Joseph Ralph Theriault

Moulins du Madawaska Tome Premier Joseph Ralph Theriault

A bilingual history (English and French) from 1785 to 1985 of the mills of the St John Valley in the Madawaska territory; an Acadian enclave. The book includes the detailed histories of the 12 oldest mills including the mill of Joseph Thériault and his son, Joachim, who built and operated the Theriault Mill of Baker Brook, New Brunswick, Canada.
From the dawn of the Acadian era in the Madawaska territory, the flourmills, sawmills, and wool carding mills were among the first to be built to produce the food, shelter, and clothing necessary to sustain the local community. It was the family of Pierre Thibodeau, the miller of Port Royal, Acadia who came to the St John Valley with the mill technology necessary to begin the process of building the necessary mills in the new communities such as the Theriault Mill in Baker Brook, New Brunswick where Joseph and his son Joachim provided for their village for many years.
The book is in two volumes: the first volume focuses on the culture and history of twelve of the early mills in the St John Valley while the second volume is a detailed compilation sorted by town of the 250 historic family and commercial mills that existed in the St John Valley from 1785 to 1985. Volume 1 focuses exclusively on the family mills: its culture including the relationship between the local miller and his neighbors and customers, and how the knowledge and technology of the mills was transferred between generations and between families.