Interviewer
Ethel MacDonald and Nancy Cranston
Files
Description
Daniel Longpre and Fred Cormier discuss growing up in the Frenchtown, Montana area—including Six Mile, Nine Mile, Huson—just west of Missoula, Montana, in the early 1900s. They reminisce about their French-Canadian ancestors emigrating from Montreal to the valley. Longpre and Cormier detail which families in the valley intermarried, and how land changed hands as those families grew. They describe attending St. John’s Catholic Church, and the events that were organized for St. John’s Day and other holidays to bring the community together. Longpre talks about some colorful characters from the area: Charley Eaton, Nine-mile Brown, Andrew Garcia, and Damien Ledoux (also known as Tin Cup Joe). Cormier recalls the death of his family members and notes that his sister died during the 1918 flu epidemic. Both men share memories of the 1908 flood and the replacement of the Northern Pacific Railway bridge. They mention the construction of the First National Bank in Missoula, and reminisce about the local sawmill.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Cormier School House, Montana; Cormier Sawmill, Montana; Fish Creek, Montana; Packers, Montana; Outfitters, Montana; French-Canadian immigrants; Montreal, Canada; 1918 flu epidemic; Lolo Pass; Martina Mining; World War (1914-1918); Saint John’s Catholic Church, Montana; Frenchtown, Montana; Huson, Montana; Nine Mile, Montana; Six Mile, Montana
Original Date
3-8-1976
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Frenchtown Historical Society Oral History Project, OH 047, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 047-010
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
2 sound cassettes (02:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (55 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
02:05:52 minutes
Local Filename
OH_047_010.pdf
Citation
Longpre, Daniel and Cormier, Fred, "Daniel Longpre and Fred Cormier Interview, March 8, 1976" (1976). Frenchtown Historical Society Oral History Project. 7.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/frenchtown_oralhistory/7