Vallières

Vallières (Haitian Creole: Valyè) is a commune located in Haiti's Northeast Deparment. Part of the Vallières Arrondissement, it is a municipality and its seat of government. The population was 23,536 at the 2015 census. The town includes the villages of Vallières, Grosse Roche, and Carosse.

"By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down."
Pa jistis yon wa bay yon estabilite peyi, men, moun ki renmen visye pou yon ti kòb.
-Solomon

About[]

Vallières was founded as a village at the bottom of a densely rugged valley, in the mountains southwest of Fort-Liberté, at the confluence of the Mont-Organisé, Ténebres, Essentes, and Pignon chains of the chains of the Northern Mountain Range.

The excessively rough terrain is a series of mountains and peaks that touch each other at the base. A single united flat square of 100 meters (1,075 sq.ft) is a rare find. All these hills (and ground sulphur) send a great part of the rainwater to the footpaths at their base, as the sun penetrates there only with difficulty; they become muddy, rocky impassable for animals carrying a heavy load.

VAL 30223b — Residential neighborhood of Vallières, Nord-Est, Haiti

Etymology[]

The origin of its name is not clear, but it is believed to have been named after a Frenchman named Vallière who settled in the area during the colonial period. Another theory suggests that the name may have derived from the French word vallée meaning "valley," due to the commune's location in a valley surrounded by mountains. However, the exact origin of the name is uncertain and subject to speculation.

History[]

• On November 1, 1791, Jean-François, generalissimo of the black revolts, learning the atrocities committed by Jeannot, his lieutenant, hated it and ordered him to stop it. Jeannot's troops, tired of his tyranny, abandoned him. Jean-François made him stop and condemned him to death. Jeannot made baseness when he died. He begged the cure of the Marmalade who was assisting him to ask for his forgiveness from Jean Francois. He fastened so forcefully to the curé that he almost suffocated him, and that he was obliged to shoot him at close range.

• Jean-François and Biassou attacked Vallières in 1791 with so much impetuosity that they removed French assault. They were hunted a year later by General Desfourneaux, after lively fights.

• In June 1793, Toussaint Louverture was imprisoned in Vallières by Jean-François, his leader, he aroused jealousy. Biassou delivered it.

• The English were expelled from Vallières on March 5, 1797.

• In January 1803, Valliere followed the example of Dondon and Plaisance, revolting against Dessalines, after the assassination of the former band leader Sans Souci, at Grandpré, by Christophe.

• In 1812, General Kéyé Larivière, with 50 men, arrived one night at Vallière, seized it, and immolated the commander at the hands of his sisters whom this officer had massacred.

• The law of November 20, 1821 sets the precise distance of this municipality to the capital has 76 leagues.

• In 1865 Vallière embraced Salnave's party against President Geffrard.

• It was at Vallière that the Cacos of Mont-Organisé (Ouanaminthe) under John Lynch, found the first piece of cannon in 1868, which they made such a glorious use in 1868 against President Salnave at Mombin-Crochu, the Organized Mount and Valliere. After the capture of Valliere, the Cacos, who numbered only twenty at the Organized Mount, were together at six hundred. Salnave, fleeing from Valliere, burned everything in the village.

• At the Constituent assembly meeting of November 12, 1888, the constituent Saint-Fleur Pierre proposed to erect this municipality in the borough and under the Northern Department.

• On November 30, 1888, government troops camped at Fort Biassou. Battled those of the separatists of the North: two regiments of the North joined them at Vallière. On January 12, 1889, the generals François Pierre and Anténor Jean Jacques made their triumphant entry for the Government of the General Légitime. After the defeat of the general piquant at Dessalines, Vallière was evacuated by the flocks of the 1st. Corps commanded by the minister of war A. Prophet; these troops gained the eastern part and returned to Port au Prince. However Saint-Fleur constitutes it Pierre maintained in the mountains of Valliere the authority of the Government of the President Légitime which could not send him any help, all the surrounding parts being in the power of the Nordistes. To bring Vallière to put down the arms, the provisional government of the Nordistes was forced to decree, on July 3, 1889, its creation in district of 4th class.

• Vallières and its annexes separated from the Northern uprising, and made their submission to the Government of President Légitime on January 8, 1889, General Francois Pierre made his entrance on the 12th, at 9 o'clock in the morning, amid the warmest ovations of the population. He found ramparts already well-guarded to ensure the security of the city against the northerners, the coast of Fort-Liberté and Trou-du-Nord.

• In 1915, during the American occupation, the Cacos made Vallières their refuge. The Americans came to attack them and put them in a bad way, especially in Gros Roche, and destroyed their retreats with dynamite.

Geography[]

Vallièrs is located at 19.4368° N, 71.9209° W. According to the IHSI, this commune has a total land area of 158.46 square kilometers (61.18 square miles), of which 157.17 km² (99%) is suburban and rural and 1.29 km² (1%) is urban. It is bordered on the on the Northwest by the town of Sainte-Suzanne, on the north by the city of Trou-du-Nord, on the northeast by Perches and Fort-Liberté, on the east by the town of Carice, on the south by the town of Mombin-Crochu, and on the west by the Northern Department town of Ranquitte. Vallières is an interior commune, situated in the Northern Mountain Range. It has a district, three communal sections, and six extension zones.

Vallières has a humid and misty climate. There is a mountain ridge separating it from the city of Hinche. This ridge is also the southern limit of the Trou-du-Nord Arrondissement, until coming to recognize, towards the Sourde the boundary of the Great North River.

The Grande Rivière du Nord takes its source in the peaks of Vallières.

Vallieres Michael Vedrine 528 — Commune map of Vallières, Haiti

Neighborhoods

VAL	Vallières	23,536
VVA	Ville de Vallières	Urban	2,576
QGR	Quartier Grosse Roche	Urban	1,520
TPM	1ère Section Trois Palmiste	Rural section	9,036	Bois Rouge, Bois Viaud, Borne Tante, Brouillard, Débauche, Delpèche, Dimini, Doute, Etrennes, La Croix, Losier, Nan Français, Nan François, Nan Tampe, Pascale, Ti Maître, Toquette, Trois-la-Passe, Trois-Platons, Viaud.
EGR	2ème Section Ecrevisse / Grosse Roche	Rural section	5,402	Baye, Biassou, Bran-Noel, Camizar, Candy, Cariver, Chassin, Chevalier, Codaty, Duverny, Gros-Morne, Grosse-Roche, La Pallière, La Préville, Magriton, Mayombé, Savane Coton, Terre Rouge, Ti Bal.
CRS	3ème Section Corosse	Rural section	5,002	Bois Poux, Carosse, Ducanelle, Haut-Platon, La Selle.

Demographics[]

The inhabitants of Vallières commune are called Vallianais or Valloisiens.

VAL
Year	Population	+/-
1890	8,000
1998	15,458	+93%
2003	17,470	+13%
2009	21,404	+23%
2015	23,536	+10%

Economy[]

Relying on Fort-Liberté for finances, Vallières is one of the most challenged communes in the department in terms of economic infrastructure. Agriculture, livestock and trade are its main economic activities. Its productions consist of coffee, sugar cane, cocoa, cotton, and food supplies. Many of the residents are farmers. They have horses, mules, donkeys, oxen and singing parrots. Their survival largely depends on the produce obtained from farming. Thanks to tree plantation at the local nurseries, Deforestation in the area has been curbed.

The town is also home to pine forests, pink apples, campêches, and bamboo. The geology includes red ochres, plaster, granite, marble, basalt, and slate schists. Hot springs exist within the commune.

Much effort is being put in to teach farmers methods of using better practices in farming, pest control, usage of organic fertilizer and crop rotation so that more revenue can be earned in the process. The commercial exchanges are mainly with the communes of Mombin-Crochu, Perches, Acul-du-Nord, Fort-Liberté and Ouanaminthe. Exports from Cap-Haïtien or Fort-Liberté.

Infrastructure[]

Education The Ministry of National Education of Youth and Sports is represented in the Commune by a school inspection office. Four kindergarten, sixteen primary schools including five public, eight private and three Congregational were inventoried in the commune. There is also a public high school and two technical and vocational centers.

Health The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the municipality of Vallières. A dispensary with an auxiliary, two dozen certified matrons and a laboratory technicin, have been inventoried in the Commune.

Utilities The Municipality of Vallières has four rivers and two springs that are collected and distributed. At the time of the inventory, the Municipality of Vallières was not electrified.

Security With regard to the administrative and judicial infrastructures, the municipality of Vallières has a police station with ten policemen, a court of peace and a registry office.

Culture[]

Religion There are several churches in the Commune. The number of Baptist churches are revealed to be more numerous (11 in total).

Communication At the time of survey, this commune had no telephone. The postal service exists and the distribution of mail is done on foot. The commune has a radio station, however, it has neither newspaper / magazine nor television station.

When the post office was established in 1826, Valliere sent its letters every Wednesday and Saturday morning to the Cape Office, which was sending back the ones that were destined for it.

Leisure

VAL 30223h — Vallières football (soccer) team

As for Culture and Leisure, the town has several natural sites. Football (soccer) is the primary sport practiced in the municipality. In addition, there are eight gaguères that complete the meager places of entertainment and recreation of the inhabitants of the town.

Cultural Heritage

Patronal feast: January 22nd

There are two caves and a fort - Fort Salnave, which is a historical monument of the area built after independence, located in Mayombé (Three Palms) in the locality of Salnave. The River Tème is another product of value in this town.

Organizations[]

People living in Vallieres have been well-supported by St.Vincent Parish. It follows a twinning program with Our Lady of Mercy Church.

The Roi Elementary school gets a lot of support from the Parish. Parishioners make many donations, some of which are shipped to Vallières in containers. Thanks to the twinning program, life of the people in Vallières has improved significantly.

In the town is Men Kontre Valye, a peasant group of 200 members. Based on the geographical location, the group is split in an age group of 8 to 14 members. As of now, it has evolved as a micro credit program. It offers literacy classes for adults and tree plantation in nurseries.

References[]

Vallières-Ville de Fraîcheur,Nord-est Haïti [1]

Journaliste Rene Wil-Neau; Haiti-Nord-Est-Info-Production. Tel 4394-0814

ChatGPT.2023 "Where did vallieres, Haiti get its name?"

_{Michael Vedrine}