1701-1800

The region located along the Ottawa River is not colonised during the French regime to maintain the fur trade with the natives who lived there. The French had a military garrison with many Forts along the Ottawa River such as Fort Coulonge. The furs are delivered then they are sent with an escort towards the big centres of the Colony. After 1763, the English have the same idea to discourage the installation of the settlers.

May 1709

Jean Cadieux, born at Boucherville on March 12, 1671, the youngest son of Jean Cadieux and Marie Valade, died from wounds and exhaustion because he wanted to rescue his travelling companion from the attacks of the Iroquois. Boaters from Oka found the body above the seventh Chutes at Grand Calumet, he had in his hands a text that he wrote on a birch bark relating his death, which is now the legend of Cadieux's complaint.

This is an extract of the text from Cadieux's complaint:

"Small rock above the big mountain,
I come here to finish my campaign!
Ah! Dear hero,
listen to my long sigh I will now die."

Since 1695 Cadieux undertook, to conduct boats in the region of the Great Lakes to bring furs. He married on May 30, 1695 at Boucherville, Marie Bourdon, born on August 11, 1675 at the same  place. It is said that she was Algonquin. His parents, probably adoptive, were Jacques Bourdon (1650-1724) and Marie Ménard (1658-1726), both born in France. After Jean Cadieux's death, she marries Antoine Quenneville on May 26,1710 at Longueuil. Located at the junction of the Coulonge River and the Ottawa River, FORT COULONGE is erected behind rock fence inside there were a house and some buildings. The place of Fort Coulonge became a fur trading post for more than one hundred years because of Louis d'Ailleboust, and then his sons, Antoine, Louis (sieur de la Madeleine) and Paul-Joseph (sieur de Coulonge) who traded with the Algonquin natives and the Tête-de-Boules of Sqaw Lake (located a little northeast from Fort Coulonge).  The post was very important, because it was located on the West Road and was inhabited by militaries, clerks of the Trade companies, used as a real Hostel where travellers could eat and buy supplies. You could find shelter, meat and security. Also there was a cemetery near by so many stopped to bury their dead.

1758

In 1758, before the threat of the English, the governor VAUDREUIL called back all the military force from all the forts and trading posts to the West of New France so that they can defend the establishments located near the St-Laurent River.

1759

The English occupied the forts located on the West because the main furs came from there.

1761

Alexander Henry an English trader, who was travelling towards the countries above by the Ottawa River, notices the neighbourhood of Fort Coulonge.

1763

Pontiac (Obwondiag, Pondiag or Pondiac), the big Chief of the Odawas (Outaouais),of the region of the Nipissing Lake and Supreme Chief of the Confederation of the Algonquins of the Great Lakes launch an attack against the English. He tried to convince all the native tribes to be with him. Thomas Gage, Governor of Montreal forbid the trade with the Countries above. The huge territory located around Fort Coulonge was named after Pontiac.

Near 1777

The wood logging industry became organised as they began to damp the river located North of Grand Calumet Island (Seven-Chutes) to allow the passage of the pine logs.

1784

Under the British occupation, the trade continued to be developed. The northwest company built Fort Coulonge in 1784. It is believed that the original Fort is located at the mouth of the river, on the West Side, where the Davidson saw mill is or on the East Side of the river. The new Fort was built upstream, near a sand beach, about one kilometre west of the mouth of the river. The bridge located nearby the site has the name of Bridge of the Fort. The Hudson Bay Company took over the North-West Company and maintained an important fur trade until 1855. The post of Fort Coulonge, is surrounded by a 12 foot high wooden fence

-included in the Fort is:

•  burgess 21 by 26-foot house with its huge stone chimney,
•  servant house (demolished in 1873), joint to the other house with storage and a vast cooking room,
•  15 by 26-foot clerk house with a high chimney,
•  27 by 26-foot hostel (demolished in 1873),
•  15 by 15 foot smithy,
•  24 by 26 foot boat shelter (demolished in 1837),
•  31 by 27-foot store (still in existence in 1897),
•  16 by 16 foot ice box,
•  mast exists between the store and the burgess house
•  cemetery that is located near the Ottawa River
• buildings were made of square timber and covered by bared, the windows are narrow and the doors are red;

1786

Joseph Mondion, from Lord of Vaudreuil, settled at Chats(Cats), at the West extremity of Deschênes lake.  In 1686, the Knight of Troyes came and gave the name to the place because "the stones in the river scratched the boats". For others, it was because of the presence of the racoons in the region. The first chutes were called "Sault-des-chats-sauvages". (Rapids of the wild cats)

1792

The fur trader John MacDonnell visited the post of Fort Coulonge and he found that it was in bad condition.

1793

The governor projects to erect the Clarendon Township. Lots were given to the 15 first people who requested them in 1826

1795

The mayors Gale and Duberger produced a map showing the place and the name of 17 new townships for what will be called the Pontiac County.

1800

Joseph Mondion sold the post and the farm that he built at the Chats to a Montreal society; Thomas and John Forsyth and John Richardson.

Maurice Thibaudeau, 2000