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Description
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Studio portrait of Félix Gatineau, taken at Elmer Chickering & Co., Boston, c. 1906.
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Copyright Statement and Conditions governing use
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Permission for use or reproduction can be obtained from the director of the French Institute, and is subject to the Institute’s user policies.
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Biography, Administrative History and Provenance
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Félix Gatineau was born November 12, 1857 in Sainte-Victoire-de-Sorel. At the age of 20, he immigrated to Southbrige, Massachusetts as did many other residents of the Lower Richelieu Valley such as the Harpin, Sansoucy, and Hus Lemoine families. He first worked in the Hamilton cotton factory, but was quickly hired at the local grocery store and pharmacy. He later opened his own grocery store with Joseph Proulx. He eventually sold it however to play a more crucial role in the social and political life of the Franco-American community. He was President of the Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste (USJB) and later ran their Caisse des vieillards. And he was a founding member of the Société Historique des Franco-Américains. Gatineau was not only involved in Franco-American affairs however. An ardent supporter of veterans rights, he was elected a number of times as a republican state representative (1906, 1920, 1921, and 1926). He married Odile Giard on Juin 20, 1882. Gatineau died December 31, 1927, a statue was built in his honor in Southbridge by the USJB. It was later moved in 2002 at which moment Claire Quintal, founding director emerita of the French Institute, made a speech honoring his legacy. Apart from these archives, Gatineau wrote two books concerning Franco-Americans : Histoire des Franco-Américains de Southbridge, Massachusetts (1919) and Historique des Conventions générales des Canadiens-Français aux États-Unis (1927).
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Extent
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2 boxes and 43 vol. stored separately
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Arrangement
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The Collection is arranged by series. Materials include newspaper clippings, diaries, correspondence, programs from Franco-American gatherings, and photos.
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Notes
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This collection was processed by Joshua Barrière in 2016.
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Recommended Citation
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Félix Gatineau Collection, French Institute, Assumption University
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