Founded in 1701 by Antoine Laumet, sieur de Lamothe Cadillac, the colony of le Détroit is the oldest permanent French settlement west of Montreal. Although the initial purpose of the settlement was to provide a bulwark against English expansion into the Great Lakes region, le Détroit was meant to be much more than a mere fort or trading post. Cadillac intended for his colony to match Montreal and Quebec in size and influence. He envisioned an agricultural centre that would provide for its own needs and supply all the other French outposts in the Interior. But the fur trade remained the most important activity on both sides of the Detroit River throughout most of the 18th century, while local inhabitants lived under French, British and American rule. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the region would become an important agricultural centre. More than nine hundred kilometres from the Quebec border, le French-Canadian community of le Détroit evolved in its own unique fashion, reflecting a geographic, demographic and socio-economic situation very different from that of any other Francophone settlement in North America.

Le Progrès often reminded readers of the Detroit River area’s French history, most notably in a series of travel letters written by the great Quebec historian l’abbé Henri-Raymond Casgrain (1831-1904) , . Casgrain also wrote about French parishes on the Canadian side of the river . Another article about the founding of Detroit appeared during the city’s bicentenary celebrations in 1901 .

Le Progrès attempted to portray the history of le Détroit in the most glorious, French and Catholic terms. Even then, it was felt that the local French population was lacking pride and needed to be reminded of its importance in the great French North American epic of conquest and colonization. Church history was especially emphasized. One series of articles gave a detailed account of the founding of Assumption parish , , . Le Progrès also noted the passing of one of l’Assomption’s early pastors, Father Pierre Point . When the current Saint Anne’s church in Detroit was dedicated in 1886, Le Progrès wrote about the early history of this, Detroit’s first parish . Another article talks about the Clapoton family, one of Detroit’s great French families, and its association with the Church .

But Le Progrès also features lives of ordinary people who played a part in the region’s history, pioneers who, through their daily activities, contributed in a variety of ways to the community’s development. For example, a portrait of the Marentette / Janisse family - two of the area’s oldest names - tells us a lot about how the old French families spent their lives along the Detroit River . So does an article about Arsas Drouillard that appeared in Le Courrier, telling of his life among the fishermen of Essex and Kent. . Obituaries were another important source of historical details, summarizing as they did the lives, relations and activities of people who left their marks on the French-Canadian community of le Détroit. They provide us with excellent little biographies of people such as Hypolite Réaume , the church builder Alex Chauvin , Mrs. Joseph Lajeunesse , Olivier Marentette and the tailor E.F. Beaune .