Gregoryville, Michigan facts for kids
Gregoryville is a small community located on Torch Lake in Schoolcraft Township, Michigan. It's close to Lake Linden in Houghton County, Michigan. Gregoryville was mostly a company town, which means it was built by a business for its workers.
This town grew because of the lumber business owned by Joseph Gregoire. Mr. Gregoire only hired French-Canadians to work for him. Because of this, he was known as the "Father of the French Canadians."
Only a few families lived in Gregoryville, along with the workers at the sawmill. Many of these families married each other, creating a very close and special community. This community was just outside the village of Lake Linden. Some of the main family names in Gregoryville were Gregoire, LaCasse, Drake, Letendre, and LaMothe.
The Gregoire Family's Influence
The Gregoire family was very important in the early days of Lake Linden. Joseph Gregoire moved most of his family from Quebec to Lake Linden in 1867. They became quite successful and wealthy during that time.
Mr. Gregoire passed away in California. He is buried in Mont Calvary cemetery in Lake Linden. His grave marker is very impressive. It's made of marble and weighs over 1,000 pounds (450 kg). The old French writing on it honors him as "Father of the French Canadians." This shows his important place in the early history of the Copper Country.
Important Buildings in Gregoryville
The original home of Joseph Gregoire was taken apart and moved to Calumet Street (Main Street) in Lake Linden. Only a part of this large and fancy house remains today. It is now a photography studio called Englund's Photography. The Maple Leaf Bar stands where the Gregoire home used to be.
If you drive through Gregoryville on Bootjack Road, you'll see a noticeable white house on one of the hills. This was the LaCasse family home. It's a special landmark for people whose families came from Gregoryville. The house was first called "LaCasse on the Hill." Later, it got the nickname "Ponderosa" after a movie showed a similar-looking house.
