Gosford road
Around 1830, the inhabitants of the Megantic County made a demand for a new road, one that would be easier to negotiate than Craig road which ran along the other side of Joseph Lake. The government concluded that Craig road was in good condition between Saint-Nicholas and Leeds County, but that the rest of that road was indeed in great need of improvement.
In 1838, the Governor of Canada, Archibald Acheson Earl of Gosford, authorized the construction of a road that would connect Saint-Agathe-de-Lotbinière to Sherbrooke. The new plans had the road go around the main natural obstacles on Craig road, such as steep slopes, swamplands and numerous rivers, then through the Inverness Township. The roadwork was conducted by a young man from the region and was finished in 1843.
Just like Craig road unfortunately, Gosford road rapidly deteriorated due to a lack of funds for its maintenance. Despite the difficulties and the related costs, both Craig road and Gosford road facilitated the colonization of the territory by providing access to the Eastern Townships and Boston. Gosford road brought a steadily increasing influx of British and American immigrants to Inverness Township up until the middle of the 19th century.
The construction of a road through the forest (Charles William Jefferys, The Picture Gallery of Canadian History. Vol 2 1763 to 1830. Toronto, Ryerson Press, 1970, p. 221).
Insert Gosford road
Gosford road runs through the village of Inverness (Picture by Gilles Pelletier)
Insert maps of Craig road and Gosford road
