Joseph Dufrane  1868 -1971

 

Born in Dundee Quebec and Moved to Trout River, NY 

and Lived In Constable NY talks about growing up in the

last half of the 19th Century In Canada & the U.S.A.

Married to Mildred Dufrane 1899-  

 

 Background to Joseph Dufrane

 Attached are a few various pictures of my great Uncle Joe and Aunt Millie, along with a photo of Uncle Joe’s mother Hattie. My great-great Grandma Hattie died in 1933 at the age of 92. Joe’s brother Charles Philip AKA:”George” Dufrane (my great grandfather) lived to be 99, so the longevity of some of the Dufrane’s can be traced back to her. Grandma Hattie was blind at age 28 due to failed cataract surgery in Montreal. Her mother was French Canadian and her father John Gardner was a Canadian immigrant from Scotland. Joe’s dad was Louis Dufrane, son of Bazil and Marie Latour Dufresne. Bazil’s father was also named Bazil and his father was Jean-Baptiste Dufresne, who immigrated to Canada from France via Montreal.  

 I never knew my uncle Joe, but have heard a few stories from my grandfather George Dufrane. He couldn’t read or write, but he learned math very well as he was quite a shrewd business man. He was quite active in alcohol smuggling during prohibition. It was so lucrative he acquired several farms in the Constable and Burke area in the 20’s. He even owned a hotel/tavern at the intersection of route 30 and route 122 in Constable. In the 1920’s a trial was held for which he was acquitted of arson for hire. During his time in jail he contracted TB and had to sell off most of his farms to afford the health care to see him through. He had a few minor arrests and fines for alcohol smuggling as well. He was assisted by his brother George. George would also brew beer to augment the alcohol supply. He wasn’t caught. Joe and George were very active in horse racing in the county and surrounding area as well. In Joe’s past he also ran a mobile meat market out of Aubrey’s store, which is now Tallon’s [in Constable].

 

 The cabin of which Joe talks about in his interview is still standing today. I’ve heard from some of my Canadian friends that the cabin has been restored by the owner. The Willie Stephens farm is still in the Stephens family. The cabin was located about 1/2-3/4 of a mile from the farm. The location of the cabin is on the Fraser side of Pointe Fraser in Dundee, Quebec. This is around 5 miles or less from the Fort Covington, NY port of entry.

 Information and photographs provided by Chris Dufrane

 Table of Contents of Interview

TAPE 1

Track 1                                                                                                        Page 6                                                                                   

Born in Dundee Quebec, Life in Dundee Quebec in the last half of the 19th Century; Description of the log cabin and day to day life in Dundee and growing up there; Description of clothes, food and entertainment.

Track 2                                                                                                         Page 24                            

More on growing up in Dundee, Quebec: Description of home and home life:  Home remedies; attending the Catholic Church; Description of holidays including Christmas;Entertainment and parties.

 TAPE 2

Track 1                                                                                                          Page 39                                                                              

More on Catholic religion, first communion, religious beliefs and customs;  Moving the Trout River with his family when he was 8 and father bought a small farm; Description of home and home life; Description of grist mills, sawmills and businesses in Trout River, NY in the last part of the 19th Century; Father was a sawyer in a sawmill and description of the sawmill; Cutting logs and drawing them to the sawmill; Description of the grist mill and grinding grains for flour;  Moving to Constable and a new farm; Going out to work as a young boy to help support family; never really going to school.

Track 2                                                                                                          Page 54

 Description of his father’s farm in Constable; more about going out to work as a boy and various jobs to help support family; Making maple syrup in Trout River, including using wooded buckets; Getting married at 18; Working for other farmers; raising hops

Appendix A:                                                                                                  Page 67

 

Read Joseph Dufrane Tape Transctipt:

 

Click on Transcript:

Transcript

 

---

Listen to Joseph Dufrane:

Tape 1

 Track 1

 Audio

 Click on Audio link to listen to interview:

Audio

[audio:http://www.reynoldstonnewyork.org/wp-content/FCRTR-109-1-A.mp3]

---

 Track 2

 Audio

 Click on Audio link to listen to interview:

Audio

[audio:http://www.reynoldstonnewyork.org/wp-content/FCRTR-109-1-B.mp3]

---

 Tape 2

 Track 1

 Audio

 Click on Audio link to listen to interview:

Audio

[audio:http://www.reynoldstonnewyork.org/wp-content/FCRTR-109-2-A.mp3]

---

 Track 2

 Audio

 Click on Audio link to listen to interview:

Audio

[audio:http://www.reynoldstonnewyork.org/wp-content/FCRTR-109-2-B.mp3]

---