Domaine McCormick

"Madame" McCormick's legend. Clip of the week : This week, meet with Louise Lacoursière.

As we inch closer to a wooden quay on the Saint-Maurice river, towards the end of a long jet-ski expedition, we are finally able to see two welcoming silhouettes standing in the distance. An imposing period house stands on a hill behind the quay, nestled in the surrounding forest. In spite of the ultra-modern jet skis that have carried us here, we are about to embark on a voyage through the region's history, as seen through the life story of a woman who appeared on the front page of the most important American newspapers, after she came here to seek refuge from American aristocrats.

On the quay, Old Buck, a tall fellow dressed in native clothing, seems to be lost in thought, gazing at the ripples on the Saint-Maurice River. By his side, Mario Cossette, as quick as a fox under his cowboy hat, welcomes us to Domaine McCormick.

"I've always been a cowboy and will always be one", Cossette tells me. "And the first time I saw Old Buck, he was dresses like this. It's a real life game of cowboys and Indians!" says the man that has been overseeing Domaine McCormick since 1995, as he guides us towards our rooms. Old Buck, followed closely.

After we get to our rooms, we rest a bit and put on some dry clothes. As the smells of dinner come wafting through the room, we can hear a woman's voice from the dining room. Old Buck and Cossette had better behave themselves; author, historian and great storyteller Louise Lacoursière holds her own at the dinner table, as well as the wood stove!

Once dinner is served, Lacoursière, who has an uncommonly passionate twinkle in her eye, doesn't waste a minute as she starts to tell us the amazing story of Domaine McCormick, painting vivid pictures of the principal characters and of one the greatest adventurers the Mauricie region has ever known.

"The expression 'Reality is stranger than fiction' certainly applies when you're talking about the life story of Mrs. Anne Stillman-McCormick", says Louise Lacoursière, to set our imaginations running. "This passionate and fascinating woman lived through a divorce that was reported by newspapers all around the world.»

Anne Stillman-McCormick was born into a wealthy New York family; she married James Alexander Stillman in 1901. Stillman posessed a great fortune but, unlike his wife, he wasn't admitted to the very tight circle of American aristocracy. This union allowed Stillman, who was the son of the president of the National City Bank and owned one the most important fortunes in the United States, to enter this group of "noble" Americans.

Up to that point in the story, everything had been running smoothly. But did the reserved Stillman know that he had just married a libertarian and an adventurous woman who, instead of adhering to the rigid rules of conduct of the time, preferred to go roller skating in Central Park? During the first few years of their marriage, the couple had three children: Anne, James and Alexander. After that, the Mrs. got into the habit of escaping the stiff manners by seeking refuge in Grande-Anse on an enormous estate on the bank of the Saint-Maurice. She discovered this enchanting site while canoeing down the river, with her Indian guide her sole companion. This young Mohawk of 22 was going to turn Stillman-MCormick's life upside down, making the headlines for the next five years and playing a large part in Louise Lacousière's story, decades later.

All this because, in 1918, 24 months after first meeting this young man, Anne gave birth to her fourth child. Mr. Stillman immediately accused her of infidelity, despite his wife's claims that he is the child's father. The rest of the saga was splashed all over the newspapers, from America to Europe. The scandal focussed the world's attention on this faraway estate on the Saint-Maurice River.

"In my book, which will be published by Libre-Expression in September, I tell all about the trial, how James Alexander Stillman offered her substantial child-support payments if she exiled herself in Europe and took her young son with her, how she opposed him with everything that she had. A terrible war of wills followed", says Lacoursière, who had no trouble keeping the whole team on the edge of their seats, as you may see in this week's video segment.

As night falls slowly on the Domaine, with Old Buck and his cowboy in tow, we enter the different buildings of the estate, following Louise Lacoursière's lead. We are looking for remnants of the past, and of anything that the "Queen of the Mauricie", as she was known around here, might have left behind. Like all fairytales, this one has a happy ending. After long divorce proceedings, the Queen of the Forest married Fowler MacCormick, never dispelling the mystery surrounding her relationship with the local native. While she remained discrete about her affair with the handsome guide, she became quite vocal about her passion for this beautiful region, 30 kilometres outside of La Tuque.

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