From what has been pieced together using Brome County Historical Society archives, East Hill was a small hamlet developed by Paul Holland Knowlton located right on the outskirts of Knowlton, close to what is now Chemin Mont Echo.
After Knowlton purchased land from the crown by a letters patent, families like the Wilsons, the Joyals, and the Sandborns settled in the area.
There is little information on East Hill beyond the fact that it was made up of family farms, but the hamlet made headlines in 1951 when it experienced what was considered one of the most savage murders in Quebec history.
On April 25, 1951, Henri Bissonnette was stabbed to death while trying to fight off a robber. In an article published in True Crime Cases, July 1952 edition, Bissonnette was describe as someone who was often known to carry large amounts of cash.
To discover what happened throughout the investigation and who was responsible for the robbery and murder, stay tuned for the Town of Brome Lake 50th anniversary supplement in the upcoming months.
