Racine

Arriving from Vermont, Racine’s pioneers chose the area because of its rich soil. Louis-Théophile Descarries cleared a part of East Ely Township, opened in 1801 to Scottish immigrants, who were followed by French Canadians after 1852. Isaac Greenwood, later changed to Boisvert, built the first sawmill in 1825 to provide lumber for homes in the town. Consecrated in 1906, Sainte-Théophile-de-Racine Catholic Church, with its huge grey stones, bears witness to the era. Founded in 1912, the municipality took its name from the first Bishop of the Diocese of Sherbrooke, Mgr. Racine, who held the position from 1874 until his death in 1893.