Map showing location of Joachim’s forestland by the Reed Brook. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
At the peak of his mill business, my paternal grandfather, Joachim, acquired some land in the back settlements or, ‘les concessions’, of Baker Brook alongside the Reed Brook. He and his sons cultivated the lumber on the land which he milled into construction lumber and sold to the local farmers and people of the village. Joachim inherited his father’s mill a few years before his father, Joseph died in 1915. Joseph constructed the mill in 1907 to serve the village and the surrounding area.
From the very beginning of its history in the early 1800’s, Baker Brook was known for its mill because the first settlers of the area, the Baker brothers, Nathan and John who came up from Penobscot County in Maine to settle in present-day Baker Brook, built the first mill and settled on the Baker Brook just south of NB Highway 120 (Note: Enter this coordinate 47°18’2.21″N 68°30’42.89″W in your browser address to see the exact location). Much later, in 1905, Don Fraser came to Baker Brook to build his very large wood lat saw mill near that same location on the Baker Brook. But the wood lats were exclusively for export and did not service the construction needs of the location population except to create jobs for more than 100 people which was very good.
So, Joachim’s mill was important to the area and supported the local construction needs. His land ‘au Reed’ as they called it was nice to have although much of the lumber he milled was brought in by his customers who had harvested the lumber themselves from their own lands. We don’t know exactly when he acquired this land but my father, Theodule told me many stories of his time ‘au Reed’ when he was a very young man in the early 1920’s. So, it was a natural ‘hang-out’ for the Theriault boys which they continued to use during their years as young men with their dates and girlfriends. Here are a few photo memories of those days…
AU REED in 1936. (l-r) Yvette Landry Theriault, Theodule Theriault, Elsie Dube with younger brother Felix Theriault inspecting his brother’s automobile. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
AU REED in 1936. Rear: Adelard Collin, Elsie Dubé Theriault, Theodule Theriault, Wilbrod Michaud, Thaddee Theriault; front: Simone Levesque Theriault, Aline Pelletier, Cecile Collin. [Elsie Dubé Theriault Collection ©Terriot Acadian Family Society-19990018a] (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
AU REED in 1936. Sitting on the front bumper of Theodule Thériault’s automobile are: Léanne and Martin Marquis married the previous October in 1935. On the right are Dénis and Yvette Landry Thériault married in June 1935. [Yvette Landry Theriault Collection ©Terriot Acadian Family Society-20050036] (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Au Reed in 1936. Félix Thériault (17) with his brothers au Reed in1934. Théodule’s Ford can be seen on the left. Félix was the fourth son and fifth child in a family of 13. He typically would spend his time with his older brothers, Dénis, Thaddée and Théodule. Although a teenager, in those days, 14 year old males were considered adults and were expected to earn their room and board working for their father. In these years, Joachim was cultivating his land ‘au Reed’. His sons were engaged in the lumber business, bringing the lumber to the mill in Baker Brook for milling. [Elsie Dubé Theriault Collection ©Terriot Acadian Family Society-19990030] (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Au Reed in 1936. Thaddée Thériault preparing to surprise Wilbrod Michaud and Adelard Collin. [Elsie Dubé Theriault Collection ©Terriot Acadian Family Society-19990017a] (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
AU REED. ca 1934, Simone Lévesque, Elsie Dubé, both girl friends of Thaddée and Théodule Thériault, respectively. [Elsie Dubé Theriault Collection ©Terriot Acadian Family Society-19990230a] (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Enfants de Joseph & Theogenie Theriault 