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Identifier/Call Number
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MCC-00002
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Description
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en
This finding aid provides information about the "A. J. Michaud Song Collection, Manuscripts," a collection of song text transcriptions collected from Upper Saint John Valley River residents, Amaranthe J. Michaud, during 1969 and 1970. A Long time researcher of St. John Valley history, Michaud was formerly president of the Madawaska Historical Society. This collection consists of 477 pages of French-language song texts collected in the Upper Saint John Valley during 1969 and 1970 by A. J. Michaud. The texts appear to have been transcribed either from Mr. Michaud’s field recordings or from handwritten "scribblers" borrowed from local residents. Many pages are duplicates (carbons). The songs represent a wide range of repertory, including pre-eighteenth century French Traditional songs, French and French-Canadian nineteenth century and early twentieth century patriotic, comic, and sentimental songs, as well as local compositions.
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Copyright Statement and Conditions governing use
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There are not restrictions on access to this collection.
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Extent
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477 pages
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Arrangement
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en
The materials arrived in two 3-ring binders and four 3-prong binders. Archives staff removed and re-housed the materials in archival file folders. Original order within each file folder has been maintained. One of the binders contained too much material to be appropriately stored in a single file folder; these materials were separated into two file folders (folders 2 and 3).
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Notes
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This collection consists of 477 pages of French-language song texts collected in the Upper Saint John Valley during 1969 and 1970 by A. J. Michaud. The texts appear to have been transcribed either from Mr. Michaud’s field recordings or from handwritten "scribblers" borrowed from local residents. Many pages are duplicates (carbons). The songs represent a wide range of repertory, including pre-eighteenth century French Traditional songs, French and French-Canadian nineteenth century and early twentieth century patriotic, comic, and sentimental songs, as well as local compositions. Amaranthe J. Michaud was born in Van Buren, Maine, 8 November
1908, the son of Timothy and Nalvina (St. Jean) Michaud. He attended Sacred Heart
School in Van Buren, St. Mary’s College in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, the University of
Detroit in Detroit, Michigan, and the University of Grenoble in France.
As a young man, A. J. Michaud taught and served as principal at the Lincoln School in
Grand Isle. On 28 May 1937, he married Antoinette Vermette of Grand Isle and they
raised five sons. From 1946 to 1972, he was proprietor of A. J. Michaud Co. Farm
Machinery of Grand Isle, Maine. He was a member of the Fourth Degree Assembly of
the Knights of Columbus and of the St. John Valley Council of Madawaska. He was a
member of the Rotary Club and was an advisor of the Madawaska branch of the
Aroostook Trust Company.
Keenly interested in the history and culture of the St. John Valley, A. J. Michaud cofounded and was president of the Madawaska Historical Society in its early years.
Between 1969 and 1974, he wrote over 130 short essays on various local topics for the St.
John Valley Times, a portion of which were published in 1972 as An Acadian Heritage
from the Saint John River Valley.
A. J. Michaud died in Presque Isle following a short illness on 4 May 1974 at the age of
65. This collection was prepared by A. J. Michaud. After
Michaud’s death in 1974, the collection was transferred by his widow to Roger Paradis,
Professor of History at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, "to be archived at U.M.F.K.,
if possible or at Moncton if necessary." This collection, was brought to the Acadian
Archives by Professor Paradis in March 1991. A note from Professor Paradis suggests
that this collection may represent part of a larger corpus.
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Recommended Citation
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A. J. Michaud Song Collection: Manuscripts, MCC-00002, Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes, University of Maine at Fort Kent
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