Books with French-American Connections
The list of books below are books that relate to French American heritage or connections to Minnesota and the Midwest. Included in this list are family history books with families who have French, French-Canadian or Acadian roots. If you have a book you would like to list here that is for sale, please contact us at the French-American Heritage Foundation. You can also send an email to Mark Labine at mlabine@msn.com and he will make arrangements to include your book in this web page. If you are the author and want any book listed below removed from this website, please send an email to frenchheritagefoundation@gmail.com and your book will be removed.
Ancestral Pathways. This is a book listing over 1700 ancestors of Mark Labine showing his numerous French ancestral connections. See attached: Ancest PW 040624
Aubert Family Book. Aubert Family book
Belisle Family. Book written for Belisle family reunion in January, 1980 by Belisle Reunion Committee and Harvey Belisle. Lists descendants of Alexandre Belisle dit Germain (b.1807) and Elizabeth Gosselin (b.1812) from Deschambault, Quebec. Belisle Book
Bernard-Collette Family History- History compiled in 2010 by Dick Bernard about four French-Canadian families, Bernard, Blondeau, Collette and Cote whose descendants migrated from Quebec to Minnesota to North Dakota beginning in 1850s, settling for the most part in what is now the Oakwood-Grafton North Dakota area. Note Table of Contents for specifics.Bernard-Collette Family History
Chez Nous. This is a series of three books published by the French-American Heritage Foundation that contains 928 pages of all the Novelles Villes Jumelles and Chez Nous newsletters published by La Société Canadienne Française du Minnesota (LSCF), from years 1980 to 2001. Cost of each book is $17.00 U.S., plus shipping and handling if ordered online. These books can be purchased at amazon.com, or at our heritage events. All sales proceeds from these books go to support the mission of the Foundation.
Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur. “La Famille Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur, The Ancestors and Descendants of Jean Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur, Volumes I and II”. Compiled by Roger & Nancy Verboncoeur. Known ancestors of Jean Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur in Minnesota include families with names Verboncoeur, Goodheart, Hart, Bunker and VerBunker.Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur Vol I; Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur Vol II s
Côté family history book. The Côté of North America, a research guide for the descendants of Jean Côté and Anne Martin. Book written by Jean-Guy Côté. The book is written in both French and English. Consists of 507 pages. Excellent genealogy research source. Côté book
Descheneaux historical books for sale. This is a list of 250 rare and ancient books about the history of Canada and Quebec that can be purchased online through Roland Descheneaux. This could be a great place to search for information on your French-Canadian ancestry. Note: the entire list or catalog is in French. Descheneaux Book Catalogue 65
Foley/Fallu/Falleau family history book. Title of book is Minnesota, eh? a Foley/Perras Family History, by Jerry Foley. Book has detailed information on history of Foley family from Jersey Island, through Acadia and Quebec and finally to Northern Minnesota. There is much detail in this book regarding Quebec, Acadia and life in Northern Minnesota. Minnesota, eh? book
Gagner Family History. A Family History: Laurent and Angele Gagner (Gagne dit Bellavance) edited by Joan Torkildson in 1985 for Gagner Family Reunion. Published on website with permission of Francis R. Turgeon. Gagner History
In the beginning, there was a Chapel. On the Feast of All Saints’ Day, November 1, 1841, a small log chapel was dedicated on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River some four miles downriver from Fort Snelling. At the time the chapel was built, there was only a small number of French-Canadian families living in the area. Little did these parishioners know that this little chapel would evolve into a cathedral, a school, and a hospital, and would become the inspiration and the nucleus of a city that would adopt its name and become the capital of Minnesota. Cost of book is $15.00 U.S., plus shipping and handling if ordered online. This book can be purchased at amazon.com, or at our heritage events. All sales proceeds from this book go to support the mission of the Foundation.
Landreville Family Book Written by Sheila Bodell for the 1994 Landreville reunion in Argyle, Minnesota. Includes 115 pages and Landreville family information of descendants of Damas (Tom) Landreville (b.1865) and Regina Proulx (b.1875). Landreville Book
Lemire (LeMire) Family history Book. Written by Linda Turner in 1978. This book has 344 pages of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lemire family history. Lemire (LaMere) Book
L'Etoile Du Nord, Notes on French Influence in the History of Minnesota, by Marie-Reine Mikesell. Great source of information about French heritage in Minnesota. letoile-du-nord
Little Canada's First Settlers. This book lists Pedigree Charts for seventy five of Little Canada’s original settlers. Most of these original settlers were French Canadian. The pedigree charts were prepared by Al Dahlquist, past president of the Canadian Genealogical & Heritage Society of Minnesota and an active and avid genealogist and expert on French-Canadian genealogy. Little Canada First Settlers
Maria Chapdelaine. Maria Chapdelaine is a novel written in 1913 by the French writer Louis Hémon who was then residing in Quebec. It is about a French-Canadian girl who lived in Quebec. The novel has been adapted as plays, illustrated novels, radio-novels, and televised series. This book can be downloaded for free at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13525
Narrative of the Travels and Adventures of a Merchant Voyageur in the Savage Territories of Northern America. By Jean-Baptiste Perreault (b.1761 d.1844). This is a first hand account of the life of Jean-Baptiste Perreault during the period from 1783 to 1820 in the west, including Minnesota, the Illinois country, Wisconsin, Mackinac, and Canada. An excellent first hand account of the early fur trade. The book was written in 1830. Perreault Travels
Paquins in America. A short history of the Paquin Families in North America- 1672-1976, by Brother Pasteur Paquin. Published in 1976. paquins-in-america
Phantoms of the French Fur Trade. These books are for sale on Timothy J. Kent's website. These books contain information on Timothy Kent's ancestors and provide amazing detail about the lives of the early French-Canadians. https://www.timothyjkent.com/pubs/
Proulx Book. This book lists the descendants of Albert Proulx (1856- 1927) and Leda Perreault (1861- 1943). They were both born in Quebec, married in Somerset, Wisconsin, and died in Argyle, Minnesota. See attached: Proulx Book
Roy- Collette Family History- This book is a family history of the Roy and Collette family. Written by Remi Roy, it talks about the descendants of Nicolas Leroy (Roy) and Jeanne Lelièvre and Francois Collet and Marguerite Tanguay. Roy & Colette Family History
Sampson Family. This book is a family genealogy compiled by Sister Ann Thomasine Sampson, CSJ. (1915–2008), with a short summary on writing a family history published in Chez Nous in 1997.Sampson Family
They Spoke French. Book published by the French-American Heritage Foundation that discusses the French heritage in Minnesota. The cost of the book is $25.00 U.S., plus shipping and handling if ordered online. This book can be purchased at amazon.com, or at our heritage events. All sales proceeds from this book go to support the mission of the Foundation.
Turgeon Family History. A family history spanning five centuries and three nations (1627-2007), by Fran and Bill Turgeon. Book discusses descendants of Charles Turgeon, b.1627 in Mortagne, Perche, France. Turgeon Family history
Verboncoeur. “La Famille Chabrier dit Vadeboncoeur, The Ancestors of Mark Allen Labine”. Compiled by Roger & Nancy Verboncoeur. In this book, Roger and Nancy have traced Mark Labine’s ancestors back to 1600 B.C. Very interesting reading. Verboncoeur Labine Ancestry
Voyageur Heritage Press. French Heritage Community Journal and Resource Guide. Wonderful resource for books about French-Canadian and French-Metis cultures and history in the Great Lakes. Their website address is https://voyageurheritage.wordpress.com.
Where the Waters Meet–A Story About Where Minnesota Was Born. This book is the story about the place “where the waters meet” or where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers intersect. Discusses progression of events involving French explorers, to Selkirk colonists, at this location that led to formation of the modern state of Minnesota.
