Joseph de La Roche Daillon
Encyclopedia
Joseph de La Roche Daillon (d. 1656, Paris) was a French
Catholic missionary
to the Huron Indians and a Franciscan
Récollet priest. He is best remembered in Canada as an explorer and missionary, and in the United States as the discoverer of oil near the Allegany River.
He was the son of Jacques de La Roche, seigneur of Daillon in Anjou
, and of Jeanne Froyer of La Baronnière. La Roche's career as a missionary lasted less than five years in the 1620s.
from Dieppe
on June 19, 1625, to become a missionary to the Hurons.
His superiors having requested him to go and lend his assistance to Father Nicolas Viel
, a missionary to the Hurons, he had already gone as far as Trois-Rivières
in the company of St. Jean de Brébeuf, when he learned of Father Viel’s death, which had occurred on June 25. Both Hurons and French then persuaded them to turn back.
On July 14, 1626, he set out again, and after a successful trip made in Huron canoes, he at last arrived at the village of Toanché.
, so-called because they remained neutral between the Huron and Iroquois. The Neutrals lived near the modern-day sites of both Hamilton
and Buffalo
and along the Grand
and Niagara
rivers. At the time, the Neutrals had 28 villages, as reported by de la Roche.
La Roche settled on the east bank of the Niagara, north of the present site of Buffalo. He lived in the area for three months, learning the Neutral language and teaching them on Christian topics. The trip ended poorly, however. The Hurons, unhappy with the French presence, portrayed La Roche as a sorceror, and the Neutrals nearly put him to death. He escaped west and returned to the Hurons.
La Roche was probably the first European to see Niagara Falls
, although Louis Hennepin
was the first to describe it.
The next summer, in 1627, he joined a group of nomadic Indians and traveled along the course of the Genesee River
to the area of present-day Cuba Lake. Local natives, likely Senecas
showed him a petroleum creek, which they used for medicinal purposes. This is the first account of oil in North America.
When the English briefly took control of Quebec City in 1629, the Catholic missionaries were forced to leave the province. La Roche was the Latin language interpreter during the capitulation.
He left Quebec on September 9, 1629, and died in Paris in 1656.
La Roche published an account of his voyage to and sojourn among the Neutrals, describing their country and their customs, and mentioning the oil he discovered. Gabriel Sagard
and Chrétien Le Clercq
reproduced it in their writings, in a more or less abridged form.
and Northeastern Pennsylvania
, where he's typically called De La Roche D'Aillon. Interest in him grew after the Pennsylvania oil boom starting in 1859.
De La Roche Hall, the main science building at St. Bonaventure University
, is named for the friar. Exterior details on the building have a petroleum theme in honor of his discovery.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Catholic missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the Huron Indians and a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Récollet priest. He is best remembered in Canada as an explorer and missionary, and in the United States as the discoverer of oil near the Allegany River.
He was the son of Jacques de La Roche, seigneur of Daillon in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
, and of Jeanne Froyer of La Baronnière. La Roche's career as a missionary lasted less than five years in the 1620s.
Arrival in Quebec and among the Hurons, 1625
La Roche arrived at Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
from Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
on June 19, 1625, to become a missionary to the Hurons.
His superiors having requested him to go and lend his assistance to Father Nicolas Viel
Nicolas Viel
Nicolas Viel was a French Recollet missionary to the Hurons from 1623 to 1625.- Biography :Father Viel traveled to Huron territory arriving there with Father Le Caron. He was studying the language and collecting material to add to Father Le Caron’s dictionary. After almost two years, he decided to...
, a missionary to the Hurons, he had already gone as far as Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
in the company of St. Jean de Brébeuf, when he learned of Father Viel’s death, which had occurred on June 25. Both Hurons and French then persuaded them to turn back.
On July 14, 1626, he set out again, and after a successful trip made in Huron canoes, he at last arrived at the village of Toanché.
Trip to Western New York & the oil discovery, 1626-1627
La Roche left the Hurons on October 18, 1626, choosing to minister to the NeutralsNeutral Nation
The Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
, so-called because they remained neutral between the Huron and Iroquois. The Neutrals lived near the modern-day sites of both Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and along the Grand
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
and Niagara
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
rivers. At the time, the Neutrals had 28 villages, as reported by de la Roche.
La Roche settled on the east bank of the Niagara, north of the present site of Buffalo. He lived in the area for three months, learning the Neutral language and teaching them on Christian topics. The trip ended poorly, however. The Hurons, unhappy with the French presence, portrayed La Roche as a sorceror, and the Neutrals nearly put him to death. He escaped west and returned to the Hurons.
La Roche was probably the first European to see Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
, although Louis Hennepin
Louis Hennepin
Father Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. baptized Antoine, was a Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Recollect order and an explorer of the interior of North America....
was the first to describe it.
The next summer, in 1627, he joined a group of nomadic Indians and traveled along the course of the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
to the area of present-day Cuba Lake. Local natives, likely Senecas
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
showed him a petroleum creek, which they used for medicinal purposes. This is the first account of oil in North America.
Leaving the Hurons and Canada, 1628-1656
In 1628, he went to Trois-Rivieres with the Hurons on a trading trip. From there he journeyed to Quebec City, and was ministering there in May of 1629.When the English briefly took control of Quebec City in 1629, the Catholic missionaries were forced to leave the province. La Roche was the Latin language interpreter during the capitulation.
He left Quebec on September 9, 1629, and died in Paris in 1656.
La Roche published an account of his voyage to and sojourn among the Neutrals, describing their country and their customs, and mentioning the oil he discovered. Gabriel Sagard
Gabriel Sagard
Gabriel Sagard, baptized Théodat was a Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Récollets order who is notable for his writings on New France and the Hurons . Sagard's origins, and the dates of his birth and death are obscure...
and Chrétien Le Clercq
Chrétien Le Clercq
Father Chrétien Le Clercq , a Franciscan Récollet, and a zealous Roman Catholic missionary to the Mi'kmaq on the Gaspé peninsula in the mid-17th century, was also a distinguished historiographer of Nouvelle France who wrote two early histories and adapted an apparently native mnemonic glyph system...
reproduced it in their writings, in a more or less abridged form.
Legacy
La Roche's discovery of oil makes him a notable figure in the history of Western New YorkWestern New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
and Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
, where he's typically called De La Roche D'Aillon. Interest in him grew after the Pennsylvania oil boom starting in 1859.
De La Roche Hall, the main science building at St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
, is named for the friar. Exterior details on the building have a petroleum theme in honor of his discovery.
See also
- Oil Springs ReservationOil Springs ReservationOil Springs Reservation is an Indian reservation of the Seneca tribe located in New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the Indian reservation has one resident. Although the reservation is controlled by the Seneca tribe, as of 2005 no tribal members actually live on the Oil Springs Reservation. It is...
, the site of the oil discovery - USS Soubarissen (AO-93)USS Soubarissen (AO-93)-External links:*...
, a fleet oiler named for the Indian chief who met La Roche and showed him the oil springs - Cuba, New YorkCuba (town), New YorkCuba is a town in Allegany County, New York, USA. The Town lies on the western border of Allegany County, with the Village of Cuba within its borders. Cuba is approximately an hour and a half drive south of Rochester and Buffalo, New York...
, the nearest town
External links
- "Joseph de La Roche Daillon" by Odoric-M. Jouve in the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, 1910 - Joseph de la Roche Daillon in the Atlas of Canada
- History and exterior details of De La Roche Hall, St. Bonaventure University