Beyond Broomsticks

A Requiem for St. Joseph Church

As we prepare to say final farewells to Saint Joseph Church it seems a fitting time to look back at the church and the people who built it.

The story of St Joseph Church is a story of a unique people who helped build Salem’s industries and went on to influence all aspects of the city. As industrialization took hold in Salem in the mid 1800s there was a need for laborers able to handle the increasingly complicated machinery in the mills and factories. This growing need fueled the arrival of  large number of French Canadians who moved from severe economic conditions in the largely agrarian Quebec. The Quebec Province at this time was under much stress with a growing population with limited opportunities. Canada’s population had grown by 400% between 1784 and 1844. It was nearly impossible to pursue farming due to the non-availability of suitable land. Farmland between 1784 and …

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