Vintage Postcard: General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y.

My paternal grandparents Rosaire Theriault and Yvonne Leger moved to New York in 1924 in search of work to support their growing family. My grandmother eventually found a job at the massive General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York. This plant provided a great living for many Quebeckers and New Brunswickers at a time when good jobs were scarce in Canada.

Related Posts:
The Theriaults – An Acadian Family
Further Reading:
Schenectady, New York Industrial History: The General Electric Company

Rosaire Theriault Tries to Immigrate (3)
In former posts (see links) I discussed my grandfather Rosaire Theriault‘s difficult childhood as he grew up in a very large family, tried to evade the World War I draft, and then faced the Great Depression of the 1920s. After marrying my grandmother Yvonne Leger, Rosaire had tried to support his growing family through various means (legal and illegal!) and finally, in 1924, he decided to try his luck in Schenectady, N.Y.
This is an excerpt from an interview conducted in the late 1940s, in which my grandmother describes the biggest challenge they faced in trying to enter the United States of America.

Immigration Card: New Brunswick, Canada – Van Buren, U.S.A.


List or Manifest of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission

Related Posts:
My Paternal Grandfather’s Military Career (1) Rosaire Theriault




















