Heritage
The historical medallion on the site recalls the origin of the Municipality's name and the built heritage of the village.
A life of influence
The municipality of Fassett owes its name to an American businessman, the Honourable Jacob Sloat Fassett (1853-1924). At the time, logging was at its height in the region and, largely thanks to that industry, the municipality once had more than 1,500 residents. The Saint-Fidèle church, built between 1917 and 1919, closed on December 31, 2016.
Research and writing: Marie-Josée Bourgeois.
Jacob Sloat Fassett was born on November 13, 1853, in Elmira, New York, and died on April 21, 1924, in Vancouver, British Columbia, while returning from a business trip to Japan and the Philippines. A graduate of the University of Rochester in 1875 and admitted to the bar in 1878, he was a lawyer, banker, businessman and philanthropist.
From 1878 to 1879, he was Chemung County District Attorney. He then became owner of the Elmira Daily Advertiser, which he held from 1879 to 1896. He served in the New York State Senate from 1884 to 1891, was Senate President from 1889 to 1891, and was Secretary of the Republican National Committee from 1888 to 1892.
After running unsuccessfully for Governor of New York in 1891, Fassett was appointed United States Customs Collector for the Port of New York, but resigned after six weeks. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1904 and reelected twice, he served in Congress from 1905 to 1911.
From January 1904, he led the Haskell Lumber Company Limited, whose head office was then in Montebello. His role in the forestry industry of the Petite-Nation region explains why the village bears his name.
The name « Fassett » was first given to the railway station in 1905, then to the post office in 1906. In 1913, the parish was established as « Saint-Fidèle de Fassett ». The municipality, first called « La Petite Nation » and then « Paroisse de Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours » from 1883 to 1951, officially adopted the name Fassett on March 17, 1951.
Logging was then at its height in the region. Largely thanks to that industry, the municipality of Fassett once had more than 1,500 residents.
The Saint-Fidèle church was built between 1917 and 1919. In 2000, the sacristy was converted into a place of worship on winter Saturday evenings to welcome the fifty or so parishioners from Fassett and the surrounding area who attended mass.
Because of demographic and economic changes, the church closed its doors for good on December 31, 2016, after welcoming the faithful for a final Christmas mass on December 24, 2016.
Every street in the village has its own story. The Municipality continues to document these place names and the families associated with them.
Fassett is a human-scale riverside municipality in the MRC de Papineau, in the Outaouais region of Quebec. The Municipality showcases its built heritage, its municipal wharf and its waterfront park.
His name was also given to the United States Liberty ship SS Jacob Sloat Fassett, Fassett Elementary School in Elmira, Fassett Commons at Elmira College, and Fassett's Point in Falmouth, Massachusetts, where the family owned the Greycourt estate.
Jacob Sloat Fassett and Jennie Crocker Fassett had several children. Their son Jacob Sloat Fassett Jr., known by the stage name Jay Fassett, appeared in several Hollywood films. Artist and designer Kaffe Fassett is his great-grandson.
Jacob Sloat Fassett supported Elmira College, Elmira's First Baptist Church, and several Chemung County parks, playgrounds and social service agencies. In 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Fassett donated $30,000 toward the construction of Fassett Commons, followed by an additional $10,000 when costs rose.
The Municipality is gradually expanding this page. Old photographs, deeds or personal accounts may be sent to the municipal office: dg@fassett.com or 819 423-6943.
Text harmonized from the Find a Grave memorial for Jacob Sloat Fassett and the public-domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Original bio: Bill McKern.
