The Houle-Dubreuil-L’italien family were very representative of an average Franco-American family in Biddeford in the early 20th Century. Hervé was born in Canada, and grew up speaking French. Eventually he moved with his parents Biddeford Maine. He worked as a cook and eventually went on to own his own restaurant, Herve’s Lunch, in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
The Houle family is known for the first French speaking child born in Biddeford. Born Augusta Lafluer, her nice Lilly Houle went on to marry Hervé Dubreuil, and passed these stories on through the collection. She also collected many photographs of the family enjoying leisure time in in the 1920’s-1930’s, a look into the everyday life of a family in Biddeford. This collection also includes the journal of Louis Dubreuil, a family member who served in World War 1 and recorded his last few months of life in the fall of 1918.
