“ Joseph Labine was born April 1, 1854 in St. Alexis, Assumption County, Quebec, the son of Olivier Labine and Nathalie Rivet, and it was there that he received his education and, after its completion he emigrated to the United States, first settling in Marlborough and then Pepperell, Mass. He then moved to Manchester and then in 1874 at the age of 20, he finally settled in Nashua, NH.

His first employment was with Crane, Leland & Moody, a shoe factory. On May 1, 1876 he married Alphonsine Paquette at St. Louis de Gonzague Church. She was the daughter of Clement Paquette and Marcelline Jacques. They became the parents of 16 children. After working in the shoe factory for eight years he left and went into business for himself.

He was one of the originators of the Nashua Driving Park and a member of the firm of Labine & O’Grady, the first lessees of the park until it was sold when he joined in association with then Congressman Edward H. Wason and purchased the property and he owned it until his death.

His interests included breeding racing horse stock and was instrumental in bringing many fine horses to Nashua. In 1912, he, with the help of his business partner, was instrumental in bringing the first airplane to the driving park they co-owned for what was to be the largest fair ever to be held at that location. He erected the first brick office, store and apartment building in the city’s west end and it included a large hall for public meetings to be held.

Joseph Labine is descended from one of the earliest Acadian families to settle in Port Royal in what is now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia around 1677. The original family name was Guidry-dit-Labine. His great grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Guidry eventually settled in Petites Rivieres in the Gaspe region. In 1755 this same great grandfather was deported with his family to Massachusetts where he was known under the name of John Labrador, and there he remained in virtual indentured servitude until 1766 when, along with the majority of the Acadians who had been deported, was permitted to leave. He eventually settled at St. Jacques de L’Achigan in Assumption County, Quebec around 1767.

Joseph and his wife, Alphonsine, were the parents of Joseph, Albert, Alfred, Louis, Alida and Roasanna (twins), Clara, Henry, Blanche, Edward, Cecile, Louis-Urgel, Edmund, Joseph-Ulric, Ulric and Theodore. He was very active in civic affairs, holding memberships in the Elks, L’Union St. Jean-Baptiste, Catholic Order of Foresters, the Artisans, Sacred Heart League, Foresters of America, the Nashua Aerie of Eagles, the Amoskeag War Veterans of Manchester and held honorary membership in the Ladies of Charity.

Joseph Labine died in Nashua on September 22, 1923 and was buried from St. Louis Church before one of the largest gatherings even seen in this parish. He, as was written in a front page story in the Nashua Telegraph at the time of his death, more than other citizen, was instrumental in bringing French-Canadians to the city, and was one among the many whose advice was sought by new arrivals. He spent time and money freely in assisting them to settle in the Gate City and to become citizens through the Court of Naturalization. For nearly a half-century he was a leader in the French-Canadian community. . . and although he never sought elective office, he was very active in State politics. At his death the family was living at 43 Pine Street.

Was a merchant in Nashua. Purchased a building in 1900 at the junction of Pine and Lege that was called the Labine building. In 1873 he emmigrated to Nashua, New Hampshire. After a tour in which he visited the towns of Marlboro, Hudson and Pepperell, Mass. he married Alphonsine Paquette in April 1876 on his 22nd birthday. Joseph was a very progressive and ambitious businessman in Nashua and in 1900 he built the “Labine” building which still bears his name. Joseph belonged to the Union of St. John the Baptist, the Line of the Sacred Heart, the “Succursale Nashua des Artisans Canadian French”, the Heart of St. Henry #1215, the GOF de la cour Mercier #11, the A.F.A. de la cour Nashua, the club Joliette of Manchester, the Elks Club, the Society of Eagles, the “Veterans Amoskeag”, the Association of Liquor Merchants, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Boston Fat Men’s Club.

Joseph had seven children, two of whom were nuns, one who was a pharmacist, one a schoolteacher, and two who worked with him in his business. “9786

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Ulric Labine
Ulric LaBine