Pioneers' Obelisk (Montreal)
|Location||Place d'Youville (Montreal)|
|Material||Stanstead grey granite|
|Height||41 feet (12 m)|
|Opening date||May 17, 1894|
|Dedicated to||Montreal Founders|
The obelisk is made from a block of granite that stands 41 feet (12.5 m) tall and is 3 feet (0.91 m) square at its base. It took 40 horses to drag the shaft into the city in 1893. The monument was unveiled on May 17, 1894.
It has been moved a number of times before it was placed in its present location in 1999. It made its debut somewhat west of its present location. In the 1940s it moved again, to the old Customs House. The monument's present location is believed to be where Montreal's first mass was held.
Each of the four faces of the obelisk bears a plaque. The first plaque describes the founding of Montreal by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve on May 18, 1642. A second plaque describes the creation of the monument by the Société historique de Montréal and provides a quote from the first mass by Barthélemy Vimont. The plaque on the North side of the obelisk lists the names of the colonists who came between May and December of 1642.
The North plaque reads: Names of the first colonists of Montreal 1642 May - August
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance, Catherine Barre, Jean Corry, Isabeau Panie (wife of Jean Corry), Jean Robelin, Augustin Hebert, Adrienne Du Vivier (wife of Augustin Hebert), Antoine Damien, Marie Joly (wife of Antoine Damien), Jean Caillot, Pierre Laimery, Nicolas Godé, Francoise Gadois (wife of Nicolas Godé), Francoise Godé (daughter of Nicolas Godé), Nicolas Godé (son of Nicolas Godé), Mathurine Godé (daughter of Nicolas Godé), Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie
- Notes: Father Barthélemy Vimont is not listed among the first colonists, but there is abundant evidence that he gave the first mass at Ville-Marie on May 18, 1642. Also, the name of Adrienne Du Vivier is listed with her husband. However, Du Vivier was still in France at the time of the first settlement, marrying Hebert in 1646. The couple, along with their eldest daughter, Jeanne, then sailed from France to New France with Maisonneuve in 1648. Hebert and Du Vivier's second daughter, Pauline, was the first white baby baptized in Ville-Marie. Some research also lists Nicolas Godé's eldest son, Francois (age 21 at the time), as part of this first mission but most research suggest that he remained in France until a later date. The Godés have been called the first family of Montreal, as their children were all in their teens at the time of the first settlement. No other children accompanied this first group.
The South plaque provides a list of the Founders of Montreal, including organizers and benefactors of the mission, most of whom remained in France. Prominence is given to Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière and Jean-Jacques Olier, founder of Saint-Sulpice.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Place d'Youville, obélisque.|
- Pioneers Monument Obelisk about 1890 - McCord Museum