You are at the heart of the Municipality of Eastman. Look to the north and raise your eyes… This impressive trestle railway bridge overlooking lac d‘Argent has contributed significantly to the region’s development.
Eastman was known for its rich copper mines. After they closed in the 1880s, the village turned to the wood industry. Its strategic position on the rail network allowed for the efficient transportation of wood toward larger cities for transformation and contributed to the rapid growth of the municipality.
Now look to the right… and admire the lac d’Argent, meaning “Silver Lake.” The lake takes its name from the “Silver Valley Hotel,” a travellers’ staging post owned by a certain Nathaniel Parker in the 1800s.
After going around the lake and exiting Eastman, you will cross the chemin des Diligences, where a staging post welcomed both Loyalists arriving from the United States and Canadians looking for employment. The road is named for the stagecoaches that carried travellers on the long road between Eastman and Montreal.
Even today, you can travel on this ancestral road through the hills, toward Saint-Étienne-de-Bolton…