Up the Gatineau! Article
This article was first published in Up the Gatineau! Volume 1.
Notes from the First Minute Book - 1875-76
Municipality of West Hull
(The first meeting was held at Charles Kingsbury's — the O’Neil House, Chelsea) The second meeting of the Municipality of West Hull took place at Upper Chelsea at Ed. Dean's residence (now Harold Trudeau’s next to the old Town Hall) on Thursday 11th of March 1875 at 10 o'clock in the forenoon. Until the old Town Hall was built in 1876 the meetings were usually at Dean’s. On May 3rd,1875, it was moved that the sum of $1.50 be paid to Ed. Dean, Esq., for the use of a room for Council Meetings, but on Aug. 2nd, it was decided to pay only .75¢ per meeting. They were hard up for money.
On May the 3rd it was moved by Luther Edey, seconded by Henry Crilly, that the Secretary-treasurer be allowed to pay to Mr. Gardner Church the sum of $68.25 for cost incurred in the separation of this municipality from the City of Hull, together with interest as soon as funds are in hand.
Reference to statute labour at a meeting 21st, June 1875, concerning the Alonzo Wright pasture road — interested parties will work on said road and that every proprietor will give 3 days for each 100 acres. ‘On Aug. 2nd, 1875, moved that the sum of $1.00 be paid for all statute labor not executed. There were 26 road inspectors and 13 poundkeepers.
Just as now, local councils were looking to Quebec for grants. On April 5, 1875, the minute book reads — ‘The Mayor, Councillor Nadon and the secretary-treasurer, will call on Alonzo Wright, M.P. and know from him what steps should be taken to receive the share of the seigneurial grant due to this Municipality.
On Oct. 4th, 1875 — ‘Moved that the road from the Gatineau gravelled road to Aylmer being of great importance to the Upper Gatineau, the Government of Quebec should be solicited for an aid to repair and open said road and a petition be presented through Dr. Duhamel, M.P.P.’ This is the road running from the Gatineau highway along the Scott road and over the Notch to Aylmer. Aylmer is mentioned more often than Hull in the early records. For example, the paper — The Aylmer Times and the Aylmer jail.
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