Early Street Scenes Les premières rues de Rawdon
A projected plan of the Rawdon dated 1844 shows six parallel streets running east and west, the first one being called Mill Street, (now 1st Ave.). The others numbered consecutively 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Streets, and the last street being called St. Patrick Street.
This map was certainly partly conjecture as 2nd Street was still a footpath as late as 1945. The others all continue to use the same designations today.
The cross streets running north and south, between the Oureau and Red Rivers still use the original names, with the exception of Laquourreau Street .
The north and south streets are Queen Street, the main thoroughfare, named in honour of Queen Victoria and to the west, is Albert Street named for her Consort.
Metcalfe Street, to the east was named for Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Governor of Canada from 1843-61.
These three streets are linked by 4th Avenue.
Church Street, a very short one, between Queen and Metcalfe, running south from 4th Avenue was so named for Christ Church built in 1836 facing on that street.
Un plan de Rawdon datant de 1844 montre six rues parallèles allant d’est en ouest, la première s’appelant Mill Street, les autres étant numérotées 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th et 6th Streets, et la dernière s’appelant St.Patrick.
Cette carte était certainement en partie une conjecture, car la 2e rue était encore un tous petit sentier en 1945.
Les autres rues portent toujours les mêmes noms. Les rues transversales situées au nord et au sud entre la rivière Oureau et la rivière Rouge portent toujours les noms d’origine, à l’exception de la rue Laquorreau, qui a également disparu.
Les rues au nord et au sud sont Queen Street, l’artère principale, nommée en l’honneur de la reine Victoria, et à l’ouest Albert Street, nommée en l’honneur de son mari.
La rue Metcalfe, à l’est, a été nommée en l’honneur de Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, gouverneur du Canada de 1843 à 1961.
Ces trois rues sont reliées par la 4e Avenue.
Church Street, une très courte rue située entre Queen et Metcalfe, au sud de la 4e Avenue, a été nommée ainsi parce que l’église Christ Church a été construite en 1836 en face de cette rue.
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The speed limit was 12mph.
1920 06 17 17 40 Watt street lamps were installed on Queen Street
1975 08 14 The first traffic lights in Rawdon, installed a bit earlier at the corner of Queen and 4th were turned on.
J.A. Dugas General Store opened on Queen Street in 1910. The sign promises a “Great Bonus Sale”.
Who offered lots from the next building?
The lack of electric poles indicates this photo predates 1913 when street lights were installed.
J.A. Dugas had previously operated a general store on Metcalfe Street. With the move to centralize the village’s business district, Queen Street became a popular choice.
In 1952 Charlemagne Neveu opened a mens’ wear store in this building.
This building continues to house commerces.
St. Anselme College was built in 1910 by the Irish Catholic Community to provide an education for their sons. Former residents of Rawdon who had left and made it good in the New England States provided funding for the school sent their sons to Rawdon to study in the college.
This pre-1930 photo shows Pontbriand’s Garage, located on Queen Street just above 4th Avenue, owned by Lionel Pontbriand. Later he became a dealer for the Dodge Motor Car Co., the 1st car dealer in Rawdon.
The brick house next to the garage was the family’s home.
The buildings from left to right: The Colonel’s Restaurant next to the original post office building, the Manoir Hotel and what had been Pontbriand’s Garage.
The Manoir Hotel, originally called Hôtel du Lac, was built by Joseph Collin in 1915 to take advantage of the proposed damming of the Red River running behind the lot.
Over the years the hotel changed hands and names many times, the last being Hôtel David.
The garage, much modernized, was on the site of the original Pontbriand Garage, no longer a car dealership but repaired vehicles and served Champlain Gas.
The house in the forefront was the Skelly home. The Skelly family were forefront in the development of Rawdon serving as municipal secretary, mayor and James being the local representative of the Quebec Agriculture Society. The street at the entrance to his farm is named James Skelly Street.
Jolicoeur’s House & Butcher Shop, Kinsella’s Furniture Store
On the left and the house and butcher shop beside was the home and workplace of the 1st butcher in the village. In 1901 Fabien, known as Fred, Jolicoeur opened the first butcher shop in Rawdon. The slaughter house was behind the buildings. He also delivered ice.
The shop was sold to Breault and then again to Aimé Morin.
The buildings were demolished to provide parking space next to the city hall.
For many years this 3-story building on the right was a furniture, later a hardware store. On the 2nd floor furniture and coffins were built to order by the store owner. The story is told that should a customer ordering a coffin was unsure of the measurements, the owner would ask if the person was taller, shorter, etc. than he was. He would then climb into one of the sample coffins and ask if that one might fit.
The building was purchased by Mr. Kinsella, and later by Phillip Tinkler. Everything from household items to farm machinery, kerosene, and delivery of heating oil could be had or ordered at the store. Phil’s son, Ross delivered the oil and later Bobby Gagnon made the deliveries.
1952 06 the first TV in Rawdon was in Phil Tinkler’s Hardware Store. Programming began every afternoon at 4 o’clock and people gathered inside the store and outside in front of the window to watch Howdy Doody.
Today this building has various tenants offering glass cut to measure, a ladies’ wear store, and a local community organization.
January 1, 1904 James Corcoran donated the first $1000 towards the building of an English Catholic college in Rawdon.
For the next six years the Irish population, with the support of the resident priest and Judge Firmin Dugas, waged a campaign to have the dream of a college in their town realized.
Finally, the cornerstone was laid on July 21, 1910 and the school was ready for the 1911-12 school year.
There were 75 boys registered that first year.
Named, St. Anselme Academy, it was staffed by the Brothers of St-Viateur who provided an excellent opportunity for young boys to excel in their studies.
The commercial course was recognized as among the best available at the time.
Boys from as far away as Massachusetts came to study at St. Anselme’s College in Rawdon.
Le 1er janvier 1904, James Corcoran fait don des premiers 1000 $ pour la construction d’un collège catholique anglais à Rawdon.
Pendant les six années suivantes, la population irlandaise, avec le soutien du prêtre résident et du juge Firmin Dugas, mène une campagne pour que le rêve d’un collège dans leur ville se réalise.
Finalement, la première pierre est posée le 21 juillet 1910 et l’école est prête pour l’année scolaire 1911-12.
La première année, 75 garçons sont inscrits.
Sou le nom de St. Anselme Academy, l’école était dirigée par les Frères de Saint-Viateur qui offraient aux jeunes garçons une excellente occasion d’exceller dans leurs études.
Le cours de commerce était reconnu comme l’un des meilleurs de l’époque.
Des garçons venant d’aussi loin que le Massachusetts venaient étudier au Collège St-Anselme de Rawdon.