History of Lauzon, Lévis, Québec, Canada

The seigneury of Lauzon was created in 1636 and existed until 1836. It is to Guillaume Couture, that returns the title of the first settler of Pointe-Lévy and this seigneury.

grandquebec.com

Read more about Guillaume COUTURE (COUSTURE)

1679 - Parish of St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy is established at Lauzon

Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique - Univeriste de Montreal

It is moreover Guillaume Couture who will command the French militia during the English invasion of Admiral William Phips in 1690. The monument of the "founding father" of the seigneury is installed in front of the Saint-Joseph church.

grandquebec.com

Read more about Guillaume COUTURE (COUSTURE)

1694 - Église de Saint-Joseph established at Lévis

www.gcatholic.org

On June 30, 1759, the village of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy was attacked by the troops of Lieutenant-General Robert Monckton.
His 2092 men invaded the heart of the village defended by 300 militiamen and Amerindians under the command of Étienne Charest (born in 1718 and died in 1783).
grandquebec.com

Read more about Etienne CHAREST

1759 - July 12 - French and Indian War - James Wolfe orders cannon to start firing on Québec from heights of Levis
that night Jean-Daniel Dumas leads 1,600 soldiers, mostly students, in a disastrous night attack on the English; the young men panic and fire on each other.

canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ July_12

1763 - April 18 - Marie-Josephte Corriveau alias la Corriveau hanged near the Plains of Abraham for murdering her husband Louis Dodier,
who apparently beat her; the corpse of the celebrated murderess is hung for a month in an iron cage at Lauzon by the Pointe-Levy for passers-by to see; the cage is discovered in 1851.
canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ April_18

Read more about Marie-Josephte CORRIVEAU "LA CORRIVEAU"

The first church of Saint-Joseph was burnt down in 1830 and rebuilt on the same land.

grandquebec.com

1832 - The Parish of St. Joseph de la Pointe Levi,
by regulation of Sept. 20, 1721, confirmed by an order in council, Mar. 3, 1722, extends 3 1/ 2 leagues and 4 arpents; vis. 21 arpesnts in Mont-a-peine, beginning at the house of Joseph Turgeon, fif de Vitre 10 arpents, Martiniere 15 arpents, and 3 leagues of Lauzon to the R. Chaudiere. At least one half of the lands in the P. were conceded before 1759, each containing from 4 to 12 aprents in front by 30 or 40 in depth. These lands were granted on the conditions of paying to the seignior annually one sol for each superficial arpent, and to give for each land of 3 arpents in front, two days de corvees and some capons, with a reserve of oak timber for the building of ships and mills. A considerable number of persons are desirous and able to make new settlements if they could obtain lands in the vicinity of their parish, or at a little distance from their parents or friends; and there are, near the limits of the parish, a certain extent of lands that are considered to be of good quality.... Read MORE...

The City of Lévis was born in 1861.
The founder of this new city was Mgr. Joseph-David Déziel (1806–1882). Many municipalities in the territory of present-day Lévis were merged between 1861 and 2002. Many towns were created and the Village of Pointe-Levy (or St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy) became the Village of Lauzon in 1867 and then the City of Lauzon in 1910.
wikipedia.org

A village developed over time which was first named Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy; Saint-Joseph-de-Lévis then, but which was renamed the village of Lauzon in 1867.

grandquebec.com

The village of Lauzon was incorporated on January 1, 1867.
The name of the village was chosen by its residents to avoid confusion with the neighboring town of Lévis, incorporated in 1861. In fact, this decision triggered opposition from residents living south of the village, especially the resident farmers in the ranks of Harlaka. Thus, the southern territory separated and became the municipality of Saint-Joseph-de-Lévis which existed until 2002, when it was annexed to the city of Lévis.
grandquebec.com

1873
LEVIS, or POINT LEVI, the chief town of the co. of Levis, Que., is situated on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, opposite Quebec, and is the terminus of the Grand Trunk railway and the landing place of the passengers arriving from Europe by the Ocean steamships, 172 miles N.E. of Montreal. It contains a commodious hotel, a number of stores, 2 telegraph offices, and several saw mills and factories, and has a very extensive shipping trade. Pop. 6,691.

LAUZON, or ST JOSEPH DE LEVIS, a flourishing post village in Levis co , Que , on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, 2 miles from Levis. It contains about 20 stores, a brewery, a ship yard, and a telegraph office, and has a large trade in lumber and cordwood, A steam ferry runs between here and Quebec. Pop. 1,847.
Lovell's gazetteer of British North America; J. Lovell; Montreal, 1873

For decades, Lauzon's economy was based on the Davie shipyard, whose construction began in 1880 with the digging of a dry dock (Lorne dry dock).
Mr. George Taylor Davie bought in 1879 the land of Anse aux Sauvages (a place also known as Indian Cove West) which had belonged to Duncan Patton, but after his death, his widow decided to get rid of it. Then, a team of 225 men excavated the site of the future dry dock and the first stone of the site was laid by the Governor General of Canada, the Marquis de Lorne, on June 17, 1880. The site will be put into operation in 1882 and the construction will be completed in 1886. The amount of inversions to build the yard is estimated at $90,000 (a huge sum for the time) The drydock will be named Lorne Dock, in honor of the Marquess of Lorne, son-in-law of Queen Victoria . This drydock will be managed by Georges Taylor Davie and the last decades of the 19th century mark the expansion of the Davie shipyard in Lauzon. Indeed, Mr. Davie acquired the second half of the land from Duncan Patton in 1893 and thus formed the "Big Davie" or George Davie & Sons, a very well-known company which would... Read MORE...

1882-84 Point Levis
...It is hard to choose, but a few should be visited, and among these Point Levis stands first in geographical order and in interest of all kinds.

Landing at Indian Cove, where the descendants of those Iroquois, who got from the English Government so much a-piece for every French scalp, used to build their wigwams, to await the distribution of the annual bounty, one finds a splendid graving dock being built on the very spot where they hauled up their bark canoes. The cliff is a worthy mate for Cape Diamond. From its tree-lined summit rolling hills covered with houses, fields and woods, so that the country looks like an immense park, stretch back to the sky-line, in pleasant contrast with the abrupt outline of the other shore. The main street lies between the river and the jagged face of the rock. At each end it climbs the cliff in zigzags, between old houses whose fantastic shapes, peaked roofs and heavy balconies make the place seem like some old Norman town. At one point where a... Read MORE...

The opening of the first boarding school for boys took place in 1885.
It was the Collège de Lauzon, the first boarding school for boys on the South Shore of Quebec. The institution was run by the brothers of the Clercs Saint-Viateur community. This college became Saint-Joseph Primary School in the late 1960s.
grandquebec.com

1890 - BRIDGE WENT DOWN - ENTIRE PASSENGER TRAIN SMASHED IN PIECES. ENGINE AND BAGGAGE CAR ALONE REMAIN ON TRACK - TEN PASSENGERS KILLED AND MANY INJURED.
Quebec, Dec. 18. - The express train from Halifax on the Intercolonial which was due at Levis at 11:40 a.m., met with a frightful accident about three miles from its destination.
The scene of the wreck is an embankment at St. Joseph de Levis. The train was made up of a baggage and mail car, one second class, one first class and one sleeper. It was running at a high speed, and after passing St. Joseph Station, the second-class coach appears to have jumped the track at the end of the station siding on a curve and to have dragged the first-class car and sleeper with it, and also to have derailed the mail car and baggage car ahead of it. The three passenger cars ran diagonaly along the embankment for two hundred yards, the second class car striking the western abutment of the bridge which carries the track over the public highway at this point. It was in this car that the sacrifice of life occurred the front of the car being smashed to atoms against the solid stone abutments. The three... Read MORE...

1895 - Lauzon / St. Joseph de Levis
Lauzon, or St. Joseph de Levis, a post-village in Levis co., Quebec, on the S. shore of the St. Lawrence, 2 miles from Levis. It has 20 stores, a brewery, a ship-yard, and a large trade in lumber and wood. A steam ferry runs between here and Quebec. Pop. 1847.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

On November 3, 1910, the village of Lauzon was incorporated into the city.

grandquebec.com

1916
Levis, Levis Town, or Point Levis, a city and capital of the co. of Levis, Quebec, situated on the S. shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec, on the Grand Trunk, the Intercolonial and the Quebec Central R«. It is the landing-place of the passengers arriving from Europe by the ocean steamships. It has extensive fortifications, large docks, convents and colleges, saw-mills and factories, and a very extensive shipping trade. Pop. in 1901, 7783.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

1948 - Lauzon
Lauzon, a town in Lévis county, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence river opposite the end of the island of Orleans, and on the Canadian National Railway. Christened Pointe de Lévy by Champlain in 1625, in honour of Henry de Lévy, Duc de Ventadour, Viceroy of New France, it adopted its present name in 1867, when it was established as a village, in memory of jean de Lauzon, governor of New France (1651-6), to whom was granted the seigniory of Lauzon in 1636. Lauzon was incorporated a town in 1910. The principal industry of the town is the building and repairing of ships, and it has a dry-dock, 1,150 feet in length, and several saw mills and sash and door factories. There is also a good commercial college and a convent in the town.

W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. IV, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 394p., p. 1.

1955 - October 28 - Fire destroys shipyards at Lauzon
On October 27, 1955, the Davie Shipbuildings co. shipyard was razed by a fire that caused damages of 3 to 4 million dollars. Over a thousand employees of the Davie Shipbuilding co. will be deprived of work by this disaster which, in addition to causing considerable damage to the construction sites, also destroyed neighboring houses. It took several hours of effort by firefighters from Lauzon, other neighboring municipalities and fireboats from the Port of Quebec to bring the flames under control. This is the worst disaster in the history of the Lauzon shipyard.
grandquebec.com

1989 - Lauzon merges with Lévis

wikipedia.org

Lévis
Lévis, Qué, City, pop 40 926 (2001c), 40 407 (1996c), 39 417 (1991cA), area 43.55 km2, inc 1990, is located on the rocky cliffs opposite Québec City, to which it is linked by ferry. Present-day Lévis is the result of the merger of the industrial city of Lauzon (inc 1957) in 1989 and the town of Saint-David-de-l'Auberivière the following year. Lévis is characterized by steep streets lined with picturesque old homes. Formerly called Aubigny, it was renamed in 1861 to honour François-Gaston de Lévis, victor in the 1760 Battle of Sainte-Foy. In the 19th century it was a major station on the Grand Trunk Railway line and served Québec City, which had no line until 1879.

Lévis' economy is based on its commercial and service sectors but its industrial sector is also significant. Other manufactured goods include food, beverages, and plastic and metal products. Davie Shipbuilding (now MILDavie Shipbuilding) of Lauzon, founded in 1828, is the oldest and largest shipbuilding company in Canada. ... Read MORE...

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Lauzon, Lévis:
Parc de la Marina-de-Lauzon:

Start your journey in Lauzon at this picturesque park along the St. Lawrence River. You can take a leisurely walk along the waterfront, have a picnic, or simply enjoy the stunning views of the river and the city of Québec across it.

Lauzon Historic District:

Lauzon has a rich history, and you can explore its heritage in the historic district. Stroll through the charming streets lined with well-preserved historic houses and buildings.

Musée de l'aviation:

If you're interested in aviation, don't miss the Musée de l'aviation. It showcases the history of aviation in the region, with a focus on the Lauzon Airport's role during World War II.

Eglise Saint-Joseph de Lauzon:

This beautiful church is an architectural gem and a significant landmark in Lauzon. Even if you're not religious, it's worth visiting to admire its stunning architecture.

Lauzon Market:

Visit the local market to experience the flavors of the region. You can find fresh ... Read MORE...