Human activity usually leaves its traces on the landscape such as in farming and construction. Similarly, families leave their traces also. When the time comes to designate a place or site with a name, it is those who have made the greatest contributions to a community that come most readily to mind. Thus, at Chateau-Richer, there is a small river named Cazeau that flows across land that belonged in the Cazeau family for 200 years. It is difficult to ascertain exactly when the river started to be called Cazeau.

At Montmagny, the secondary school there makes appointments in honor of the founder of Laval University, Louis-Jaques Casault. A building at Laval University is also named Casault. This structure houses the National Archives of the Quebec Province. In 1992, this place was visited by Richard Casault of Seattle, Washington, who was most surprised to discover the prestige attached to his family name.

In Quebec City, we find a Casot Street, the name of the last Jesuit to Canada, Joseph Casot. The town of Cap-Rouge, in the suburd of Quebec City, possesses a street named St.Félix, in honor of the memory of Mgr. Charles-Félix Cazeau. Montreal also has a Casault Street and at Charlesbourg, there is Henri-Casault Park, the name of its former mayor. Other designations remind one or the other of the two families. The county of Kamouraska, has a small village named Lake-Casault in honor of Judge Louis-Napoléon Casault. Further research would reveal other places reminiscent of Cazeau/Casault family history.

The Cazeau River in Château-Richer,
photo : Michel Caseault, 1998

The Casot Street in Quebec City named after
the last Jesuit in Canada, Jean-Joseph Casot,
photo : Michel Caseault, 1998