Ogden’s Rich and Surprising History
Originally part of the municipality of the Canton of Stanstead, this territory was detached in 1932 to form an autonomous municipal entity, to which the name Ogden was given. Bounded to the south by the Canada-United States border and to the north by the parent canton municipality, the western portion of this entity is partially surrounded by the waters of Lake Memphremagog.
The person commemorated by this name was an American from New Jersey, Isaac Ogden (1739–1824), who, having remained loyal to the British Crown, lost all of his property, which was confiscated by the victorious insurgents. He left the United States in 1783 for England and came to Canada in 1788 as a judge of the Court of Admiralty.
Showing a keen interest in the lands bordering the eastern shore of Lake Memphremagog up to the border separating Vermont from Quebec, he was granted the eastern half of the Canton of Stanstead in 1798, the area where the Municipality of Ogden is now located. To manage this territory, he took on no fewer than 37 associates. In 1808, he abruptly resigned from his position as magistrate and returned to England, where he remained until his death.
— Excerpt from the book Toponymie du Québec
We invite you to visit the Heritage Ogden website to discover more detailed texts.
You may browse the collection “A Brief History of Ogden” below.
The small municipality of Ogden has a rich and surprising history. In this short collection, we could only provide a brief summary. We invite you to visit our website to continue your discoveries through more detailed texts.
Millennia of occupation by the ancestors of First Nations peoples. The ancestors of today’s First Nations peoples lived on the lands surrounding Lake Memphremagog for thousands of years.
The first European explorers and missionaries who crossed the Lake Memphremagog region left important traces in Ogden’s history.
The establishment of the first settlers in Ogden and the gradual development of the rural community at the turn of the 19th century.
The central role of agriculture in Ogden’s development, from the first pioneer farms to modern farming practices.
The granite industry played a major economic role in Ogden’s history, with its quarries and craftsmen shaping the local landscape.
The evolution of transportation routes in Ogden, from Indigenous trails to modern roads, including railways and waterways.
The unique position of Ogden along the Canada-US border and the role of customs in shaping the community’s identity and daily life.
The traditions, celebrations, associations and events that have animated the social and cultural life of the Ogden community across generations.
The development of cottages and secondary residences that transformed the shores of Lake Memphremagog, attracting a loyal summer clientele for over a century.
How the boom years of the 1920s and the hardships of the Great Depression shaped Ogden and its residents during a turbulent era in history.
A portrait of Ogden in the 21st century: a bilingual municipality proud of its heritage, looking toward the future while preserving its unique rural and natural character.