Canadian Convention - Part 2 by Pete Zizka 7-22-2023

I recently discovered a sizeable document, written in French, that detailed a series of Conventions held by Connecticut’s French-Canadian citizens. Interestingly, the idea for these conventions came from French-Canadians mainly clustered in Windham County and with Willimantic and Putnam being the focal points. Yet, even though these conventions and the document speak about the French-Canadian experience and hopes, I believe that immigrants of other nationalities shared the same experiences and settled in to their new community in much the same way. It is a fact that the first groups of Irish and French-Canadian immigrants met with some discrimination. The discrimination may have stemmed from the fact that the immigrants spoke a different language. As Historian Richard Bayles’ said, speaking of Windham County factory towns, “they (long-time residents) see throngs of foreigners crowding the streets on a Saturday night, and hear a Babel of alien tongues (and) may fancy themselves in a foreign land.” In some factories, the “foreigners” outnumbered those of New England origin three or four to one. Bayles also pointed out that the “foreigners” also tended to have large families. This was certainly true of the Irish, the French-Canadians and the Italians but, as another historian, Allen B. Lincoln, says, the families, “acquired a good command of conversational English and, with their normally numerous children making creditable records in the public schools, were well on the road to absorption in American life”. There were hardships for all the immigrants regardless of nationality. But they endured, they established themselves in the workplaces and in trade and adapted themselves to the ways of their new country. But they also formed what were known as “benefit societies” and other fraternal societies so that they could maintain their traditions and their mother tongues. Early 1900s Willimantic City Directories list one Irish Society, four French-Canadian societies, and churches for those of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran and the Russian Orthodox faiths. The French-Canadian Conventions document provides a fascinating look at the experiences of as well as the hopes and aspirations of Willimantic’s Canadian transplants. The Canadians of Danielson and Willimantic were the primary organizers of the convention and, in 1885, issued a “summons”. “Considering the urgency that there is for the Canadians of Connecticut to take the means to get to know each other better in order to walk more safely and more efficiently towards progress and national advancement: It is proposed … that measures be taken to evoke a convention of the Canadians of the State of Connecticut, to be held at Willimantic….(We will) discuss the most effective means to achieve the progress of Canadians of this state.” The convention’s planners noted that Willimantic had advantages which no other town could offer. Willimantic’s Canadian social groups reached out to similar groups around the state and invited them all to come, ready to discuss, “questions concerning national virtues and ready to rival each other in their enthusiasm”. The societies went so far as to offer delegates a meal dear to the heart of French-Canadians. “As recompense for this intellectual sustenance, we promise to take care of their (the delegates’) material existence with the following dishes: 1) First off, for each delegate, a nice bowl of white pea soup in beef broth. 2) For the main course, fricasseed onions with grilled ham steak. Finally, for dessert each delegate shall receive a maple croquette made with local syrup, without even mentioning the spruce beer and resin gum, which will not disappoint.” Now that the invitations had been sent out, the community had to choose those who would represent Willimantic. The city’s convention planners listed businesses owned by French-Canadians in Willimantic and found that there was a pharmacy, two grocery stores, one delicatessen, three bakers, two restaurants and one hotel. Other businesses were one clothing store, one tea (and coffee) shop, one paint store, two blacksmiths, one livery, seven farmers and a valet. There were also two Canadian doctors and the total French-Canadian population was 1,500. (We’ll look more at immigration to the City and the Canadian convention in some future articles). The sign on the Town Hall says “Welcome”.

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