Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

In Potton, if you mention “the Lake” – it is well understood that it is Lake Memphremagog of which you speak!  The waters of Lake Memphremagog constitute the eastern boundary of the Township of Potton.

Our beautiful lake has approximately one third of its length in Vermont and two thirds in Quebec.  As such, it is an international waterway.  It is roughly 51 km long (32 miles), covers a surface area of 102 km² (39 square miles), has an average depth of 15.5 m (51 feet), and a maximum depth of some 107 m or 351 feet.  At its widest point, it is roughly 6 km wide (3 miles).  From the geological perspective, it is a fresh water glacial lake.  Lake Memphremagog extends from Newport, Vermont to Magog, Quebec and touches several adjoining municipalities: Potton, Austin, Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Ogden, and Stanstead.  The outlet of Lake Memphremagog is at its northern extremity where it flows into the Magog River, which flows into the St. Francis River, which empties into the St. Lawrence.  Several major rivers in Vermont flow into the Lake Memphremagog, the source of drinking water for over half of the region's population^[1].

Abbé Maurault, in his Histoire des Abénakis in 1866, says that Memphremagog is an Abenaki word from Mamhrobaguk, which means a grand or great expanse of water.^[2]  We sometimes see it written as mamhlawbaguk. 

In 1759, upon his return from an attack on the St. Francis Indians (the Abenakis), Major Robert Rogers purportedly used the name of Amperamagog to identify that particular campaign.  A 1778 map prepared by Captain Jonathan Carver shows an “either/or” choice: Memorobka or Memphrimagog. 

Despite the many permutations over the centuries, it is Memphremagog to us, or the “Beautiful Waters” memorialized by William Bullock in his 1926 book of the same name.  Memphremagog is many things to many people, from deluxe shoreline home, to rustic summer cottage; the Lake offers great swimming, clean waters, excellent fishing, a place for relaxation and reflection.  The Lake offers something to everyone and always has. 

Legends and lore abounds of Lake Memphremagog: the sea-serpent who lives in a cave deep below Owl's Head, called Anaconda by the Abenaki and now, to suit present day marketing purposes, known by the more upscale name of Memphré; stories of adventure and thievery, tales of outrunning authorities to profit from smuggled contraband, especially in the era of Prohibition in the United States; to the illicit substances of to-day.  The size and quantity of fish taken from her waters vary with the telling.  From birch bark canoes to steam powered passenger boats, from motorboats to sail boats, many craft have plied her waters. 

From earliest times in Potton, Lake Memphremagog was important not only as a transportation route into our territory, but also in the growth of commerce in our region.  It remains the lifeblood of the Townships whose borders touch its shores.  Our lakes, rivers and wetlands are the heart, arteries and lungs of our territory.  May we have the wisdom to protect these resources so that succeeding generations may share the same pleasures we are privileged to enjoy.  Memphremagog Conservation Inc. (MCI), a not for profit association established in 1967, has devoted its efforts to protecting the health of the lake.

At a June 1998 soirée, Quebec author Jean O'Neil regaled Potton Heritage members with memories of his adolescence around Owl's Head and his adventures with young friends on Lake Memphremagog.  We hope soon to have his permission to reproduce his text on our website.  They were both witty and touching.