Bicentennial Story #93-French at Gaylord

Bicentennial Story #93-French at Gaylord

Description of French immigrants to Gaylord, south of Belfield.

9/8/1975

Bea Peterson

This recording cannot be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center. This recording may be freely used for education uses, so long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this recording file is permitted without written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center.

mp3

audio reel, analog, 1/4 inch polyester tape

English

BS-093

Gaylord, ND

Copyright Stark County Historical Society and Dickinson Museum Center

Determination to continue wheat raising was the occasion for a settlement of French-Canadians in Stark County. The Fugers and Dorvals had immigrated from Quebec to Wild Rice in the Red River Valley, but they found the land there too swampy for wheat farming. They learned of available land in western North Dakota, and with the aid of real estate men they found wheat land south of Belfield. Soon 23 French families settled in the Gaylord area, where they had a store, post office and Blacksmith shop. In 1912 they built Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which is still used today. Some of the family names were Sauvageau, Merchand, Leverenz, Le Clair, Cossette, Beaudoin, Bailey and Brunelle.

This is Bicentennial Story No. 93, prepared by Bea Peterson for the Belfield News.

Belfield News, April 12, 1962

Sound recordings

1:21

128kbps

1970 1979

Bicentennial tape #6, Bicentennial stories 87-107