The French in the Champlain Valley: The Habitants as the GateKeepers of New France
- Timothy Dusablon
- 6 days ago
- 15 min read
This is part two of the French in the Champlain Valley. For Part One, click here.
One of the most fascinating features of the French settlements in the Champlain Valley are the place-names given to the geographical features of the lake. Some of the original French names still exist today - others are long gone.
Among the place names given by the French that we still use today are many of the islands and rivers. Of these places, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, Isle Valcour (Valcour Island), Point au Fer, Point au Roche, and just to the north in the Richelieu, Isle aux Noix still exist on today's maps. As do several rivers named by the French, including the Chazy, Saranac, Au Sable, and the La Chute. One river’s name has an interesting story behind it. A river on what is now the Vermont side of lake was called by the first French mappers Riviere La Mouette, which translates to the seagull river. However one of the subsequent map-makers forgot to cross the “T's when marking the river, and as such the river became known as Riviere La Mouelle - today’s Lamoille River.
What’s even more fascinating are the French place-names that no longer exist. Four Brother’s Island, just off of Willsboro Point, was known to the French as Isle aux Quatre Vents, or the Island of Four Winds. The point just north of Chimney Point now known as Elm Point and Oven Point, was known as Pointe de Montreal. Perhaps my favorite was the French name given to Cumberland Head, just outside of Plattsburgh. This point was known as Pointe a la Nazarde, which translates to Flick of the Finger Point. If you look at a map, it makes perfect sense.
But France’s claim to the entire Champlain Valley was vehemently protested by the English as a violation of the treaty that ended Queen Anne’s War.
Treaty of Utrecht
That treaty was the Treaty of Utrecht, signed in 1713. The terms of this treaty directly impacted the Champlain Valley. The boundary disputes between New France and the English colonies had created a very fluid situation in the region, and this treaty attempted to resolve this border dispute. The boundary would be placed at Split Rock Point, where Split Rock Mountain in Essex, NY, and Thompson's Point in Charlotte, VT create a passage where the lake narrows to only 3/4 of a mile.
Split Rock had long been established as the entrance to Mohawk territory by friend and foe. Another French place-name alludes to this. Isle de la Peur, a small rock island we now know as Sloop Island just north of Converse Bay in Charlotte, Vermont. Isle de la Peur translates to Fear Island. It was a testament to what Split Rock symbolized to those heading south on the lake. The Mohawk were the most feared army in North America, including European armies, until the mid 1700's. This small rock island is easily visible from the Charlotte to Essex ferry crossing, as are the narrows of Split Rock Point.
The English accepted this new border, but the French did not, claiming all of Lake Champlain and Lac du Saint Sacrement, AKA Lake George, by right of discovery. When the French proceeded beyond just claims and started fortifying Pointe a la Chevelure, tensions once again rose between the English and the French. More on that in just a bit.
Chief Greylock's War
During the years of 1723 to 1727, the English and French were not "officially" at war. However, several Abenaki raids on English communities in New England raised tensions. Many of these raids emanated from the Abenaki settlement of Missisquoi under a legendary First Nations Warrior, Chief Greylock.
Wawanolewat was a refugee from the Woronoke First Nation that had been driven from his native land by the English. He joined the Missisquoi village as a refugee. He eventually became a chieftain known as Grey Lock. Knowing first hand the toll of unwavering land grabs by the English, he led raids against the English to discourage settlement further into Abenaki territory. The raids were quietly supported by the French. The raids targeted Northfield, Massachusetts twice, as well as Rutland, Massachusetts.
In response, the Massachusetts Bay Colony erected Fort Dummer on the Connecticut River, just south of present-day Brattleboro, Vermont. Chief Greylock's descendants would lead the Missisquoi Abenaki for generations to come. A monument of Chief Greylock stands in Battery Park in Burlington, Vermont.
Pointe à la Chevelure
In 1730, the Governor of New France, Charles de Beauharnois de la Boische was disturbed by reports of the English trading with the natives on Lake Champlain. Considering how crucial the Champlain Valley had proven in the last few French conflicts in North America, he considered this unacceptable and proposed a plan for a permanent fortification on Lake Champlain to maintain French control of the region. He wrote a letter directly to King Louis XV asking for permission to fortify the area of Pointe a la Chevelure, present day Crown Point and Chimney Point. King Louis XV agreed, and directed Beauharnois to build a wooden fort until a stronger one could be constructed.
As pointed out by Dr. Andre Senecal, Point a la Chevelure was the French name given to both sides of the Lake at present-day Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT. In fact, the name Crown Point is actually the result of a mistranslation. Point a la Chevelure translates to Point of the Scalp. This is likely due to a high profile scalping that took place here, or perhaps that the shape of today’s Chimney Point looks like a scalp when viewed from above. The French considered what is now Chimney Point to be an island.
The British mistranslated this to “Crown” instead of “Scalp” as both were associated with hair. Hence, to this day, the area on the New York side is named Crown Point. Chimney Point on the Vermont side alludes to the destruction of the French villages, by the French, during their retreat into Canada during the end of the Seven Years War. By the time the British arrived, all that was left of these French settlements were chimneys, hence the current name.
The summer of 1731 saw the construction of a wooden stockade fort on modern-day Chimney Point, Vermont. This stockade fort was 120 feet squared with four bastions and four palisade walls about 13 feet high. This fort, called Fort de Pieux, was constructed under the supervision of Captain Zacharie-Francois Hertel de la Fresniere. The foundation of this fort was recently discovered during the construction of the new Champlain Bridge from Chimney Point to Crown Point in 2011.
The construction of this fort was fiercely objected by both New York and Massachusetts, who saw this as a clear violation of the previously mentioned Treaty of Utrecht, which established the border of New France and New England as Split Rock Point, over 20 miles to the north. Both King Louis XV and Beauharnois were undeterred and continued with their plans for the region. This caused tensions between the two sides to pick up yet again.
Per King Louis XV's instructions, Fort de Pieux was temporary, and in 1734, work began on a larger stone fortification on the opposite shore due to the bedrock being more conducive for a large stone fortress. For this fortification, the King and Beauharnois turned to Gaspard Chaussegros de Lery, the chief engineer of New France and the man responsible for the fortifications of Quebec City and Montreal. His plans were certainly unconventional for this remote wilderness.
The new stone fortress more resembled a medieval castle than a fort. There were four walls of limestone surrounded by a dry moat, with access to the parade ground of the fort by a drawbridge. Inside the fort was a chapel, store houses, bread ovens, and officer's quarters. Most impressive of all, however, was the four-story tall citadel in the northeast corner of the fort. This towering octagonal structure had its own dry moat and drawbridge within the walls of the larger fortification. The walls of the citadel were seven feet thick, built to be bomb-proof. All floors were armed with cannon.
The new fort was completed in 1737 and named Fort St. Frederic after the Chief Minister of France, Jean-Frederic Phelypeau, Compte de Maurepas. The "Saint" designation was in keeping with the names of other French forts in North America. The fort was beyond impressive to look at. Quickly it gained an almost legendary status among the residents of New England as an impenetrable fortress.
The fort all but guaranteed the French supremacy over Lake Champlain, the route of previous English and Native invasions of Canada. For the next 20 plus years, Fort St. Frederic was arguably the most important French fortification in New France, with the exception of Quebec City. The ruins of this fortress are still visible today at the Crown Point State Historic Site, and are visible from the Champlain Bridge when crossing the lake into New York State.
The reality was, however, that the design of the fort had some serious flaws. First off, the stone fort was too small, and could only comfortably accommodate 100 people. Then there was the questionable decision to use stone to build the fort. During the Seven Years (French and Indian) War, the Marquis de Montcalm questioned why anyone would build a stone fort when timber was so readily available in the area. The fort was also not built on high ground. The land to the west, which was elevated, provided a serious weak point. There was also the fact that the view to the south of Lake Champlain was blocked. To account for this, a fortified windmill was built just south, at the present day location of the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse.
To supply the new French fort, Lake Champlain’s first large naval vessel was constructed to bring supplies from St. Jean on the Richelieu River to Fort St. Frederic. This vessel was a 40 ton, two masted schooner mounted with four swivel guns. The vessel was called the Saintonge and was named after the captain of the vessel, Joseph Payant St. Onge. St. Onge would be the master of Lake Champlain with a modest French naval fleet up until the end of the Seven Years War.
French Settlement in the Champlain Valley
But building a fort wasn't the only goal for the French in the Champlain Valley. They also had goals of habitation. The King set about issuing several seigneurial grants in the region from north of the present United States/Canada border south to the southern tip of Lake Champlain. The recipient of the grant was then encouraged to find tenants, or "Habitants" for strips of land within the grant.
From 1730 on, 20 land grants were made on both shores of Lake Champlain. Most of these land grants went to high-ranking military officials and other statesmen. The grantee, or Seigneur, was the Lord of the grant. After the grant by the crown of France, the seigneur was then responsible for getting settlers, or habitants, to clear the land of the narrow strip fields, build a homestead, and farm the land. These grants were called seigneurial grants and were common, as much of New France was a semi-feudal system. The Habitants would give a percentage of wheat, wood, fish, and more as a payment to the seigneur. Although he was the lord, oftentimes the seigneur was absent, mostly leaving the habitants alone, save for a couple of business meetings.
This narrow strip of land started at the lakefront and extended back one to two miles. The various types of soils in these long strips allowed for numerous crop varieties. Fields of wheat, barley, and oats were also common in the land strip. Apple, plum, and pear trees were planted, in addition to grapes and roses. The habitant would also have livestock, and in exchange for the protection of nearby fortifications, the habitant would sell surplus goods. The habitant would also act as militia in the event of a raid and report to the fortification.
The Seigneurial Grants
Of the 20 previously mentioned seigneurial grants, more than half were never settled, and in accordance with the rules of the grant, reverted back to the French crown. That said, some of the grants were not only occupied, but had thriving French settlements. At the northern end of Lake Champlain, The Seigneurie of Francois Foucault was settled at a site called Point du Detour in present-day Alburgh, VT. Several homes were built, and plans for the construction of a church were in motion while waiting for a full-time priest. The outbreak of King George’s War caused the settlers to flee the raiding of the English and First Nations allied with them. A stone grist mill was built at the site on a point still known today as Windmill Point. Peter Kalm, a Swedish naturalist, noted this windmill and settlement during his travels on Lake Champlain in 1749.
The Seigneurie of St. Armand included present-day Swanton, VT. At the lower falls of the Missisquoi River, a site known as Taquahunga Falls, Rene-Nicholas Levasseur established a sawmill in 1749. Levasseur was the leader of shipbuilding, as well as the Inspector of Woods and Forests. He was in search of suitable lumber, as well as large white pines, which were desirable to be used as ship’s masts. The lumber from this sawmill floated by way of Lake Champlain, the Richelieu River, and the St. Lawrence River to the shipyards at Quebec City.
Around 50 French families settled at Taquahunga Falls. The large Abenaki village of Missisquoi was just two miles down the river. A church was built at the Abenaki settlement sometime between 1700 and 1750, and was shared with the nearby French settlers. It is likely that these two communities were linked, as this was common amongst the French and the natives. It is difficult to prove, as many records were destroyed by the Abenaki during the dark days of the eugenics movement in Vermont in the 1920’s, but it is likely the two communities inter-married and gave birth to a Metis community.
The aforementioned Peter Kalm also noted settlement near the mouth of the Chazy River at the Seigneurie of Livaudiere. Jean Baptiste Laframboise served at Fort St. Frederic until 1759. In 1763, he returned to the Champlain Valley near the Chazy River. After the Revolutionary War, a contingent of French Canadian refugees who served on the side of the Americans in First and Second Canadian Regiments settled near the Chazy River, establishing the Village of Corbeau. It is possible that at least some of these Frenchmen and their families never left the Champlain Valley after the conclusion of the Seven Years War.
At Colchester Point, a rather mysterious French Settlement likely existed according to Guy Omeron Coolidge, the author of “The French Occupation of the Champlain Valley 1609-1759”. This was the Siegneurie of La Perriere and extended to Mallet’s Bay. The first English settler of Colchester Point noted three chimney bottoms, as well as the remnants of some sort of stone fortification. Early English maps of the area call the site “Windmill Point”, likely alluding to an old French Windmill similar to the ones at Alburgh and Crown Point. An English surgeon notes in his journal what may have been a blockhouse at that point. The French knew this area as Pointe aux Sables, a similar title to the point directly across the lake in New York.
The site would have been perfect for a French settlement or Fortification. It was around the midway point of a journey between Isle la Motte and Alburgh to Fort St. Frederic. It would have also guarded the entrance to the Winooski River, an important trade route for French Voyageurs, or fur traders. The Winooski River was so frequented by French fur traders that the river became known as the “Old French Road”. Simply put, it was too perfect of a location for the French to not occupy!
Also of note at this location, during the Revolutionary War, it is noted that an old French Captain Peter Maillet lived in the nearby bay. That bay is today known as Mallet’s Bay. It is said that he did not take sides during the conflict, but did sympathize with the American cause. It may be very likely that Captain Malliet was one of the original French settlers of Colchester, and never left after the Seven Years War.
The largest French settlement was at Point a la Chevelure, near the site of Fort St. Frederic at modern day Chimney point in Vermont, and Crown Point in New York. The French considered both sides of the lake in this area as Point a la Chevelure. This was the Seigneurie of Gilles Hocquart, the Intendant of New France. As many as 75 individual households on both sides of the lake emerged. This was a significant French settlement for the time period. The settlements even extended up to modern-day Bridgeport, VT. A road on the Vermont side connected the households.
In today’s Chimney Point, Vermont, wild grapes can still be spotted, and many of the surrounding apple trees are direct descendants of the first fameuse apple trees planted by the French habitants. A cellar hole still exists from an early French settler in DAR State Park. If you look close enough at a satellite map, you can still see the long, narrow strips of land from these grants in Chimney Point, as well as up north at the settlement near the mouth of the Chazy River. The habitants lived off of the land and formed a strong community.
Before I make this seem like some sort of hipster farm to table community, it’s important to note a couple of things. One, the threat of raids, even during times of peace, left settlers on edge. This is exemplified during Peter Kalm’s visit during a time of peace that included a narrow escape from a raiding war party.
Second, it’s important to note that there were slaves at the Point a la Chevelure settlement. There were 5-6 African slaves brought from the West Indies, along with several First Nations slaves, known as panis. We know this from baptismal records.
King George's War
Conflict would once again ignite in North America with King George’s War during 1744-1748, pitting the English against the French. Fort St. Frederic was incredibly important during this conflict. Many French and First Nations raids emanated from the fort. These raids had devastating effects on Saratoga, Albany, and New England. Disorganization on behalf of the English colonies resulted in a lack-luster response. The colonies had angered the Haudenusaunee, especially when the English burned their own fort at Saratoga. This was considered an ultimate act of cowardice.
A French force went to the southern tip of Lake Champlain and Wood Creek and felled trees to impede any army that would attempt to make an offensive against Fort St. Frederic. In the Revolutionary War, the Americans would utilize the same strategy, at the same location, in 1777 to combat John Burgoyne’s invading force and would bring that army to a crawl.
At this time, Fort St. Frederic had an almost mythic reputation amongst the residents of New York and New England. The stone fortress seemed impenetrable, an imposing figure like something out of medieval Europe.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle brought an end to King George’s War, but little was settled. The only thing that was for certain was that the French and the English, after a century of conflict, could not co-exist in North America. The next conflict was sure to end with the destruction of one of the two.
Tensions were incredibly high, and all it would take was a spark to ignite the final war. That spark happened in the backwoods of Pennsylvania when a young British lieutenant colonel from Virginia made a major misstep and started what many call the real first World War. That war was the Seven Years War, or French and Indian War. And that young British Lieutenant colonel who messed up and started that world war? That was none other than George Washington.
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