Le Courant

An incorporated village and station of the Grand Trunk Railway, in the township of Barnston, county of Stanstead, 5 miles from Barnston Corners, 18 from Stanstead Plain, 21 from Sherbrooke, 16 from Hereford, 122 from Montréal and 175 miles from Portland.
The site now occupied by the village originally belonged to Richard and Levi Baldwin, Jonathan Cutting, Nathaniel Pollard and Robert Magill. On the 30th March, 1842, a store was built by H. Cutting, and this modest structures, 14 X 20 feet, was the first business stand in the place. Previous Richard Baldwin, one of the pioneers of the county, built a saw mill here, and a frame dwelling was erected about the same time by Robert Magill. A tavern was soon after built by H. Cutting, and in 1844 the premises now occupied as Davis' hotel was completed. A carding mill and store were built by the late M. Child, and in 1850 a grist mill by Levi Baldwin. In 1847 a school was opened by Miss R. Cleveland, who was succeeded as teacher by the Misses Sarah Brook and Ives. Alpheus Lewis was the first shoemaker here, and John Kennedy the first blacksmith. The post office was opened in 1843, H. Cutting, postmaster; the first quarter's receipts reaching the respectable sum of four pence halfpenny, the large proportion of one third being allocate to the postmaster, which paid was isy the postal department.
On the 18th of July, 1844, the Grand Trunk line was opened here and the growth and prosperity of the village may said to have begun. The abundant water power afforded by the Coaticook River attracted, and manufacturing plant were soon established. Rapid industrialization became established like everywhere else in the province.
Coaticook was incorporated in January 1864, the population then being 470 and the assessed value $84,000. The first council was composed of the follow¬ing gentlemen: A. T. Adams, Mayor; Levi Baldwin, Richard Baldwin, H. Cutting, A. K. Fox, Benjamin Damon and Lewis Sleeper. Otis Shurtleff, Secretary¬ Treasurer. The assessed value in 1867, $110,000; in 1871, $151,720, in 1873, it had increased to $393,000 and at present, 1874, to $575,000 exclusive of the value of the numerous factories which are exempted. Population 2,500. Coaticook is a port of entry, having for its outports Sherbrooke, Hereford, Island Pond and Boundary Line, The annual revenue is about $75,000.
W. S. Williams, collector.
Municipality 1874. Henry Lovell, Mayor; P. T. Baldwin, Samuel Cleveland, Benjamin Damon, M.D.E.H. Paquette, W.S. Williams and Lewis Sleeper. Otis Shurtleff, Secretary-Treasurer. Board of School Commissioners. Dudley Davis, Chairman; L. Kilburn, Moses Locke, G. M. Moulton, Charles Merrill. O. Shurtleff, Secretary-Treasurer. The following are the principal manufacturing establishments: The Coaticook Mills Co., founders and machinists, extensive brick premises; employ on an average 40 hands; aggregate power, steam and water, 100 horse. Agricultural implements, saw and grist mills, etc. The Coaticook Knitting Factory, L. Sleeper, President; John Gibb, Vice-President; J. J. Fiske, Secretary. Capital $60,000; employs 75 hands.
A.H. Cummings & Co, sash, door and blind and lumber manufacturers and dealers, and general finishing works, employ 16 hands.
The Tolley Manufacturing Co, A. Tolley, Manager. Rubber elastic gusset webs, etc., employing about 300 hands. Estimated annual value of manufactures $270,000, capital $200,000.Coaticook Saw Mills. Capacity four millions feet annually, 25 hands. F. J. Cross & Co, rake factory, horse and dreg rakes, saw frame, etc., average 12 hands. Kilburn & Baldwin, mill and job work, carriage makers and blacksmiths tools 10 hands, 12 horse power, steam and water.
The phoenix Flour Mills, R. G. Trenholm & Co. Gregoire & Co. this ûrm employs an average of 35 hands in the manufacture of lumber, laths, shingles, clapboards, etc.; about 25 in the furniture factory, and a large number in the making of cheese vats, kegs, tubs, pails, etc.
Lovell's Directory of Sherbrooke, Coaticook, etc. Montréal 1875