Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

Mansonville Station was the name for South Potton after the arrival of the railway and until 1909, when its name changed to Highwater.

Much lobbying and petitioning took place before rail service was finally established in Potton.  The South Eastern Counties Junction Railway was finally incorporated in 1866, to build from West Farnham “ (…) to such a point on the Province Line in the Township of Potton as may best suit for connecting same with the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers railroad… »^[1]

“ Soon afterwards, South Eastern Counties Junction Railway amalgamated with the Richelieu, Drummond and Arthabaska Counties Railway, - and the combined lines were known as the South Eastern Railway.  After many years of haphazard running and accumulated deficits, it was eventually taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway, which had leased South Eastern in 1887 and which subsequently continued to operate the line. »^[2]

The Missisquoi and Clyde River section of the South Eastern Railway was completed in 1873, and officially inaugurated with “the first train from Montreal to Newport on the 9th of July 1873, (…) 300 guests on the train for a reception in Newport.”  About 15 months earlier, probably in the fall of 1870, the portion of the railway to Richford, Vermont had been completed. 

“ Apparently, the first railway station was built or completed in 1873.  It was a large building and the first Customs & Immigration Office was located in that station along with a ticket office, detention room, freight shed, coal shed, waiting room and a residence for the Stationmaster and his family.  This station was called “Mansonville Station”. »^[3]

In 1909, with the extension to Mansonville of the Orford Mountain Railway, there was some confusion in mail delivery services between its station, called Mansonville Village Station, and the CPR's Mansonville Station, three miles distant.  A name change was essential for one of the two places!  Mansonville Station became Highwater.

Please refer to the Potton Heritage folder about Highwater for more historical detail.