From about 1870 until the late 1880s, Isaïe Fréchette's foundry and machine shop in St. Hyacinthe produced a variety of machinery, including agricultural machinery and shingle sawing machines. He also worked with local shoe manufacturer Louis Côte to design shoe-making machinery, which he is believed to have manufactured for Côte.
Information Sources
- Families in Transition: Industry and Population in Nineteenth-Century Saint-Hyacinthe, by Peter Gossage, 1999, says that in 1871, Fréchette's foundry, "apparently also new to the community", employed 15 men and two boys.
- The Legal News for 1889-03-23 listed insolvency notices, including one for "Isaïe Frechette (James Aird & Co.), boot and shoe manufacturer, St . Hyacinthe, March 7." The Quebec Official Gazette for 1889-04-06 mentioned that J. Morin of St. Hyacinthe had been appointed curator to Isaïe Fréchette, boot and shoe manufacturer. The October 5 edition reported "Isaïe Frechette, St. Hyacinthe, doing business in name of James Aird & Co.—First dividend, payable Oct. 22, J. Morin, St. Hyacinthe, curator."