This article was published under the Madawaska Historical Society, written by Guy Dubay, in the St. John Valley Times on September 6, 1973, title Van Buren Grist Mill Genealogy Listed. While the original mill and equipment are long gone, a similar grist mill and carding mill can be seen at The Acadian Village in Van Buren ME. The Violette Industrial Building and equipment there was donated by Alderic O. “Dick” Violette (VFA#100) and Alice Violette (VFA#101) in 2008.

Probably the mill from 1826

On the Picquanositaque Stream, there once stood an old grist mill which eventually led to the renaming of that Van Buren waterway.

The dam on Violette Brook that provided water power for the mill

George Sproule’s 1843 map of the St. John Valley gives Violette Stream its original Indian name. So does the 1826 petition of Francois Violette to the Governor of New Brunswick. Since the elder Francois Violette had built his first mill there in 1791, Picquanositaque has retained the name of its first settler.

When state agents, Deane & Kavanaugh came into the area in 1831, they found Francois Violette, Jr. established there. (The elder Francois Violette having passed away in 1824).

They recorded in their report that Francois Violette (1774-1856) had told them that the elder Francois Violette had built a mill on the site “40 years ago” which had fallen from disuse.

The younger Francois noted his own building of a mill on that site in Van Buren in 1827. The building of this grist mill had followed hard on the heels on his petition to Acting Governor John Murray Bliss on 1826.

We note that originally, the Violettes had settled in the Grand Riviere section of St. Leonard, N.B., as well as the Keegan section of Van Buren.

With the death of the elder Francois Violette in 1824, each son settled on his own farm. Francois Violette, Jr. then at that time moved to the Violette Brook area. On Oct. 26, 1826, he was deeded his Violette Stream (or Picquanositaque) holdings by the Governor of New Brunswick. With the settling of the boundary question in 1842, all settlers had to lay their claims anew. After several surveys, the State of Maine and Massachusetts on July 12, 1845, issued nearly 160 grants which we’ve written of in another column.

The land which our grist mill stands then was granted to Belonie Violette, son of the younger Francois Violette.

Francois Violette, aged 70 years, had on May 2, 1844, already passed his mill and farm on lot 301 in Van Buren to his son. Accordingly, the state, by its grant to the son, reaffirmed the transfer. Lot 301, so granted, covered all the part of Van Buren from Violette Brook to approximately Tyler Street of today.

The grist mill (pictured here) may possibly be that of 1826, However, it is safe to assume that the ensuing owners so altered it so as perhaps, by the time of this photo it may not resemble its original form. Francois Violette (1774-1856) was the original owner.

On July 7, 1844, however, Belonie Violette had for $600 sold the grist mill to Vital Thibodeau of St. Basile, N.B. Thibodeau presumably ran the mill for several years but on Aug. 27, 1868, he leased the mill rights and privileges to Israel and Cyrille Michaud, two brothers also originally from St. Basile, N.B.

Israel Michaud (1823-1904) built a home in Van Buren, which until that property was taken over by the parish for a parking lot, stood between the John B Pelletier home and Sacred Heart School. The Michaud brothers apparently were more successful at plying their trade as carpenters than as millers since they held onto the lease less than three years.

While the Michauds held their lease Vital Thibodeau sold his grist mill interests in Van Buren to another St. Basilian, Pierre Cyr who two months later, on May 15, 1871, sold the mill for $2,500 to Antoine Ouellette and Joseph Martin, Five days later the Michaud brothers sold their lease to the new owners. Each of the new owners built a residence nearby which we’ve located in the column concerning the 1876 map of Van Buren.

On May 6, 1872, Jos Martin sold his share of the grist mill interest to his partner, Antoine Ouellette – thus it came to be called “Le Moulin a ‘Toine” and “Le Moulin a Ouellette.” Whether related to the building of new home. or for business purposes, Antoine Ouellette mortgaged the mill on Sept. 27, 1876, and June 14, 1877, to Patrick Lynott. However, things must have gone badly for Antoine Ouellette, who died not long after.

Lynott foreclosed the property out of the hands of the widow, and on June 28, 1886, the mill was sold by Lynott to Solomon Madore. Three years later Madore sold to two brothers in the family of the original owner, Frederick Violette (1844-1911) and Ambroise Violette (1850-1911). On Dec. 27, 1889, the Violette brothers entered into possession of their father’s mill after a lapse of 45 years.

On April 23, 1891, Frederick Violette gave his brother an obligation which made him sole owner of the mill properties.

Ambroise however, by virtue of an April 3, 1879 agreement with his mother, retained most of lot 301 which the states had granted to his father. Frederick, who had earlier sold the Cyr plantation farm given him, had gone to work in Lewiston. Returning with factory work experience, Frederick Violette apparently made a go of it here.

In addition to grinding wheat, the mill now carded wool, and so maybe it came to be known as “le moulin a carder.” Twenty years later after a career in local politics as well as business Frederick, perhaps sensing impending death, on Feb. 23, 1911, deeded the mill over to his wife, Susan (Parent) Violette. On April 7, this owner of more than 20 years was dead.

Frederick Violette’s widow and heirs sold the mill on Jan. 17, 1913, to Denis Chasse and Odelie (Laplante) Chasse, who that same day gave a $4 ,717.69 mortgage to Allen E. Hammond. The mortgage being discharged on July 15, 1915, the mill remained the property of Denis Chasse until he sold it on Aug. 28, 1916, to Alfred F. Richard. Richard bought the mill by virtue of his mortgage given to Denis Chasse, the previous owner.

This mortgage was discharged on May 17 of the following year. However, on Nov. 6, 1917, Richard again mortgaged the grist mill, this in favor of Paul Castonguay. It, in turn, was discharged when Castonguay permitted Richard to issue a second mortgage to him on May 12, 1920. By virtue of the discharge of June 7, 1926, Richard gained full title to the mill.

I have ignored the Castonguay role in the story somewhat for while Richard held title to the mill, Odelie Rivard, nee Castonguay, held some attachment on the property but for practical reasons this does not affect the story of those who ran the mill.

On April l, 1931, Alfred R. Richard issued a bond to Paul J Marquis of Detroit, MI, and in 1947 Richard who by then had moved away to Waterville, deeded the mill property to the bondee, Paul J. Marquis. This last-named absentee owner held the property until his transfer of the mill on Nov. 4, 1949, to Charles T. Marquis, who in turn sold his interest on July 2, 1953, to Alcide Tardif. By the time Tardif became owner, the mill, in extremely dilapidated shape, had passed usefulness. Other methods of production in larger factories had usurped its functions. Its business value was gone by the time Tardif secured it. It was bought perhaps more with the intent of removing an eyesore in front of his new house that Tardif may have secured it. In any case the old mill came tumbling down not long after. A deed given by Alcide Tardif to Joseph Laplante on Dec. 22, 1961, speaks of the site in these words: “a grist mill which once stood on said premises.”

Here then is a listing of the 0wners of “le vieux moulin a farine sur le Ruisseau Violette”: Francois Violette, Jr. 1826-1844, Belonie Violette, 1844, Vital Thibodeau, 1844-1868, Israel and Cyrille Michaud 1868-1871 (lease), Pierre Cyr, 1871, Antoine Ouellette and Jos Martin 1871- 1873, Antoine Ouellette 1873-1885, Patrick Lynott 1885-1886; Solomon Madore 1886-1889, Ambroise and Frederick Violette, 1889-1891.

Also, Frederick Violette, 1891-1911, Susan Violette 1911-1913, Denis Chasse, 1913-1916, Alfred F Richaud, 1916-1947, Paul J AMarquis, 1947-1949, Charles T. Marquis 1949-1953, Alcide Marquis, 1953-1961.