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| Albert Dussault, age 7. |
[Much appreciation to Andy Dussault of St. Johnsbury, who provided his father's autobiography, with permission to share it here. Please see the related post for a picture that includes Albert at age seven -- we'd appreciate help identifying the other children in the photo.]
Autobiography of Albert Peter Dussault
Nov. 26, 1909 - Jan. 2, 1985
I was born at Cloquet, Minn. on November 26, 1909. My father, Emile N. Dussault was a millright. We moved to Waterford, Vermont in August 1914 on the Andrew McKee farm, above the Lee Farm (near Stiles Pond), as my grandfather (H. Lebrun) bought it. I attended the Graves School – Lottie Hill was our first teacher - from 1916 until February 14, 1924, then I went to St. Gabriel’s School in St. Johnsbury, Vt. I graduated on June 15, 1926. Before 1926, I worked summers at Moose River Gardens, worked for Sherm McGinnis haying, and at the Carreau farm. Also, worked for the State of Vermont as water boy with horse & wagon with tank - filling it out of the brook and Lee Farm water tank for a steam shovel.
[The next three photos, provided by Andy Dussault, show Albert and some of his siblings -- there were 15 Dussault children, and their farm was on Fairbanks Mountain, adjoining the Lee Farm. -- BK]
In my young life, while in school - I drove 1, 2 and 4 horse teams and also oxen at Cary Maple. Chopped wood and all other work in the woods.
Then came my Walk into Life, June, 1926. Went on top of Hulbert Hill, my 1st job out of school - pick and shovel. $3.00 per day for brother Joseph and I as he worked there too. 2nd job, striking for blacksmith sharpening drill bits for jack hammer - rock drilling. The first trucks I drove were an Aviation and Liberty dump trucks for the state of Vermont. Then came a day the driller let me drive the Nash Quad about ½ mile. It drove from the 4 wheels and it steered from the four wheels, solid rubber tires, in high gear 14 miles per hour. Also, this was a drilling outfit and included a four wheel trailer on which was a Blacksmith Shop for sharpening rock drills. In November 1926, this rig went to the sand bar in Grand Isle to build the Sand Bar Road and bridge. From this time on I knew I wanted to be a truck driver, and I was for a good many years.
In November 1926, I hired out to Bertha Lee to care for a barn full of cows and other farm animals. Then in February 1927, went up on East St. Johnsbury Mountain to drive team for Joe Morin for one month and lived in the camp atop of mountain. Worked one month for Laperle. During the winter of 1927, we walked half way to Littleton at 10 to 15 degrees below zero and that night slept in livery stable in Littleton with the teamsters. Next morning, left for Lincoln, NH, on a load of grain, got there between 8 to 9 p.m. that night. Hired out as tractor operator, and left for the woods the next morning at 5 a.m. operating a Cletrac Tractor for Parker and Young – Lincoln, N.H. for 2 ½ months until spring. One summer I worked for Swan Construction. (They built the St. Johnsbury Garage on Railroad Street.)
Then came my career for Harry Dolgin in the spring of 1927 in the junk yard and used auto parts for two years until 1929. Driver and learned some mechanic from Charles Kirker at Dolgin’s.
I worked for Costa on the delivery route for one summer.
In 1930, worked two months at Fairbanks Scale Works, and for six weeks drove milk truck for Floyd Easter.
In 1930, Memorial Day night made my first trip to Boston for St. Johnsbury Trucking with Wesley Fairbanks with #11, a K-W Brockway. Then was given #19, a Model A Ford on Swift’s Mountain run delivering beef to stores and hotels. In the winter of 1932, Francis Fisher and I took a load of furniture to Alexandria, Va. We left St. Johnsbury on Monday, Feb. 14th and returned that Friday night.
I drove and worked as mechanic and rigger. I drove #19 - #25 - #21 - #11 - #13 - #10 Big Steve - #59 better known as Caroline, a wrecker and low bed tractor – then came Big Bertha #200 an Autocar wrecker and #282 an International wrecker. I also ran the Boston terminal for 6 weeks during the winter of 1935, then drove #40 - #32 - #65 - #42 ten wheeler, #9 - #7. I drove Model A Fords, 240 Brockways, Republic, Northways, Garfords, Libertys, Aviations, Auto Cars, Sterling Diesel chain drive, Bulldog Macks chain drive and many more.
Sept. 23, 1937 I got married. Worked local for 10 months then went back on the road with #65 a new DS 60 International tractor. I drove the first tractor trailer in the northern part all winter during 1935 & 1936. In the spring of 1939, ran the St. Johnsbury terminal for 3 months. Then went to manage the Newport terminal until May 30, 1941. This is when I left for the machine shops in Conn. We moved to Farmington cutoff in Connecticut in June 1941 and worked at Fuller Brush and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. In Sept. 1943, the Braults (Gerry & Gemma) and us (Albert, Noella, Andre, Denise, Robert) returned to Vermont. We lived in a trailer park behind a filling station on Shelburne Road in South Burlington.
On Nov. 21, 1943, my mother died in Burlington, Vt.
I worked at Bell Aircraft as a machinist until the end of World War II. In 1945, opened Dussault’s General Auto Repair until March 1947 at 220 Shelburne Road. During the spring of 1947, we returned to St. Johnsbury and I did general auto repair until July.
In July 1947, my father and I started building our house on Higgins Hill. (1249 Concord Ave.) Moved in on Paul’s first birthday, Dec.17th. While up there (Higgins Hill) worked for Warren Motors, then contracted carpenter work until 1-1949. Then back to St. Johnsbury Trucking again as mechanic, rigger, driving and moving heavy equipment.
We sold our house, and on October 1st, 1950, the family and I went to California for 3 years, then came back in September, 1953.
In California, I worked as carpenter in Chico, on western grain silos installing roofs. Then went to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo (Jan, 1951), California for 15 months as a heavy machinist in the inside machine shop. Then on June 2, 1952, moved to Cohasset, CA in the Sierra Nevada Range. (Pop, Andre and Bobby worked for Uncle Walter in the woods for four weeks – he didn’t pay any of us.) For 3 weeks worked as truck driver and rigger for Butte Creek Rock Co. Then in Sept. 1952 I went to work for Chico Wood Products (Sam Fortino) who had a garage in Chico and a logging operation and sawmill in Cohasset, as driver, mechanic and jack of all trades. Driver in the tall timber of the Great North West and cat skinner – jammer puncher. Heavy log truck driving (Federal tractor with a 300 Cummings diesel) during the days and as a mechanic on logging trucks and dozers, TD 24 International and D8 Catepillars nights and during the winter. I ran a board saw for one week in the Cohasset mill.
Then in August, 1953 came back to Vermont. Left $3.75 per hour wage and back to St. Johnsbury Trucking for $1.25 per hour as mechanic, wrecker driver and heavy equipment moving until March 9, 1954. At 7:30 a.m. got both legs broken by a bucket on a 2 yard link belt shovel. (The accident happened behind West’s Garage in Errol, N.H.
I was in St. Louis Hospital in Berlin N.H. for 4 weeks . By July 1958 I had had 5 operations – bone graft and skin grafts. Then I was in the St. Johnsbury Hospital until July 9, 1954. My right leg was in a cast for 38 months.I then worked for Brault’s Mobile Homes hauling ten ft. wide mobile homes from Marlette, Michigan and Nanticoke, Pa. One from each place a week. Then in the fall I bought a truck of my own and hauled for Chamberlain of Thomaston, Conn. until the spring of 1959.
I started a trailer sales of my own in 1959, (St. Johnsbury Mobile Homes) until I sold to Geo. Secilian April 14, 1972 and he quit in 1974 and I lost $55,000.00 and he took off.
I even owned a pumper fire truck. Moved to Waterford 6-17-72 and bought and sold tractors, dozers, and bucket loaders - trucks and cars. Sold house and moved to a mobile home on North lot. Then retired. What a way to live - ask me. The worst thing in life is retiring - for the birds.
My mother wanted me to go to high school and I told her I wanted to be “a mechanic and truck driver” and I did, except 7 years in machine shop and 2 years a general “Building Contractor” and Repairs.
In August 1977 went to Cloquet, Minn. “flew” out and back to see our Bro. Robert’s (3/9/1911 – 3/25/1912) grave and Margaret Lasor - went with Clement - what a way to travel.
On August 8th, 1982 left Derby Line for Cloquet, Minn. at 1:30 p.m. with Bro. Joe. We returned 8-12-82 at 9:00 p.m. 2301 miles, having Bro. Robert’s body returned 70 years and 5 months after his death (as they had promised their mother).
DRIVING RECORD
Truck Driving 1 ½ to 2 million miles without a chargeable accident.
I loved truck driving and hauling heavy equipment and logging in The Wild West.
The man that let me drive my first truck was – George Sterns – State of Vt. Driver and Mechanic.
Only dumb people retire.
Places we lived until October 1982
#1 - Oct. 1937 Just married in Beebe Plains, P.Q. - 39 Maple St. St. J.
#2 - Oct. 1938 Upstairs 72 Portland Street Andre’s first home. He was 10 days old.
#3 - Newport, Vt. 1939 - Denise born Jan. 14, 1940. Born at home – Indian Point and
Elm Street.
#4 - Oct. 1940 moved to Winter St. (in Newport)
#5 - June 1941 moved in a 15 ft. trailer on Farmington Cut-off. Conn.
#6 - Oct. 8, 1942 Robert was born at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford, Conn.
#7 - While in this spot moved from Schultz 15 ft. to 18 ft. Platt trailer.
#8 - Then to a 29 ft. Howard trailer.
#9 - Moved to So. Burlington – Shelburne Road – (Sept. 1943)
#10 – Moved to Fort Ethan Allen housing.
#11 – Moved to Queen City Park where we bought our first home.
Dec. 17, 1946 - Paul was born in the DesGrosbriand Hospital, Burlington, Vt.
#12 - Back to St. J. on Portland St. 1947 and built our house on Higgins Hill.
#13 - Moved to Higgins Hill, Dec. 7, 1947 - July 14, 1948 Clement born St. J.
Hospital.
#14 – Sold house to Geo. Hall went to Chico, California at East 17th St.
#15 – Moved to Vallejo, Cal. Eugene born August 8, 1951
#16 – 1952 moved to Cohassett, Cal. In 25 ft. trailer & an outbuilding.
#17 – Moved to Nord Ave. Chico, Cal.
#18 – Moved back to Vt. In Aug. 1953 Portland St. upstairs over Mrs. Fales.
#19 – Moved downstairs in Mrs. Fales apt.
#20 – Moved to Marion Ave. in back apt.
#21 – Moved in Taylor’s side apt.
#22 - 1961 in Zabarsky’s apt. Corner of Concord Ave. and Lafayette St.
#23 – 1962 moved on Memorial Dr. in Knowlton House until we sold in 1972.
#24 – Moved in New House on Hulbert Hill, Waterford.
#25 – Moved in Mobil Home 14’ x 64’.
BAPTISMS BIRTHS
Andre baptized in Notre Dame Church, St. J. Vt. Born Oct. 24, 1938
Denise baptized in Star of the Sea , Newport, Vt. Born Jan. 14, 1940
Robert baptized in St. Patrick’s Church, Farmington, Conn. Born Oct. 8, 1942
Paul baptized in St. Anthony, Burlington, Vt. Born Dec. 17, 1946
Clement baptized in Notre Dame Church, St. J., Vt. Born July 14, 1948
Eugene baptized in St. Basil’s, Vallejo, Cal. Born Aug. 8, 1951
TIMES AND PLACES IN FLORIDA
1975 - 1976 Kissimmee + (2 weeks Ft. Lauderdale with sis. Jean)
1976 - 1978 stayed home.
1978 - 1979 Pompano Beach
1979 - 1980 DeLand , Fla.
1980 - 1981 Belleview, Fla.
1981 - 1982 Belleview, Fla.
Edited by Andre Dussault
Typed by Gertrude Dussault
March 2003
Revised March 9, 2012
Revised January 21, 2016
[For more stories of Waterford, Vermont, history, please do browse the blog here; you can use the "search" box at top left for topics like schools or dams.]
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