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The
History of Knowlton
Incorporated
as a village in 1888 the
town of Knowlton is named after Colonel Paul Holland Knowlton
(1787-1863), who grew up in what is now known as the Eastern
Townships of Quebec, Canada. Knowlton began farming on the
edge of Lake Brome in 1815, where he also set up a store
and a distillery. Colonel
Knowlton was active in many fields that led to the region's
development: farming, history, journalism, the militia and
politics; and from
1830 to 1834, he was the area's member of parliament for
Lower Canada.
His esteem was bolstered by his ceaseless lobbying for greater
power and representation for the Eastern Townships and was
reflected in the area's place names as early as 1851 when
the first post office was named "Knowlton" which
became the name of the village itself 25 years after his
death.
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When
the first regional highway was built, Colonel Knowlton
moved his family to settle by the Coldbrook stream that
flows into Lake Brome. There, this son of United Empire
Loyalists built a sawmill, an ironworks, a potassium plant,
a store and a grain mill - the industrial hub around which
the present town was built.
Mill Pond and Coldbrook became highlights of central Knowlton
important for both industry and tourism.
By 1867, the town had attracted many rich merchants
from the Montreal area, who built country homes in and around
the town. The town's recreational vocation soon took off
with the development of a network of hotels.
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Before
the establishment of the English and French
The earliest history of Knowlton and the region of Canada now
known as the Eastern Townships of Quebec is somewhat of a mystery
as the original humans who lived in the region in the years before
the English and French conquered and colonized the area did not
have the same methods of historical data preservation and often
the only available story of the region, indeed much of Quebec,
is written from the perspective of the comparatively affluent
and self-centered set of European values that the French and English
pioneers imported.
Some
of the first known and recorded peoples who inhabited the region
were known as the Abenaki Indians. They are a tribe of Native
Americans/First Nations belonging to the Algonquian peoples of
northeastern North America. The influence of these peoples on
the French and English can be observed by the different names
of towns, lakes and rivers in the region many of which are of
Abenaki origin. Memphremagog, the large and picturesque lake where
Paul Knowlton was raised means "beautiful waters" or "vast expanse
of water" in Abenaki. Other names in Quebec that are derived directly
from the original Aboriginal peoples of the region that have been
molded into French and English variations include Coaticook, Chicoutimi,
Lac Manitou, Mascouche, Shawinigan and others.
Originally
know as Coldbrook, the settlement now known as Knowlton was founded
in 1802 by United Empire Loyalists from the New England states
and New York. In 1855 the village had become the county seat of
Brome County, Quebec.
The peaceful setting of the the Cantons de L'est,
The Eastern Townships, has a unique Victorian heritage
reflected in many of the homes still standing today.
The Townships of Brome, Missisquoi and Stanstead lie
just north of the states of Vermont, New Hampshire
and Maine. English town names like Knowlton, Sutton,
Hereford and Hatley underline the fact that this region
was first settled by Anglo-Saxon descendants. |
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A unique place in Canada
The Eastern
Townships is a large section of southern Quebec bordering on the
US border and extending North. The area was opened up for settlement
by the British in the early 1790's. It was when the Americans
to the south declared their independence in 1776 that those loyal
to the British Crown decided they didn't want to live under this
new republicanism. Many American citizens of various European
origin fled north to the area, to the safety of a land that was
still under British control.
The local colonial government, only too happy to welcome these
new, loyal settlers, gave them generous property grants for lands
within areas known as townships. Many hundreds of "Loyalists",
as they were called, made their homes in the Eastern Townships.
They were followed by waves of Irish Catholics starting around
1820, who first left Northern Ireland when it became part of the
United Kingdom, and then again in 1840, due to the Irish potato
famine.
The
region was surveyed and divided what were known as "townships",
an English and American system of land subdivision. This type
of land subdivision and tenure distinguished the region from the
rest of Quebec, contributing to a unique regional character and
strong identity that has progressed to what the town of Knowlton
is today.
The
20th and 21st century in Knowlton
Religion is
a strong common bond in the Knowlton area and has been ever since
the English and French descended into the region and claimed it
for their own. Now, as is typical of the region, the presence
of three different churches (one Catholic, one Anglican and one
1875 Victorian-style Methodist) epitomizes the coexistence of
different cultures and sympathetic religions.
There have been many beautiful residences spread across the village
in the last 50 years and Lakeside and Victoria street still maintain
some of the most spectacular Victorian housing examples in the
area.
Many small Canadian towns had a Masonic Hall built and the original
Knowlton version on Lakeside Road, which dates back to 1843 and
once housed a tannery, is still standing. The scenic little pond
drawn from Cold Brook creek decorates the village center and is
soon to be restored and improved upon.
There are still many tourists who stop on the central village
bridge to take photos of the lovely Park in downtown. There are
also many historical buildings to visit including what now houses
the Knowlton Brome Lake Museum, the former Knowlton Post Office
which now serves as our City Hall.
As well, a walk in the area reveals some outstanding homes with
stunning architecture.
 Knowlton,
now more than ever, is now a progressive town situated in
a rapidly growing area. Development in nearby Bromont with the
ski areas and year-round recreation facilities is bringing more
and more people to the region. Knowlton has a world-class theater
group and the area is home to many artists and innovative businesses
and is host to many popular festivals including the Brome Fair,
the Duck Festival, and the the Environmental Fair.
New businesses are moving into the area, Cowansville, Sutton,
Mansonville and Waterloo are experiencing rapid growth based upon
the satisfaction of residents, environmental records and the potential
for a growth. Knowlton has more and more homes and condos being
built, many of which highlight the Victorian flavor that infuses
the town.
This growth is continuing rapidly, bringing more residents to
Knowlton and neighboring communities who quickly discover that
the charm and character of the area has much to do with the people
who already live here.
DestinationKnowlton.com
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