San Timoteo Rancho from Johnson.   He built a house on the west side of the river, at the base of  Mount Robidoux, so named by his friend Bandini. The adobe which he constructed was thatched with willows and straw which were coated with brea. Timbers for the home came from Bandini’s saw mill in the San Bernardino Mountains. Upon his land Robidoux grazed his horses cattle and sheep. He devoted about 100 acres to the growing of corn, grain and vegetables, and set out a small peach tree orchard. For some time he grew roses for the perfume market. In addition, he operated a store principally for the benefit of his employees.

Robidoux himself purchased supplies in Los Angeles. He was a good customer of Harris Newmark , who later recalled some of the large purchases he made from him. The pioneer merchant said “I sometimes visited his ranch and recall, in particular, one stay of two or three days there in 1857, when after an unusually large purchase Robidoux asked me to assist him in checking the invoices. The cases were unpacked in his ranchouse; and I have never forgotten the amusing picture of the numerous little Robidoux [children] digging and delving among the assorted goods for all the prizes they could find, and thus rendering the process of listing the goods much more difficult. When the delivery had been found correct, Robidoux turned to his wife asked her to bring the money. She went to the side of the room, opened a Chinese truck such as every well to do California family had  and drew there from the customary buckskin from which she extracted the required and rather large amount.”

     Robidoux had not lived long on the Jurupa before the Mexican War broke out. He sided with the Americans and furnished needed supplies to the Mormon Battalion which had been recruited for service in the United States Army. Stephen C. Foster, who later became the first mayor of Los Angeles, served as interpreter for the battalion. He accompanied some officers to Los Angeles in search of  flour. Fremont’s men had already invested the pueblo and they reported that only beef was available.

     Fortunately Foster met Robidoux who told him that he could spare the troops “some two or three thousand pounds of wheat”,which could be ground at his mill on the Santa Ana River. Two wagons were dispatched to the Jurupa They returned laden with 1700 pounds of flour and two sacks of beans. The troops were jubilant and company bakers quickly turned out a generous supply of well browned loaves of bread which Foster said was the sweetest he had ever tasted.

     Shortly after Stockton and Fremont took possession of Los Angeles the former asked Benjamin D. Wilson if he would perform scouting duty to determine if the California general, Jose Castro, had actually left the province. Robidoux was among the group who accompanied Wilson through Warner’s Pass and onto the Colorado Desert. After the menders of the party satisfied themselves that the fleeing general had actually gone to Mexico they returned to the Jurupa.

     There they learned that affairs in Los Angeles were in a state of confusion. Lt. Gillespie, who had been placed in charge of the pueblo by Stockton had proved himself unpopular and the Californians had risen up in revolt. Gilleslpie called upon Robidoux and his friends for help. These men were now in a difficult position. Most of them were naturalized citizens of Mexico. To oppose the Californians would be looked upon as treason. Prospects of the United States military occupation were not promising for the revolt had spread as far north as Monterey.

     While deliberating over their dilemma at Robidoux’s home, these non-Californians received a message from Isaac Williams of the nearby Chino Ranch inviting them to come to his adobe and assuring them that he had ample ammunition. On September 25, 1845, in response to the invitation the men went to the Chino Ranch. There they found that Williams had been wavering in his allegiance. As a result he gained the enmity of the Californians, who had confiscated his small store of powder and ball. Robidoux and his friends were thoroughly disgusted, but there was nothing to do but make preparations to defend Williams’s adobe.

     On September 27 they were attacked by a superior force which rushed the ranch house and set its  roof on fire. Within an hour the besieged were literally smoked out and forced to surrender. The non-Californians were taken prisoners and marched to Los Angeles. Benjamin Wilson later, in 1877, wrote, “We all arrive that evening on the mesa south of town, now known as Boyle’s Height, without further occurrence, except the suffering and groans of my poor wounded men...The only names beside my own that I can now remember as belonging to my party are D.W.Alexander, John Rowland, Isaac Callaghan and Louis Robidoux...In Boyle’s Height we were all placed in a small adobe room. Soon a priest came in bearing a large cross and after salutations asked if any amongst us wished to confess. Robidoux answered, “yes, I do,’ adding. “My God , men, they are going to shoot us; the priest’s coming is a sure sign.”

     The priest explained that he had heard that some of the men were wounded and might be in need of spiritual comfort. On the following day  the men were marched Los Angeles where a doctor was called to attend the wounded.

     There after the prisoners were treated with more consideration. For a short time they were incarcerated at San Gabriel Mission. Upon their return to Los Angeles the Americans were given many privileges. In fact their restraint consisted largely of being required to sleep each night in the local jail. However, there were periods of anxiety when rumors spread that the captives might be transported to Mexico City. Has such a plan been carried out it is doubtful if any of the men would ever have lived to return to the United States. Without the help of outside friends Louis Robidoux and his companions would have met certain death as he explained in a  letter to a friend in Santa Fe: “ This same Flores [the Mexican general in command in Los Angeles] made up his mind to send us as far as the capital of Mexico for the purpose of giving more weight to his exploits or still better to the drafts he had issued upon the government. There was at this time a party which always spied upon him, embarrassed his plans, and opposed when necessary his individual views.”

     Upon Stockton’s entry into Los Angeles on January 10, 1847, Robidoux was released and he returned to his Jurupa rancho.

 

Chaque foules d'année de fidèles montent les pentes de Tm. Rubidoux, dans la Rive, assister les services de Pâques de lever du soleil. Approcher le sommet qu'ils regardent en bas sur une étendue vaste de terre possédée par Louis Robidoux, un commerçant de fourrure de pionnier et le colon de Californie premier. Les racines de la famille de Robidoux dans Amérique du nord sont très profondes pour Andre Robidoux est arrivé à Québec de France dans environ 1650. Plus qu'un siècle plus tard un de ses descendants, Joseph, part Canada qui avait été cédé à l'anglais par le Traité de Paris en 1763. Comme beaucoup de ses amis français, Joseph Robidoux a dédaigné de habiter sous la règle britannique. Son émigration à la Rue. Louis dans 1770 a marqué une autre étape vers l'ouest dans l'histoire d'une famille dont les activités les ont amenés constamment au delà de la frontière. Joseph est mort dans l'année suivante. Il a été survécu par son fils et son homonyme, Joseph, qui est devenu un marchand réussi dans la Rue. Louis et à qu'était né huit fils, six de qu'ont joué des rôles éminents dans les annales de l'ouest. De ces six fils, mon grand, grand, le grand-père, Louis Robidoux, est le mieux connu aux lecteurs d'histoire de Californie. Né dans la Rue. Louis le 7 juillet, 1796, il a habité sous quatre drapeaux. Lors de sa naissance que sa ville natale s'est tenu sur le territoire gouverné par Espagne, mais qui a été cédé en France en 1800. Comme la partie de l'Achat de Louisiane, la Rue.

Louis a été vendu aux Etats-Unis trois années plus tard. Louis a habité sous le drapeau mexicain dans nouveau Mexique et Californie et est mort un citoyen des Etats-Unis à la Rive. Louis Robidoux avait la chance recevoir une bonne éducation des professeurs occupés par son père. Il est devenu un linguiste expert et est dit avoir maîtrisé quatre langues. En plus, il a absorbé la beaucoup de tradition de la frontière, l'information qui était indispensable pour la survie où le danger était commun. Son père est mort quand il avait treize ans et par la suite il a habité proche à ses frères. Le commerce sur la Piste de Fe de Santa a commencé dans 1822 et deux années plus tard il et son Joseph de frère a fait un voyage au sud-ouest. Un contemporain laitier contient l'entrée, “Septembre. 20, 1824. Le parti de Robidoux a commencé pour la Rue. Afee [Santa Fe] l'aujourd'hui.” Sur son arrivée à la ville clée du sud-ouest, Louis a commencé un magasin et a construit un gristmill. Il faisait partie d'une entreprise importante d'affaires qui lui a impliqué et plusieurs de ses frères. Joseph Robidoux, le fondateur de St. Joseph, Missouri, qu'il a nommé après son saint patron, établi un poste

lors de sa naissance que sa ville natale s'est tenu sur le territoire gouverné par Espagne, mais qui a été cédé en France en 1800. Comme la partie de l'Achat de Louisiane, la Rue. Louis a été vendu aux Etats-Unis trois années plus tard. Louis a habité sous le drapeau mexicain dans nouveau Mexique et Californie et est mort un citoyen des Etats-Unis à la Rive. Louis Robidoux avait la chance recevoir une bonne éducation des professeurs occupés par son père. Il est devenu un linguiste expert et est dit avoir maîtrisé quatre langues. En plus, il a absorbé la beaucoup de tradition de la frontière, l'information qui était indispensable pour la survie où le danger était commun. Son père est mort quand il avait treize ans et par la suite il a habité proche à ses frères. Le commerce sur la Piste de Fe de Santa a commencé dans 1822 et deux années plus tard il et son Joseph de frère a fait un voyage au sud-ouest. Un contemporain laitier contient l'entrée, “Septembre. 20, 1824. Le parti de Robidoux a commencé pour la Rue. Afee [Santa Fe] l'aujourd'hui.” Sur son arrivée à la ville clée du sud-ouest, Louis a commencé un magasin et a construit un gristmill. Il faisait partie d'une entreprise importante d'affaires qui lui a impliqué et plusieurs de ses frères. Joseph Robidoux, le fondateur de Rue. Joseph, Missouri, qu'il a nommé après son saint patron, établi un poste d'approvisionnement dans les Collines de Blacksnake. Le Isadore et Francois Robidoux a échangé dans Sonora et Chihuahua, Mexique. L'ancien a pris par-dessus l'agence de Robidoux à Santa Fe quand Louis a transféré ses opérations à Taos, nouveau Mexique. Finalement le commerce de fourrure est devenu peu rentable. Les peaux ont diminué de le et les changements dans les styles ont réduit la popularité de chapeaux de castor. De plus, les impôts onéreux ont été impressionnés sur tous étrangers s'ils avaient été naturalisé ou pas. Un sentiment anti-américain s'est levé “yankee” ont été accusé d'une épidémie de typhoïde et un fléau de variole. Louis Robidoux a compté sur l'ouest. Louis Robidoux est arrivé dans Californie méridionale dans 1843 avec l'intention de devenir un rancheur de bétail. Il a possédé la trois condition de qualifications sous la Loi mexicaine pour acquérir la terre : il était un citoyen mexicain naturalisé, un catholique romain et de “le bon caractère.” prouvé après avoir regardé avec favorise une étendue de terre dans quel est le Comté maintenant au bord de la rivière il est retourné à nouveau Mexique et a amené sa famille à Californie. Sur son ouest de façon son fils, Mariano, mort et a été enterré au côté de la piste de désert. Robidoux a acquis une portion du Jurupa Rancho sur la Rivière de Ana de Santa de Benjamin D. Le Wilson et Santiago Johnson qui avait acheté la terre de Juan Bandini, le cessionnaire original du rancho. En plus il a acheté le San Timoteo Rancho de Johnson. Il a construit une maison sur le côté d'ouest de la rivière, à la base de Robidoux de Mont, donc nommé par son Bandini d'ami. L'adobe qu'il a construit a été fait du chaume avec les saules et la paille qui ont été revêtu avec brea. Les bois pour la maison sont venus de Bandini a vu le moulin dans les Montagnes de Bernardino de San. Sur son Robidoux de terre a brouté son bétail de chevaux et le mouton. Il a consacré à peu près 100 demi-hectares au grandir de maïs, le grain et les légumes, et régler hors un petit verger d'arbre aux pêches. Longtemps il a grandi des roses pour le marché de parfum. En plus, il a fonctionné un magasin principalement au profit de ses employés. Robidoux s'acheté fournit dans Los Angeles. Il était un bon client de Harris Newmark, qui a rappelé plus tard certains des grands achats qu'il a fait de lui. Le marchand de pionnier a dit “j'ai visité parfois son ranch et son rappel, en particulier, un séjour de deux ou trois jours là-bas dans 1857, quand après un anormalement grand Robidoux d'achat m'a demandé de l'aider dans vérifier les factures. Les cas ont été déballés dans son ranchouse ; et je n'ai jamais oublié l'image amusante du petit Robidoux nombreux [les enfants] creusant et fouillant parmi les articles variées pour tous les prix qu'ils pourrait trouver, et ainsi rendant le procédé d'énumérer les articles beaucoup plus difficile. Quand la livraison avait été trouvée correct, Robidoux a tourné à sa femme lui a demandé d'amener l'argent. Elle est allée au côté de la pièce, ouvert un Chinois transporte en camion tel que chaque puits pour faire la famille de Californie avait et a dessiné là-bas de la peau de daim coutumière de qui elle a extrait le plutôt grand quantité.” exigé Robidoux n'avait pas habité longtemps sur le Jurupa avant que la Guerre mexicaine s'est cassée hors. Il a pris parti avec les Américains et les provisions nécessaires fournies au Bataillon mormon qui avait été recruté pour le service dans l'Armée d'Etats-Unis. Stephen C. Encourager, qui est devenu plus tard le premier maire de Los Angeles, servi de l'interprète pour le bataillon. Il a accompagné quelques officiers à Los Angeles à la recherche de la farine. Les hommes de Fremont avaient investi déjà le pueblo et ils ont rapporté que le seulement boeuf était disponible. Heureusement Encourager Robidoux rencontré qui a dit qu'il pourrait épargner les troupes “quelques deux ou trois mille livres de blé”, qui pourrait lui être le sol à son moulin sur la Rivière de Ana de Santa. Deux chariots ont été envoyés au Jurupa Ils se sont retournés chargé avec 1700 livres de farine et deux sacs d'haricots. Les troupes étaient boulangers radieux et de compagnie a tourné rapidement hors une provision généreuse de bien miches de browned de pain qui Encourage dit étaient le plus doux il jamais avait goûté. Peu après Stockton et Fremont ont pris la possession de Los Angeles l'ancien a demandé à Benjamin D. Wilson s'il exécuterait cherchant le devoir pour déterminer si le général de Californie, Jose Castro, avait en fait gauche la province. Robidoux était parmi le groupe qui a accompagné Wilson par la Passe de Warner et sur le le colorado Déserte. Après le menders du parti s'est satisfait qui le général qui fuit était allé en fait à Mexique ils se sont retournés au Jurupa. Là-bas ils ont appris que les affaires dans Los Angeles étaient dans un état de confusion. Lt. Gillespie, qui avait été placé chargé du pueblo par Stockton s'était prouvé impopulaire et les Californiens s'étaient élevés en haut dans la révolte. Gilleslpie a fait appel à Robidoux et ses amis pour l'aide. Ces hommes étaient maintenant dans une position difficile. La plupart d'eux ont été naturalisé des citoyens de Mexique. Pour opposer les Californiens seraient regardés sur comme la trahison. Les perspectives des Etats-Unis occupation militaire ne promettait pas pour la révolte s'était étalé comme le grand nord comme Monterey. Pendant que délibérant par-dessus leur dilemme à la maison de Robidoux, ces non-Californiens ont reçu un message de Isaac Williams du Ranch de Chino proche les invitant à venir à son adobe et les assurant qu'il avait des munitions amples. Le 25 septembre, 1845, en réponse à l'invitation que les hommes sont allés au Ranch de Chino. Là-bas ils ont trouvé que Williams avaient vacillé dans sa fidélité. Par conséquent il a gagné l'inimitié des Californiens, qui avaient confisqué son petit magasin de poudre et de balle. Robidoux et ses amis ont été dégoûtés à fond, mais il y avait de rien faire mais faire des préparations pour défendre l'adobe de Williams.   Le 27 septembre ils ont été attaqués par une force supérieure qui est dépêchée la maison de ranch et a réglé son toit sur le feu. Dans une heure l'assailli a été littéralement fumé et a été forcé hors à se rendre. Le non-Californiens ont été pris des prisonniers et marché à Los Angeles. Benjamin Wilson plus tard, dans 1877, a écrit, “Nous tout arrive ce soir sur le sud de mesa de ville, maintenant connu comme la Hauteur de Boyle, sans le plus ample événement, sauf le souffrir et les gémissements de mes pauvres a blessé des hommes. ..The seulement noms à côté de mon propre que je peux me rappeler maintenant comme appartenant à mon parti sont D. LE W. Alexander, John Rowland, Isaac Callaghan et Louis Robidoux. ..In Hauteur de Boyle nous étions tout placé dans un. Bientôt un prêtre est entré porter une grande croix et après les salutations demandés si n'importe quel parmi a souhaité nous avouer. Robidoux a répondu, “oui, je fais, » ajoutant. “Mon Dieu, les hommes, ils vont nous tirer ; le venir du prêtre est un signe.” sûr que Le prêtre a expliqué qu'il avait entendu que certains des hommes ont été blessés et pourraient être dans le besoin de confort spirituel. Sur le jour suivant que les hommes ont été marchés Los Angeles où un médecin a été appelé pour assister le blessé. Là-bas après les prisonniers ont été traité avec plus de considération. Pour un chômage partiel qu'ils ont été incarcérés à la Mission de Gabriel de San. Sur leur retour à Los Angeles que les Américains ont été donnés beaucoup de privilèges. En fait leur restriction a consisté principalement d'étant exigé dormir chaque nuit dans la prison locale. Cependant, il y avait des périodes d'anxiété quand les rumeurs s'étalent que les captifs pourraient être transportés à Mexico.              

Magloire Robidoux—Life in Minnesota 

1853—1914

 

Magloire Robidoux—a man of mystery; a man of two nations; a man who lived in two different civilizations in North America.  Born in St. Constant, Quebec, Canada on April 13, 1830, he resided in Canada for his first twenty-three years.  Then, leaving a world of modern civilization for his day, he left his homeland of Canada and entered the United States to reside in one of its most uncivilized wildernesses—the Minnesota Territory.

 

Magloire came to the Minnesota Territory in 1853 by way of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.  There he made his home in the town of Fort Ridgley, which was next to Ft. Ridgley, and was employed by the army at the fort as laborer and carpenter.  At that time most of the pioneers were immigrants from England, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.  There were very few French Canadians in the area; thus, he became acquainted with Hyacinthe Coutourier, Francois Dumerce  (Demers) and Henry Hill.  Unknown to Magloire at that time, all of these men had an influence on his life.  Coutourier became a long-time friend and a brother-in-law; Dumerce became his father-in-law and Hill a business partner. 

 

His future father-in-law, Francois Dumerce, a trapper and scout for the United States Army, lived nearby at the town of Eight Mile Creek.  By 1857 Eight Mile Creek was a large enough town to have a Justice of Peace to record marriages in the area.  It was in July 1857  that  Madaline  Dumerce and Magloire Robidoux were married with Madaline’s brother Francis as a witness.  The couple lived in the town of Fort Ridgley before moving to the mouth of Hawk Creek, Minnesota.

 

The couple’s first son, Oliver, was born in 1856 at the town of Fort Ridgley, Minnesota that was near the military fort of Ft. Ridgley. This small fort was in the Southwestern part of the Minnesota Territory along the Minnesota River and was the protector for the settlers in the area.  The family must have moved to Hawk Creek, about fifty miles west of the fort, later that year as their second son was born at the Hawk Creek home in February 1857.  They were the only pioneer family in the area where their only neighbors were the Dakota Indians who lived in a small community across the Minnesota River near the Robidoux cabin.

 

Feuds were many among the Dakota villages and in one of these Magloire found himself accidentally involved.  One weekend a few of the Dakota men from one village asked Magloire if they could buy a jug of liquor to celebrate a successful hunt.  This he did.  He did not suspect the true reason for the purchase.  The men who bought the jug actually needed the liquor to help them “build up courage in themselves” to commit murder.  They wanted to kill a nephew of one of the neighboring village chiefs as this man was becoming a farmer and taking up “the white man’s ways”.  When some of the villagers from the murdered man foun d out that Magloire had sold the murderers the liquor, they considered him guilty too.  Therefore, the following day they came to the Robidoux cabin, removed all the household goods, held the family captive as they burned the cabin down.  After this experience the family moved to an Indian Agency until tempers between the two villages cooled and it was safe to return.

 

When Magloire and his family returned to Hawk Creek is unknown, but the cabin had been rebuilt by the time another son, Nelson Ney, was born in 1860.  Things seemed to run smoothly in the area for a couple of years until August 1862.  The Civil War or War Between the States was in progress and in August of 1862 Magloire decided to enlist in the Renville Rangers for ninety days and fight in the Civil War and was on his way to Ft. Snelling at St. Paul, Minnesota.  This ninety-day enlistment in the army would certainly ensure Magloire his citizenship in the United States of America.

 

Just a few days before the Indian Uprising began Magloire along with a hundred or so men joined the Renville Rangers and were headed for Ft. Snelling to be inducted into the army.   On the way there a messenger from Ft. Ridgley told them to return to the fort as Indians were attacking it.  Upon return, the unit “drove its way through the Indians to the fort and fought with brave conduct and like veterans.” This was the first of five great battles in which Margloire Robidoux participated.  Magloire Robidoux’s military unit, Renville Rangers or First Minnesota Mounted Rangers, were considered heroes in this battle of the 1862 Indian War and the unit was awarded medals and given recognition by President Lincoln.&nbs p; Magloire was very proud of his medal as he wore it at any occasion possible. 

 

The four other battles were Stony Lake, Wood Lake, Dead Buffalo Lake and Big Mound from August to December of 1862.  In December 1862 Magloire’s unit was now called the First Cavalry of Minnesota of the United States Army and his volunteer time in the army was extended for one full year.  That company of cavalry was ordered to instill marshal law upon the Dakota Indian Reservations, on its immediate vicinity and the Dakota Territory from the State of Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains.  

 

While Magloire was fighting at Ft. Ridgley many white citizens of the area were killed and many of the cabins along the Minnesota River were destroyed.  Luckily; Madaline Robidoux received a warning, gathered her four children together and hid in a garden for a time before venturing to Ft. Ridgley by way of the Minnesota River. (One son, Nelson, told the tale of hiding in the turnip patch before running to the river when they saw a canoe with some settlers fleeing down the river.)  The family was no more than a quarter mile away when their home was again destroyed.  The trip itself took nine days of traveling to the fort as moving down the river could only be done at night. During the last four days it started to rain and continued until the party of ragamuffins came to the fort.  There, the soldiers brought them to safety and the family was again reunited.  Magloire’s family stayed at the fort for the rest of the uprising while he served his enlistment in the army.  With the end of the “Indian Uprising” and Magloire’s enlistment complete, the Robidoux family again returned to Hawk Creek and for the third time Magloire built a home for his family.  He finally homesteaded his land in 1864.

 

A few years later Hawk Creek Township was established and Magloire was elected to the public office of Assistant Clerk of the township in 1867.  He held this office for a number of years before his businesses of farming and real estate forced him to relinquish that office.  His real estate adventure must have been a success for in the early 1870’s a newspaper article describes Magloire’s home as “a cabin of the Frenchman who owned the trading post was comfortable for him and his family of five children”. 

 

Magloire may have known James J. Hill, the millionaire who owned the Great Northern Railroad, through his cousin, Henry J. Hill of Granite Falls, Minnesota.  Henry Hill was a good businessman and Magloire had many business ventures with him.  One of these ventures was when Henry Hill had land along the south side of the Minnesota River while Magloire had land directly across from him.  This was because there was a mention of future paddleboat and railroad traffic in the area and both men were prepared to sell land to the incoming settlers.  Because Magloire’s farm was next to the Minnesota River and the mouth Hawk Creek, he had it plotted for a town as the railroad was supposed to come through his property .  Due to the geography of the land this became impossible as the hills had too steep of a grade for the trains to get to the river bottoms. 

 

Besides being a farmer he traded with the Dakota Indians in the area.  With the high cliffs back of the cabin, the family was somewhat isolated from the rest of the pioneers and the Minnesota River provided an excellent means for the Dakota Indians to transport their furs and farm products.  Also, there were few families in the area that spoke French—most of the new pioneers in that area spoke other languages.

 

Magloire was believed to have built a cabin half up the steep hill on the west bank of Hawk Creek where it met the Minnesota River.  From that vantage point anyone can see up and down the river for about a mile, for at that point the river ran approximately east and west while the creek flowed into it from the north.   The edges of the cliffs sat back from the river about 400 feet and were about 90 feet high with the summit being treeless during the time Magloire lived there.  At the time when Magloire built his cabin there were no roads from the cliffs above to the flat land near the river; thus, river traffic was the most feasible.

 

Hawk Creek had a 90-foot gorge that left a span between the two sides of the creek of about 300 feet at the top of the two ridges.  There was about a 200-foot flat land area along the river and to the base of the cliffs.  It was on this flat land near the river that Magloire leased some land to a Mr. Roberts with the intention of building a trading post and docking place for the paddleboats that were to arrive weekly.  That was the only trading post in the Upper Indian Agency area and both Indian and white settlers were customers to this establishment.  The success of the trading post and the thought of having a railroad coming to the area probably prompted the thought of establishing a town on Magloire’s land.

 

The Minnesota River was wide at this point and water flow was gentle most of the time; therefore, the docking of boats was made easy.  According to some stories by early settlers, Magloire had “the perfect boat landing” in the area.  The problem was that there was no way to have the railroad come to the flatland area near the river.  The cliffs were too high and steep and the flatland strip was too narrow for a town and a railroad.  Thus, without having the access of the railroad to the community, the settlers had to seek another location for a town. The location chosen was about ten miles west of Magloire’s property where the land was low and flat near the Minnesota River—the present site of Granite Falls , Minnesota.

 

Magloire must have had a good mathematical mind.  Reviewing his buying and selling habits of land holdings near the Granite Falls, Minnesota area revealed he did a lot of “wheeling and dealing” with land.  He bought land at a low price and sold it at high price or sold portions of his land for more than he paid for the entire piece of land.  Also, portions of land at Hawk Creek were sold and bought back at lower price when the “railroad town” failed to materialize.  Another trick he did was to let his land go back to the county for failure to pay taxes.  When the need came, he would buy back the land and resell it for a profit.&nbs p; After all, why pay taxes on land that wasn’t going to be uses immediately?  Where Magloire got his information as when to buy or sell land and make a profit is still a mystery.  Although records do not indicate how that information was received, it is known that he had business dealings over the years with Henry Hill—and that included his cousin James J. Hill.

 

Life seemed to be going well when tragedy struck again for Magloire as Madaline died of consumption the day after Christmas in 1871 in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.  Magloire and his family were probably visiting Madaline’s sister, Rosalie, for the Christmas Holidays.  Rosalie had also married a French Canadian, Hyacinth Coutourier, and his family was living in Sleepy Eye.  Records and newspaper articles in the area of that time state that it was a severe winter and many people died of consumption—or pneumonia. The weather was bad that year as the first snow that stayed on the ground that winter came in October and spring didn’t come until the end of April.  Also, Madaline had lost a son at childbirth in the previous November and the fifty-mile sleigh ride in such cold weather may have contributed to her death.

 

Magloire was a very independent person for his time.  In fact, at times he just didn’t conform to the normal ways of doing things.  For instance, instead of having some of his family buried in a town or church cemetery, he just created one on his own property.  There he placed his first wife Madaline and his two sons Joseph and Magloire.

 

Because he could not raise the children and still keep the farm, the children were given neighbors and relatives of his wife.  Oliver and Noah probably stayed with their Aunt Rosalie as there are pictures of the two brothers with their cousin William, son of Rosalie.  Also, there are some pictures addressed to “Aunt Rosalie”.  In Noah’s adult life he returned to Sleepy Eye area with his second wife to visit the Coutouriers.  Where the rest of the children went is unknown during the period that Magloire was widower, but shortly after Magloire married Nancy Lentz in October 1873, most of the children returned home at Hawk Creek.  On his marriage application to Nancy, Magloire listed his residence as Sleepy Eye as he may have returned to his trade as a carpenter while staying with the Coutourier family.

 

Soon after his second marriage, Magloire moved his family to a farm just south of Granite Falls, Minnesota.  The daughters probably stayed there until they were married.  It seemed that his sons Oliver, Noah and Nelson had other interests and did not follow the rest of the family to the new cabin.  The marriage with Nancy did produce three girls and they, as with the daughters from Magloire’s first marriage, stayed at home until they married.

 

Surprisingly, the Willmar-Sioux Falls Railroad soon came through the center of Magloire’s farm that he just bought.  Of course, he sold some of his land to the railroad.  Another thing Magloire did well was to lease easements on his Granite Falls property to the railroad company.  He did that twice, making a profit each time before he actually sold a long narrow strip of land to the railroad.

 

During the next ten to fifteen years Magloire became involved with the social activities in Granite Falls as he lived just a short distance from the city.  The one organization he was proud to be a member of, was the Grand Army of Republic (GAR).  He was a charter member of the Henry Hill Post 136 when it was formed in 1885 and still maintained his membership when the post was renamed the I. O. Russell Post.

 

Leaving the Granite Falls area, Magloire, at seventy-seven years of age, entered the Minnesota Soldiers Home in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1907 due to ill health.  He resided at the Home until his death in 1914; thus, ending an episode of one of Minnesota State’s most colorful pioneers in the Southwestern area during the 1850s through the 1890s.

Gordon Robideaux (10E3b4g4d3a)

descendant of Magloire's son Nelson Ney

I happened across this site: http://oyate1.proboards58.com, which appears to deal with native issues in Minnesota during the war.  I found this entry:
 
Kim
 
 
Page 605 { page image }


When all had moved away from Yellow Medicine, Simon Anawag-ma-ne took a captive woman* and her child who could talk English, and, hiding with them, fled towards the whites. Lorenzo Lawrence also about that time took his own family and a white woman† and hid in the river bottom. Finding a canoe, he put them into it and started down the river in the night. On his way he came across a mixed-blood woman, who, with her children, was hiding, and taking them along he arrived safely with them at Fort Ridgely.

[Note : * A German woman, named Mrs. Neumann. Simon conveyed her and her three children in his one-horse wagon, he walking all the way.]

[Note †: † The white woman was Mrs. Jeannette E. De Camp. wife of J. W. De Camp, and she had three children. Her husband was killed at Birch Coulie. The mixed blood woman was the wife of Magloire Robideaux, a half-blood, who at the time was a member of the Renville Rangers, and who subsequently was a soldier of the Fifth Minnesota Regiment. Thus Lawrence released from captivity and restored to their friends no less than ten persons.
At about the same time two other mixed-blood families, who had been held as prisoners, made their escape. These were the wife and three children of William L. Quinn and the widow and daughter of Philander Prescott. Mr. Quinn was in charge of Forbes' store at the Upper Agency, but on the day of the outbreak was at Shakopee, on his return from a visit to St. Paul. When his family escaped, he was serving as a scout with General Sibley's army. Philander Prescott had been in Minnesota, chiefly connected with and among the Indians, for nearly forty years. He was residing at the Lower Agency on the morning of the outbreak, and when the murdering began sought to escape, but was intercepted and killed, and his gray head was cut off and stuck on a pole.

                                                Robidoux dit Desgrands

I became interested in genealogy by accident. I was hoping to find my maternal grandmother's baptismal paper from St.Nazaire D'Acton, Bagot,P.Q.

Unfortunately, after about a year long search, I had abandoned this idea. Her family had looked and
even had gone to St. Nazaire D'Acton only to find nothing. Her name was Marie Leonide Desgrands born December 22,1897 to Pierre Desgrands and Justina Lemire. While I was at a local French Canadian Library, I figured, why not get her ancestry at least. That's when my fun began.

In those Red & Black Drouin Books,there were no Desgrands listed anywhere. I didn't know what the problem was? I asked one volunteer there and he told me that it probably is a Dit name. I never heard of a Dit name,so he explained all about it. He took out a book of Dit names and again, nothing. Now, at this point I was getting pretty upset. How can all those books not contain any Desgrands in them? He gave me a book of registry from St. Nazarene, D'Acton,where again, no Desgrands were listed. I was given a microfiche of St. Nazaire D'Acton and began searching through the mid to late 1800's and voila! I saw all her siblings, even more than I expected because, as far as we all knew, there were 5 daughters and a son. I found 18 children, the other 12 children having died at a very early age or at childbirth. Luckily, in the only surviving son's baptismal paper, it listed his parents names, as in their other children's papers, but, this one was unique.

It listed his father as Pierre Desgrands dit Robidoux. The following week,I made an appointment to see the burial papers on Pierre, in the St.Ambrose Rectory, in Albion, Rhode Island. In the book had his place of birth...St. David,Yamaska,P.Q. I went back to the library and searched through the St. David microfiche and found Pierre Desgrands baptismal paper with his father, Joseph Robidou and Christine Lamontagne.

Pierre & Justina  were married in St.Josephs Church in Ashton (village in Cumberland) Rhode Island, and are listed as Pierre Legrand & Christina Lemire. I know it was them because their parents are listed in the marriage certificate and the Priest who officiated at their wedding, was the first pastor of St. Ambrose in Albion, a couple

of years afterwards. Pierre & Justina owned a farm in St. Nazaire D'Acton and Pierre would travel to work in the Berkshire Hathaway Woolen Mill on School St in Albion,Rhode Island during the winter months then return home during the summer. They all had homes on School St. in Albion.

Three of their sons came with their families to live in Albion,( a village in Lincoln). Joseph and Jean Baptiste. I always knew they were related,but,never knew why the three brothers had spelled Desgrands differently. Even two of Leonide's sisters had spelled their surnames differently. I always was told that the way they spelled it made their surname so much "Ritzy" looking. The variations were: Desgrands, Desgrand, De Grand, Desgrande. Well,at least I know basically why..Either they didn't know how to spell it because Robidoux was their real surname or they did spell it the way they wanted.

I had been told that in the mid to late 1800's,Canada abolished the Dit name and gave those families the choice of the two surnames to choose from. So I believe the majority of them kept their original surnames and a few kept Desgrands.

This year I made a point to have the surname, Desgrands added into the Drouin Books, as Robidoux dit Desgrands.

The following is my connection with the Robidoux lineage is as follows:

Richard Allard
Cecile Gagne & Arthur Allard
Leonide Desgrands & Dalfice Adelard Gagne
Pierre Robidoux dit Desgrands & Justina Lemire
Joseph Robidou & Christine Lamontagne
Francois Regis Robidoux & Therese Lambert
Antoine Robidoux & Josette Godin
Antoine Robidoux & Marguerite Gannes
Joseph Robidoux Desmoulins & Marie Louise Robert
Guillaume dit Robidoux & Marie Francoise Guerin
Andre Robidou dit L'Espangol & Jeanne Denot Leduc
Emmanuel Robidou L'Espagnol & Catherine Alice Alue

Richard Allard