Originally in the 17th century, "La Chute" identified a cataract or falls on the North River (
Rivière du Nord) located about upstream from its confluence with the Ottawa River. In 1753, Antoine Brunet became the first
francophone to settle in Lachute, temporarily. In 1796, Jedediah Lane, from
Jericho, Vermont, bought several thousand acres of land on both sides of the North River, where Lachute is today. That same year, Hezekiah Clark and his family, also of Jericho, settled near the falls on the North River, followed by
Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. Two years later, the population of
The Chute settlement (as it was then known by its English name) consisted of five families. The village grew quickly; by 1803, 30 families were scattered on both banks of the North River, and by 1810, Lachute counted 83 families, including 211 children of school age. In 1804, a mill was built at the falls and the first general store opened in 1813. One year later,
Sir John Johnson bought a large part of the
Argenteuil Seigneury. Johnson built a sawmill and gave land for the construction of churches, helping to attract new settlers to Argenteuil. In 1825, Thomas Barron became the first judge, then the first mayor of Lachute. In 1966, Lachute and the Village of Ayersville merged, forming the
Cité de Lachute. In 1971, during the construction of
Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, a part of the Saint-Jérusalem Parish was added to Lachute. In 1981,
Cité de Lachute became
Ville de Lachute. In 2000, about of
Mirabel's territory were annexed by Lachute. In 2002, the
Service de police municipale de Lachute was transferred to the
Sûreté du Québec. ==Geography==