Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer; the Father of New France; the founder of Quebec (1608); the first European to see Lake Champlain, which he named for himself in 1609.
At the south end of the lake at Crown Point stands the Samuel de Champlain memorial lighthouse.  It includes a bronze bust of "La France" by renowned sculptor, Auguste Rodin.  The memorial was presented by the people of France to commemorate the tercentenary (300th anniversary) of Samuel de Champlain's discovery of Lake Champlain.
At the north end of the lake, at St. Anne's shrine on Isle La Motte, lies another majestic granite statue of Champlain.  This monument was carved in the Vermont pavilion in Montreal during Expo 67.
In Burlington a commemorative area on the waterfront shows photos of the 400th anniversary celebrations that took place in 2009.
This summer, by rather a good coincidence, I find myself reading a book by Louise Penny, "Bury Your Dead".  The subject matter of her book is in regard to the location of Champlain's grave.  In her book she makes reference to the vision and courage that Champlain had to not only take from the land furs, fish and timber but to actually live here long enough to establish a colony in spite of the immense hardships that must have been endured.
Truly a man worthy of monuments!