Acadia-Morin-Roberts

Acadia-Quebec – More at this Link

Where is Acadia? Wikipedia provides a history of Acadia. LINK follows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acadia in the 17th Century, which is when our ancestors first arrived as immigrants from France.

The first French arrived in 1605, coming ashore in Ile de Royale, the northern part of Acadia, and claiming Acadia and Canada as part of New France. The English first raided Port Royale in 1613, and continued to fight the French for control of all Acadia. Port Royal finally fell in 1713, and Acadia became Nova Scotia (New Scotland). Pierre Morin arrived at Port Royal from France, and married there. In 1680 he moved the family to Beaubassin, below Fort Lawrence on the west part of Acadia, In 1688 the family moved again, to the area near Chaleur Bay, to the north on Continental Acadia. After Pierre died his wife moved the family to Montmagny County, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, near Quebec.

Illinois – More at the above Link

Many French Canadian Catholic Families begin to leave the Province of Quebec in the 1850’s, including our ancestorial Heberts, Senesacs and Frigons. The St Peters arrived in the area during the American Civil War. In the 1870’s and 1880’s the numbers increased. They were attracted to the area of the former Iroquois Territories, later divided into Iroquois, Will, and Kankakee counties of Illinois. Stanislas Morin arrived in the Kankakee area around 1880. The St. Marys (now Beaverville) and Bourbonnais areas were the destination for many. This area attracted immigrants directly from France, as well as from Canada.

Kansas – More at the above Link

Why leave Illinois for Kansas in the 1880’s? The Heberts, Frigons, St. Peters, Senesacs had been in the Illinois area since the 1850’s; Stanislas Morin had just immigrated in 1880. In retrospect, it seems the Homestead Act of 1862 provided a motivation and the extension of railroads provided a means of moving west. Canadians began to arrive in Eastern Kansas in 1867, then to Central Kansas in 1870 and westward in 1872. The nearest railroad to Rooks and Graham Counties went through Ellis (south of Damar and west of Hays) in 1872. In 1884 the Missouri-Pacific extended west as far as Downs, and then southwest along what is now US Hwy 24 to Alton and on to Stockton, KS in 1885. By 1888 the railroad extended through the Damar area. Cloud County (around Concordia) was the initial destination for the St. Peters, Heberts, and Frigons (the latter arriving in 1885 and wintering over before moving onward to Graham Co. in 1886). The St. Peters (Saint Pierre) family was first to Damar, traveling by covered wagon, arriving in 1878. The Heberts moved first to Cloud County, then onward to Graham County in 1886. The Senesac line is through Adolph Leon Senesac, born 1870 at Bourbonnais, Kankakee Co, IL He married Exilda Hebert in 1900. Exilda is the sister of Rosanna Hebert Morin.