Pioneer Life

In the early years of settlement, farmers had to make their own shoes, harnesses, and other leather necessities. When a cow died, the farmer and his wife would scrape, cure, and stretch the hide. The leather could then be used for making everything from patches for mending clothing to door hinges.

When tanneries began to appear in villages, the nasty chore of curing cowhides was not one that was widely missed by many people.

An animal that was essential to the settlers was the sheep, whose fleece could be used to produce wool.

The first settlers who were granted land in the Eastern Townships promised to build grist mills and roads within the first two years of settlement.

During the winter, when the ground was frozen and covered with snow, the men and boys of the farm would take their axes and cross cut saws and drive their teams of horses into the woods.

Richard Baldwin Jr. (1808-1877), who is considered the founder of Coaticook, settled on what is now Child Street in Coaticook in the early 1800s.

One of the most important men to arrive in a pioneer community was the blacksmith. The term "blacksmith" is derived from the words "black", meaning black metal, and "smite", meaning to strike hard. The blacksmith performed a number of services vital to the community, the primary one being to keep horses' hooves in good condition.

The first trade in the Eastern Townships was the making of potash.

Because of the harsh climate that the settlers encountered, the location of their first shelter was paramount.

The early pioneers who came to the Eastern Townships from New England settled in a wilderness forest.

LATER AMERICAN PIONEERS: