The Interlake Beckoned

 

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 The Cossettes of Wild Rice, North Dakota

The Interlake Beckoned

Sister Marie Flore Martel Leah Cossette Ulphie Cossette's Family Tree Jane Cossette Antoinette Cossette Edward Cossette William Cossette Leon Cossette References for Ulphie Cossette
From:
The Interlake Beckoned: A History of Inwood and Surrounding Districts
Published 1980 by The Inwood History Book Committee
Story submitted to the committee by Ben LaPorte, Inwood
 
Cossette Story
 
Ulphie Cossette was born in 1840 at Champlain, Quebec. As a young man he worked for the Hudson Bay in Northern Canada. After a few years he had saved enough money to go back to Quebec and get married. He and his wife then traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, by train where they bought a pair of oxen, a covered wagon and supplies and set out for the west. Eventually they arrived at the Red River eight miles south of Fargo, North Dakota, where they settled on their homestead.
 
A baby girl was born but shortly afterward the mother died. The story is that he carried his daughter down river to St. Boniface and left her with the Grey Nuns. When she grew up she became a nun and was known as Sister Martel.
 
Ulphie Cossette later remarried, this time to Mary Denis who lived on the next homestead. They had eight children, William, Leah, Leon, Jane, Laura, Louis, Edward and Antoinette.
 
William Cossette kept records in an account book and from it we find that he was born In 1878 at Wild Rice near Fargo, N.D. In 1901 he came to Manitoba and took out a homestead SW 2-18-1 on November 27, began residence and cultivation July 25, 1902, and lived permanently on his homestead from December 12, 1903. By 1905 he had broken 16 acres and cultivated 13. He estimated the value of his home at $350.00, stable $75.00, fence $1.25 and well at $10.00. Later that same year he had a well drilled by a Mr. Hirst, 70 ft. deep, at $1.25' per foot and $6.00 for pipe.
 
His records show a very complete account of his expenses and income for that period. Apparently the Cossette family also had bought a house in St. Boniface at this time and his accounts include purchases for it:
 
1904,
June 1           Chandelier                         $2.50
June 9           cot folding                          3.00
June 11         6 towels,linen                      1.00
June 13         1 wash dish, 1 spitoon            .65
June 29         2 chamber pots, covers         1.00
Dec.22          raw linseed oil                       .20
Jan. 13          train fare to Teulon              1.30
and many more pages like this.
 
 
I think William fancied himself as what is known in Quebec as a Notary, a middle man between the local farmer and the government. He had had a fair education and drew up agreements on land sales, made out affidavits, made applications for naturalization papers, was active in a Grain Growers Association in 1932, was Reeve of Armstrong Municipality in 1922, as well as Justice of the Peace at that time. All of these various jobs for a small fee. He farmed as well, but was never what others would call a successful farmer. 
 
On December 25, 1913, he married Odile Dufault, in a double wedding along with Leah Cossette and Ernest Laporte. They had no children. 
 
Leon Cossette. his brother, homesteaded the quarter section of land diagonally across from him at the same time but sold his homestead and returned to Fargo about 1920.
 
Edward Cossette, another brother, also lived in Inwood for a while. He married the local school teacher about 1917 and moved to St. Boniface in the late twenties.

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This site was last updated 04/09/06