The following list is a guide to help people who are creating programs, studying, or trying to find a French Canadian community with resources in their area. The history and culture of French Canadians from communities throughout the area have many commonalities, from genealogy to the underlying economic reasons for early development in the region, to faith, food, and family. It is impossible to extricate and isolate one area’s French Canadian culture from the broader Great Lakes regional French Canadian culture although there are certainly exceptions to this statement. To suggest additions to this list or to report a broken link, please contact the editor or leave a comment.
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ALGONQUIN CLUB OF WINDSOR AND DETROIT
The BUXTON MUSEUM is an excellent general resource for the study of French Canadians who were involved with helping escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad. For a look at how some French Canadians responded to this moral imperative, see page 51 of the November 4, 1932 issue of the Border Cities Star (forerunner of the Windsor Star) for some local history that includes details about The Soup House – an organization that served the escaped slaves, especially children.
CENTRE COMMUNITAIRE FRANCOPHONE/PLACE CONCORDE WINDSOR
CLUB RICHILIEU WINDSOR
COMMUNITIES OF THE VOYAGEUR METIS
DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY
ESSEX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
EXPLORATION, THE FUR TRADE, AND THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY
LES FEMMES DE LA ROUTE 11: LES ELLES DU NORD
FIDDLE AND SASH ASSOCIATION, WALLACEBURG
FRENCH ONTARIO IN THE 17th and 18th CENTURIES
OUTAOUAIS’ FOREST HISTORY Bilingual (English and French) multimedia website designed exclusively for secondary school teachers and students on the history and culture relating to the forests of the Ottawa region.
PLACE CONCORDE Catering, event space in Windsor
VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF FRANCO-ONTARIAN HERITAGE
WINDSOR COMMUNITY MUSEUM (Francois Baby House)
8 femmes, 8 mars…celebrating “les paroles de femmes en Ontario français”
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHICAGO, French and French Canadians in Chicago
FRENCH CANADIAN INTERVIEW PROJECT, Kankakee
FRENCH CANADIANS IN THE KANKAKEE VALLEY
KANKAKEE FRENCH HERITAGE MUSEUM
WILMETTE HISTORICAL MUSEUM
THE BAILLY HOMESTEAD
CENTER FOR HISTORY South Bend, Early Indian, to 1779
FEAST OF THE HUNTER’S MOON Annual festival in LaFayette, Indiana
OLD FRENCH HOUSE AND INDIAN MUSEUM
SPIRIT OF VINCENNES
VOYAGEUR ANCIENT FIFE AND DRUM
DELOEUIL SITE is an excellent resource for archaeological and historical information on the area around present-day Monroe, Michigan, including Frenchtown and River Raisin, particularly through the prism of early blacksmith Francois Deloeuil.
Detroit, je t’aime
DETROIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
DETROIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY: FRONTIERS TO FACTORIES This multi-unit resource includes an extensive section on French Detroit, 1701-1760, including extensive curricular guidelines on teaching Ribbon Farms, Fur Trade, and Habitants and Voyageurs. A background essay places the topic in a broader context.
Part of the organization Alliance Français, Encore Détroit is dedicated to sponsoring and promoting French cultural events in the Detroit area and building French language opportunities, drawing historical local culture as their inspiration.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DETROIT
FEAST OF THE STE. CLAIRE Annual living re-enactment festival, Port Huron
FORT ST. JOSEPH A mission site from the 1680s, it is now an archaeological site run by Western Michigan University
GREAT LAKES FRENCH CANADIANS, the Facebook forum associated with this website. This group is primarily not genealogical in nature, focusing on all other aspects of French Canadian culture.
GREAT LAKES LIFEWAYS INSTITUTE
L’ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE GROSSE POINTE
FRENCH SCHOOL OF DETROIT
MACKINAC STATE HISTORIC PARKS Numerous resources for teachers and kids, including lesson plans, curriculum guidlines, and information about site/in-school visits.
MACKINAC FOR KIDS A special website from Mackinac State Historic Parks just for young people!
MICHIGAN TIME TRAVELER (PDF: resource for young people from Michigan Historical Center and Lansing Newspapers in Education, Inc.)
MONROE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
MTU ARCHIVES AND COPPER COUNTRY HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
RIVER RAISIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD, Monroe, Michigan Excellent resources for teachers, students and travelers. Note Professor Muskrat and Major Muskrat!
CHEZ NOUS: Publication of the FAHF. 145 issues available in PDF.
FRENCH-AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION of MINNESOTA
INITIATIVES IN FRENCH Publishes IF Midwest Journal and sponsor of Franco-Fête
NORTH AMERICAN VOYAGEUR COUNCIL Educational organization dedicated to knowledge of the fur trade.
MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Strong fur trade collection, including artifacts, publications, and artwork, and free access to many articles on French Canadian and Metis culture and history.
TOUT CANADIEN is an excellent resource for learning Canadian French.
FELIX VALLE HOUSE STATE HISTORIC SITE
HISTORIC STE. GENEVIEVE
LES AMIS: FRENCH CREOLE CORRIDOR
MARDI GRAS SOULARD
OLD MINES INFORMATION
OLD MINES AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PAW PAW FRENCH
SOULARD, ST. LOUIS
CATHOLIC MASSES IN FRENCH IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION
CENTER FOR FRENCH COLONIAL STUDIES
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FRENCH CULTURAL HERITAGE IN NORTH AMERICA
FRENCH IN AMERICA CALENDAR This gallery of images was part of a calendar project sponsored by Alliance Franco-Américaine du Midwest (AFAM), Conseil pour le Développement du Français en Louisiane (CODOFIL), Société Historique Franco-Américaine de la Nouvelle-Angleterre (SHFA) from 1985-2002.
HISTORY OF THE GREAT LAKES STATES Providing extensive links to digital resources in the public domain.
FRENCH IN WISCONSIN Research, reenactment, and teaching the French experience in the history of Wisconsin.
ROGERS STREET FISHING VILLAGE
SAWYER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
WISCONSIN’S FRENCH CONNECTIONS LIBRARY
MICHIGAN FRENCH CANADIAN HERITAGE